Climb On Board The 'Ron Paul Revolution'



By Marc Guttman Published on 9/16/2007 in The Day.



When Americans evaluate today's political landscape, most feel something between impotence and disapproval. So, while citizens shake their heads or shrug at the mainstream media's “top tier” presidential candidates, it is extraordinary how many are becoming overjoyed about one lesser covered candidate.

Tens-of-thousands have joined the appropriately named Ron Paul Revolution, joining Meetup.com groups, putting up signs, and crossing states to attend rallies. Congressman Ron Paul's genuine message and untarnished record of promoting individual liberty for everyone, a free-market economy of wealth and abundance, and a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace and free trade, has attracted vast support from diverse individuals. Inspired libertarians, Democrats, independents, and previous nonvoters have registered Republican so they can vote for Ron Paul in the primaries.

For those who watch mostly mainstream media sources, Paul is one of the most “searched” humans in cyberspace, has won several straw polls, has been the subject of dozens of blogs, and has an amazing number of entertaining, amateur Youtube.com videos promoting him.

Ron Paul, a medical doctor, worked as a flight surgeon for the U.S. Air Force before becoming an obstetrician. As a 10-term congressman, he has consistently promoted individual rights and kept his oath to defend our Constitution. In 1988, he was the Libertarian Party's nominee for president. As a supporter of Dr. Paul's for more than a decade, I enjoy watching people first learn about this great statesman and appreciate the universal benefits of liberty.

So just what is it that many of us think Ron Paul gets? Why do we want a president who does not want to run our lives nor our economy? How can we make our lives on this planet more peaceful, fairer, greener, and more prosperous? Let me discuss (too) briefly a few important, and recently highlighted, issues.

Our foreign policies have gone well beyond matters of defense. Regardless of whether our intervention in the affairs of other countries is altruistic or self-interest, it is a negative for everyone. Not only do we not have the right, we have created enemies who are now aggressors against us, making us less safe; we have supported those who would oppress many; we have militarized areas of conflict; we have unwisely spent borrowed trillions; we have created opportunity for large-scale graft; many well-intentioned Americans and innocents have been killed or injured and otherwise have had their lives disrupted.

Military is for protection

The only appropriate use of our military is to protect Americans. It is immoral and illegal to order U.S. soldiers into battle for any other reason. If we truly want peace, to be safer, and to not drain the pockets of our children, we should redeploy our military personel back to our shores and waters and trade freely with all nations.

Consumers have enjoyed the benefits of lower prices and better quality in products and services offered by the least regulated industries. Unfortunately, two of our most important services are the most heavily regulated. Public education has innovated little in 50 years and student performance is poorer. Patients find it more and more difficult to access affordable health care.

To provide quality health care to the greatest number of people, the costs for all levels of care need to be less prohibitive, so that near everyone can achieve a level of care to which they are comfortable. This is accomplished by deregulating the industry, re-establishing competition amongst health care insurers and providers, and allowing patients more freedom in their health choices.

Corporations benefit unfairly from favorable legislation that drives out competitors, harming the consumer. There is only one way to end this inequity and to get money and corruption out of politics. Take back the power from politicians by returning government to its constitutional limits.

There is no surer way to have the money you have earned for yourself and your family be used to support that which you do not value and given to those who have not earned it than by allowing the government to tax your income.

They say a frog thrown into a pot of boiling water will immediately jump out, while a frog in a pot of water that is slowly brought to a boil will remain to be cooked. Authoritarian usurpations of our freedoms progresses.

Laws prevent adults from making decisions for themselves every day. They decide when you must use personal protective equipment, what you cannot eat or drink, what you cannot sell and buy, how much you are to get paid for a service, who is not allowed to provide services, and what medical therapies you may choose for yourself.

Right now there are untold numbers of people being imprisoned, without due process, by the U.S government that have not been charged with a crime. The Real ID Act has been passed and soon Americans will have to present their papers to be allowed the privilege to travel domestically. Citizens are spied upon by government officials without legal warrant.

In our often well-intentioned attempt to solve more quickly the few problems suffered by any free society, we have created wider-spread, deeper-rooted and longer-standing ones by burdening ourselves with the heavy fist of government. Many of us think an effective way to advance liberty and enjoy the benefits of a free society is to elect Ron Paul president. So, order a yard sign and a bumper sticker, donate to the campaign, join a local Meetup group, register Republican for the primary, and join the Ron Paul Revolution.

Marc Guttman is an emergency doctor and vice chairman of the Libertarian Party of Connecticut. He lives in East Lyme.

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