Rapid Fire Rebuttal Thread -- Add your own!

[GunnyFreedom]

Taken from acptulsa's thread on talking points for the Iowa Caucus. It occurs to me that ALL of us could use rapid-fire rebuttals to objections during campaign season. Here are the first several from that thread. Add your own!

acptulsa


Foreign Policy




We went to Iraq for yellowcake uranium that wasn't there and went to Afghanistan for bin Laden, who also wasn't there. We're in Libya not because the U.S. Congress saw the need to go but because the U.N. told us to go. Only the arms merchants and oil companies seem to be benefitting, and they keep rewarding us for doing this by raising their prices. We can do better than this.




Education Policy




The Department of Education was created in 1980 when the U.S. was consistently in the top five in the world in education. All it does is make local school boards jump through their hoops before it gives them back the money Washington took from us. And the result, thirty years later, is that we struggle to stay in the top twenty worldwide. The experiment failed. It needs to go.




Monetary Policy




The Federal Reserve allows the biggest banks to make money--literally. And every time it does, our savings and our grocery money shrinks like wool in a hot dryer. Why can't we spend silver if we want to? This is liberty?




Monetary Policy




The money you could start a small business on in 1955 won't buy the necessary permits today. No wonder the economy is in the toilet.




Big Government




Washington keeps experimenting. Trouble is, they won't give up the power they gained even when their experiments fail. And with each thing they get involved in, the inefficiency is compounded because it takes some of the money to run the extra layer of bureaucracy, and the existing local layer of bureaucracy must grow because now it needs more grant proposal writers just to get us our own money back from Washington.




Big Government




Only one man has proven time and again for twenty-three years straight he's less interested in more power than in seeing us prosper, and that's Ron Paul.



CaptUSA


Federal Reserve




If you don't like taxes when the Congress does it, you should really hate it when the Fed does it. Instead of taxing the money you're going to make, they shrink the value of your dollars to tax all of the money you have ever made! Ron Paul is the only one who gets this.




Foreign Aid




Ron Paul will stop the government from taking your money to give it to dictators in other countries. The rest of them won't make that promise.




Real Conservative




Don't let the media pick your candidate! We deserve a real conservative. And as McCain has shown us, only a real conservative can win against Obama.


Compromise/Principles



You can tell that supporters of Ron Paul will stay true to their principles and will not vote for any of the "compromise" candidates. If Ron Paul doesn't win the GOP primary, it will be the GOP's fault for losing the election because they sacrificed their principles again to vote for a "compromise". How could you blame Ron Paul supporters for remaining principled?


What's happening to the economy?



Our nation is crumbling because your wealth is being taken from you and wasted overseas, given to banks and large corporations, and given to a generation that believes they are entitled to the fruits of your labor. Ron Paul will stop it.




GunnyFreedom


Foreign Policy




Ron Paul gets more contributions from active duty service members than all the other candidates combined, because he has the strongest and the safest defense policy of any candidate running, and our troops volunteered to defend America, not Pakistani drug traffickers!




Foreign Policy




If we had listened to Ron Paul in October of 2001 when he introduced a Letter of Reprisal against Bin Laden and Letters of Marque against Al Qaeda, we would have annihilated all of them by the end of 2003. Instead, we go ten years now, fighting 6 wars with a 7th coming up, because we let Northrup Grumman control the debate through CNN!




Foreign Policy




Ron Paul doesn't blame America, he blames the terrorists! Basic military intelligence requires that you learn the source of your enemy's strength in order to effectively destroy them. I'd rather serve under a President who has some kind of clue how to win wars, and that's the Veteran Ron Paul.




Foreign Policy




No we don't take our marching orders from the terrorists, we take our marching orders from the Constitution! If anybody is doing what the Terrorists want, it's the current strategy for the War on Terror. Those evil terrorists published their plans on how to defeat America the same way they defeated the Soviet Union, and so far we are dancing to their tune, with the crown jewel in the terrorist playbook being Afghanistan. Ron Paul is the ONLY ONE who ISN'T giving the terrorists exactly what they want!




Foreign Policy




I'm not supporting Ron Paul in spite of his foreign policy, I'm supporting Ron Paul BECAUSE of his foreign policy. He has the strongest and the safest defense policy of any candidate running, and that's why the troops support him more than anybody else.




Israel




No, Ron Paul doesn't hate Israel, it's OBAMA who hates Israel! Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was just in Congress this year almost begging Congress to cut the cord and let them be a sovereign nation! We are the ones who keep holding Israel back to suit OUR interests. Only Ron Paul will give Israel the sovereignty that Prime Minister Netanyahu is asking for.




Israel




You talk about stopping foreign aid to Israel, but you fail to realize that Israel's enemies get six times as much American money as Israel does. Ron Paul wants to stop ALL of it, which will make Israel come out 600% ahead of where she is right now. Plus, our money to Israel comes with strings attached. Our money to Jordan does not. Ron Paul will be the best thing to happen to Israel since 1948!




War On Drugs




Instead of calling it 'stop the war on drugs' we should be calling it 'stop ignoring the Constitution.' Drug policy will be controlled right here in Iowa where it ought to be. Iowan drug policy is not going to change. Just because Washington DC starts obeying the Constitution doesn't mean that the Iowa General Assembly is going to legalize heroin!




Social Security




Who told you that Ron Paul was going to end Social Security? Look it up -- Ron Paul has the only plan of any candidate to completely and fully fund retirement benefits for seniors. Under Ron Paul's plan, anyone over the age of 25 can expect solvent social security benefits for the rest of their lives. Ron Paul's plan actually funds it. The rest of the candidates? They're just hoping maybe the money will come from somewhere one day. They don't even HAVE a plan!



CaptainAmerica


Foreign Policy/Domestic Policy



To give the president the power to kill anyone he wants based on a suspicion is to give the president a power equal to that of Adolf Hitler in the sense that it only takes one bad man in office to take that power and turn it on the american people whether it be journalists, doctors, professors, scientists, christians and other religious people and individuals who have an opposing opinion to constantly changing policies.


Foreign Policy

Ron Paul proposed a letter of marquee and reprisal under u.s. constitutional law to capture Osama Bin Laden,and voted YES to go and capture Osama Bin Laden ,but when Ron Paul opposed going into Pakistan it was for good reasons. President Obama sent special forces over a border and into a country which has nuclear weaponry just so he could conduct a highly aggressive military operation, assassinating suspects in the "war on terror". President Obama compromised our national security and could have easily put the U.S. in greater danger of defcon 1 but yet he was praised for his unwise and arrogant decision for political gain and the death of 1 man.


Basic Strategies



Compare the U.S. foreign policy to that of the Roman Empire, economically and strategically.



georgiaboy


Foreign Policy



With Ron Paul's "Declare It, Fight It, Win It, Get Home" approach to defense, America will be united in purpose, safe from foreign enemies who engage in acts of war against us, and more prosperous as a country because our military will have clearly defined missions.




nayjevin


Federalism/States Rights



You don't thinking leaving it up to the states will work? It works for prosecuting murderers.... and if one state has an insane policy on, say, capital punishment, they become the laughing stock of the rest of us.




