[wvns] Dr. Aslam Abdullah: The Ron Paul Phenomenon
The Ron Paul Phenomenon
Dr. Aslam Abdullah
December 20, 2007
The Muslim Observer - Op Ed, page 5
http://muslimmedianetwork.com/mmn/?p=1600
===
Ron Paul presides over tough interview
Ron Paul on "Meet the Press" - watch it
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/10005061#10005061
===
Ron Paul Beats the Press
Lew Rockwell
December 23, 2007
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/017971.html
This was an historic day. One man stood against a powerful TV newsman,
his show
and all its researchers, and triumphed. Watch it and here's the
transcript.
Tim Russert is known as an hard questioner, by establishment
standards, but even
when he is actually being tough—as with Rudy Giuliani—the guest gets some
softballs, and plenty of time to answer the hardballs.
Ron Paul got no softballs, and little time, as Russert asked him
question after
question after questions, fed to him by his staff, with only a few
moments for
Ron. Yet he swatted the arrows away.
Originally, Russert had announced that Ron would be on for an hour.
Then just
before airtime, he said 16 minutes. Yet Ron was on for more than twice
that,
with no commercial breaks. Obviously the director knew hot television
when he
saw it. He also knew that this show marked a ratings-high for Meet the
Press, at
least in the Russert era.
There were many highlights. Here are a few: Russert's
pretend-incredulity at
Ron's opposition to empire. The US has been occupying Korea since Ron
was in
high school. But what about a North Korean invasion of South Korea? As Ron
pointed out, the US has prevented a rapprochement between the two
Koreas. Like
all empires, it divides to rule.
But what if Iran invades Israel? What if Iran invades Mars, Ron
responded. Iran
is a poor country with no offensive military power; Israel is a rich
country
with hundreds of thermonuclear weapons and long-distance bombers and
missiles.
And yes, Ron wants to cut off all foreign aid to Israel, and the Arabs and
everyone else—none of it is constitutional--and allow Israel and other
countries
to run their own affairs. Indeed, Israel's independence is compromised
by US
foreign aid and the control enforced. Russert then denied that any
elements of
the Israeli government have wanted the US to bomb Iran but Ron is
right, of
course.
Russert tried to accuse Ron of being a big spender(!) over the earmark
question.
But this is like accusing him of the same crime for getting a poor
constituent
food stamps. He does not vote for food stamps, but he is a representative.
Earmarks do not increase public-works spending, which he votes
against. But they
do allocate it—away from the executive dictatorship, and to the
legislature.
This is in accord with the Constitution. More here.
I also liked Russert's claim that Ron's desire to amend the
constitution to
eliminate the abuse of birthright citizenship is unconstitutional.
Amending the
constitution, Ron explained, is constitutional!
Russert was astonished that Ron, like Barry Goldwater, opposeds the
1964 civil
rights act. It's a federal powergrab that has nothing to do with equal
rights,
he said, but rther an attack on privte property rights that has led to
a day
when the feds can tell a restaurant owner whether a man can smoke a
cigar or
not.
And what about Lincoln and his war? It wasn't necessary to kill
650,000 people
to free the slaves, said Ron. We could have done it peacefully, like other
countries, and kept the original republic of the founders, rather than
replacing
it with a centralized leviathan. Imagine Lincoln as a campaign issue?
Actually,
of course, it is the issue of aggressive war and executive aggrandizement.
Then there was Ron's calm explanation of the US move towards fascism.
Really,
has there been as eloquent and courageous a libertarian public figure in
American or any other country's history? I don't believe so.
Russert avoided the Fed and the dropping dollar and the economic
crisis, as well
as Iraq--subjects the elites don't want Ron raising.
Still, Russert was not as vicious—despite all the misquotes and
distortions and
ancient history—and here's why. It turns that Russert's son, like the
children
of many of the elite, and far more of the middle and working
classes—is a Ron
Paul Revolutionary. Tim, better start swimming or you'll sink like a
stone.
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