The coming US presidential election will decide whether the United States remains an independent nation, or whether it will be subsumed under a western hemispheric version of supra-regional arrangements exemplified by the European Union.
The battle lines have never been more clearly drawn than in Ron Paul’s exchange with ex-NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani during the South Carolina GOP Primary Debate on May 15, 2007, and the follow-up blogosphere ruckus that can only be labeled as a political feeding frenzy.
What is not yet clear, however, is exactly who is doing the feeding - and who is the bait.
The Exchange:
On YouTube videos of the debate, you can see Ron Paul was answering a question about his views on foreign policy when Giuliani interrupts and berates him for arguing that 911 occurred at least in part because the US has been meddling in middle eastern affairs for too long and has “been bombing Iraq for ten years.” Rudy gets a little hot under the collar, states he has “never heard of such a thing” and demands an apology from Paul to the American people. Ron Paul calmly stands his ground and continues to explain his non-interventionist policy stance.
The Aftermath:
After the debate, Ron Paul appears as a guest on Fox News’ Hannity and Colmes show. Hannity goes wild on Paul and Paul again refuses to back down, but can’t hardly get a word in sideways between Hannity’s irate rants.
The following day, Paul is interviewed by Wolf Blitzer on CNN and is asked whether he will take the opportunity to back away from his statements. Ron Paul retorts that it is Rudy Giuliani who needs to apologize to him for unjustifiably blowing his top on him and insinuating that he is “un-American”. Ron affirms that he is indeed an American because Americans have the right to disagree with bad policy, and America’s foreign interventionism in the middle east is bad policy and therefore can and should be challenged.
The Fissure:
In saying this, Ron Paul has opened a fissure, a festering sore in the American psyche, a sore that has been festering ever since neocon radio took over the AM airwaves. Ever since 9-11, AM radio talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Glen Beck, have inundated Americans hoping to listen to conservative news commentary with the un-American notion that, if you disagree with president Bush on Iraq, you are either a wild-eyed liberal, a traitor to the American cause, or both. Only a few, like Mike Savage, have withstood the temptation to join that cacophony.
The Question:
The question is: Whom will American conservatives listen to - in the end?
The chances of Ron Paul maintaining his early gains in popularity after this Giuliani exchange are becoming somewhat iffy when heavy conservative guns such as Human Events Online offer a rundown of commentaries by what are widely regarded as conservative pundits depicting Paul as a tin foil hat-wearing, out of this world nut-job.
The answer to this question will forecast the future course of this nation with deadly precision. The Answer:
In his CNN interview by Wolf Blitzer, Ron Paul demonstrated his presidential leadership credentials for all to see and hear. He confirmed that he in no way is “weak on defense” or anything of the sort. He explained that he actually voted for giving president Bush authority to go after Bin Laden in Afghanistan and maintains Bush should have stuck to that goal..
His very pointed - and subsequently universally ignored - criticism of Bush’s policy is, however, that the administration completely forgot about Bin Laden, allowed him to hide out in Pakistan which is supposed to be our “ally”, and instead attacked Iraq, which we by now know had absolutely nothing to do with the attacks on 911.
Alex Wallenwein, J.D., is a former attorney in Houston, Texas, and a grass-roots activist for the rule of law and American liberty. He organizes the Houston 4 Ron Paul 2008 Meetup.
Dear Sir,
Your article nearly brought a tear to my eye. I too am a proud tin foil hat wearing member. lol. Thank you for posting such an inspiring piece.
Stephen Dupont
by
Eyes Wide Open (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 8 comments)
on Friday, May 18, 2007 at 7:55:13 AM
is a bad song, bad verses too. But it reflects the approach correctly: many of our people associate themselves with unlimited power 'from sea to shining sea' as well as 'unlimited goodness'. That approach deserved a repercussion, a sobering blow by the world and that what happened. In sorts, the death of innocent people, the victims was the result of the horrible lack of moral guidance by the rulers of this country as well as their criminal negligence when before or after the event occured. We should have tried and jailed the ones who negligibly brought to this- Bush, Cheney, Condi, Clinton, many others. We should have accused them of abusing their position of power and neglecting their responsiblities thus putting the nation at mortal danger. We should have cleaned our stables.
