I put a Ron Paul in 2012 sticker on the back of my car this morning.
My bother is a big fan and when I stopped by his place for a beer this weekend we talked about Ron briefly. Bro had received a parcel and it contained number of Ron Paul propaganda items: a trucker hat and t-shirt and an assorment of stickers. Why Bro?
Here's what I've collected from that source:
1) Flat tax on goods (no income tax)
2) No foreign occupations
3) No War without Congress or without consideration for global authorities.
4) Reduction of the federal government, starting with 6 specific departments (including education and the IRS)
5) No deficits.
You know, when I list it like that it does seem a little extreme, but when you think and talk about the details things make a lot more sense.
The tax flat tax on goods, takes the burden of income tax a away and puts it on consumers. The more of a consumer you are the more taxes you pay, and this includes businesses. So corporate taxes are on the rise with this strategy, as are taxes on folks who like to buy expensive items.
I don't think anyone is arguing about balancing the budget ... but how? Ron Paul is suggesting that the federal government get out of the States' (sometimes referred to as "communities") way and stop dictating standards or processes. My mother, a retired teacher, thinks this is a good idea.
National defense, it seems, could be the topic where he differs the most with the Red states. His thinking is that if we wouldn't want something (ie: foreign troops) here, then it shouldn't be something we impose on other countries. We have the most sophisitced army in the world, with the ability to project itself across the globe in under a day ... we can run it from the mainland. Somehow it seems that military types (and people with "truck nuts" on their trucks, I'm guessing) think this is something less than patriotic, but if you understand the amount of money that's spent in foreign countries to rebuilt what we've just destroyed, that opinion might change. Let's build the bridges, roads and bases here on our soil.
I'm still looking for an energy policy ... but like I said, the sticker is on my car. :)
- J
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. " Leo Tolstoy
