Justin Amash is an exercise in vanity (he is the anti-Ron Paul)

[Matt Collins]

Spot on article by Dan McCarthy as to why Justin Amash is the "anti-Ron Paul"


https://spectator.us/justin-amash-study-vanity/

 

[enhanced_deficit]

By this purist criterion, you could then argue that even Rand is 'anti-RP' on things like supporting neocons funded politicians and supporting/enabling one of the biggest socialist debt spending regimes in US history.

JA is not perfect but better than many in swamp infested political machinery that encompasses bi-partisan drama.

 

[devil21]

Author is a Trumpkin and the foundation he works for is Swamp, through and through, and sorta looks like a CIA front. Not much "liberty" to be found on their website but sure is a lot of hobnobbing with the usual Beltway suspects. As such, his opinion gets zero regard from me but thanks for posting I guess.


https://tfas.org/event/london-alumni-dinner/
I know when I think of liberty, I think of hobnobbing with London elites and following "The Footsteps of Churchill"

 

[dannno]

Wow, ya, that article made a lot of really great points.

 

[devil21]

Wow, ya, that article made a lot of really great points.

Like?

 

[KEEF]

But in his remarks to YAL, Amash made a point of distancing himself from Ron Paul and his branch of the libertarian tradition.

Yeah, and him trying to distance himself from Ron Paul way back in 2010 is why I had dinner with both of them at Dr.Paul’s brother’s house for Carol’s birthday party in 2012.

Amash is a great guy, and he has my full support.

 

[dean.engelhardt]

This "logic" is the reason we will have an old delusional muttering idiot holding the most powerful position in the world. You got to pick either Donnie Red or Joe Diddle, because, you know, if we vote for a candidate that is smarter that a 10 year old window licker, it is a wasted vote.

 

[dannno]

This "logic" is the reason we will have an old delusional muttering idiot holding the most powerful position in the world. You got to pick either Donnie Red or Joe Diddle, because, you know, if we vote for a candidate that is smarter that a 10 year old window licker, it is a wasted vote.

If you think Trump is an old delusional muttering idiot, then by all means vote for Amash.

I'll put my vote toward what gains me the most amount of freedom. In 2008, that meant Ron Paul. In 2012 that meant Ron Paul. In 2016, I went begrudgingly went with Gary Johnson, who had a Vice President that completely sabotaged his campaign by telling Gary Johnson supporters to vote for Hillary.

Amash is trapped and has no way out. He took the deep state/neocons lying BS side on Russia and Ukraine and created a fanbase of people who completely despise his ideology. He is running against a President who is actually giving us significantly more freedom and prosperity than the other side - and NO, McCain and Romney would not have given us any more freedom or prosperity than Obama.. This is not about red and blue teams. This is about seeing through the fake news BS and taking down the satanic cabal that owns our politicians, media and educational institutions.

 

[Krugminator2]

In this, as in so many things, he’s the opposite of Ron Paul. Dr Paul also left the Republican party to run for the Libertarian nomination, back in 1988. He did not do it in a snit, however, or in a self-dramatizing way.

The whole article is ridiculous. Actually Ron did leave in a snit. The entire history he gave of Ron Paul is especially laughable. Ron Paul lost his Senate Primary race by 67 percentage points to Phil Gramm so he was out of politics just like Amash would be if he ran for his House seat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_United_States_Senate_election_in_Texas The Libertarian Party was a way for both to stay relevant.

The reasons Ron gave for becoming a Libertarian were the exact same as Amash's. Amash because of Trump and Ron because of Reagan, the most libertarian/conservative president since Coolidge.

McCarthy's article complains that Amash supported impeachment which was bad or something because conservatives and allies were on the other side. So he says Amash is preening and self-aggrandizing. Ron in denouncing Reagan was on the opposite side of people like Thomas Sowell and Milton Friedman who count Reagan as a hero. Here are two reasons Ron gave for leaving the Republican Party (which are bonkers)

-Says Reagan raised taxes and collected more revenue because of tax hikes. (Factually wrong. Cut taxes dramatically and raised revenue because of economic growth)

-Complained about the wild inflation occurring under Reagan. (Reagan was the best president ever in the history of the country at tackling inflation. Was 11% when he took office and 4% when he left.) https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-ron-pauls-reagan-revisionism


Let's not act like Ron is somehow better than Amash on this in any way.

