SUNDAY, 29 MAY 2011 21:00
Congressman Ron Paul delivered a five-minute speech on the floor of the House of Representatives May 25, a short speech that may sound to the uninformed like one wild statement after another. In his speech, Dr. Paul (he's an obstetrician) made a number of charges that the executive branch of government has established a virtual dictatorship with the willing assistance of Congress and many Americans who fear for their "security." But Congressman Paul is complaining about the erosion of constitutional protections that have already happened. Following is his speech verbatim, along with links documenting his allegations. All words are by Congressman Paul; hyperlinks were added by The New American's Thomas R. Eddlem.
The Last Nail
by Congressman Ron Paul
The last nail is being driven into the coffin of the American Republic. Yet, Congress remains in total denial as our liberties are rapidly fading before our eyes. The process is propelled by unwarranted fear and ignorance as to the true meaning of liberty. It is driven by economic myths, fallacies and irrational good intentions. The rule of law is constantly rejected and authoritarian answers are offered as panaceas for all our problems. Runaway welfarism is used to benefit the rich at the expense of the middle class. Who would have ever thought that the current generation and Congress would stand idly by and watch such a rapid disintegration of the American Republic? Characteristic of this epic event is the casual acceptance by the people and political leaders of the unitary presidency, which is equivalent to granting dictatorial powers to the President. Our Presidents can now, on their own:
• Order assassinations, including American citizens;
• Operate secret military tribunals;
• Engage in torture;
• Enforce indefinite imprisonment without due process;
• Order searches and seizures without proper warrants, gutting the Fourth Amendment;
• Ignore the 60-day rule for reporting to the Congress the nature of any military operations as required by the War Power Resolution;
• Continue the Patriot Act abuses without oversight;
• Wage war at will;
• Treat all Americans as suspected terrorists at airports with TSA groping and nude x-raying.
And the Federal Reserve accommodates by counterfeiting the funds needed and not paid for by taxation and borrowing, permitting runaway spending, endless debt, and special interest bail-outs.
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And all of this is not enough. The abuses and usurpations of the war power are soon to be codified in the National Defense Authorization Act now rapidly moving its way through Congress. Instead of repealing the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force [AUMF], as we should, now that bin Laden is dead and gone, Congress is planning to massively increase the war power of the President. Though an opportunity presents itself to end the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, Congress, with bipartisan support, obsesses on how to expand the unconstitutional war power the President already holds.
The current proposal would allow a President to pursue war any time, any place, for any reason, without congressional approval. Many believe this would even permit military activity against American suspects here at home. The proposed authority does not reference the 9/11 attacks. It would be expanded to include the Taliban and "associated" forces — a dangerously vague and expansive definition of our potential enemies. There is no denial that the changes in Section 1034 totally eliminate the hard-fought-for restraint on Presidential authority to go to war without Congressional approval achieved at the Constitutional Convention.
Congress' war authority has been severely undermined since World War II beginning with the advent of the Korean War which was fought solely under a UN Resolution. Even today, we're waging war in Libya without even consulting with the Congress, similar to how we went to war in Bosnia in the 1990s under President Clinton. The three major reasons for our Constitutional Convention were to:
• Guarantee free trade and travel among the states;
• Make gold and silver legal tender and abolish paper money; and
• Strictly limit the Executive Branch's authority to pursue war without Congressional approval.
But today:
• Federal Reserve notes are legal tender, gold and silver are illegal;
• The Interstate Commerce Clause is used to regulate all commerce at the expense of free trade among the states;
• And now the final nail is placed in the coffin of congressional responsibility for the war power, delivering this power completely to the President — a sharp and huge blow to the concept of our republic.
In my view, it appears that the fate of the American republic is now sealed — unless these recent trends are quickly reversed. The saddest part of this tragedy is that all these horrible changes are being done in the name of patriotism and protecting freedom. They are justified by good intentions while believing the sacrifice of liberty is required for our safety. Nothing could be further from the truth.
