Ron Paul must go all out anti-war

Paul needs to point out that the wars and overseas bases cost 400 billion a year...
I agree. He needs to keep hammering on the wars from a fiscal conservative point of view. There is a cognitive dissonance in the GOP: they want to cut spending and reduce debt, but refuse to cut one of the biggest expenditures we have, "defense" spending.

Dr. Paul should make the argument that deficits and debt will never be reduced without changing our stance on war. We can't get there through cutting domestic spending alone. He should hone his argument down into a clear, concise version of that and repeat it.

Anytime someone like Santorum or West gets in his face about an issue like Iran, he should ask: "Do you want to reduce the deficit and the national debt?" "How are you going to do it without cutting defense spending?"
 
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I agree. He needs to keep hammering on the wars from a fiscal conservative point of view. There is a cognitive dissonance in the GOP: they want to cut spending and reduce debt, but refuse to cut one of the biggest expenditures we have, "defense" spending.

Dr. Paul should make the argument that deficits and debt will never be reduced without changing our stance on war. We can't get there through cutting domestic spending alone. He should hone his argument down into a clear, concise version of that and repeat it.

Anytime someone like Santorum or West gets in his face about an issue like Iran, he should ask: "Do you want to reduce the deficit and the national debt?" "How are you going to do it without cutting defense spending?"

No. This is the approach that Ron has been using in large part. There is a more powerful argument to be made. This argument that the war is too expensive is so easily dismissed by those who like war: "There is no price too high when were fighting for our freedom from islamo-fascists. Were in danger from those who wish to do us harm and we must stop them before they strike us here at home." This is an easy excuse, and many Americans still buy it. People must be hit bluntly with the fact that the support of these current wars is worse than support of the cold-blooded murder of your next door neighbor.
 
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I agree with the premise in the title. Being against war from a moral perspective is better than from an economic perspective. The economic perspective is good, but the moral one is superior.

He could just say what he said in the video below again, or we could try to make the video spread more:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez5robAWmu4
 
This argument that the war is too expensive is so easily dismissed by those who like war: "There is no price too high when were fighting for our freedom from islamo-fascists. Were in danger from those who wish to do us harm and we must stop them before they strike us here at home."
And that's an argument that's easily rebutted as well. Anyone who says "there's no price too high" is a sitting duck in our current environment.
 
In debates the other candidates should be addressed directly:

"Senator Santorum, do you realize that you are promoting murder?"

"Representative Bachmann, Governor Romney, Governor Perry, why do you refuse to take a clear stance on the illegal criminal actions of our overseas imperialism? Those with a conscience are clear on the issue of our current wars. It is apparent that our consistent occupation and use of deadly weapons incites our opposition across the world. What would be your reaction to being bombed? Will you stand with me in opposition of pointless death?"

Press releases with a similar tone could have the same effect. It is necessary to use harsh words which will grab the attention of media.
 
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I don't know why Ron doesn't just spell it out: that the presidents and the congress are always beholden to the military industrial complex and their media and propaganda. And that it's time to say no to them. And their bought and paid for cheerleaders, like former Senator Santorum.
 
RP needs other people with credible military backgrounds to speak out against the debilitating nature of endless wars. There needs to be a growing consensus in this area. Logic and reason will triumph over reactionary emotion eventually. It's beginning to happen, such as the debt debates, but it's occurring at a slow-crawl pace.
 
Of course it is easily rebutted. But "murder and death are bad" is more easily understood.
Anyone who made that argument would be shot down immediately by listing off the atrocities committed by jihadists. War hawks have beaten that drum endlessly, citing "the type of enemy we face". They'll list off the outrageous, violent statements they've made calling for death, and you'd look like a pollyanna and a wimp.

The sooner RP starts pitching it as Medicare/Social Security VS world policeman......the sooner we win this thing.
Very well put.
 
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I don't know why Ron doesn't just spell it out: that the presidents and the congress are always beholden to the military industrial complex and their media and propaganda. And that it's time to say no to them. And their bought and paid for cheerleaders, like former Senator Santorum.

Your right. He should also call out the media directly and bluntly at every opportunity. The voting public really enjoys a good attack on the press which is considered, almost universally, to have extreme bias. Make it personal. Death is personal.
 
Ron needs to straight up attack Romney, and Perry on economic and fiscal issues in a debate the same way sanotormn tried to do him in the upcoming debates. This because its clear they are not going to give him but 1 question every 30 minutes. The media loves a fight and this would generate a ton of traffic for Ron while at the same time showing himself to be the only real deal. Ron cant sit back any more and just hope the media will cover him, create a fight during a debate a-d they have no choice!
 
Anyone who made that argument would be shot down immediately by listing off the atrocities committed by jihadists. War hawks have beaten that drum endlessly, citing "the type of enemy we face". They'll list off the outrageous, violent statements they've made calling for death, and you'd look like a pollyanna and a wimp.

This is why the issue must become personal. If you look someone in the eye and ask them why they don't care about the murder of innocent people, you don't look like a wimp. It puts the one who is questioned in very much a defensive position. People will not equate harsh criticisms as those which might come from a polyanna. The words used are important.
 
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Ron needs to straight up attack Romney, and Perry on economic and fiscal issues in a debate the same way sanotormn tried to do him in the upcoming debates. This because its clear they are not going to give him but 1 question every 30 minutes. The media loves a fight and this would generate a ton of traffic for Ron while at the same time showing himself to be the only real deal. Ron cant sit back any more and just hope the media will cover him, create a fight during a debate a-d they have no choice!