 

[dannno]

The reasons Ron gave for becoming a Libertarian were the exact same as Amash's. Amash because of Trump and Ron because of Reagan, the most libertarian/conservative president since Coolidge.

Tell me more about Reagan's election campaign in '88

I know he expressed some disappointment in Reagan, but he didn't freaking run against him.. he ran against George Bush..

 

[trey4sports]

The whole article is ridiculous. Actually Ron did leave in a snit. The entire history he gave of Ron Paul is especially laughable. Ron Paul lost his Senate Primary race by 67 percentage points to Phil Gramm so he was out of politics just like Amash would be if he ran for his House seat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_United_States_Senate_election_in_Texas The Libertarian Party was a way for both to stay relevant.

The reasons Ron gave for becoming a Libertarian were the exact same as Amash's. Amash because of Trump and Ron because of Reagan, the most libertarian/conservative president since Coolidge.

McCarthy's article complains that Amash supported impeachment which was bad or something because conservatives and allies were on the other side. So he says Amash is preening and self-aggrandizing. Ron in denouncing Reagan was on the opposite side of people like Thomas Sowell and Milton Friedman who count Reagan as a hero. Here are two reasons Ron gave for leaving the Republican Party (which are bonkers)

-Says Reagan raised taxes and collected more revenue because of tax hikes. (Factually wrong. Cut taxes dramatically and raised revenue because of economic growth)

-Complained about the wild inflation occurring under Reagan. (Reagan was the best president ever in the history of the country at tackling inflation. Was 11% when he took office and 4% when he left.) https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-ron-pauls-reagan-revisionism


Let's not act like Ron is somehow better than Amash on this in any way.

What? U.S. Federal Debt under Reagan went from 31% of GDP in 1980 to 49% of GDP in 1988! https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GFDEGDQ188S

Reagan was the most overrated president of the last 50 years.

 

[Krugminator2]

Tell me more about Reagan's election campaign in '88

I know he expressed some disappointment in Reagan, but he didn't freaking run against him.. he ran against George Bush..

Doesn't mention Bush once in his letter explaining why he is running for the LP.

The whole letter is about Reagan. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-ron-pauls-reagan-revisionism

 

[tebowlives]

The whole article is ridiculous. Actually Ron did leave in a snit. The entire history he gave of Ron Paul is especially laughable. Ron Paul lost his Senate Primary race by 67 percentage points to Phil Gramm so he was out of politics just like Amash would be if he ran for his House seat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_United_States_Senate_election_in_Texas The Libertarian Party was a way for both to stay relevant.

The reasons Ron gave for becoming a Libertarian were the exact same as Amash's. Amash because of Trump and Ron because of Reagan, the most libertarian/conservative president since Coolidge.

McCarthy's article complains that Amash supported impeachment which was bad or something because conservatives and allies were on the other side. So he says Amash is preening and self-aggrandizing. Ron in denouncing Reagan was on the opposite side of people like Thomas Sowell and Milton Friedman who count Reagan as a hero. Here are two reasons Ron gave for leaving the Republican Party (which are bonkers)

-Says Reagan raised taxes and collected more revenue because of tax hikes. (Factually wrong. Cut taxes dramatically and raised revenue because of economic growth)

-Complained about the wild inflation occurring under Reagan. (Reagan was the best president ever in the history of the country at tackling inflation. Was 11% when he took office and 4% when he left.) https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-ron-pauls-reagan-revisionism


Let's not act like Ron is somehow better than Amash on this in any way.

You disagree with this from Mises site?

"that federal tax receipts were $517 billion in the last Carter year of 1980. In 1986, revenues totaled $769 billion, an increase of 49%"

Did the economic growth hit 49% too?

"Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982. TEFRA—the largest tax increase in American history—was designed to raise $214.1 billion over five years, and took back many of the business tax savings enacted the year before. It also imposed withholding on interest and dividends, a provision later repealed over the president's objection."

"In 1982 Reagan supported a five-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax and higher taxes on the trucking industry. Total increase: $5.5 billion a year. In 1983, on the recommendation of his Spcial Security Commission— chaired by the man he later made Fed chairman, Alan Green-span—Reagan called for, and received, Social Security tax increases of $165 billion over seven years. "

Wouldn't Ron be talking about the inflation tax, money supply which did go up by quit a bit? up by ~70%
As well as tying that in with large increases in spending and debt?

