Episode 3

A deep suspicionaboutthe use of American power, along with professional interest in medicine, runs deep in the Ron and Rand Paul family. So the respective responses by father and son to Ebola are a fascinating lesson in the evolution of the family's libertarian views under the pressure of a crisis.

In his weekly column on the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity's website, the elder Paul traced the outbreak to the exercise of American power.

The people of Liberia and other countries would be better off if the U.S. government left them alone. Leave it to private citizens to invest in African business and trade with the African people. Private investment and trade would help these countries develop thriving free-market economies capable of sustaining a modern healthcare infrastructure.

Can you imagine if a whole ship full of our soldiers catch Ebola?

Rand Paul

The free market's invisible hand, he argues, is the best protection against the virus.

"Legitimate concerns about protecting airline passengers from those with Ebola or other infectious diseases can best be addressed by returning responsibility for passenger safety to the airlines," he writes. "Private airlines have a greater incentive than does government to protect their passengers from contagious diseases."

Rand Paul, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, had a related assessment of the crisis, but he shaded it very differently. Where his father seemed relatively unconcerned about its dangers, Rand Paul sounded almost alarmist, suggesting that government officials have downplayed the threat.

I think because of political correctness were not really making sound, rational, scientific decisions on this, the Kentucky senator said on "The Laura Ingraham Show" earlier this month. Its a big mistake to underestimate the potential for problems worldwide.

Paul also expressed concern about President Barack Obamas plan to send up to 3,000 troops to fight Ebola in West Africa.

More:
Episode 3