General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Please explain why some liberals support Ron Paul... [View all]Uncle Joe
(64,888 posts)from both political and policy standpoints.
1. The Nixon/Reagan inspired draconian fascist state "War on Drugs" is anathema to liberalism, here in the land of the free, we have the world record breaking number of prisoners at 2.3 million. A large % of those prisoners are held in our for profit prison industry for possession of cannabis. An outsized % of the disenfranchised victims from the WOD are minorities, what's so liberal about supporting that kind of injustice? To my way of thinking this is institutional racism and I thought liberals were against racism?
2. Paul has come out against the Patriot Act and I see nothing liberal about an intrusive police state government; continually expanding its' powers by oppressing the people and now using those same tools and tactics against the Occupy Protesters whether the Mayor or Governor is a Democrat or Republican, I don't view those actions as being liberal, to my way of thinking liberal and compassion go hand in hand. In my book if you can't enthusiastically support the First Amendment, there is nothing liberal about you.
3. If the Republican Party hadn't whole heartedly supported oppressive government at he behest of mega-corporations against the people and the Democratic Party joined them in lockstep I would be more alarmed of Paul becoming the Republican Nominee. However I view the current greatest enemy facing the American People as being corporate supremacy. Both parties have supported this as well over the last several decades it's just a matter of to what degree and manner. So from a poltical standpoint the times are screaming for Paul being the Republcian Nominee. This would force a serious black and white debate between the parties as they stake out their positions and the gray areas which ultimately always seemed to screw the people over will be left behind.
I believe Obama; has the good sense to take the best of Paul's Liberal/Libertarian ideas and adopt them if he were pressed to do so and Paul becoming the Republican Nominee would go a long way toward doing just that.
Thanks for the thread, Liberal_Stalwart71