Small & Simple Thoughts

Statement of Congressman Ron Paul, United States House of Representatives, Statement on H Res 489 Regarding Tiananmen Square, June 3, 2009
From: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/speech/tx14_paul/China.shtml

I rise to oppose this unnecessary and counter-productive resolution regarding the 20th anniversary of the incident in China’s Tiananmen Square. In addition to my concerns over the content of this legislation, I strongly object to the manner in which it was brought to the floor for a vote. While the resolution was being debated on the House floor, I instructed my staff to obtain a copy so that I could read it before the vote. My staff was told by no less than four relevant bodies within the House of Representatives that the text was not available for review and would not be available for another 24 hours. It is unacceptable for Members of the House of Representatives to be asked to vote on legislation that is not available for them to read!

As to the substance of the resolution, I find it disturbing that the House is going out of its way to meddle in China’s domestic politics, which is none of our business, while ignoring the many pressing issues in our own country that definitely are our business.

This resolution “calls on the People’s Republic of China to invite full and independent investigations into the Tiananmen Square crackdown, assisted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Committee of the Red Cross…” Where do we get the authority for such a demand? I wonder how the US government would respond if China demanded that the United Nations conduct a full and independent investigation into the treatment of detainees at the US-operated Guantanamo facility?

The resolution “calls on the legal authorities of People’s Republic of China to review immediately the cases of those still imprisoned for participating in the 1989 protests for compliance with internationally recognized standards of fairness and due process in judicial proceedings.” In light of US government’s extraordinary renditions of possibly hundreds of individuals into numerous secret prisons abroad where they are held indefinitely without charge or trial, one wonders what the rest of the world makes of such US demands. It is hard to exercise credible moral authority in the world when our motto toward foreign governments seems to be “do as we say, not as we do.”

While we certainly do not condone government suppression of individual rights and liberties wherever they may occur, why are we not investigating these abuses closer to home and within our jurisdiction? It seems the House is not interested in investigating allegations that US government officials and employees approved and practiced torture against detainees. Where is the Congressional investigation of the US-operated “secret prisons” overseas? What about the administration’s assertion of the right to detain individuals indefinitely without trial? It may be easier to point out the abuses and shortcomings of governments overseas than to address government abuses here at home, but we have the constitutional obligation to exercise our oversight authority in such matters. I strongly believe that addressing these current issues would be a better use of our time than once again condemning China for an event that took place some 20 years ago.

Death & Taxes by wallstats.com

Wallstats.com has produced a visual description of the US Federal budget. I like to think of it as a map to the end of the Republic.

Obama is only a man. As a matter of fact, he’s just a politician.

His fiscal policy is to do more of what Bush did – pump more funny money into the economy. It didn’t work for Bush, why do my fellow citizens think it is going to work for Obama? I want my coutrymen to wake up. Listen less to what Obama says and observe more of the outcomes from what he does. If Obama surprises me and is able expand our liberties, I will gladly eat my crow. But let us examine carefully what he does and not blindly believe in what we are being told.

Another example, compulsory service. This seems to have many enraptured. Obama says we need to sacrifice for our country. Fine, I agree with that. Many Americans do this every day – they put their fellow citizen before themselves and ensure the ongoing success of a nation. However, when the government mandates that the people must ‘serve’ their country, service is no longer service, it is slavery. But because Obama hides slavery behind a mask of benevolence, my fellow patriots seem willing to sacrifice liberty for servitude. What could be more un-American?

Obama’s touch cannot turn poverty into gold. His words cannot transform slavery into liberty. Like every politician, Obama must be measured against his actions and the outcomes of those actions, not by the sparkling brilliance of his pyrite speech.

I believe part of the cause of our country spinning out of economic control is the generous nature of every day people. They hear of people suffering and they want the government, a powerful and wealthy entity, to do something to help them. Americans always root for the underdog and we regularly put our own money where our mouth is.

However, this does not justify us asking our government to give money to people to whom it does not belong. Our government has gone way past providing for the general welfare of the people and is quickly swallowing up the wealth of this nation in social programs our children will never be able to pay off.

But what are we supposed to do? Are we supposed to site idly by while people go hungry, go without medical care, go without a chance for a good education? Thankfully, we can be a just and a merciful people. The following story about Joseph Smith illustrates how:

While he was acting as mayor of the city, a colored man named Anthony was arrested for selling liquor on Sunday, contrary to law. He pleaded that the reason he had done so was that he might raise the money to purchase the freedom of a dear child held as a slave in a Southern State. He had been able to purchase the liberty of himself and his wife and now wished to bring his little child to their new home. Joseph said, ‘I am sorry, Anthony, but the law must be observed, and we will have to impose a fine.’

