Finally a voice of reason has join the US Presidential race. Congressman Dr Ron Paul is like a breath of fresh air in a storm of hot, stale rhetoric. Ron Paul is the first candidate in a long time who seems interested in winning the election for reasons other than to simply win. Who is he and why does he stand out for me, a South African? I am so glad you asked, allow me to expand.
Ron Paul plans to return America to the place it used to enjoy, as a world leader, instead of a world policeman! He plans to rock the boat on many different levels. Most of which I completely appreciate & believe the world needs.
End the Fed.
Ron Paul wants a full, complete & transparent audit of the Federal Reserve bank. He wants them to finally become accountable for their actions. Since 1913, the Fed has had the power to create money out of thin air, influence interest rates and generally control the US economy. The upshot of that is the the US dollar has devalued by 95% during their reign! Mr Paul plans to end that and return the power of the US economy back to the people of America.
You can read more about his comprehensive plans here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ktr_8fdY6wk
Reduce the deficit.
Ron Paul has a real plan to drastically reduce the US deficit. He plans to reduce it by 1 Trillion (with a T) dollars in the first year. This in itself is a pretty radical idea and you probably think he plans to tax the people more to achieve this. If that’s what you think, you would be wrong. He is not going to raise taxes. In fact he plans to cut many of the taxes on the people that he considers unconstitutional, he even envisions a 0% tax rate in the future. Instead, Ron Paul plans to curb the excessive & reckless spending of Congress.
The reason I think he is totally serious about this is the fact that he has proposed to “take a salary of $39,336, approximately equal to the median personal income of the American worker.” Do you realize how long ago it was that a US President was paid $39,336? The fact that he plans to reduce the deficit by taking a pay cut should show you just how serious he is about reducing the deficit!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MXCZVmQ74OA
Here is a candidate who plans to lead by example, a candidate who has a real plan based on sound research. You can see his full proposal here. How many politicians understand the Occupy Wall Street movement? Well, Ron Paul certainly does!
Stopping the erosion of civil liberties.
Ron Paul was very outspoken about the “Patriot Act” & he plans to repeal it. He feels is is totally unconstitutional. Well done Mr. Paul, I completely agree with you. Hopefully you will include SOPA, should that draconian bit of legislation also get passed! He is proposing a non-interference policy which will allow the various states to determine their own best future. He plans to stop people having to be ogled or fondled for wanting to fly somewhere on an airplane! Thanks you Mr Ron Paul.
Military & wars
This is huge. Ron Paul is proposing a freeze on military spending. He feels that America is over-extended and he is RIGHT! With bases is some 135 countries around the world, the US is completely over-extended. He wants to bring the troops home. He feels that the resources would be better used by getting those troops to guard and monitor their own borders instead of the borders of countries that most of those troops don’t even understand! Never mind the cost of maintaining all those bases, there is the PR effect that those bases represent. Who made America the world police? By maintaining those bases, the US is providing the reason for even more people to take up arms against the US. How would Americans feel if China or Iran or Afganistan established a base on US soil?
Ron Paul is able to put himself in the shoes of people outside America and view America through their eyes. This makes him stand out as a free-thinking American and a revolutionary Presidential candidate!
Here are a list of some of Ron Paul’s proposals, should he be elected president.
This is a selection of my favorites & the reasons I would vote for him (if I could). For the complete lists & proposals, you should visit his official campaign website.
Economy
* Vetoing any unbalanced budget Congress sends to his desk.
* Refusing to further raise the debt ceiling so politicians can no longer spend recklessly.
* Fighting to fully audit (and then end) the Federal Reserve System, which has enabled the over 95% reduction of what our dollar can buy and continues to create money out of thin air to finance future debt.
* Legalizing sound money, so the government is forced to get serious about the dollar’s value.
* Ending the corporate stranglehold on the White House.
End the fed
As President, Ron Paul will work for passage of comprehensive audit legislation, and he will also fight to legalize sound money so Americans will have alternatives to the Fed’s inflated paper money.
Ultimately, he will lead the charge to end the dishonest, immoral, and unconstitutional Federal Reserve System, enabling America to take a giant step toward economic security, financial responsibility, and lasting prosperity
National Defense
* Make securing our borders the top national security priority.
* Avoid long and expensive land wars that bankrupt our country by using constitutional means to capture or kill terrorist leaders who helped attack the U.S. and continue to plot further attacks.
* Guarantee our intelligence community’s efforts are directed toward legitimate threats and not spying on innocent Americans through unconstitutional power grabs like the Patriot Act.
* End the nation-building that is draining troop morale, increasing our debt, and sacrificing lives with no end in sight.
* Follow the Constitution by asking Congress to declare war before one is waged.
* Only send our military into conflict with a clear mission and all the tools they need to complete the job – and then bring them home.
Taxes
While a Flat Tax or a Fair Tax would each be a better alternative to the income tax system, Congressman Paul believes we would have to guarantee the 16th Amendment is repealed to avoid having both the income tax and one of these systems as an additional tax.
But there is a better way. Restraining federal spending by enforcing the Constitution’s strict limits on the federal government’s power would help result in a 0% income tax rate for Americans.
The answer to spending and debt is to return to a constitutionally limited government that protects liberty – not one that keeps robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Health
* Repeal ObamaCare and end its unconstitutional mandate that all Americans must carry only government-approved health insurance or answer to the IRS.
* Allow purchase of health insurance across state lines.
* Provide tax credits and deductions for all medical expenses.
* Exempt those with terminal illnesses from the employee portion of payroll taxes while they are suffering from such illnesses or are incurring significant medical costs associated with their conditions.
* Give a payroll deduction to any worker who is the primary caregiver for a spouse, parent, or child with a terminal illness.
* Stop the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from interfering with Americans’ knowledge of and access to dietary supplements and alternative treatments.
* Prevent federal bureaucrats from tracking every citizen’s medical history from cradle to grave by prohibiting the use of taxpayer funds for a national database of personal health information.
Energy
* Eliminate the ineffective EPA. Polluters should answer directly to property owners in court for the damages they create – not to Washington.
* Make tax credits available for the purchase and production of alternative fuel technologies.
Homeschooling
* Help parents better educate their children by providing parents with a $5,000 per child tax credit for tutors, books, computers, and other K-12 related educational needs.
* Ensure that the federal government treats high school diplomas earned through homeschooling the same as other high school diplomas.
Congressman Paul wants parents to have the freedom to choose the best educational options for their children, and his commitment to ensuring homeschooling remains a practical alternative for American families is unmatched by any other Presidential candidate.
As President, he will veto any legislation that encroaches on homeschooling parents’ rights.
Returning control of education to parents and teachers on the local level is the centerpiece of Ron Paul’s education agenda.