The US culture at one time popularly despised royalty, excessive wealth, and secretive powers as enemies of our Independence, and it is my opinion that taking back the country for Liberty involves outright challenges to their Concentrated Power as manifest in their current incarnation as corporatists, borderless-billionaires, and defense/intelligence establishments...

However, Paul still believes the UN is the basic building-block of the borderless-elites who brought us unlimited neoconism, 911, Iraq, etc., which I do believe was true around the end of the cold war. Today it's different though as is readily apparent in the fact that US invasions had to Violate the UN Treaties, Inspections and Consensus in order to enact the PNAC... perhaps UN elites are just wiser about what the populations of the world will buy, but they never the less did put the brakes on it and bushco had to run them over and stomp all over their effectiveness and reputation here to do it.

The single largest enemy of the People in the US is the "elite", a Problem that is fueled by runaway profits for the richest at the expense of selling out everything we once built for ourselves, and the GAP that this has created in the virtual ownership of our Congress. We, the Commoners, are no longer represented, and it's not because the average representative is an idiot or cannot read polls, but because of the hand that is feeding him: It takes a million of us to match a single donation by the elite... is that what we want?!

I believe it's time to face King George all over again, and Paul and Kucinich are the only ones with a consistent record standing up to them and though I care very deeply for Most humanitarian Causes, Now is the time to focus on the underlying Cancer at the root of all Corruption coming out of the beltway so that we can begin again to rebuild the society we want through consensus and transparent self-governance.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

You see the Orwellian super-state afficianadoes on the 'left' and 'right' who both love the supremecy of centralised authority simply don't understand his message. He has said although he would like the IRS, CIA, etc abolished it is not the mandate of the Presidency to do so. He has stated that it would be up to people, through their representatives in Congress, to make the changes. Where he can do something; like bring troops home from an undeclared war, he would. Oddly, he actually believes in the limited power of the Presidency and the proper balance of powers at the Federal level (as well as the Constitution balance of power between the Federal, State, and People.) The Executive branch, despite both the 'progressive' and 'republican' wishes, is not supposed to be able to make policy and do whatever it wishes. The same argument can be applied to the UN, in some cases even in a more rational argument. We never even vote for a single representative for these 'international bodies' and, yet, the 'progressives' wish to be ruled by unaccountable, international elitists? That is surely 'very democratic'!?!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

lets get something clear... McVeigh and the Unabomber are NOT synonymous. They did not stand for the same things.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I'm not sure you proved your point regarding Dr Paul's insanity. Im sure any court would require you to provide more details than given. Is there a part two?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Did the author explain the connection of the "Patriot" movement to McVeigh? If so, how come they were not put on trial with him?

Did the author explain Dr Paul's connection to the "Patriot" movement? No evidence given.

The little race-baiting swipe about the "brown-skinned" people from the author-- how does that connect to an objection to the power of the "elites"? Where does Dr Paul talk about these brown-skinned people in his fund-raising appeal? Has it ever occurred to you that the biggest enemy of the brown-skinned masses are these goons and dictators who control their countries??

Looks like some rich folks had to do away with Dr Paul, and so they sent their goon squad out to do the job.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Fundraising letters targeted to interest groups tend to extremism. As a pro-choice woman, I've received targeted fundraising letters that make it sound like jackbooted Nazis are on their way down my street to forcibly impregnate me if I don't immediately donate to NARAL/support my local Democrat.

Ron Paul may well be a fruitbat but this article doesn't prove anything except that he has a reasonably savvy team who understands what will play to a particular demographic.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm seeing Patriot banks opening up new outlets on every street corner... Robert DeNiro's Good Sheperd... The Skull & Bones-CIA connection... All male 2000+ alumni getting together at Bohemian Grove North of San Francisco... Dress like women and worship god Molech... David Rockefeller's pet hog Boris... sounds like a conspiracy to me. Why else would they riddle the planet with hundreds of leaky nuclear power plants if they weren't trying to eradicate the human race, I mean come on? Face facts... we're doomed.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Is Jeff Fecke the new Alternet standard? He's not doing much more than calling people names. Is this what passes for commentary these days? Let's see: he calls Ron Paul a "wacko," "quasi-fascist," "psychotic," "crazy," and "insane." He also accuses Ron Paul of "nuttiness" and "kookiness."