The next day Brother Joseph presented Anthony with a fine horse, directing him to sell it, and use the money obtained for the purchase of the child. (Young Woman’s Journal (Salt Lake City), vol. 17, no. 12 (Dec. 1906): 538.)

While acting in his role of Mayor, Joseph was bound by justice to uphold the law. However, as soon as he had removed that hat, he had the liberty of a private citizen to give of his private property for the welfare of a suffering soul. And this is exactly what we should expect of our government and of ourselves in these trying times. Our government is the tool of justice to enforce the law – not to redistribute the wealth. And we should expect ourselves to share and that liberally so that we may alleviate suffering according to our ability and conscience. This is the recipe for liberty.

“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom — go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!”

Speech, State House of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia—August 1, 1776

Samuel Adams
(172-1803) American Patriot

“The non-importation resolution of the Continental Congress, which required great sacrifice and devastating losses to many business houses, was carried out extensively even though it operated on a voluntary basis. It was so successful that John Page wrote to Jefferson that it appeared to him, ‘a spirit of public virtue may transcend every private consideration.’”

The 5000 Year Leap, W. Cleon Skousen, p.53

“George Washington later praised the American Constitution as the ‘palladium of human rights,’ but pointed out that it could survive only ‘so long as there shal remain any virtue in the body of the people.’

The 5000 Year Leap, W. Cleon Skousen, p.50

In his book, “The Five Thousand Year Leap”, Cleon Skousen describes our form of government as a three-headed eagle with each head representing a branch of our government; the judicial, executive and legislative branches. This separation of powers is nothing new. We’ve learned it from our youth, although most really don’t understand the details.

However, he carries the symbol a little further and describes simply and powerfully another principle of our government. He states that the two wings represent two forces at work in the government – the wing of problem solving and the wing of conservation. The wing of problem solving is the wing of compassion and seeing to the needs of the people. The wing of conservation is responsible for care of resources and individual freedoms. These two powers must be kept in balance in order for our form of government to operate successfully. Skousen gives the example of wing #1 wanting to solve all problems regardless of cost. If wing #2 cannot convince wing #1 to take a more realistic approach then the government swings towards tyranny. Anarchy lies at the opposite end of the spectrum.

These principles are so simply stated and understood. Share them with your friends and neighbors. Share them with people on the bus. Hand out pictures of the three headed eagle in the street and we will all rejoice in this simple knowledge.

(The Five Thousand Year Leap, Clean Skousen, p. 24-26)

Mitt Romney promised he would save Michigan. Not only is it illegal for the US Government to interfere in state affairs, it doesn’t work. GM has been subsidized by the US Government for years and what has it done for their business? It only enables GM to continue creating inferior products and still stay afloat in the market.

Five months ago I bought a 98 Chrysler Town & Country. We knew it had some electrical problems but we thought we were getting a deal so we bought it. On the very day we repaired the electrical issues, the transmission went. That was $2400 on the vehicle in one day. Then, before leaving on a Christmas vacation, the battery and alternator needed replacing – another $250. We thought we had finally ironed out all the bugs but then the service engine light came on and then the vehicle would only operate in second gear.

So I did what any intelligent, blue-blooded American would do – I traded it in for a Honda. Honda is not subsidized by the US Government. Honda must pay heavy tariffs to compete in our market. But they must compete to survive so they are ‘inspired’ to make a better vehicle. Chrysler has no such incentive. They can ship tin cans with wheels and still survive because they are subsidized.

Conclusion: If Mitt Romney really wants to help the Michigan then he should stop giving money to Detroit. It’s called tough love, baby. And it’s the only back to economic independence – as states and as a nation.

CNN reports,

“Bush, flanked by economic advisers, said the nation’s economy is at risk for a downturn and Congress must act to head off trouble.”

Why must the President act to head off trouble? The real answers,

• So he will look like he’s doing something important and good.
• Because we have become a nation that doesn’t know how to save money and help ourselves and we’re totally dependent on our socialistic government to save us should even a slightly gray cloud appear on the horizon.

I say let the economy slump, please. Shake out all the misconceptions that we have about safety and the proper role of government. Let Countrywide fall into financial ruin (it’s their fault and the constitution doesn’t give the government power to spend my money on saving business that has no self-control and lends to anyone at ridiculous rates).

Let the open market control the open market. I don’t trust the government to have pure intentions. Bush’s plan probably includes hiring Haliburton to dig a million ditches to ‘stimulate’ the economy.