 

[Krugminator2]

What? U.S. Federal Debt under Reagan went from 31% of GDP in 1980 to 49% of GDP in 1988! https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GFDEGDQ188S

Reagan was the most overrated president of the last 50 years.

Deficits don't matter and balanced budgets have nothing to do with libertarianism as St. Milton explains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndmmO07ckAU But it is worth noting spending went down dramatically as a share of GDP his last five years.

His accomplishments:

Took a major political hit that no other president would have taken to end out of control inflation, his greatest accomplishment.

Cut taxes dramatically and basically froze regulation

Ended the Cold War without firing a shot and negotiated a nuclear disarmament that is still taking place today.

Started the dramatic reduction in union power starting with firing the air traffic controllers.

 

[eleganz]

Clear difference.

Ron was drafted to run for president. Justin is doing it because he hates Trump.

 

[Krugminator2]

You disagree with this from Mises site?

No reasonable person on the planet across the political spectrum thinks Reagan raised taxes overall in real terms

"that federal tax receipts were $517 billion in the last Carter year of 1980. In 1986, revenues totaled $769 billion, an increase of 49%"

Did the economic growth hit 49% too?

National income grew 71% from 1980 to 1986. Tax receipts only went up 49%.

Nominal GDP by year https://www.multpl.com/us-gdp-growth-rate/table/by-year
9.6
9.9
3.7
11.52
9.33
7.1
4.8

 

[trey4sports]

Deficits don't matter and balanced budgets have nothing to do with libertarianism as St. Milton explains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndmmO07ckAU But it is worth noting spending went down dramatically as a share of GDP his last five years.

His accomplishments:

Took a major political hit that no other president would have taken to end out of control inflation, his greatest accomplishment.

Cut taxes dramatically and basically froze regulation

Ended the Cold War without firing a shot and negotiated a nuclear disarmament that is still taking place today.

Started the dramatic reduction in union power starting with firing the air traffic controllers.

1. I don't ascribe to voodoo economics - Deficits do matter. Even Milton Friedman asserted that Public debt is a tax is realized in the form of either inflation now or an invisible tax realized at some future point.

2. Paul Volcker began raising the Fed Funds rate before Reagan even took office - Not sure how this can be credited to Reagan.

3. He did dramatically cut personal income taxes - I'll applaud that.

4. Unfamiliar with the reduction in the union power during the Reagan term but ill take your word on that.

 

[enhanced_deficit]

Author is a Trumpkin and the foundation he works for is Swamp...

Then pro-GOPA wing bias could ve at work too.

Clear difference.

Ron was drafted to run for president. Justin is doing it because he hates Trump.

Ron is an icon. Ever since he rose on national stage with his pro liberty/anti global interventionism ideas during 2007-08 Prsidential debates (when he was called worse names by deep neocons/globalists/ziocons etc and their media surrogates than any libertarians that followed him), can't think of a time when he was anything less than stellar in articulating his ideas. He was also incredibly consistent compared to new crop of libertarians (Rand, Massie, Justin and others). Perhaps he had advanatge of wisdom of age also and was politically very mature also.

As for "hate", that seems like too strong a word to describe such political rivalries. Youngsters in any political thought group tend to be more fiesty in general.

 

[trey4sports]

Then pro-GOPA wing bias could ve at work too.






Ron is an icon. Ever since he rose on national stage with his pro liberty/anti global interventionism ideas during 2007-08 Prsidential debates (when he was called worse names by deep neocons/globalists/ziocons etc and their media surrogates than any libertarians that followed him), can't think of a time when he was anything less than stellar in articulating his ideas. He was also incredibly consistent compared to new crop of libertarians (Rand, Massie, Justin and others). Perhaps he had advanatge of wisdom of age also and was politically very mature also.

As for "hate", that seems like too strong a word to describe such political rivalries. Youngsters in any political thought group tend to be more fiesty in general.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to enhanced_deficit again.

 

[pcosmar]

If you think Trump is an old delusional muttering idiot,

No
I think he is the Spoiled Narcissistic son of a Slum Lord.
The Clown is a New York Democrat with enough money to BUY the Republican Ticket,,and was elected by Democrats That could not stand Hillary..

His Clownish Bluster has worked in Business.. but is unbecoming a Diplomat.