Paul's Legacy

Liberty built civilization.  It can rebuild civilization.  And when the tides turn and the culture again celebrates what it means to be free, our battle will be won.  It could happen in our time.  It might happen after we are gone from this earth. But it will happen.  Our job in this generation is to prepare the way.

Source:  Ron Paul, Liberty Defined (pg 49) section on Civil Disobedience, 2011

Liberty and Prosperity

In a society that honors individual liberty, the use of force to make people better off or an economy fairer is rejected.  The great irony is that, when the goal is liberty, prosperity flourishes and is well distributed.  When economic equality is the goal, poverty results.

Source:  Ron Paul, Liberty Defined (pg 49) section on Unions, 2011

Religion and the State

Instead of religious beliefs being the cause of war, it is more likely that those who want war co-opt religion and falsely claim the enemy is attacking their religious values.

Source:  Ron Paul, Liberty Defined (pg 243) section on Religion and Liberty, 2011

Morality In Government

What moral system should government follow?  The same one individuals follow.  Do not steal. Do not murder. Do not bear false witness. Do not covet. Do not foster vice.  If governments would merely follow the moral law that all religions recognize, we would live in a world of peace, prosperity, and freedom.  The system is called classical liberalism.  Liberty is not complicated.

Source:  Ron Paul, Liberty Defined (pg 211) section on Morality in Government, 2011

Arms Merchants

The military culture has made us the largest arms merchant of the world, and of all history.

Source:  Ron Paul, Liberty Defined (pg 49) section on Keynesianism, 2011

Foreign Aid

Foreign aid can best be described as taking money from the poor in a rich country and giving it to the rich and powerful in a poor country.

Source:  Ron Paul, Liberty Defined (pg 122) section on Foreign Aid, 2011

Democratic Majoritarianism

American political culture, unfortunately, has come to worship at the altar of democratic majoritarianism.  This has made the concept of rights arbitrary and capricious, and individual and natural rights are no longer cherished or understood.

Source:  Ron Paul, Liberty Defined (pg 67) section on Democracy, 2011

Rights and Voting

People should not be able to vote to take away the rights of others.

Source:  Ron Paul, Liberty Defined (pg 63) section on Democracy, 2011

On Violence

People must understand that we can't use violence to have our own way over others-nor should the agents of our government have that power. Even a majority vote should never be accepted as legitimatizing government's use of violence against the people.

Source:  Ron Paul, Liberty Defined (pg 49) section on Civil Disobedience, 2011

Patriotism is

....patriotism is the act of standing up to the government when the government is wrong, and at great risk stand[ing] firmly on principles that protect the freedoms of all people. 

Source:  Ron Paul, Liberty Defined (pg 47) section on Civil Disobedience, 2011

Draft and Totalitarianism

[A] compulsory draft is ... far more typical of totalitarian nations than of democratic nations. The theory behind it leads directly to totalitarianism. It is absolutely opposed to the principles of individual liberty which have always been considered a part of American democracy.

Source: Robert A. Taft (August 14, 1940 Congressional Record, unconfirmed)
Taken From:  Ron Paul, 2011 Liberty Defined, pg 55

Freedom

... when asked by his supporters what they should do for the cause, he replies,

I don’t know what you should do. That’s what freedom is all about.

Source: Ron Paul
Taken From: LRC Blog, 4/12/2011

Racism and Collectivism

Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans strictly as members of groups rather than individuals. Racists believe that all individuals who share superficial physical characteristics are alike: as collectivists, racists think only in terms of groups. By encouraging Americans to adopt a group mentality, the advocates of so-called "diversity" actually perpetuate racism. Their obsession with racial group identity is inherently racist.

Rather than looking to government to correct our sins, we should understand that racism will endure until we stop thinking in terms of groups and begin thinking in terms of individual liberty.

Ron Paul (Government and Racism, April 16th, 2007)

Racism

Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans strictly as members of groups rather than individuals. Racists believe that all individuals who share superficial physical characteristics are alike: as collectivists, racists think only in terms of groups. By encouraging Americans to adopt a group mentality, the advocates of so-called "diversity" actually perpetuate racism. Their obsession with racial group identity is inherently racist.

... Rather than looking to government to correct our sins, we should understand that racism will endure until we stop thinking in terms of groups and begin thinking in terms of individual liberty.

Ron Paul  (April 16th, 2007)

Self Defense

Legitimate use of violence can only be that which is required in self defense

Ron Paul

Initiation of Force

All initiation of force is a violation of someone else's rights, whether initiated by an individual or the state, for the benefit of an individual or group of individuals, even if it's supposed to be for the benefit of another individual or group of individuals.

Ron Paul