Why Do GOP Bosses Fear Ron Paul?, page

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Ron Paul represents the ideology that Republican insiders most fear: conservatism.

Not the corrupt, inside-the-beltway construct that goes by that name, but actual conservatism.
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Actually, Paul's notion of foreign policy is in line with that of conservatives used to believe. The congressman is often referred to as a libertarian, and he has certainly toiled some in that ideological vineyard. But the truth is that his politics descend directly from those of former Ohio Senator Robert "Mr. Republican" Taft and former Nebraska Congressman Howard Buffett—old-right opponents of war and empire who served in the Congress in the 1940s and 1950s and who, in Taft's case, mounted credible bids for the party's presidential nomination in 1940, 1948 and finally in 1952. In all three campaigns, Taft opposed what he described as the "Eastern establishment" of the party—the Wall Streeters who, he pointedly noted, had little in common with Main Streeters.

Unfortunately most people have never heard of the ‘Old Right’ and many who have do not really know what it is. Basically the Old Right was the grouping of Libertarian and Conservatives during the interwar period (1919 – 1941) who supported limiting immigration (1924 immigration act created the ‘melting pot’), laissez-faire economics, opposed the New Deal, opposed intervention in World War II, and opposed fighting the Cold War.

There are many men of the Old Right who are still well known by many today such as H.L. Mencken, Albert Jay Nock, Robert A. Taft ‘Mr. Republican’, Al Smith, William Randolph Hearst, Father Charles Coughlin, Howard Buffett, John T. Flynn, Murray Rothbard, Charles Lindbergh, Jr., Robert Frost, Ezra Pound, John Dos Passos, Ayn Rand, and Herbert Hoover. The ideas of these men and women live on today in the ideologies of Paleolibertarianism (Ron Paul) and Paleoconservatism (Pat Buchanan).

In the literary sphere they never held back on their thoughts, unlike most journalists/writers, and this has led to accusations of anti-Semitism and racism. But most were ardent individualists who could care less what another person was doing so long as they did not hurt another person. The group was made up of Democrats and Republicans, many of whom rallied together in the America First Committee.

Now, these people, as I said earlier, never held their tongue and it often got them into hot water (just ask Ron Paul). But they were, in my opinion, right 90% of the time at the very least.

"The maintenance of the right of criticism in the long run will do the country...more good than it will do the enemy," said Taft when arguing against the buildup of the military industrial complex.

Howard Buffett said on the House floor: "Even if it were desirable, America is not strong enough to police the world by military force. If that attempt is made, the blessings of liberty will be replaced by coercion and tyranny at home. Our Christian ideals cannot be exported to other lands by dollars and guns. Persuasion and example are the methods taught by the Carpenter of Nazareth, and if we believe in Christianity we should try to advance our ideals by his methods. We cannot practice might and force abroad and retain freedom at home. We cannot talk world cooperation and practice power politics."

They even made arguments that sound radically liberal by today’s standards… and they were considered the ‘Far-right’: "When the American government conscripts a boy to go 10,000 miles to the jungles of Asia without a declaration of war by Congress (as required by the Constitution) what freedom is safe at home? Surely, profits of U.S. Steel or your private property are not more sacred than a young man's right to life." – Howard Buffet

How about Buffett’s warning in regards to crony capitalism that enriches government contractors? "There are businesses that are being enriched by national defense spending and foreign handouts," Buffett warned in 1948. "These firms, because of the money they can spend on propaganda, may be the most dangerous of all. If the Marshall Plan meant $100 million worth of profitable business for your firm, wouldn't you Invest a few thousands or so to successfully propagandize for the Marshall Plan? And if you were a foreign government, getting billions, perhaps you could persuade your prospective suppliers here to lend a hand in putting that deal through Congress."

Perhaps the best example of the difference between the Wall Street Republican Party or, Neoconservatives, and the Main Street Republican Party or, Old Right, is best exemplified in Robert A. Taft’s gripe: "Every Republican candidate for President since 1936 has been nominated by the Chase National Bank."

Why are the Republicans afraid of Ron Paul? Because they fear he will turn the GOP into a Conservative Party.

reply to post by Misoir

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He'll take the power and authority given to the gov by itself and put it back into the hands of the people. This is unacceptable to those that will lose their power of will over others.

reply to post by DiddlyDeePotatoes

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"When a candidate for public office faces the voters he does not face men of sense; he faces a mob of men whose chief distinguishing mark is the fact that they are quite incapable of weighing ideas, or even of comprehending any save the most elemental — men whose whole thinking is done in terms of emotion, and whose dominant emotion is dread of what they cannot understand. So confronted, the candidate must either bark with the pack or be lost... All the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre — the man who can most adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." - H.L. Mencken

reply to post by Misoir

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Why Do GOP Bosses Fear Ron Paul?,


the various lobbyists and think tanks in dc want the status quo.

a web of alliances make a dysfunctional reality normal.

when republican and democrat are the same, and they debate on a meaningless level, who wins the election is safe for lobbyists and other proffesional dc experts.

even if rp wins, they would still control congress, but i guess they want it all.

ron paul talks about real problems nobody wants to look at, hope he gets to keep it up.

reply to post by whyamIhere

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you are right I was thinking about that very thing. because there are alot of people that support Dr paul. And the GOP is going to need all the votes they can muster to beat the billion dollar man.

He should use that as leverage. But they want to continue to bash him. how they think there going to get the ROn paul supporters. I dont think the Ron paul people are scared enough for them just to say "well do you want more Obama" that doesnt work with us. at leats it won;t work with me.

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