More sadly is the conviction that our enemies are driven to attack us for our freedoms and prosperity, and not because of our deeply flawed foreign policy that has generated justifiable grievances and has inspired the radical violence against us. Without this understanding, our endless, unnamed, and undeclared wars will continue and our wonderful experiment with liberty will end.
Thumbnail photo: Ron Paul
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Bob Donohoo said:
Do the ends justify the means?
As Americans we have slowly come to believe that the ends justify the means... We are trading in our liberties as we give more and more power to a few to "protect us."
I fear that some day "the few" will use that power against us ...
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May 29, 2011
Votes: +314
Robert Benson said:
Thank God there is one competent American in Congress
Thank you, God and Ron Paul; I love you, both.
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May 29, 2011
Votes: +281
kevin said:
mariner34
Thank you Ron Paul, there are only a handfull of good politicians in DC and you are at the top of that small list. Ron Paul 2012
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May 30, 2011
Votes: +248
kevin said:
mariner34
It's time for a change in DC. End the FED and give the power back to the states..way to go Ron. you have my vote
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May 30, 2011
Votes: +235
cnelson700 said:
Yep - I'm Definately in for the June 5 Money Bomb
Where did this guy come from and why hasn't he been assassinated yet? He is a powerful man of the people. He has my vote and total support! I'm in for the Ron Paul "Legalize Gold And Silver" Money Bomb on June 5!
Ron Paul 2012!
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May 30, 2011
Votes: +167
diest2602 said:
It's sad
How unfortunate is it that the vast majority of Americans either don't realize these things or don't care? This should be headline news across the country, yet nobody mentions it.
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May 30, 2011
Votes: +223
D Hugh said:
...
It is imperative that we all do what we can to alert as many people as possible. It's worth than you might think:
http://www.thedailybell.com/2422/Upcoming-US-Nuclear-Event.html
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May 31, 2011
Votes: +99
reeltexan said:
He's ours and we're keeping him.
When the inevitable collapse of the U.S. Government occurs, and Texas secedes and re-establishes it's independence, we are keeping Ron. Maybe the people of America fail to see the greatness of this patriot but we, here in Texas, do not.
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May 31, 2011
Votes: +140
Republicae said:
The Militant Jeffersonian
The evolved hostility toward individual Liberty is increasingly exemplified by this government’s claim to regulate essential aspects that are commonly associated with the life of an individual. While it is very true that our Freedoms may well prove inconvenient to this government, we should, in no wise, allow this government any abridgements of the foundations of our Liberty. There is, as there always has been, a propensity of the political process that leans toward mischievous inclinations. There must be a reinstitution of the Constitutional prohibitions on the powers by which this government nurtures itself. There must be a rejection and an elimination of government precedents by which such infringements have become legally justified.
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May 31, 2011
Votes: +143
L Tecolote said:
Ends v. Means
Do the ends justify the means? Ambiguous question -- depends on which ends and which means.
But the kind of means used invariably govern the kind of ends produced: vicious, lying, tyrannical means -- vicious, lying, tyrannical ends. Count on it.
Rep. Paul, like most of the other 534 CONgresscritters, the Justitutes of the Extreme Court, and any person (sic) slimy enough allowed to be in the Executive Administrations of the last two decades, understands that. The difference is, he doesn't desire the kind of ends their means are bound to produce ... but they do.
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May 31, 2011
Votes: +25
Republicae said:
The Militant Jeffersonian
There should be nothing more objectionable to a free People than the idea of sovereign supremacy of government, for such an idea should be no less abhorrent than the rodomontade of kings who claimed their powers by divine right. Contrary to discerning any power of sovereign supremacy of government, our Constitution enumerates such a long catalog of balances, checks, and divisions of powers, limitations and restrictions that the concept of such supremacy is nullified. Sovereignty and the Right of self-government inherently reside in the People, but neither resides in government except by force and fraud.
