“End the Fed” signs, and other Ron Paul-inspired sloganeering have been a staple of Occupy encampments from the birth of the movement. To an extent, that reflects the Occupiers’ diversity of ideas. But Paul, who wrote a book called End the Fed in 2009, has a spotty reputation among champions of social justice, which was made worse this week with the release of another round of racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic comments excerpted from a newsletter he published throughout the 1980s.

At many Occupy encampments, “End the Fed” signs are everywhere, and Paul supporters are becoming more and more vocal — using the language of the Occupy movement in service of their extremist anti-government agenda…

The Occupy movement’s evolving agenda is in danger of being sullied by association with Paul, whose position includes at its core a conspiracy theory involving the Federal Reserve — a decades-old right-wing bugaboo. On the web, a crucial battleground in the era of the online revolution, the Occupy Movement’s central critique of the obscene power of corporations is in danger of being slapped way off course. Ron Paul supporters dominated the conversation in the public forum on OccupyWallSt.org, the movement’s unofficial Web site, throughout the fall. A December post on the forum complained about the Paul-partisan spammers, and warned against forging an alliance with “Wall Street’s religious fanatics, the libertarians, espousing their predatory free-market religion.”



How Right-Wing Libertarians, John Birchers and Conspiracy Freaks Are Trying to Hijack the Occupy Movement

theoceanisawake:


5. He thinks global warming is a hoax. In his words, it’s “the greatest hoax, I think, that’s been around in many, many years — if not hundreds of years”. But that’s just the tip of the crazyberg. Ron Paul winning the presidency would be a disaster for the environment. He wants to completely disband the Environmental Protection Agency, abolish environmental regulation, and lift, it seems, just about all the restrictions on drilling for oil. Including in National Parks.
6. He doesn’t believe in evolution. When asked about it in 2007, he was pretty clear: “I think it’s a theory. The theory of evolution. And I don’t accept it as a theory.”
8. He is radically pro-life. And vehemently opposed to a woman’s right to choose. He signed the “personhood pledge” making the rounds on the current campaign, suggesting that abortion should be legally considered to be the same thing as murder.
13. He believes we’re waging a war against Christmas. In his words, he claims that “the elitist, secular Left” are waging an “ongoing war against religion” to “transform America into a completely secular nation, a nation that is legally and culturally biased against Christianity.” And as if that wasn’t crazy enough, he adds, “Christmas itself may soon be a casualty of that war.”
17. He wants to U.S. to seize control of the Panama Canal. Paul’s isolationism doesn’t seem to apply to the Panama Canal. The United States signed a treaty back in the 1970s gradually ceding control of the canal to the government of Panama. But Paul wants to overturn that. Because if the U.S doesn’t seize control of it, he claims some hostile regime might seize control of it instead.

(All the rest at The Litte Red Umbrella)

theoceanisawake:

  • 5. He thinks global warming is a hoax. In his words, it’s “the greatest hoax, I think, that’s been around in many, many years — if not hundreds of years”. But that’s just the tip of the crazyberg. Ron Paul winning the presidency would be a disaster for the environment. He wants to completely disband the Environmental Protection Agency, abolish environmental regulation, and lift, it seems, just about all the restrictions on drilling for oil. Including in National Parks.
  • 6. He doesn’t believe in evolutionWhen asked about it in 2007, he was pretty clear: “I think it’s a theory. The theory of evolution. And I don’t accept it as a theory.”
  • 8. He is radically pro-life. And vehemently opposed to a woman’s right to choose. He signed the “personhood pledge” making the rounds on the current campaign, suggesting that abortion should be legally considered to be the same thing as murder.
  • 13. He believes we’re waging a war against Christmas. In his words, he claims that “the elitist, secular Left” are waging an “ongoing war against religion” to “transform America into a completely secular nation, a nation that is legally and culturally biased against Christianity.” And as if that wasn’t crazy enough, he adds, “Christmas itself may soon be a casualty of that war.”
  • 17. He wants to U.S. to seize control of the Panama Canal. Paul’s isolationism doesn’t seem to apply to the Panama Canal. The United States signed a treaty back in the 1970s gradually ceding control of the canal to the government of Panama. But Paul wants to overturn that. Because if the U.S doesn’t seize control of it, he claims some hostile regime might seize control of it instead.

(All the rest at The Litte Red Umbrella)

As I’ve said before, we all must make our calculus in supporting a candidate or even claiming he is “good” for the debate. But it must be an honest calculus.

If you believe that a character who would conspire to profit off of white supremacy, anti-gay bigotry, and anti-Semitism is the best vehicle for convincing the country to end the drug war, to end our romance with interventionism, to encourage serious scrutiny of state violence, at every level, then you should be honest enough to defend that proposition.

What you should not do is claim that Ron Paul “legislated” for Martin Luther King Day, or claim to have intricate knowledge of Ron Paul’s heart, and thus by the harsh accumulation of evidence, be made to look ridiculous.



Ta-Nehisi Coates, “No One Left to Lie To.”

“If you believe that a character who would conspire to profit off of white supremacy, anti-gay bigotry, and anti-Semitism is the best vehicle for convincing the country to end the drug war, to end our romance with interventionism, to encourage serious scrutiny of state violence, at every level, then you” are a disgusting piece of shit and a fool to boot. (In other words, you’re a typical Paulite cultist.)

Ron Paul signed off on racist newsletters in the 1990s, associates say

[P]eople close to Paul’s operations said he was deeply involved in the company that produced the newsletters, Ron Paul & Associates, and closely monitored its operations, signing off on articles and speaking to staff members virtually every day.

“It was his newsletter, and it was under his name, so he always got to see the final product. . . . He would proof it,’’ said Renae Hathway, a former secretary in Paul’s company and a supporter of the Texas congressman…

A person involved in Paul’s businesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid criticizing a former employer, said Paul and his associates decided in the late 1980s to try to increase sales by making the newsletters more provocative. They discussed adding controversial material, including racial statements, to help the business, the person said.

“It was playing on a growing racial tension, economic tension, fear of government,’’ said the person, who supports Paul’s economic policies but is not backing him for president. “I’m not saying Ron believed this stuff. It was good copy. Ron Paul is a shrewd businessman.’’


Inflaming right-wing extremism by exploiting racism, sexism, homophobia, and anti-government sentiment is not shrewd business, it is demagogy — and reprehensible. Ron Paul is a piece of shit. — Ryking

Ron Paul signed off on racist newsletters in the 1990s, associates say

[P]eople close to Paul’s operations said he was deeply involved in the company that produced the newsletters, Ron Paul & Associates, and closely monitored its operations, signing off on articles and speaking to staff members virtually every day.

“It was his newsletter, and it was under his name, so he always got to see the final product. . . . He would proof it,’’ said Renae Hathway, a former secretary in Paul’s company and a supporter of the Texas congressman…

A person involved in Paul’s businesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid criticizing a former employer, said Paul and his associates decided in the late 1980s to try to increase sales by making the newsletters more provocative. They discussed adding controversial material, including racial statements, to help the business, the person said.

“It was playing on a growing racial tension, economic tension, fear of government,’’ said the person, who supports Paul’s economic policies but is not backing him for president. “I’m not saying Ron believed this stuff. It was good copy. Ron Paul is a shrewd businessman.’’

Inflaming right-wing extremism by exploiting racism, sexism, homophobia, and anti-government sentiment is not shrewd business, it is demagogy — and reprehensible. Ron Paul is a piece of shit. — Ryking