Anti Federalist

Domestic liberty



Since we were told that the terrorists hate us for our freedom and prosperity, now that our freedom and prosperity pretty much gone, can we now end the wars and come home?



Domestic Liberty



There was much debate over a new Iraqi constitution.
We should have just given them ours, we aren't using it anymore.
Except for Ron Paul, of course.



Foreign Policy



Everybody in the GOP invokes the name of Ronald Reagan.

When 283 Marines were killed in Lebanon by a suicide bomber, he didn't wage world wide war, invade half the middle east and end up bankrupting us, not to mention the bloodshed.

He left.



kah13176


Foreign Policy/Torture



It seems most GOP Christians forget about any Christian principles once they leave church. Paul is the only one who advocates the Rule of Law and a policy more in line with Christ. Yet the crowd loves hearing Newt, Santorum, and Romney calling for more blood, torture, and assassinations. I can handle hearing people cheer for disgusting things, but it crosses a line with me when those same people are in a church pew the next morning pretending to be a follower of Christ while they cheer for everything He would be opposed to doing.



VoluntaryAmerican


Education - Tuition and Student Loans



College Tuition has raised 500% since Government aid interfered with Education. Currently college students in the USA as a whole are 1trillion in debt and owe, personally, around 25-30k on average in debt. Government is to blame for high tuition because the colleges can keep raising tuition, letting the taxpayers foot the bill: this is unsustainable. If we got the Government out of education prices would drop and you could pay your way thru college with relative ease.


War On Drugs



Do we own our bodies? The war on drugs, a colossal waste of money and a failure, claims we do not. Instead it claims the government can pick and choose what we put in our bodies. Furthermore, prohibition often locks non-violent people in jail causing much more harm to families than good. Lastly, drug legalization does not mean society is condoning the behavior. It just means you have a right to choose for yourself.



newbitech

Foreign Policy



It's foreign alright. So foreign, I don't even recognize it as being American. How about replacing Foreign Policy with an American Global Policy that works in the 21st Century were our businesses and leaders are allowed to concentrate on building partnerships, trading agreements, commerce, and friendships. This should be possible without having to rely on the old ways of dealing with foreigners, like bombings, military bases, collateral damage, and threats of nuclear war!



Monetary Policy



Shouldn't you be able to decide how you want to pay for the items you wish to purchase? We make this kind of decision all the time. Cash, Check, Debit Card, MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, Credit, Loan, etc etc etc. So what is the problem with having even more choices? Gold, Silver, Platinum, Walnut Shells?



War on Drugs



What is the difference between buying Basil in a plastic can and picking Basil from your garden? Did you know that the best cures for Migraines come from a flower called FeverFew? What is the difference between treating my headaches with a flower and treating my headaches with a BioTech Pharmaceutical? The war on drugs is really starting to sound like a War on Gardens and Homemade remedies.


GeorgiaAvenger

Endorsements



Ronald Reagan "Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country."

Milton Friedman "I strongly support Ron Paul. We very badly need to have more representatives in the House who understand in a principled way the importance of property rights and religious freedom."



Captain Shays

Quotes



Ron Paul "There is a difference between militarism and national defense"


War On Drugs



If you're not free over what you put or don't put into your own body then how can you say that you're free?


Foreign Policy



"How do wars start? Diplomats lie to reporters, and then believe what they read in the newspapers." -- Karl Krauss (the Austrian H.L. Menken)



Foreign Policy



How can you say it's "blaming the United States" when the founding fathers advised against this sort of foreign policy, the Constitution doesn't allow it (Article I section 8 clause 11) and when told the truth about the consequences the vast majority of the American people disagree with it"?

The founding fathers modeled our foreign policy after Swwitzerland not Great Briton. They wanted us to be a neutral and non interventionist country at peace and trading with other countries not an oppressive empire. Woodrow Wilson and other progressives thought differently and wanted to "make the world safe for democracy" and system of government that our founding fathers detested. The old style conservatives strongly opposed it because they agreed with our founding fathers and a derogatory term was invented for them "isolationists". But we were never isolationists We were neutral. There is a difference. North Korea is isolationist. They don't allow people in or out. They don't have free trade. They don't experience a free exchange of ideas. Switzerland is neutral and they succeeded in getting our hostages free from Iran after 5 years.

The New style conservatives who we call "neoconservatives" are more like the Wilsononian progressives who want to police the world and engage in wars for reasons other than national security and they too ignore the advice of our founding fathers who said things like:

I have always given it as my decided opinion that no nation had a right to inter-meddle in the internal concerns of another; and that, if this country could, consistent with its engagements, maintain a strict neutrality and thereby preserve peace. George Washington - Letter to James Monroe, August 25, 1796

Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all. ...The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. George Washington - Farewell Address, September 17, 1797

Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none should be our motto. Thomas Jefferson - First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801

If there be one principle more deeply rooted than any other in the mind of every American, it is that we should have nothing to do with conquest. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Letter to William Short, 1791

We certainly cannot deny to other nations that principle whereon our own government is founded, that every nation has a right to govern itself internally under what forms it pleases, and to change these forms at its own will. Thomas Jefferson - To Thomas Pinckney, December 30, 1792




...

[garyallen59]

Great thread!!! +rep

[GunnyFreedom]

Great thread!!! +rep

Thankee sai!

Hopefully, because of this thread, we can make it easy to quickly and effectively rebut any objections we encounter on the canvass and out in the real world. Sales 101 will tell you that the two keys to making the sale is 1) overcoming objections, and 2) closing

This thread is about overcoming objections. Closing the deal is "so, can Ron Paul count on your vote to help him restore the Constitutional order in America?"

[georgiaboy]

Foreign Policy



With Ron Paul's "Declare It, Fight It, Win It, Get Home" approach to defense, America will be united in purpose, safe from foreign enemies who engage in acts of war against us, and more prosperous as a country because our military will have clearly defined missions.

[GunnyFreedom]

Foreign Policy



With Ron Paul's "Declare It, Fight It, Win It, Get Home" approach to defense, America will be united in purpose, safe from foreign enemies who engage in acts of war against us, and more prosperous as a country because our military will have clearly defined missions.



Added!

[Captain Shays]

How can you say it's "blaming the United States" when the founding fathers advised against this sort of foreign policy, the Constitution doesn't allow it (Article I section 8 clause 11) and when told the truth about the consequences the vast majority of the American people disagree with it"?

