Fatherly Figure

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The policies of Presidential hopeful Ron Paul would have our American forefathers smiling. From his adamancy to stay out of foreign affairs to his dedication to free trade, Paul's ideologies resemble those of a good number of our American Founders.

Paul was one of the few Republican members of Congress urging the President not go to war with Iraq, declaring it to be "nation building" and "unconstitutional." He is calling for a "humble foreign policy" of "nonintervention" into foreign affairs. Paul's view aligns with the view of James Madison, who once stated, "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy." Most of the Founding Fathers were adamantly against foreign conquests of war, believing America should not meddle in the affairs of others. In a fashion similar to Madison, Thomas Jefferson stated, "I abhor war and view it as the greatest scourge of mankind." Madison, Jefferson and many other founders would find the war in Iraq appalling and un-American.

Paul's platform calls for the eradication of the Fed and the return of our currency to the Gold Standard. Jefferson, Madison, Washington and many other founders advocated a private banking system. Although Alexander Hamilton set forth plans for the First Bank of America, eventually established in 1791, Washington and Jefferson declared the act unconstitutional. Hamilton also attempted to create a national currency, but the debate was lost to Jefferson. The founders denied all proposals for a monopolistic central bank. Private banking dominated the economy until the Federal Reserve was established in 1913. All the founders, including Hamilton, also advocated a paper money backed by gold. After ditching the Gold Standard in the 1960's, we now have a fiat paper money (not backed). In addition, the Federal Reserve prints off inordinate amounts of fiat paper money, creating the economy's booms and busts.

Paul is also calling for the elimination of the Internal Revenue Service. The American founders would be ardently opposed to the IRS, because they did not establish an income tax. Such actions and debates showed their opposition to such a tax.

Paul is a strong supporter of international trade and a laissez-faire national economy. Likewise the founders sought the free exchange of goods with other countries and between the U.S. states. The economy was only regulated at the state level.

Ron Paul is often considered a lunatic by his critics, and even most conservatives. Being from Mars, Pennsylvania, Paul is the target of jokes that he is from outer space. But if you think Paul is from Mars, you must think the same of our founding fathers. If you want our next President to resemble our great American founders and uphold the Constitution, then pull the lever for Ron Paul.

February 8, 2008