What kind of playground journalism is this?!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Anyone who doesn't believe that there is and has been a movement to give the "elites" control is obvious not a sentient creature. Ron Paul has been straight forward in assessing this risk and this article is just slander pure and simple and I am surprised, if not alarmed. that this appears in alternet. Foremost is to bankrupt America by the steady erosion of the dollar and moving assets overseas. The wealthy can and will live anywhere. But I cannot grieve overly for americans who pursue their own doom with the avidness of a lemming.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Those that choose to call Ron Paul a wacko must belong to the ostrich family. Any student of the constitution would understand exactly what Paul is pointing out. We have presidents, congress members and supreme court justices that all violate their oaths of office by not supporting the constitution. It appears that all three bodies of government have abandoned the people in favor of multi national as well as national corporations. My suggestion to anti-Paul people is to start researching the SPP and the NAU and look at how emminent domain laws will affect thousands of people as the NAFTA Superhighway is built. Right now, taxpayer built roads are being sold to foreign nations in direct violation to the Logan Act. The list of violations by our elected politicians is far to long to list here, but start researching where the USA is headed right now and I believe you will find Ron Paul is no wacko and those that think so need to tighten their own screws.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

...can we rate comments but not the articles? Sorry AlterNet, this one would get a 1, for reasons already stated by astute commentors above.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

The "Elite" are among us, but they are not the UN. They are the New World Order/ Illuminati/ Octopus. They are the Federal Reserve Bank. They are the NeoConspiracy born from Zionists. They are the Global Corporations. The UN didn't start the Occupation of Iraq. The UN isn't trying to pre-emptively bomb Iran and start WWIII. The UN isn't trying to eradicate 70% of the Population with Man-made Diseases. The UN isn't outsourcing our jobs. The UN isn't driving the Dollar down and bankrupting America. I could go on, but you get the Idea.
Yes, the "Shadow Government/ Elite" are the biggest threat to America's Democracy, but they are not the UN. "They" would just as soon abolish the UN!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

The nut here is Jeff Fecke! It is obvious he has not done any research on the Patriot movement and has forgotten Paul Revere. There are plenty of books and tons of evidence about the plans of the elite, mainly the New World Order. Ron Paul is very aware of this. Listen to Aaron Russo's interviews regarding his past friendship with Nick Rockefeller, the 9-11 connection and the Terror -Timeline. Read Behold a Pale Horse, and Conservatives Without a Conscience... then you'll find Ron Paul DOES know what he is talking about. Wake-Up Jeff!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

the hands of those who are willing to die for their beliefs, or at least send the kids of their supporters to die for them. The day the government disarms every American citizen, the Police state will be complete in America.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

The comment posted by this jerk was not from Ron Paul but someone who claims to be a Ron Paul supporter. We do not know who that person is or whether he is in fact a Ron Paul supporter or a person who claims to be. Also, you fail to mention that Tm McVey was also a member of the US Army so I could associate everyone who has ever been in the US Army as being associated with McVey, right? Therefore every former military member is an OKC bomber. This article is a waste of time. Lousy logic based on a shallow assertion.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I read your article on why we shouldn't like Ron Paul, but though he may be a little paranoid from the letter you reference, I don't think those ideas are that far from the mainstream. I don't think most Americans want to give up their country. I think you have more of a burden of proof than just showing a letter and saying that he is part of the Patriot movement. Associating him with a movement that has some questionable ideas, does not make him bad immediately. How about a little more critical thought? Maybe you should try explaining why the ideas he espouses in his letter are bad, because you don't really seem to make a good point aside from calling him names. This is weak journalism.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

He's found a libertarian corollary to the Christian Right fundraising. I can see how this type of letter would appeal to the militia groups, but I don't think that the conclusions reached by the author follow logically from the facts.

Ron Paul is an honorable man with whom I disagree on almost anything, except that we should not have started this war and should not continue it. Let's just agree to agree on that and leave him alone, shall we? He's the only one speaking truth to the GOP about their enormous blunder, and we need at least one person in the War Party to do that.

I don't think that being against NAFTA or the WTO makes you a racist or a militia-movement member. It makes you an isolationist, and with the current balance of payments and our muddled oil-fueled economy, that's not a bad thing to be. Can we stick to logical arguments and get away from personal attacks? Between this and the Romney video, it seems like AlterNet has fallen prey to attack journalism instead of thoughtful discussion of issues that are important.

