Kathleen Wells: What are your thoughts on President Obama’s decision to release the torture memos?
Congressman Ron Paul: I think he is purely political. I think he has backed down on what he said. He was elected for change and it is the same old stuff and he is as much of a neo-con now as Bush was with this issue and other issues. The war has been expanded. He continues with not closing down Guantanamo. There is probably, for as most [sic] as we can tell, there is still secret rendition going on. We just moved some of this process overseas. We are not going to be aware of it in detail.
Kathleen Wells: You feel President Obama is a neo-con like Bush? You don’t see a distinction between the two administrations?
Congressman Ron Paul: The tone is different, but the policies don’t change. We are spreading the war. The war is expanding. We are not prosecuting those that committed torture. Guantanamo is not going to be closed down. So, no, I don’t see [a distinction between Bush and Obama].
He [Obama] increased the DOD [Department of Defense] budget. We surely could spend some of that money at home where people are really hurting. But we increased the DOD budget, I think, by 10-percent. I can’t see any significant change in foreign policy. The pretense in leaving Iraq was a mild pretense and I’m predicting that’s not going to happen. There are going to be troops in Iraq throughout this administration, I’m convinced.
That’s right people… It’s taken Barack Obama less than 6 months as President to prove beyond any doubt that the only change he represents is rhetorical. The honeymoon is over.
Quote of the Day: “By a continuing process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. There is no subtler, no surer means of overturning the existing basis of society than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose.” — John Maynard Keynes Source: “The Economic Consequences Of The Peace”
In May of last year the U.S. money supply stood at roughly $834 billion. Now, a year later, the Federal Reserve has created an additional $941 billion out of thin air. Pay close attention to those numbers…
* The amount of new money the Fed has created is roughly $107 billion more than all the money that was in circulation just a year ago
* In other words, the U.S. money supply has more than doubled
Think about what this does to the value of your dollars, to your savings, to your paycheck, to your retirement income? A doubling of the money supply means your money is worth half what it was.
Of course, your money’s loss of value won’t manifest itself overnight. It will take time for the Fed’s counterfeiting to drive up prices. But those who get the new money first will be able to spend it while prices are still low, increasing their wealth at your expense.
The Federal Reserve, as you might expect, promises that prices won’t rise. They claim they’ll withdraw their counterfeit money before that happens. Do you feel comforted? Should we really believe that…
* The Fed can really undo so much counterfeiting
* The attempt to withdraw the counterfeit dollars won’t cause economic disruptions of its own
And if they did sop up their funny money, wouldn’t that mean another “contraction?” …more unemployment? …other sectors in trouble and screaming for a taxpayer-funded bailout?
Our position is simple. If it’s wrong for individuals to counterfeit, it’s also wrong for the government to do it. What we need is money that no one can counterfeit, like gold and silver. Some people want to make this happen by abolishing the Fed. We agree. That needs to happen. But it’s a big step. We think there’s an easier way…
“The Republic was not established by cowards; and cowards will not preserve it.” – Elmer Davis
by Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution Originally published on Friday, June 5, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article6510.html
On June 6, 1944, a flotilla of transports set out for the coast of Normandy. They would land at five beaches codenamed Sword, Juno, Omaha, Gold, and Utah. Some beachheads were established with minimum resistance. Some beachheads were established in blood and gore, like Omaha’s. (photo)
In operational military code, the day was D-Day and the time was H-Hour. The only difference was that this was THE D-Day. My message, if you care to receive it, is that today is also D-Day, a D-Day of a different flavor.
Our overlords are operating on the economy until it collapses. They are debasing our money supply until it is worthless.
Someone, somewhere is receiving the tax money paid for the broken business of AIG and Government Motors. All we know is that the international central bankers are behind the whole charade. Our Congress still doesn’t even support auditing the central bank, the Federal Reserve, yet.
They are frittering away the very civil liberties that our veterans cherished so much and fought so hard to protect. Many of our soldiers may still believe this today, but they have been misled.
Our enemies are not to be found in the racial and religious groups clashing in Iraq. Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11 or any other terrorist group. When we hurled our finest 150,000 troops at him, he had no air force, no navy, and pathetic shreds of an army. He had no weapons of mass destruction, although Pakistan, India, Russia, the USA, China, Israel and other obviously do.
“When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads.” – Ron Paul. Some philosophical thoughts as “Governomics” tightens its grips on our nation.
by Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution Originally published Thursday, June 4, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article6502.html
With all of the ongoing talk about the financial crisis, high unemployment, disappearing 401k plans, unfunded pension plans, an upcoming and unmentioned commercial real estate crash due to the current silly state of “governomics” that we currently live in, I would like to share a philosophical point about wealth. (photo)
So what does the term “wealthy” actually mean?
If you google “define wealth” you get “the state of being rich and affluent” or “having a plentiful supply of material goods and money.”
I feel these definitions miss the true meaning of the term completely.
The word “wealth” is derived from the old English word “weal“, which is synonymous with well, as in well-being. What makes you wealthy is what increases your well-being.
Therefore, to be “wealthy” doesn’t mean just money or possessions to me.
