Ron Paul, Syria and a visit to DePauw

Published:Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Updated:Tuesday, September 10, 2013 04:09

CLAIRE ZINGRAF / THE DEPAUW

Parker Schwartz

Are you ready for a dose of candid Libertarian spirit?

The martyr of this movement, Rep. Ron Paul, will be speaking on DePauws campus this evening. His pallet of platforms includes limited government, agency slashing and a rejection of revenue generation. Pauls third-party association has captured hold of Americas individualists.

I am not one of those people. Neither am I one of the political rejectionists that roam this campus. Personally, I find it easier to enter political discourse via the old-fashioned two-party tug-of-war. Using the GOP to purport his more radical views, I find Pauls Libertarian agenda idealistic. The Libertarian mindset of no taxes, no government and no necessary regulation policies translate loosely to no roads, no healthcare for veterans and no sanity. Sound familiar? Oh yes, the Tea Party. And its no coincidence his son, Senator Rand Paul, is the poster child for the Congressional Tea Party caucus.

OK, so Im one to establish Paul as a torch-bearer of an irrational political movement. But I do succumb to the notion that some of his views are pragmatic and bold.

Moreover, I find Pauls visit to DePauw to be timely. The National Security Agency leaks and the current situation plaguing Syria are both relevant issues in which I agree with Paul. With the NSA, Paul rightly cites the Constitution in blasting the current surveillance program. Paul has framed the discussion pertinently. Instead of debating whether leaker Edward Snowden is a traitor, Paul has brought up the larger issue of government versus citizen civil liberties.

In an interview with CNN journalist Piers Morgan, Paul asked, What is the penalty for people who deliberately destroy the Constitution and rationalize and say, Oh, we have to do it for security?

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Ron Paul, Syria and a visit to DePauw