theSun | MONDAY JULY 6 2009
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speak up!
America’s second most
respected politician
by Eric S. Margolis
REPUBLICAN Congressman
Dr Ron Paul invited me to speak
to his Liberty Caucus luncheon
in Washington last month on the
intensifying wars in Afghanistan
and Pakistan.
Eight libertarian and inde-
pendent-minded Republican
congressmen attended the
luncheon. Paul sits on the
powerful House Foreign Affairs
Committee.
Readers will recall that last
year I called Paul, “the only can-
didate who is telling Americans
the truth about foreign affairs”.
Like the cynic Diogenes seeking
an honest man, I came to respect
and admire Paul’s courage, hon-
esty, and refusal to accept special
interest money.
Speaking of today’s US Con-
gress, Paul observes: “Special
interests have replaced the
concern the founders had for the
general welfare.”
In fact, Paul has been a model
of the legislators envisaged by
America’s founding fathers: men
of high moral standards and in-
tellect dedicated to the nation’s
wellbeing. He became a hero to
many Americans last year when
he ran for president against the
political establishment. The
11-term Texas congressman
became the most respected and
admired American politician
around the world after Barack
Obama.
The 74-year-old doctor from
Texas electrified young Ameri-
cans with his grassroots cam-
paign, providing voters a real
alternative to the Republicans
and Democratic establishment
which often appears to be one
party with two factions. Paul’s
clear, cool voice challenged all
the propaganda about Afghani-
stan and Iraq. He is also waging a
lonely battle against the danger-
ous economic nostrums coming
from the Obama White House
and Congressional Democrats.
Paul and fellow libertarian
Republicans advocate individual
rights, strict constitutionalism,
limited government, free enter-
prise, and an end to American
global domination, nation-build-
ing and foreign wars.
Paul opposes US involve-
ment in other nation’s internal
affairs. As anti-Iranian hysteria
gripped the nation last month,
Paul was the only House
member who voted against
a bill condemning Iran for its
recent election. That’s cour-
age.
“There is no area in which
Republicans have further
strayed from our traditions
Paul and fellow
libertarian
Republicans advocate
individual rights, strict
constitutionalism,
limited government,
free enterprise, and
an end to American
global domination,
nation-building and
foreign wars.
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letters@thesundaily.com
Tanjong Bungah density poser
THE residents of Tanjung Bungah have
raised their concerns many times over
the haphazard high-rise and high density
housing development along the beaches
but the sketch map in the structure plan
indicates that the boundary of Tanjung
Bungah begins from Mar Vista! Hence,
by relying on that map, the state ignores
and hill slopes in the area.
The residents argue under the Penang
Structure Plan 2020 the secondary devel-
opment corridor is from Tanjung Bungah
to Telok Bahang and has a maximum
density limit of only 15 units an acre.
The Survey Department plans clearly
the 15 units an acre limit.
The state needs to amend its outdated
internal guidelines to be in conformity
with the structure plan. Many of these
guidelines contradict the objective of the
structure plan.
indicate that the boundary of Tanjung Concerned Resident
Bungah starts from Tanjung Bungah Hotel Penang
than in foreign affairs,” writes
Paul. He dismisses neocon claims
that “we have to either fight
them over there or over here” a
“false choice”. America has no
business policing the world. US
foreign policy is undermining
national security, says Paul.
Only Congress, he insists, has
the right to declare war, not the
president. Congress cravenly
abandoned this right during the
buildup to the Iraq War that was
fuelled by shameless lies and the
crassest jingoism.
Paul’s amiable manner and
lack of the bloated self -impor-
tance that so typifies Washington
bigwigs conceals a very keen
intellect and depth of knowledge.
He also has one of the capital’s
sharpest foreign affairs staff
chiefs, Daniel McAdams.
As I talked with Paul, it oc-
curred to me that he and his
fellow libertarians are the potent
remedy that the dreadfully sick
Republican Party needs. Paul’s
Liberty Caucus will hopefully
form the core around which a
vigorous, new party grows that
address America’s real needs.
George Bush and the neocons
pretty much destroyed the Re-
publican Party, as this column
predicted back in 2003. What’s
left of the Grand Old Party, of
which I have been a lifelong and,
recently, most unhappy member,
has become a rump dominated
by religious fundamentalists,
regional interests, war-lusting
neoconservatives, and bumbling,
rural Romeos. Mountebanks and
demagogues are vying to become
the party’s voice.
Paul and his fellow libertar-
ians offer Republicans and
Americans a badly needed
alternative to the dumbed-down
Republicans and the wildly
spending Democrats whose
expanded Afghanistan war and
increasingly neo-socialist poli-
cies are leading the nation into
dangerous waters.
Eric S. Margolis is a contributing
editor to the Toronto Sun chain of
newspapers, writing mainly about
the Middle East and South Asia.
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