The founding fathers modeled our foreign policy after Swwitzerland not Great Briton. They wanted us to be a neutral and non interventionist country at peace and trading with other countries not an oppressive empire. Woodrow Wilson and other progressives thought differently and wanted to "make the world safe for democracy" and system of government that our founding fathers detested. The old style conservatives strongly opposed it because they agreed with our founding fathers and a derogatory term was invented for them "isolationists". But we were never isolationists We were neutral. There is a difference. North Korea is isolationist. They don't allow people in or out. They don't have free trade. They don't experience a free exchange of ideas. Switzerland is neutral and they succeeded in getting our hostages free from Iran after 5 years.

The New style conservatives who we call "neoconservatives" are more like the Wilsononian progressives who want to police the world and engage in wars for reasons other than national security and they too ignore the advice of our founding fathers who said things like:

I have always given it as my decided opinion that no nation had a right to inter-meddle in the internal concerns of another; and that, if this country could, consistent with its engagements, maintain a strict neutrality and thereby preserve peace. George Washington - Letter to James Monroe, August 25, 1796


Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all. ...The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. George Washington - Farewell Address, September 17, 1797

Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none should be our motto. Thomas Jefferson - First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801

If there be one principle more deeply rooted than any other in the mind of every American, it is that we should have nothing to do with conquest. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Letter to William Short, 1791

We certainly cannot deny to other nations that principle whereon our own government is founded, that every nation has a right to govern itself internally under what forms it pleases, and to change these forms at its own will. Thomas Jefferson - To Thomas Pinckney, December 30, 1792

[GunnyFreedom]

How can you say it's "blaming the United States" when the founding fathers advised against this sort of foreign policy, the Constitution doesn't allow it (Article I section 8 clause 11) and when told the truth about the consequences the vast majority of the American people disagree with it"?

The founding fathers modeled our foreign policy after Swwitzerland not Great Briton. They wanted us to be a neutral and non interventionist country at peace and trading with other countries not an oppressive empire. Woodrow Wilson and other progressives thought differently and wanted to "make the world safe for democracy" and system of government that our founding fathers detested. The old style conservatives strongly opposed it because they agreed with our founding fathers and a derogatory term was invented for them "isolationists". But we were never isolationists We were neutral. There is a difference. North Korea is isolationist. They don't allow people in or out. They don't have free trade. They don't experience a free exchange of ideas. Switzerland is neutral and they succeeded in getting our hostages free from Iran after 5 years.

The New style conservatives who we call "neoconservatives" are more like the Wilsononian progressives who want to police the world and engage in wars for reasons other than national security and they too ignore the advice of our founding fathers who said things like:

I have always given it as my decided opinion that no nation had a right to inter-meddle in the internal concerns of another; and that, if this country could, consistent with its engagements, maintain a strict neutrality and thereby preserve peace. George Washington - Letter to James Monroe, August 25, 1796


Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all. ...The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. George Washington - Farewell Address, September 17, 1797

Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none should be our motto. Thomas Jefferson - First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801

If there be one principle more deeply rooted than any other in the mind of every American, it is that we should have nothing to do with conquest. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Letter to William Short, 1791

We certainly cannot deny to other nations that principle whereon our own government is founded, that every nation has a right to govern itself internally under what forms it pleases, and to change these forms at its own will. Thomas Jefferson - To Thomas Pinckney, December 30, 1792

Doesn't fit in the OP format, but this is great material for the thread's purpose! I will work on putting it on tho

[Anti Federalist]

Domestic liberty:

Since we were told that the terrorists hate us for our freedom and prosperity, now that our freedom and prosperity are pretty much gone, can we now end the wars and come home?

[CaptainAmerica]

Foreign Policy/Domestic Policy
To give the president the power to kill anyone he wants based on a suspicion is to give the president a power equal to that of Adolf Hitler in the sense that it only takes one bad man in office to take that power and turn it on the american people whether it be journalists,doctors,professors,scientists, christians and other religious people and individuals who have an opposing opinion to constantly changing policies.

[Anti Federalist]

Foreign policy:

Everybody in the GOP invokes the name of Ronald Reagan.

When 283 Marines were killed in Lebanon by a suicide bomber, he didn't wage world wide war, invade half the middle east and end up bankrupting us, not to mention the bloodshed.

He left.

[Captain Shays]

Doesn't fit in the OP format, but this is great material for the thread's purpose! I will work on putting it on tho

Thanks Gunny. That was actually my intention in hopes that someone could extrapolate it into a workable format which I am no good at

[GunnyFreedom]

Domestic liberty:

Since we were told that the terrorists hate us for our freedom and prosperity, now that our freedom and prosperity are pretty much gone, can we now end the wars and come home?


Foreign Policy/Domestic Policy
To give the president the power to kill anyone he wants based on a suspicion is to give the president a power equal to that of Adolf Hitler in the sense that it only takes one bad man in office to take that power and turn it on the american people whether it be journalists,doctors,professors,scientists, christians and other religious people and individuals who have an opposing opinion to constantly changing policies.


Foreign policy:

Everybody in the GOP invokes the name of Ronald Reagan.

When 283 Marines were killed in Lebanon by a suicide bomber, he didn't wage world wide war, invade half the middle east and end up bankrupting us, not to mention the bloodshed.

He left.


Thanks Gunny. That was actually my intention in hopes that someone could extrapolate it into a workable format which I am no good at

Added!

Here's your one-stop shop for rapid-fire rebuttals to all the pesky non sequiturs the doubters keep throwing at Ron Paul!

[kah13176]

Foreign Policy/Torture

It seems most GOP Christians forget about any Christian principles once they leave church. Paul is the only one who advocates the Rule of Law and a policy more in line with Christ. Yet the crowd loves hearing Newt, Santorum, and Romney calling for more blood, torture, and assassinations. I can handle hearing people cheer for disgusting things, but it crosses a line with me when those same people are in a church pew the next morning pretending to be a follower of Christ while they cheer for everything He would be opposed to doing.


Idea: Make the OP into a website?

[GunnyFreedom]

Foreign Policy/Torture

It seems most GOP Christians forget about any Christian principles once they leave church. Paul is the only one who advocates the Rule of Law and a policy more in line with Christ. Yet the crowd loves hearing Newt, Santorum, and Romney calling for more blood, torture, and assassinations. I can handle hearing people cheer for disgusting things, but it crosses a line with me when those same people are in a church pew the next morning pretending to be a follower of Christ while they cheer for everything He would be opposed to doing.


Idea: Make the OP into a website?

Added!

That's certainly an idea, the rebuttals would have to be rearranged by category instead of by user. Probably should have been done that way anyway, I don't really have time to deal with a website though.

[VoluntaryAmerican]

War on Drugs:

Do we own our bodies? The war on drugs, a colossal waste of money and a failure, claims we do not. Instead
it claims the government can pick and choose what we put in our bodies. Furthermore,
prohibition often locks non-violent people in jail causing much more harm to families than good. Lastly,
drug legalization does not mean society is condoning the behavior. It just means you have a right
to choose for yourself.

