Thank goodness for Ron Paul

[WingDinger]

We could have talked till we were blue in the state, and never made repubs question the assumption war is good business. That they are dangerous, and that most dictators and strongmen should not be regime changed into our puppets.

Sure most of his ideas are crackpot. But, his mark on repubs moves the center of debate far in our direction.

I say, dont look this gifthorse in the mouth.

[earthside]

1. I agree.

There is a reason young people and thoughtful people find Ron Paul interesting.

Paul is not a rabid Repuglican partisan ... he is running to promote a particular political philosophy.

His version of libertarianism skews to the right, conservative side. But there is leftist libertarianism, it is akin to anarchism, the libertarian socialism of the Chomsky variety, etc.

There are places where right and left libertarianism coincide ... and that explains the disdain of concentrated power, empire building, militarism, so on and so forth.

I think that those who are party tribalists in both parties (people who just want their side to win, regardless of principles or issues) find a candidate like Paul a threat. And you see it in the Repuglican Party right now -- party establishment types hate Ron Paul because he really exposes their hypocrisy and double standards.

No doubt Ron Paul is a flawed presidential candidate, but I suspect that that is not as important to him and his followers as advancing their philosophy.

[unpossibles]

2. But the cynic in me questions the motives of these newly-minted doves

They cheered while Bush started the wars, calling us terrorists and traitors, then when those same wars continued under Obama, they suddenly start questioning the US' military role, using Ron Paul's platform as a handy excuse. I'm sorry but while Paul bugs me slightly less than the average Teapublican, the man is a dangerous idiot just as they all are.