I wouldn't vote for Ron Paul, but I think that he repesents some valid, factually-based viewpoints that deserve to be heard, just as Kucinich does. Getting into a name-calling match is counterproductive to finding solutions to our nation's problems.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

They don't like Republicans-and they don't like anyone too far left either. They want to get a Democrat elected. Period.

They do often publish good articles- and as often said- the comments are more interesting than the articles-but I would not call Alternet truly- alternative.

Where are all the articles blasting the latest Demo. sellout to Bushies war?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Did you ever attend a university and take a journalism course? I'm just curious...because this article isn't journalism - it's a no-brain hack job! Of all the boats a journalist can sail in, a swift-boat is one a responsible journalist avoids at all costs. After reading your diatribe, I can't think of you as a journalist at all.

Next time you want to hack at Ron Paul, do your research! Dig, read, and ask - and then take the ultimate step in journalism, interview the subject yourself. Find the truth - not the crap you've culled from other writers, and then presented as your own truth. That's cheap.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

As are most of his supporters.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Hmm, well, let's call it what it is. Insanity is such a diffuse and ambiguous term.

Ron Paul is a delusional paranoid. That is to say, he believes in and fears a detailed consipiracy operated by "elites" with far-fetched and unlikely goals and methods, and is impervious to evidence to the contrary.

Unfortunately, there *is* an elite with all too palpable goals which is conspiring to achieve them at our expense.

I'm talking about the corporate elite who have infiltrated government through the revolving door, through campaign contributions, and through outright bribes. Who have funded right-wing think tanks who have been working for several decades on how to disenfranchise as many Democratic-leaning voters as possible. Who have co-opted mass media corporations and turned them into propaganda mills. Who have worked hard to stigmatize the word "liberal," despite its historical significance to our nation (we are, constitutionally, a "liberal democracy"). Who have cloaked their activities in secrecy, subverted Constitutional protections, violated treaties which the US has signed, engaged in "pre-emptive" war, and is attempting to privatize as many government functions as they possibly can.

I could go on, but in the interests of brevity, I will not.

Surprisingly, Ron Paul recognizes that conspiracy, too, and has mentioned it in many of his speeches. So he's not completely oblivious to the world around him.

There are good things you can say about Ron Paul. Things you can't say about any other candidate except Dennis Kucinich. Ron Paul is absolutely sincere. He'll tell you exactly what he thinks and stand by it. You can trust him to say what he means and mean what he says.

As tired as I am of insincerity and corporate corruption of government, Ron Paul is almost a relief. Yeah, he'd be a nightmare of a President; his policies are downright scary, not to mention anathema to advocates of a mixed economy (as I am). But he'd be an honest President, and we've been missing that for a long time in American politics.

I actually think we could do worse than Ron Paul... and have, for quite a long time now.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

PERPETUAL WAR FOR PERPETUAL PEACE is a small Gore Vidal book worth some insight into the meeting of the radical circles, right wing and left wing. Vidal was drafted by McVeigh to be his biographer after his arrest.

Vidal outlines the cases of the Oklahoma bombing, Ruby Ridge and the Waco/Janet Reno massacre. Not everyone is ready for Radical Politics 101, but the injustices to the survivalists is an issue that liberal Vidal and Libertarian Ron Paul share. Why? If you don't have Bill of Rights for whites, you don't have them for colors either. The Perpetual War is a for-profit enterprise. But shooting political dissidents is just a bourgioise sport. Its sublime to find oneself in company of leaders who might be even more radical and to challenge us to think and dig deeper. Paul is certainly an isolationist, would get us out of the oil wars and is a damn sight less dangerous than Hillary Clinton who threatens Iran with nuclear warfare. See: Hillary AIPAC video address:
www.youtube.comwatchv=ZVWagtd8uwM&mode=related&search=

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Some of Paul's publicly stated positions are in opposition to the Libertarian Party's Platform.

Paul would legislate an end to all abortiona, and would expand the definition of 'person' as understood in the 14th Amendment's privileges or immunities and due process clauses. It is NOT libertarian, as t would enslave pregnant women, and strip away from their own personal medical decisions. The Official LP Party position is that it is not the government's business to aid or prohibit abortion

Paul supports draconian anti-Immigration Policy, whereas the official LP Party Platform supports Open Borders.