[GunnyFreedom]

Drug Legalization:

Do we own our bodies? The war on drugs, a colossal waste of money and a failure, claims we do not. Instead
it claims the government can pick and choose what we put in our bodies. Furthermore,
prohibition often locks non-violent people in jail causing much more harm to families than good. Lastly,
drug legalization does not mean society is condoning the behavior. It just means you have a right
to choose for yourself.

Added!

[nayjevin]

http://www.ronpaulanswers.com has many common questions and answers, albeit mostly in depth as opposed to rapid fire rebuttals.

[GunnyFreedom]

http://www.ronpaulanswers.com has many common questions and answers, albeit mostly in depth as opposed to rapid fire rebuttals.

That's good stuff. Sadly, we live in a soundbyte world now. (spelling intentional) Depth is detrimental when out in the wild on safari for loose voters.

[Captain Shays]

Foreign Policy/Torture

It seems most GOP Christians forget about any Christian principles once they leave church. Paul is the only one who advocates the Rule of Law and a policy more in line with Christ. Yet the crowd loves hearing Newt, Santorum, and Romney calling for more blood, torture, and assassinations. I can handle hearing people cheer for disgusting things, but it crosses a line with me when those same people are in a church pew the next morning pretending to be a follower of Christ while they cheer for everything He would be opposed to doing.


Idea: Make the OP into a website?

I have been working on this for years. Not in a rapid fire way but in my research.
First of all here are some great quotes that we al can use from varius highly respect individuals. Maybe some could be attributed to the Christian Just War Principles. Most are not but they are still nonetheless very helpful
http://breakthematrix.com/war/100-great-anti-war-quotes/

One GREAT source is Laurence Vance the author of "Christianity and War". There are many papers he's written on LewRockwell.com

Rapid Fire Christian Just War Principles that I have used with MANY God fearing people are simply to explain that the CJWPs are based in scripture which give 4 instances where if a person kills another he is not in violation of the Commandment that is correctly translated "Thou shall not murder"
(no particular order of importance)

1) by accident

2) capital punishment

3) self defense

4) defense of your loved ones

All other killing is considered murder in the bible but it was understood that if there is an invading army on the border of your country that if that army penetrates your border they will kill you and your family so in that case it is justified to take up arms in the army to defend your country because you are really defending your own family.
But first, all attempts to avoid war must be exhausted through diplomatic means.
Second as a last attempt to disuade the enemy a formal declaration of war must take place to give them the chance to change their agressive behavior
The response must always be in proportion to the threat. In other words, you shouldn't take pleasure in the killing. You're not justified to go into their country and start killing them and their families.
If they are wounded you must tend to their wounds
If they are thirsty you must give them water
If they are hungry feed them
If they are out in the elements you must give to them cover

This argument has worked VERY well for me when dealing with Christians and it makes them think differently about the way our government engages in war today.

I also throw in that we live in a fallen world system that is ruled by the powers and principalities until the fullness of the gentiles and Christ returns. This is all bible speak and hits a nerve EVERY TIME. I have NEVER had a Christian come up with ANYTHING to counter this argument and therefore justifiy the present foreign policy.


Sorry I did it again. So much for "rapid fire"......

[CaptainAmerica]

Foreign Policy
Ron Paul proposed a letter of marquee and reprisal under u.s. constitutional law to capture Osama Bin Laden,and voted YES to go and capture Osama Bin Laden ,but when Ron Paul opposed going into Pakistan it was for good reasons. President Obama sent special forces over a border and into a country which has nuclear weaponry just so he could conduct a highly aggressive military operation, assassinating suspects in the "war on terror". President Obama compromised our national security and could have easily put the U.S. in greater danger of defcon 1 but yet he was praised for his unwise and arrogant decision for political gain and the death of 1 man.

[GunnyFreedom]

Foreign Policy
Ron Paul proposed a letter of marquee and reprisal under u.s. constitutional law to capture Osama Bin Laden,and voted YES to go and capture Osama Bin Laden ,but when Ron Paul opposed going into Pakistan it was for good reasons. President Obama sent special forces over a border and into a country which has nuclear weaponry just so he could conduct a highly aggressive military operation, assassinating suspects in the "war on terror". President Obama compromised our national security and could have easily put the U.S. in greater danger of defcon 1 but yet he was praised for his unwise and arrogant decision for political gain and the death of 1 man.

Added!

[Captain Shays]

War on drugs: If you're not free over what you put or don't put into your own body then how can you say that you're free?

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Education/Tuition Costs:

College Tuition has raised 500% since Government aid interfered with Education. Currently college students in the USA as a whole are 1trillion in debt and owe, personally, around 25-30k on average in debt. Government is to blame for high tuition because the colleges can keep raising tuition, letting the taxpayers foot the bill: this is unsustainable. If we got the Government out of education prices would drop and you could pay your way thru college with relative ease.

[GunnyFreedom]

I have been working on this for years. Not in a rapid fire way but in my research.
First of all here are some great quotes that we al can use from varius highly respect individuals. Maybe some could be attributed to the Christian Just War Principles. Most are not but they are still nonetheless very helpful
http://breakthematrix.com/war/100-great-anti-war-quotes/

One GREAT source is Laurence Vance the author of "Christianity and War". There are many papers he's written on LewRockwell.com

Rapid Fire Christian Just War Principles that I have used with MANY God fearing people are simply to explain that the CJWPs are based in scripture which give 4 instances where if a person kills another he is not in violation of the Commandment that is correctly translated "Thou shall not murder"
(no particular order of importance)

1) by accident

2) capital punishment

3) self defense

4) defense of your loved ones

All other killing is considered murder in the bible but it was understood that if there is an invading army on the border of your country that if that army penetrates your border they will kill you and your family so in that case it is justified to take up arms in the army to defend your country because you are really defending your own family.
But first, all attempts to avoid war must be exhausted through diplomatic means.
Second as a last attempt to disuade the enemy a formal declaration of war must take place to give them the chance to change their agressive behavior
The response must always be in proportion to the threat. In other words, you shouldn't take pleasure in the killing. You're not justified to go into their country and start killing them and their families.
If they are wounded you must tend to their wounds
If they are thirsty you must give them water
If they are hungry feed them
If they are out in the elements you must give to them cover

This argument has worked VERY well for me when dealing with Christians and it makes them think differently about the way our government engages in war today.

I also throw in that we live in a fallen world system that is ruled by the powers and principalities until the fullness of the gentiles and Christ returns. This is all bible speak and hits a nerve EVERY TIME. I have NEVER had a Christian come up with ANYTHING to counter this argument and therefore justifiy the present foreign policy.


Sorry I did it again. So much for "rapid fire"......

LOL It's ok. It's great material, and you can bet people will still read the thread. I wouldn't even begin to know how to format that for the OP.

Thing is, when you are out in the wild talking politics, every thing is basically a series of lightening rounds. If you have to go in depth to explain it, the eyes glaze over and RP supporters become like Charlie Brown's teacher.

I hate hate hate it, but it is what it is.

