When the United States broke free from Great Britain’s rule in 1776, its founding fathers drafted the Constitution to protect its citizens from suffering similar tyranny that Great Britain imposed. Since the drafting of the Constitution, many Americans have stepped up to defend the Constitution and protect the civil liberties of their fellow Americans. One of these leaders is former Congressman and Presidential candidate Dr. Ron Paul.
A self-described Constitutionalist, Paul has amassed a large following since entering politics which he has largely retained since retiring in 2013. In office, Paul vocally criticized mass surveillance programs, interventionist foreign policy, massive government spending and taxing, and the War on Drugs. Paul’s unwavering support for liberty has inspired many generations of freedom-minded Americans especially in Libertarian circles.
Originally a physician, Paul first became involved in politics after the Nixon Administration dumped the Bretton Woods Agreement, which took the U.S. Dollar off the Gold Standard. Paul has voiced his support for Gold and other currencies aside of the fiat system in his career, and has spoken about the negative effects on the American people since the dollar was taken off the Gold Standard.
“Gold is natural money and has been used for thousands of years. (Ludwig Von) Mises said all money should and can be used in the market,” Paul explained. “And since World War Two, the dollar was backed by gold up until 1971 because people lost faith in the dollar, and then the government started to print so much money, which over time caused a lack of stability in the dollar”, Paul stated.
Like many Libertarians, Paul opposes central banking and has passionately campaigned against it both in and out of politics. America’s central bank, the Federal Reserve or “The Fed” has been quite controversial since it was established in 1913. Paul explains that the Fed is a “system of monopoly control of money, while the Gold standard provides stability and power for the American people. The Fed turns over the power to a couple of people while the Governments manipulate things like money interest rates.” Paul continued, explaining that “Central banks use a fake system and manipulate markets. The Fed can also indirectly control interest rates, and then subsidizes and bail out people for spending fake money and causing too many wars,” Paul stated.
Paul has openly opposed what he believes are unconstitutional government practices whether they relate to economic or war-related interests. In his 2008 and 2012 Presidential runs, Paul openly criticized foreign interventionism, while most in his party supported it and famously debated former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani on the issues of what causes war.
“The Constitution gives no authority for the government to intervene with force in the conflicts of other countries. However, with a free market, you get free trade and more peace with other countries instead of violence. But as soon as you use force, you risk international instability”, Paul explained.
Another example of centralized government power Paul has criticized is in education. Paul argues that increased centralization of education is not only unconstitutional but has resulted in worsened education and further social division.
“The Constitution gives zero authority to the Federal Government to be involved in education, but it is. Now, progressivism has been enforced through the schools leading to collectivist ideas on civil liberties, foreign policy, and the monetary policy.” Paul explained, and himself launched his own homeschooling curriculum as an alternative to centralized state education.
In Washington, Paul often went against the status quo, proclaiming that the greatest threat to American civilization is internal and not external.
“The Founders understood this when they wrote the Constitution when thinking about the morality of the people. When people understand natural law and neglect it, some will turn themselves into monsters when there is an absence of morality, which leads to nihilism,” Paul explained. “People who endorse this system (of nihilism) often neglect or don’t believe truth can exist, and this attitude extends to wars and other conflicts,” Paul continued.
Paul ran for President three times: once as a Libertarian in 1988, and twice as a Republican in 2008 and 2012. The Republicans have had a problem (and in many cases still do) attracting support from young voters, but Paul was very popular with college students, arguably on par with former President Barack Obama. Even sixteen and twelve years after his two most recent bids for the White House, Paul still retains a large following with many supporters.
“I still think about it a lot. I would talk for forty-five minutes to an hour, and during the last fifteen minutes or so, talk to the students about wars and immorality. I think if you can start by reading the Constitution and incentivize freedom, you will start to see the answers to many of our problems,” Paul explained.
Paul is not the only politically active member of his family. His son Rand serves as Kentucky’s junior U.S. Senator, shares similar Libertarian beliefs with his father and also ran for President.
Although he retired from Congress in 2013, Paul remains politically active, appearing on the self-titled “Ron Paul Liberty Report” and is the head of the Ron Paul Institute, which he founded in 2013 that advocates for freedom, peace, and prosperity for all Americans.
To learn more about Dr. Ron Paul, visit the website for the Ron Paul Institute here or listen to the Ron Paul Liberty Report here!