Ron needs to ask Perry about that transnational highway he wanted to run through Texas on national TV. Get him real good.
 
RP needs other people with credible military backgrounds to speak out against the debilitating nature of endless wars. There needs to be a growing consensus in this area. Logic and reason will triumph over reactionary emotion eventually. It's beginning to happen, such as the debt debates, but it's occurring at a slow-crawl pace.

Excellent idea.
 
Nobody is against the war. Not even the democrats who were so against Bush. (Well, not the majority.)

Absolutely disagreed. There is an absolutely huge contingent of Democrats against the endless war. They are more silent now that Obama is president, but don't mistake that for consent -- they are hugely pissed off at the man over war. Every pro-Obama person I meet stutters and stammers when war is brought up -- they will admit it needs to end, they know it needs to end. However, they don't know (yet) how to escape war.

Remember, they thought the war would end when they elected Obama. They were wrong. And most of them are still coming to terms with that. I know a ton of Ron Paul fans that took quite some time to admit they supported a 'Republican'... it's a huge step across the line for some. It will happen.

Anti-war is how to convert Democrats and Independents, absolutely. Economics is, as the OP states, too abstract -- you have talking heads on the telly speaking this, that, and the other thing. Debt is good, inflation is good, 2+2=5.

But war? War is something people understand.
 
I agree. He needs to keep hammering on the wars from a fiscal conservative point of view. There is a cognitive dissonance in the GOP: they want to cut spending and reduce debt, but refuse to cut one of the biggest expenditures we have, "defense" spending.

Dr. Paul should make the argument that deficits and debt will never be reduced without changing our stance on war. We can't get there through cutting domestic spending alone. He should hone his argument down into a clear, concise version of that and repeat it.

Anytime someone like Santorum or West gets in his face about an issue like Iran, he should ask: "Do you want to reduce the deficit and the national debt?" "How are you going to do it without cutting defense spending?"

We need to change our own verbiage here.

Forget saying we need to 'cut defense spending'. While true, people here this from Paul and think he's against 'defense'. Instead, word it: we need to cut 'offense spending'. The warmongers have usurped our own vocabulary; take it back.
 
The pro-war crowd must be made to defend the position of heathens. War is inhuman and the reasoning which serves its promotion is flawed in the eyes of anyone who devotes to the subject any modicum of reasonable thought. The limited resources of our Earth are consumed by war in a proportion which clearly inhibits the progress of civilization. War takes those things which encompass our humanity; life itself is lost.

We can take back our humanity with a few hard lines and it can be done as easily as the propaganda of the violent brutes has mangled the thoughts of otherwise decent beings. This is no small matter; it is, rather, something close to everything which matters. In a world which allows us to communicate as easily as we do, the excuses which permit the implements of death should be easy to expose.

More specifically, Ron Paul must completely embrace the only position which will differentiate him in the eyes of the average voters. This is the only way by which he might have a chance. Those who argue that widespread death is a means to the end of safety in our homeland--their eyes must be looked into with great sadness. They must be asked directly why they find solution in murder. The values which place an importance upon life are near universal, but the logical connection which should show that war is a massive contradiction of these values has been lost. Or, considering the history of civilizations, perhaps the connection has never been fully realized.

Everything should be focused on this message. Among the Presidential candidates Paul’s positions on economics are the only ones which are sound, but to those who don’t devote personal research to such matters all of the candidates sound the same. The anti-war message, though, is relatable by methods which can take the form of only a few basic questions or exclamations. Ron Paul should be more adamant and concise when he addresses those who see usefulness in war, and he should do so at every turn: “Senator Santorum, why do you align yourself with unreasonable brutes? Characteristics pervade you which depict your lack of humanity; this is evidenced by your promotion of death and your reliance upon threats of violence. Not only should you and those who share your views be looked upon in the way that one might see the worst kind of criminal; additionally, you should be viewed as stupid because the good things which you claim violence serves clearly do not come about in the manner which you describe. Violence and threats do not and will not give us safety--this obvious conclusion can be drawn quickly by the use of basic logic.”

Everything in Ron Paul’s campaign should focus on such an unapologetic message. He is the ONLY anti-war candidate--this is his most important strategic advantage. Any attempt to hide his views on foreign policy in an endeavor to appeal to the Republican establishment are in jest because the truth of his stance will always, in the end, be unveiled. Any effort to skirt around this issue should be completely eliminated. If an effort is made to disguise Paul's true feelings, the implication is made that he might be wrong. He's not wrong. All ads, every interview, every debate--as he is questioned by warmongers he must throw their stupid inhumanity in their face. They must be rejected with every possible emotional and intellectual tool. He must ask them at every opportunity why they have such a strange preference for death and destruction. The certainty which is truth is more evident in this issue than any other. We are right. Ron Paul is right. We’re on the side of good and it should be known. War is not delicate and it should not be dealt with as such. Let them give their excuses for killing and starving children. Force them into a defense of their derangement.

Such a method of campaigning will give Paul the only hope of gaining the attention which is required for his election. That most human part of our organism must be appealed to.


I stridently agree.

Perhaps it was STRIDENCY that inspired an Authority Figure to bounce my ANTI WAR thread down to The (Outta Sight, Outta Mind) Vent:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?298109-What-happened-to-ANTI-WAR
 
Ron simply needs to state that he is the only candidate who is for a strong national defense which would make America more secure against terrorism, and that all the rest, including Obama, are for a strong national offensive which makes enemies, foments war, creates terrorism, and is the primary driver behind bankrupting our nation.

This is his message, he just needs to simplify it and repeat it at every opportunity.
 
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