Therefore, since pretty much everybody who supports RP is more confortable in depth than in soundbytes, the idea is to compile soundbytes so we are more effective 'out there' with real people whose idea of "depth" is 31 flavors.

And yes, I'm spelling soundbytes intentionally. I think it's more accurately descriptive than soundbites, and I expect this will be the 'normal' spelling in another 20 years. ;)

[Captain Shays]

Here are a few of the quotes from that site.

37. “A people free to choose will always choose peace.” -Ronald Reagan

Captain Shays) The vast majority of the American people don't want anythnig to do with policing the world or supporting dictators or overthrowing governments. The idea of minding our own business predates apple pie and baseball as being part of the American mindset and Ron Paul taps into that sentiment.

38. “The defense policy of the United States is based on a simple premise: The United States does not start fights. We will never be an aggressor.” -Ronald Reagan

39. “History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.” -Ronald Reagan


Ronald Reagan

40. “Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” -Ronald Reagan

41. “…no mother would ever willingly sacrifice her sons for territorial gain, for economic advantage, for ideology.” -Ronald Reagan

42. “People do not make wars; governments do.” -Ronald Reagan

43. “We must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.” -Ronald Reagan

44. “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower

45. “How far can you go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without?” -Dwight D. Eisenhower

46. “We seek peace, knowing that peace is the climate of freedom.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower

47. “We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower

48. “Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. Frankly, I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked about such a thing.” -Dwight D. Eisenhower

[GunnyFreedom]

War on drugs: If you're not free over what you put or don't put into your own body then how can you say that you're free?


Education/Tuition Costs:

College Tuition has raised 500% since Government aid interfered with Education. Currently college students in the USA as a whole are 1trillion in debt and owe, personally, around 25-30k on average in debt. Government is to blame for high tuition because the colleges can keep raising tuition, letting the taxpayers foot the bill: this is unsustainable. If we got the Government out of education prices would drop and you could pay your way thru college with relative ease.

Added!

[Captain Shays]

Another very effective argument that I use on both Democrats and Republicans is to point out the foreign policy of our founders and the Constitution and contrast that with the foreign policy of progressives. I use the word progressive for a reason. Because of the popularity of Glenn Beck who identifies progressives as a loathesome bunch. Woodrow Wilson's foreign policy of "making the world safe for democracy" and ALL progressives after him whether Dem or Rep are in stark constrast to the founding fathers and the old style conservatives. I also use the terms "old style" and "new style" conservatives but always define new style as neoconservatives. I NEVER use the term "neocon" when dealing with Republicans. When you use that terminology they subsonsciencly catagorize you as a Bush hater, a liberal or an America hater. The old style conservatives opposed the war that Democrats got us in to. They respected the founding fathers and the Constitution. This argument throws the liberal America hater back at the the so called conservatives and places THEM in with the progressives, liberals and war mongers.

If Gunny can turn that into a sound bite he's a genius and wil get Ron Paul elected single handedly

Edit: Sounbyte

[Captain Shays]

Quote of the Day: "How do wars start? Diplomats lie to reporters, and then believe what they read in the newspapers." -- Karl Krauss (the Austrian H.L. Menken)

[newbitech]

Foreign Policy

It's foreign alright. So foreign, I don't even recognize it as being American. How about replacing Foreign Policy with an American Global Policy that works in the 21st Century were our businesses and leaders are allowed to concentrate on building partnerships, trading agreements, commerce, and friendships. This should be possible without having to rely on the old ways of dealing with foreigners, like bombings, military bases, collateral damage, and threats of nuclear war!

Monetary Policy

Shouldn't you be able to decide how you want to pay for the items you wish to purchase? We make this kind of decision all the time. Cash, Check, Debit Card, MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, Credit, Loan, etc etc etc. So what is the problem with having even more choices? Gold, Silver, Platinum, Walnut Shells?

War on Drugs

What is the difference between buying Basil in a plastic can and picking Basil from your garden? Did you know that the best cures for Migraines come from a flower called FeverFew? What is the difference between treating my headaches with a flower and treating my headaches with a BioTech Pharmaceutical? The war on drugs is really starting to sound like a War on Gardens and Homemade remedies.

[GunnyFreedom]

+1 new adds! I'll crunch on them to edit the OP in a coupla hours, even work on Captain Shays (Every time I see your nick I think Captain Tripps for some strange reason) soundbyte ;) For now it's dinner, and some video decompression

[Captain Shays]

+1 new adds! I'll crunch on them to edit the OP in a coupla hours, even work on Captain Shays (Every time I see your nick I think Captain Tripps for some strange reason) soundbyte ;) For now it's dinner, and some video decompression

I miss uncle Jerry. I have no problem with you confusing me with him Gunny :cool:

[Anti Federalist]

I miss uncle Jerry. I have no problem with you confusing me with him Gunny :cool:

LoL - Gunny is a huge Stephen King fan.

He's confusing you with a deadly government flu plague.

[GeorgiaAvenger]

Endorsements:

Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country. -Ronald Reagan

I strongly support Ron Paul. We very badly need to have more representatives in the House who understand in a principled way the importance of property rights and religious freedom.- Milton Friedman

[Captain Shays]

LoL - Gunny is a huge Stephen King fan.

He's confusing you with a deadly government flu plague.

I thought everybody knew Jerry Garcia's nickname was Captain Trips. After all my moniker is a Dead symbol

Am I confused?

[Captain Shays]

There is a difference between militarism and national defense Ron Paul

[Anti Federalist]

I thought everybody knew Jerry Garcia's nickname was Captain Trips. After all my moniker is a Dead symbol

Am I confused?

Captain Trips = nickname of Jerry Garcia.
Captain Tripps = nickname of fictional government produced, 99.99% mortality, flu plague virus in The Stand.

Then again, I'll let Glen answer, 'cos I was once spectacularly wrong about BuddyRey's dancing man in pastel slacks, avatar.


Thankee sai!

This was the "hail, thanks and greeting" of Roland Deschain's world in the Dark Tower series.

Only a robust King fan would know that.

[CaptUSA]

Electability

You can tell that supporters of Ron Paul will stay true to their principles and will not vote for any of the "compromise" candidates. If Ron Paul doesn't win the GOP primary, it will be the GOP's fault for losing the election because they sacrificed their principles again to vote for a "compromise". How could you blame Ron Paul supporters for remaining principled?

[Anti Federalist]

Domestic Liberty:

There was much debate over a new Iraqi constitution.

We should have just given them ours, we aren't using it anymore.

Except for Ron Paul, of course.

[CaptUSA]

Bottom line:

Our nation is crumbling because your wealth is being taken from you and wasted overseas, given to banks and large corporations, and given to a generation that believes they are entitled to the fruits of your labor. Ron Paul will stop it.

[Captain Shays]

Captain Trips = nickname of Jerry Garcia.
Captain Tripps = nickname of fictional government produced, 99.99% mortality, flu plague virus in The Stand.