Because the event had shown to us that we are helpless, that we cannot even punish those of ours who neglected us we in our frustration gave even more power to them, to cover our asses. They then went on a mad rampage killing more and more people and thus endangering us even more. That is the INCONVENIENT TRUTH. And that's why Guiliani scowls an Ron Paul like a guilty toddler who knows the truth but cannot handle it. YES, we here in the US cannot handle a simple truth- that our own betrayed us, that the danger to us came not from some rogue group but as a result of the actions of the people who are like us, similar to us, live with us and claim to be us.
by
Mark Sashine (53 articles, 19 quicklinks, 250 diaries, 3574 comments)
on Friday, May 18, 2007 at 9:04:35 AM
The gap between conservative and liberal -- right and left is real, and there is much I strongly disagree with about conservatism (and some things about liberalism too). As for Paul, I won't vote for him, that he is a still a Republican among the reasons.
But the struggle here is not between left and right, but between true conservatism and the crazy neocons and fascists who have stolen the word and taken over the Republican party. What the high ratings for Paul in the polls show is that there is still legitimate conservatism out there -- if it could be swept up off the floor and assembed into coherent policy and honest statement of conservatism.
I'm left, and I will argue against Paul, but I will not attack him with smear, lies, and derisive attack dogs -- that's what the current "right" is doing. And I think most of the left will do likewise. Even if Paul did get the nomination I don't see him winning; most people are sick of Republicans and will not elect a Republican simply because they don't wnat the party validated or strenghtened after what they have done -- and also because he will be opposed by Republican gangsters who consider him a traitor, mostly because he is authentic. He may be wrong about many things he believes, but he is honest about what he believes. What he will not last long enough to succumb reasonable argument from liberals, but be taken out by being stabbed in the back by the Republicans in his own party (and the corporate media).
Truth tellers about Iraq in the Democratic party will suffer a parallel fate. Neither of the two major parties can stand the light of the truth about Iraq and the fascist gangsters behind the coup of the nation.
by
Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments)
on Friday, May 18, 2007 at 1:30:59 PM
One helluva fine article in OpEdNews.
Doesn't it seem unbelievable that someone like Ron with consummate cojones was able to be heard in America today on Fox?
WOW!
Wish I were closer to TX, but I'll do what I can from here, Belfast, Maine.
Have known Congressman Paul only since last December when I had breakfast with him in SFO, but seems like I've known him forever.
Retired RPh, wife Ola, 6 kids y mucho nietos.
Nels Wight, 78, former classmate of Jackie Bouvier (Kennedy-Onassis) GWU '53
nels.wight@gmail.com
by
nelswight (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 13 comments)
on Friday, May 18, 2007 at 2:21:35 PM
You get the government you deserve, and the American people were too apathetic before to bother to think. Let's hope this is changing...but I wouldn't bet on it.
While you are all wringing your hands over Ron Paul, you are missing another candidate who is worth supporting: Mike Gravel
At the next election, please don't forget that the USA is part of a much larger entity...the rest of the world. We have no control over your decisions, but we are affected by them just the same. Instead of thinking only about your concerns, think about the rest of the world in relation to yours as well. The rest of the world can't survive another four years of more Neocon bullshit!
by
MarcHolt (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 12 comments)
on Friday, May 18, 2007 at 4:59:30 PM
in the next election may depend on how honest that election will be -- and it as it looks now it may well be those who control the machinery who will decide.
by
Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments)
on Friday, May 18, 2007 at 5:40:44 PM
Anyone who is savvy enough to understand how presidential candidates are either groomed or ignored (as in the case of Dennis Kucinich) by the controlled media, will understand that Ron Paul will suffer the same fate as Kucinich did four years ago unless he decides to throw caution to the wind and tell the ENTIRE TRUTH.
He should understand this by now - that if he wants the job, he has to take enormous risks.
by
Bill Cain (2 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 320 comments)
on Friday, May 18, 2007 at 10:08:07 PM
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