The Film Archive: Ron Paul On The Principles of the Libertarian Party in 1988

Source:Real Life Journal

The Ron Paul of 1988 is the Ron Paul of 2012 when it comes to his principles. Whether you agree with Representative Paul or not and I tend to agree with him when it comes to issues with the national debt, budget deficit and social issues, at least you know where he is on the issues. The closest thing that the so-called Left from Center-Left where I am, to Far-Left where Democratic Socialists and Social Democrats in America would be, is Democratic Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders. The only Independent member of Congress. And the only self-described Democratic Socialist member of Congress. But certainly not the only Democratic Socialist in Congress. Especially in the House if you look at how some self-described so-called Progressive Democrats talk and vote.

Someone like a Ron Paul a hard-core classical Libertarian, who is actually fairly Far-Right on economic policy and libertarian on social issues, but not completely anti-government there at least when it comes to people hurting innocent people, could never get elected President of the United States. At least not in the near future. Because even though Americans now tend to agree with Paul on social issues, they like Social Security, Medicare, a public safety net for people who truly need it.  But that is what makes Paul so principled, because I believe he knows these things, but he doesn't see politics as a popularity contest. And believes in his own views so much that he's willing to speak out in favor of what he's in favor of and what he's against. Even if no one else agrees with him.

There's a lot to respect about people who are willing to continue to fight losing battles. Equal rights for all Americans was certainly not popular in the 1940s and 1950s. And yet that is where you see the American civil rights movement get started and about twenty-years later we get the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and a few years after that the 1968 Fair Housing Law. Where those laws don't pass without a lot of support from Congressional Republicans in both the House and Senate. Just because something, or someone might seem unpopular at the time, doesn't mean it isn't worth fighting for. Which is what I believe Ron Paul supporters and other hard-right Libertarians should be thinking as they move forward.