Then again, I'll let Glen answer, 'cos I was once spectacularly wrong about BuddyRey's dancing man in pastel slacks, avatar.



This was the "hail, thanks and greeting" of Roland Deschain's world in the Dark Tower series.

Only a robust King fan would know that.

I'll wait for an answer. I never read a Stephen King book and never heard of Captain Tripps. Maybe King was a Deadhead?

[Anti Federalist]

I'll wait for an answer. I never read a Stephen King book and never heard of Captain Tripps. Maybe King was a Deadhead?

Maybe.

He named his most evil character, in almost all his books Randall Flagg, after Maine's own Bill Flagg, the "father" of rockabilly, of which King is a big fan.

[GunnyFreedom]

Captain Trips = nickname of Jerry Garcia.
Captain Tripps = nickname of fictional government produced, 99.99% mortality, flu plague virus in The Stand.

Then again, I'll let Glen answer, 'cos I was once spectacularly wrong about BuddyRey's dancing man in pastel slacks, avatar.



This was the "hail, thanks and greeting" of Roland Deschain's world in the Dark Tower series.

Only a robust King fan would know that.

LOL AF is right, it's from The Stand. I'm not actually a robust Stephen King fan, I'd save that description for Robert A Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and maybe Jack McDevitt. I just have a memory for certain imagery. I admit I am particularly fond of King's so-called "gospel allegories" like The Stand. Not really a fan of his straight horror like Pet Sematary and It.

[GunnyFreedom]

All added! OP is now quite large. Oughtta be some good ammunition for overcoming objections

[ghengis86]

Israel

On June 7, 1981, Israel's air force destroyed Iraq's only nuclear reactor. The US House of Reresentatives had a vote to condem the actions of Israel, and Ron Paul was in the minority once again in voting not to condem Israel b/c it was none of our governments business to tell another country how they should or should not act in response to threats in there region. Ron is and has always been a true friend to Israel.

[Inkblots]

Oh, great. I've been thinking we needed a resource like this. Here are a few from me (I can edit these if they are too long):

Foreign Policy

Ron Paul takes the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran very seriously. He's compared it to the threat the USSR posed, which was obviously very serious. But he points out that seeking a diplomatic solution, or if that fails, containment is the only realistic approach to an Iran that may be working on nukes. Sanctions won't work: they failed to even prevent one of the most economically, diplomatically and geographically isolated nations on Earth, North Korea, from developing the bomb. Isolated airstrikes won't work: the Iranian nuclear program, whether military or civilian, is widely geographically dispersed, parts of it may be in secret locations, most of it is in the deep interior of a very large nation, and the key components are in hardened bunkers under mountains that would resist any sort of conventional bombing.

What's the remaining option? A full on ground war and invasion of Iran? No one is suggesting that, and for good reason: as Robert Gates said, it would be madness. Our armed forces are at historically low readiness figures between occupying Iraq and Afghanistan and conducting regime change in Libya, we're teetering on the brink of a total fiscal collapse, and such an enterprise would nothing less than the full-on invasion of the 18th largest nation on earth, whose land area is one and a half times larger than Iraq and Afghanistan combined. We can be sure that none of our NATO allies or Arab partners would support us in such an invasion, and trying to pay for it alone would cause a bond crisis.

So, since no one is proposing that course of action, Ron Paul's position on Iran is the same as all the other candidates. He's just the only one being honest about it.


National Security

Ron Paul is the only candidate with a plan to head off the greatest threat to our national security: our national debt. The Suez Crisis provides a graphic example that if you go deeply into debt trying to manage the affairs of other nations, you end up having your own affairs directed in turn your creditors. Britain and France decisively defeated the Egyptians at every turn militarily, but the Eisenhower Administration was able to force Britain to sign a cease-fire and withdraw by threatening to sell the United States' holdings of UK Sterling Bonds. We had it within our power to destroy the pound, and so the UK had to obey our wishes - France and Britain were forced to withdraw from the Suez in shame. The total strategic defeat they suffered strongly contributed to the complete unraveling of both their Empires over the next 10 years.

I've heard Ron Paul point out that we have put ourselves in the same position vis a vis China that the UK and France were in relative to us in the 1950s. It's pretty clear that as a result our debt is the #1 threat to our security, because it could leave us unable to pursue an independent foreign policy to protect this nation and our friends. His plan to balance the budget in 3 years is the only solution I've seen offered by any candidate to this grave threat.


Israel

Ron Paul has been standing up for Israeli sovereignty for his entire career, from condemning Obama for trying to make Israel return to its 1967 borders (“Unlike this President, I do not believe it is our place to dictate how Israel runs her affairs. There can only be peace in the region if those sides work out their differences among one another. We should respect Israel’s sovereignty and not try to dictate her policy from Washington.”), all the way back to 1981 when he was one of the few Republicans in Congress to buck the Reagan administration and GOP leadership when he refused to support a resolution condemning Israel for bombing Iraq’s Osirak nuclear plant. Most politicians wanted to support our then-”buddies” in Iraq, but Ron has supported Israel's right to protect herself as she sees fit for without fail for over 3 decades.


Monetary policy

Paul doesn't advocate returning the dollar to the gold standard, despite what you may have heard. Rather, he favors a free market in money, in which various private bank, foreign, and commodity-backed currencies are allowed to freely compete with the US Dollar. In order to achieve this, he advocates the repeal of legal tender laws so that we citizens can sign enforceable contracts requiring payment in any desired currency. The common notion of Dr. Paul's monetary policy, that 'he wants to take us back to the 1890s,' is the cable news cartoon version.

Ron Paul is just asking a simple question: how can you have a free market without freedom to choose your money?

[RIPLEYMOM]

Could we sticky this, please?

[Inkblots]

Yes, I would like this stickied somewhere, as well.

[Expatriate]

Good idea AF, this thread will come in useful.

[Inkblots]

Age/Personal Health

Ron Paul will typically walk three or four miles in the morning and ride ten to 15 miles on his bicycle in the evenings. His resting heart rate is 58 to 62 beats per minute and his blood pressure is 120 over 70 or 65. He's probably the most physically fit of the major candidates, despite his age.

[cordscords]

I have been using 4 piece rebuttal for most arguments. I provide the constitutional case, the moral case, the economic case, and overall efficiency. Here's something I used on Facebook recently discussing federal involvement in education. It went over quite well:

Constitutionally- There is no reference in the constitution to schools, teachers, students, education, books, etc. The tenth amendment states that any power not specified in the constitution is a matter for the states to deal with. Yet we have a department of education, no child left behind, K-12 subsidies, etc. Our representatives have not taken their oath to uphold and defend the constitution seriously.There simply is no authority for it.

Morally- Is there one right way to teach everybody? Who knows the best way for you and I to learn and what we should be learning Not to mention it's paid for by taxes, or what I like to call theft.