To me, my prime source of wealth is my life and health. Without a state of good health, life is pretty rough.
Some politicians want to mandate that employers provide health insurance for their workers, and/or that individuals must acquire such insurance, much as we’re all required to have car insurance. This is supposed to achieve universal coverage while also reducing costs. But…
Massachusetts politicians have already run this experiment, with bad results.
Massachusetts politicians promised that the insurance mandate would reduce medical costs. They also estimated that health insurance premiums could drop by 25-40%. Instead…
* Premiums rose by 7.4% in 2007, 8-12% in 2008, and are expected to rise 9% this year
* This compares to an average nationwide increase of only 5.7% over the same period
* Annual health insurance costs for a family in Massachusetts average about $4,000 more than the national rate
* Health care spending has also increased in Massachusetts by 23% since the coverage mandate was enacted
We already know the results of the mandate idea. Congress MUST NOT inflict this mistaken idea on the rest of us. Read More »
It’s Friday so here’s another installment of “quick hits”…
Ron Paul’s HR1207 to audit the Federal Reserve picked up some new cosponsors this week. While the pace has slowed down the number is now up to 190. That means that only 28 more are needed to reach 218, a majority in the House. This is great news, but it appears there may be some efforts underway to undermine Ron Paul’s magic bullet for the Fed.
I’d call it waterboarding HR1207 rather than watering it down. Dennis Kucinich introduced a bill (HR2424) that is a tortured version of HR1207 that focuses only on the recent financial crisis, not a general audit like Paul’s bill. Apparently, Kucinich’s bill was transformed into an amendment to HR2646 (The GAO Improvement Act) and adopted unanimously by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Perhaps it is time to start a “Don’t Torture HR1207″ effort?
In more positive news, a long time writer here at Liberty Maven is putting his words into action. Jake Towne has kicked off his campaign running for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 15th district. He’s running a different kind of campaign for sure, but if it were status-quo it wouldn’t be Jake. Take some time to check out his awesome presentation regarding his campaign here. He wears liberty and honesty on his sleeve. We need more candidates like Jake across the country.
The fund raising for Rand Paul’s exploratory committee ramped up this week with both a mini-money bomb raising about $25k and an official endorsement from his father Ron Paul. The latter was sent out in an email and the heavy traffic took down Rand’s campaign site for a few hours. It reminded me of the early days of Ron Paul’s Presidential campaign a bit. Oh nostalgia!
The federal Congress is not authorized by the Constitution to legislate on health care without a constitutional amendment. Obviously, there is some disagreement with this as the Democrats are pushing their “ObamaCare” plan very hard. What are your thoughts?
by Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution Originally published on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at http://www.nolanchart.com/article6499.html
On June 4, 2009, I both called Congressman Dent’s office and sent the below text in an email. I identified myself as a candidate in next year’s election. during the call and I am pleased to remark that the call was handled in a courteous and professional manner.
Please take a read. My remarks are that our health is the most integral part of our wealth – do we REALLY want government running and involved with our health care? Although I commend the Congressman for taking the proper steps against the Democratic Party – which is aggressively advancing “ObamaCare” – I fail to see why there is need to debate this topic. Why?
If there ever was an argument for nepotism then one need look no further than Ron Paul and his son Rand. Scott Horton asked Rand about neptotism in an Antiwar Radio interview recently. Rand answered quite honestly and bluntly, something we’ve become accustomed to when listening to his father.
My son, Rand, has helped me campaign since he was 11. He and his brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews have literally knocked on thousands of doors for me.
At the age of 21, Rand debated Phil Gramm in my US Senate race in my stead. During the Presidential election he traveled to ten states giving speeches for me. He appeared on hundreds of radio programs for me. I am grateful for his contribution and very proud of the thoughtful, principled man Rand has become.
So, it is with great enthusiasm that I endorse my son Rand’s venture into electoral politics. Rand has formed an exploratory committee to run for Senate in Kentucky. Sending Rand to Washington would be a tremendous victory for the Freedom Movement.
I hope you will join me in supporting Rand in any way you feel comfortable. You can get more information or make a contribution at www.randpaul2010.com
Rand has also established himself as a significant force in Kentucky politics. For fifteen years he has run Kentucky Taxpayers United, a group that rates the state legislature and promotes the Taxpayer Protection Pledge whereby candidates and office holders take a pledge not to raise taxes.
Like me, Rand is a graduate of Duke Medical School. Rand is an eye surgeon, married for eighteen years, and has three children. In addition to politics, he is the founder of the Southern Kentucky Lions Eye Clinic that provides free care for those in need.
I hope you will visit Rand’s website, www.randpaul2010.com, and consider supporting him in any way you can.
In Liberty,
Ron Paul
Is there such a thing as “good” nepotism? In this case, I certainly think so.
The semi-heroic Ron Paul again dresses down his fellow lawmakers and our own attitudes regarding the role of government. This is one damn good 5 minute speech.
Liberty Maven
The following quotations from Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve are taken from 
On 
On June 4, 2009, I both called Congressman Dent’s office and sent the below text in an email. I identified myself as a candidate in next year’s election. during the call and I am pleased to remark that the call was handled in a courteous and professional manner.
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