Paul's Home Schooling proposals are also anti-libertarian, as he would give parents who home-school their kids tax credits through the Family Education Freedom Act, but says nothing about the people who are taxed for schools but have never even procreated. In effect, these tax credits would mean that persons who may be vehemently opposed to the reiligious ideologies the parent of home schooled children believe, they are being forced to subsidise them.

And Paul does show a bit of wackiness in some of the legislative bills he proposes. In 2007 he introduces the following, among many others:

H.R.1094: To provide that human life shall be deemed to exist from conception.
H.R.1095: To prohibit any Federal official from expending any Federal funds for any population control or population planning program or any family planning activity.
H.R.2597: To provide that human life shall be deemed to exist from conception.
H.R.3216: To authorize the President to issue letters of marque and reprisal with respect to certain acts of air piracy upon the United States on September 11, 2001, and other similar acts of war planned for the future.

Paul's libertarian support is heaviest from the Mises-styled theorists, often associated with Lou Rockwell. The theocrats who are contribiters on lewwrockwell dot com are avid suppporters of Pau, but then Paul gets a lot of backing from the American theocrats
See:
Michael S. Rozeff
Bill Barnwell
Laurence M. Vance
Gary North

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Ron Paul: "And let us stop hurting American workers with mountains of red tape in the name of safety. Safety standards should be set privately, by the industry and by the insurance companies who have the correct motivating factors to do so."

He's wrong, period. Business turned loose and unregulated is always dominated by the largest corporations (who don't give a rat's ass for anything but the bottom line RIGHT NOW, and to Hell with the workers; they also suck up or destroy all competition). Paul believes in free trade, and that's part of what has given the elites he talks about their great power over us and everything we value. Calling him crazy because he knows about the elites and what they're doing is simple ignorance. It's a matter of history for anyone who can read and doesn't limit themselves to only the viewpoint allowed in the "official" versions taught in school that families like the Rockefellers, Fords, Bush's, Rothschilds and so on control the world's financial institutions (including the Credit Suisse Bank, which owns the "Federal Reserve" (and other "national" banks), which controls our economy and the value of our fiat "money"). Standard Oil refueled German U-boots in WWII at secret rendezvous at sea; Ford ordered Hitler (while visiting on a business trip regarding banking and the GM manufacture of German tanks and such) to fire a general he disliked. Hitler obeyed. Prescott Bush was one of the bankers who loaned Hitler enough money and helped set up arms deals so that he could invade Poland. The Bank of England loaned money to the Zionists in Israel (Palestine), who mad a deal with Hitler to send them around 800 Jews who were young, and strong on Zionism, and they would not interfere with the planned extermination of the rest of the Jews Hitler got hold of. They never did offer or assist to give asylum to Europe's Jews; never even sent a protest or published a denunciation. When the banking deals were found out, the banker's connections and wealth were such that they lost those particular businesses (though not the money), but none were charged with anything or prosecuted, and the information was covered up. Another group of such monied elites extended the duration of WWII for a year in order to facilitate other deals that involved huge profits.

The elites Ron Paul talks about were and are real. Their descendents still run wars, countries and corporations to suit themselves. The New World Order is their idea, designed to make international business easier and more profitable for them, and to cement their control of the world's economy and people forever. What else are people who own everything anyway going to do? You can call Ron Paul crazy if you like, but this reason of all of them is the wrong one to choose as justification. There's too much documentation that proves he's right on this, including things written by our own presidents.

Paul believes in free trade, though it ultimately leads to mega-corporations and the loss of all power for workers and consumers alike. It might work for a small country like the US once was, but not now, and probably not ever. He believes that schooling should be entirely privately funded. He thinks "trickle-down economics" trickles down despite all evidence to the contrary. He doesn't believe in any welfare, health or other government help programs. Live or die by your own efforts, and accidents that kill people are unfortunate, but they happen, and they aren't the government's business. Here is his homepage; hit index and try reading some of what he has to say. Then check out the Libertarians ideas. It seems not many people do either: http://www.house.gov/paul/

Ian

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

WHAT AN UNFAIR PORTRAYAL OF RON PAUL! I think he`s the first politician i`ve heard in my 52 years of life to actually tell it like it is. What puzzles me is, How has he gotten as far as he has in politics without lying and misrepresenting the truth.?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

if you click on "cozy relationship with the Patriot movement", you'll find what this article is trying to say about Ron Paul.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

It's suprising Alternet is focusing on Ron Paul. They must see him as a credible threat to democrat party votes.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]