Economically- All of these federal programs are in red ink. Not profitable, and not sustainable. Government is the biggest monopoly of all, and all of their rules and regulations stifle competition in the marketplace. There are private schools and homeschoolers who are hurt by them. Ties back into morals. Since 1988 prices have inflated 81 percent at four-year-private schools and 145 percent at four-year publics. It seems, at least in part, that colleges and universities raise their prices because, well, the aid makes sure they can.

Overall Efficiency- Outside of Switzerland we already spend the most money on education. The results? We don't rank high in math, reading, and science. High school graduation rates are just under 80%. Roughly 50% of those who went to college never get a degree, and most are left with loan debts. Instead of wasting all of this money on public education, taxpayers can spend/save/invest in a much more productive way. Ties back to economics.

[SpicyTurkey]

Economy:

Inflation is has bad as taking one of your dollar bills, ripping it in half, and handing it back to you with the claim that it is now worth two dollars.

[gb13]

Plus. Fucking. Rep.

[ghengis86]

Bump

[Danemicus]

It's great to have a topic with instant rebuttals like this. They'd probably work best in-person or over the phone. Case in point, a real-time Twitter debate probably represents the worst possible conditions, especially due to the word count limit. Here's a debate which ensued when I tweeted someone that posted an attack of Ron Paul's foreign policy. Honestly though, how do you even debate with someone like this? I couldn't help but have a mental image of this guy just covering his ears and shouting 999 at the top of his voice.




Bold = My Tweets



Ron Paul is an #EpicFailure on Foreign Policy. He should pull a Snagglepuss and exit, stage left

Why is Ron Paul's foreign policy an "epic failure" exactly? Why must the wars and interventionism continue?

Israel is our friend. I stand with our friends and defend them, not leave them out to dery. Ron Paul is bad for America

Ron Paul would be the best thing for Israel since 1948. Israel's enemies get 6 times as much in foreign aid.

So on that premise, stopping all foreign aid means that Israel would actually be better off.

He is an isolationist who would rather Iran have nukes. America is a land of dEFENDERS, not ISOLATIONISTS

Netanyahu was begging congress to let Israel be a sovereign nation. Ron Paul would allow that - enemy of Israel? I think not.

The sooner you see Ron Paul is bad for America with his ISOLATIONIST views, the better off we will be.

Ron Paul is NOT a friend of Israel. What friend would allow their enemy access to nukes

Israel begged to be allowed to be a sovereign nation. Why deny a friend such a request?

Israel's enemies currently receive 6 x as much foreign aid as Israel from USA. Fact.

The sooner Ron Paul exits the presidential primary and let the ADULTS continue, the better off all would be

If Ron Paul's foreign policy is bad, why does he get more military donations than all GOP combined?

WE THE PEOPLE do not want Ron Paul . He is unelectable. Listen to the voice of the People

With 19 straw poll wins to his name, I think it's clear a lot of people want Ron Paul.

THE PEOPLE want Herman Cain. The polls Ron Paul won are rigged

You are the WEAKEST LINK. GOODBYE

Herman Cain? Pro-life one moment, pro-choice the next. Says he won't talk to terrorists, then he'd negotiate with Al QAEDA?

The same Cain who thinks China doesn't have nukes? Even 999 isn't his. He plagiarized it from a 1996 PI Report.

[Bossobass]

ECONOMY: Small Business generates more than half of US GDP, more than half of US employment and 19 times more patents than big business.

The largest banks got caught with their irrationally exuberant over-speculative (and many say fraudulent) pants down. In response, the Federal Reserve washed a tsunami of taxpayer cash over these "Too Big To Fail" banks at near-zero interest. Despite this unprecedented largesse, the big banks subsequently reduced the flow of loans to small businesses every quarter for the past 12 quarters.

One candidate has run a small business for 40 years, during which time, he refused all federal government handouts. He predicted the cause and the bursting of the tech bubble and the housing bubble. He alone amongst the candidates understands what it takes to get Americans working, innovating, inventing and producing again. More importantly, he alone amongst candidates promises to let you keep the fruits of your labors.

If you feel better off today than a decade ago, then close your eyes and vote for "It Doesn't Matter". Otherwise, there's only one choice: Ron Paul.

Bosso

[phill4paul]

Foriegn Policy:

Family angle:

"Our troops and their families deserve our support. Prolonged deployment in foriegn nations weakens both the battle-readiness of combat units but also is a hardship on families. To stay in these countries as long as we do requires multiple deployments from our soldiers. If we are attacked we should deploy the troops, kick some ass and then bring them home to prepare for any future aggression. Our soldiers deserve to be rewarded for a job well done not turned into another nations police force. They should be brought back to thier families as soon as the mission of defeating the enemy is over"

Monetary angle:

"We need to re-evaluate whether or not we should continue to afford to rebuild other peoples countries and provide for their defense. If another nation threatens us we should deploy our troops, kick some ass and let them worry about rebuilding their own country. Maybe, then, they would think twice about attacking us .It makes no sense to reward them for being a threat to us by giving them the money that hard working American's should get to keep."

[Cinderella]

bump!

[fisharmor]

Militarism: If it's not free, then by definition, it's not freedom.

War on Terror: Osama bin Laden stated openly in 2004 that his military goal was to bankrupt the US. To date, we have not even stated a military goal. What's the score?

Big Government: When a government agency meets its goals, it no longer has a reason to exist. When it fails, it gets more money. Do the math.

Iran, per Ron Paul: You guys said the exact same things about Iraq, and you were wrong.

TSA: The exact job definition is "feel up a bunch of strangers all day when you're not irradiating them to view them naked". What sort of person consciously applies for that job? The kind who actively wants to feel up a bunch of strangers and look at them naked.

Market Medicine: The first bypass surgery was in 1951. 60 years later a bypass runs about a half million dollars.
Personal computers in the 1980's ran over a thousand dollars, and today we get free phones with a contract which have processors that run circles around those 1980s relics.
Do the math - the market reduces prices, and government controls increase them.

[Captain Shays]

Ron Paul is an isolationist and would put our country in danger.

Answer: Ron Paul is not an isolationist and this country was never an isolationist country. Think North Korea=isolationist because they don't allow people in or out, they don't enjoy a free exchange of ideas with other countries nor do they have free trade with them. Meanwhile Switzerland who our founding fathers wanted us to be like is non interventionist or neutral. They allow people to come and go freely, they have robust trade with just about every country on earth and their exchange of ideas puts them in the highest income bracket in the world. They helped to free our hostages recently from Iran through diplomacy and they have remained safe from much larger enemies like Germany during WWI and WWII and the Soviet empire for over 50 years because their military isn't spread out all over the world. Also, they are not a major target for terrorists.

George Washington said: I have always given it as my decided opinion that no nation had a right to inter-meddle in the internal concerns of another; and that, if this country could, consistent with its engagements, maintain a strict neutrality and thereby preserve peace. George Washington - Letter to James Monroe, August 25, 1796

But the progressive Woodrow Wilson advocated for using our military to "make the world safe for democracy". Who do you side with?George Washington the father of this great nation or Woodrow Wilson the progressive Democrat?