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May 31, 2011
Votes: +95
disgusted said:
Iam
First of all let me say this "Categorically there only seems to be one American Politician left with any integrity and that is Ron Paul"
Now let me digress just a little. When Pres. Obama was elected it was on the PREMISE that he was going to bring about change. Well Unfortunately any good intentions he may have had have long since been thrown out the door. It is extremely sad to me that a man who seemed to have some integrity has so soon sold out to "The Establishment" He has foolishly allowed himself to be hoodwinked by the Financial Power Tycoons who run this country.
I see very little chance of any good coming out of this Presidency unless he listens to Ron Paul, at least, on basic principles
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May 31, 2011
Votes: +90
jskis said:
Angry Patriot
Where is our military? Our military is supposed to uphold the Constitution of the United Sates of America. Why are they not stepping up to the plate and ridding us of the tyrants. This power is found in the Constitution and people who join the service swear to oath to protect the Constitution. Why are Americans sitting back and letting this happen? Are Constitution is being ripped apart and no one has any balls to step up and speak the truth. Thank You Much Mr. Paul for having the toughness to say it like it is. Thank You! Now let's have the military step up and end this destruction of the country I LOVE!
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May 31, 2011
Votes: +68
DWofTampaFl said:
why?
To the question of why Americans don't realize our rights are slowly being stripped away: First, how many of us actually know what are rights are (or more to the point, were)? I feel it's an essential part of an overall plan. Do it slowly over time and not many will notice, especially if they are tired, overworked, over stimulated, dumbed down, drugged up, divided in every which way, red pill, blue pill, confused and worried about boogie men whether in dark suits or rags. The non-federal reserve and it's practice of fractional banking has to go. It has robbed our wealth. People (and this is an even bigger challenge) have to take personal responsibility for there own actions, live within their means and stop looking to the government for everything. Wake up America, join forces and make changes before it's too late! We can make this country great, again.
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June 01, 2011
Votes: +81
Patriot1940 said:
...
The only people that can tip the scale back to fiscal sanity are the half of the population that are taking the handouts. Do they have the guts to vote for people that will reduce or eliminate those handouts? For all our sake I hope so.
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June 01, 2011
Votes: +33
secondthought said:
What's the REAL problem
Good point, Patriot 1940. It may be an even more important point, though, to say, will we Americans, on the whole, have the guts to vote for leaders who will actually say they are going to take away some of the "protections" they have installed "for us", such as scans at airports, the huge, expensive army (which dwarfs the expense of "handouts"), etc., etc. To do so would take a great deal of trust in our neighbors, and in human nature in general. And the recognition that in rule of law, bad guys DO sometimes get away with... well... murder, but that this is not a reason to let our constitution go.
I love the American constitution. I love the distinction between the rule of law and the tyranny of the majority. And at the same time, I don't think it can ever work by wagging our fingers at others who don't take responsibility for their lives (is it working now??). I think what we need to do is *inspire* others to take responsibility for their lives, by showing them ways to do that. When people's eyes open, then they march WITH us without our constant coaxing. THAT is power.
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June 04, 2011
Votes: +20
John Jones said:
I will vote for Ron Paul -- and sing about him!
This is my song about Ron Paul: iamthatmusic.comSLASHronpaul
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June 05, 2011
Votes: +4
alohajim said:
...
Ron Paul is the best hope we have to effect change within goverment. Support him all you can. DWofTampaFl' put it best. Read his post. It's up to us. Whatever is being pushed at us must be rejected, its that simple. Fight ignorance with learning and listening. Fight being divided by realizing that we are all suffering under the current monetary scheme and fight distractions by realizing how we all are being controlled by them. Fight dependency by realizing our enormous capacity for being self reliant. Make the available choice that 'opts out'. Homemade food vs. fast food; organic and local vs. GMO and agribusiness; don't watch television, zero reliance on government, healthy diet and lifestyle vs. big pharma solutions, save in precious metals vs. fiat curenty and strive for self sufficiency in every way. Help wake up and prepare others for the coming crisis and help them to understand why it will happen. THE SINGLEMOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE ENDING OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE AND THE CENTRAL BANKING CARTEL'S CONTROL AND OWNERSHIP OF OUR PLANET.
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