[Inkblots]

For Catholics:

Even though Ron isn't himself a Catholic, his positions are more in accord with Catholic teaching than any other candidate. He opposes torture in agreement with Catholic teaching that torture is an intrinsic evil. He opposed the aggressive war in Iraq which was an unjust war under Catholic Just War theory and was opposed by both the current Pope and his predecessor. He wants to leave all the 'culture war' issues to the states, in clear conformity with the principle of subsidiarity - that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest or least centralized competent authority - which is a cornerstone of Catholic social teaching. He would never allow the Federal government to regulate Catholic schools. He would protect Catholic charities ministering to migrant workers and illegal immigrants from government interference. He's across the board pro-life, opposing abortion, the death penalty, and aggressive war, in accordance with the teachings of Pope John Paul II in his encyclical, The Gospel of Life. There is no other candidate who would go so far to defend Catholic values while in office.

[unknown]

I think its important to refer to foreign "aid" more accurately. I would suggest calling it foreign welfare.

[Inkblots]

On charges of racism:

As Dr. Paul himself says: "Racism is simply the ugliest form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans only as members of groups and never as individuals. Racists believe that all individuals who share superficial physical characteristics are alike; as collectivists, racists think only in terms of groups." And since Ron Paul is the ultimate individualist, opposed to all forms of collectivism, the conclusion is clear.

[Suzu]

I haven't seen one on earmarks. You know that's gonna come up again and again. I'll be glad to help make it more concise - that's where I shine, not with the actual writing.

[Inkblots]

^Okay, I'll give it a shot.

On earmarking:

You need to bear in mind that there are actually two kinds of earmarks. Appropriations earmarks, that is, earmarks added to appropriations bills, have the effect of increasing Federal spending, and also likely contribute to larger spending increases both through earmark trading and as an inducement to members to vote through the big ticket spending items in appropriations bills so that they can get their district's earmarks through.

On the other hand, "carve-out" earmarks are earmarks that aren't on an appropriations bill and therefore merely serve to allocate already appropriated funds, rather than leaving allocation of the funds entirely up to unaccountable, unelected bureaucrats in the executive branch.

This latter type is an important democratic tool and is a vital part of the balance of powers. Dr. Paul doesn't engage in horsetrading, and always tries to minimize the size of appropriations bills; the earmarks Dr. Paul has requested in the past were carve-out earmarks. They don't add a penny to the deficit, do nothing to increase spending, but do serve to make Federal spending more democratically accountable.

[Suzu]

^Okay, I'll give it a shot.

On earmarking:

You need to bear in mind that there are actually two kinds of earmarks. Appropriations earmarks, that is, earmarks added to appropriations bills, have the effect of increasing Federal spending, and also likely contribute to larger spending increases both through earmark trading and as an inducement to members to vote through the big ticket spending items in appropriations bills so that they can get their district's earmarks through.

On the other hand, "carve-out" earmarks are earmarks that aren't on an appropriations bill and therefore merely serve to allocate already appropriated funds, rather than leaving allocation of the funds entirely up to unaccountable, unelected bureaucrats in the executive branch.

This latter type is an important democratic tool and is a vital part of the balance of powers. Dr. Paul doesn't engage in horsetrading, and always tries to minimize the size of appropriations bills; the earmarks Dr. Paul has requested in the past were carve-out earmarks. They don't add a penny to the deficit, do nothing to increase spending, but do serve to make Federal spending more democratically accountable.

That about as good as it gets. I can cut out a few words to shorten it, that's all:


There are two kinds of earmarks. Appropriations earmarks, that is, earmarks added to appropriations bills, have the effect of increasing Federal spending, and also likely contribute to larger spending increases both through earmark trading and as an inducement to members to vote through the big ticket spending items in appropriations bills so that they can get their district's earmarks through.

On the other hand, "carve-out" earmarks are earmarks that aren't on an appropriations bill and therefore merely serve to allocate already appropriated funds, rather than leaving allocation of the funds entirely up to bureaucrats in the executive branch.

This latter type is an important democratic tool and a vital part of the balance of powers. Dr. Paul doesn't engage in horsetrading, and always tries to minimize the size of appropriations bills; the earmarks he has requested in the past were carve-out earmarks. They don't add a penny to the deficit, do nothing to increase spending, but do serve to make Federal spending more democratically accountable.

[gb13]

Bump. These need to be mastered by all die-hard supporters.

[shadowhooch]

Need one on the Patriot Act and terrorism deterence. Anyone have a good concise one?

[Expatriate]

Bump

[J-Reg]

Foreign Policy "Putting our troops all over the world in unnecessarily dangerous situations shouldn't be considered supporting them."

[Inkblots]

Need one on the Patriot Act and terrorism deterence. Anyone have a good concise one?

That one's pretty simply:

On the USA PATRIOT Act:
The PATRIOT Act would not have prevented 9/11 had it already been in place in 2001. Remember, the FBI never sought any sort of warrants or information about the 9/11 hijackers. All the necessary intelligence to identify the threat was available, but our intelligence analysts failed to process the data in time - it was never the case that legal restrictions blocked the acquisition of necessary information, it's that the information, once obtained, went unused.

It is ironic that, in addition to undermining the vital protections and providing wide scope for abuse, the PATRIOT Act has actually increased the information firehose directed at our intelligence agencies. By encouraging counterterrorism agents to waste their time securing vast amounts of data about American citizens, the PATRIOT Act in a very real way exacerbates the problems that lead to the intelligence failure before 9/11. This is unfortunately a clear example of Benjamin Franklin's axiom that those who sacrifice liberty for security will lose both.

And here's another one, while I'm at it:

On the Global War on Terror:
Rep. Paul has never claimed that ALL terrorists are motivated by our military interventions in the Middle East. There will always be a core of radical jihadis who wish to destroy the West.

However, it is also indisputable that this radical core – people like bin Laden – have been able to very successfully use our interventions in the Middle East as a propaganda and recruiting tool to convince young idiots to strap on suicide vests. This is an objective fact: the 9/11 Commission Report and Prof. Robert Pape's longitudinal study of suicide terror attacks both conclude as much.

So Ron Paul suggests that we could dramatically reduce the resources and manpower available to radical jihadists by removing our troops from the Middle East, and could more effectively take out that core group with targeted killings via Constitutional letters of reprisal. This strategy would be both more effective than our current strategy of “nation-building”, and, importantly, would be much lower cost. This would make it sustainable in the long run. We need to remember that the fight against jihadism is a generational conflict, it will probably go on forever, or at least for many decades. I am a believer in the “Long War”, and we must fight it in a sustainable fashion. Only Ron Paul is advocating for such.

Those who think the “War on Terror” can be fought like a conventional war and ended with a victory parade will see this nation long since bankrupted before we are secure.