Friday May 25

Liberty Defined: Insight Into Ron Paul’s 2012 GOP Campaign

At this point, it's clear that the two candidates going forward to face off in the 2012 presidential election will be Mitt Romney and current President Barack Obama. But don't think Ron Paul will be left out of political headlines quite yet! As stated in Paul's Convention Strategy Memo, his campaign understands that "our delegate total will not be strong enough to win the nomination"; however, he plans to continue campaigning to ensure that the Liberty Movement secures a voice — a platform — at the GOP convention in Tampa this summer. So what does the Liberty party stand for, and more specifically, the Ron Paul movement? In his comprehensive book, Liberty Defined, Paul presents the party ideology and his compelling arguments for personal freedom.

Liberty Defined features an easy-to-follow format – it's written as an A-to-Z guide — and it encompasses Paul's views on issues from abortion, global warming, immigration, and marriage to religion, taxes, terrorism, and unions. If you haven't taken a look at his website or his Facebook page yet, which currently has close to one million followers, I recommend you do so. It will give you an added understanding of the foundation behind this candidate's notoriously unwavering ethos. Whether you agree with Paul's views, though, is another story. Here's a sampling ...

On abortion: Paul is a pro-life advocate, but he believes in the liberty of individuals and does not concede to a federal ban or legalization of abortion. Instead, he believes it is the jurisdiction of the individual states to determine the constitutionality of this issue, and should be left to state governments to enforce accordingly.

On marriage: Government intervention in defining marriage is what has created the greatest polarity on this issue. Paul's proposed solution: Turn it into an argument for First Amendment rights. Let the people decide what the definition of marriage is, and keep government out of it.

On taxes: Before the Sixteenth Amendment, which brought about the government's ability to collect individual income tax, federal government was largely funded by tariffs, and Paul argues that we should go back to that tradition. Since 1913, when this amendment was passed, government power and spending has only increased, consequently leaving Americans shelling out for government ventures.

If you are reading this review, chances are you're curious to learn more about the issues that are making their way to the forefront of the media during this year's politically charged campaign. I can't claim to have the wisdom of Rachel Maddow, Robert Reich, or Ron Paul, but reading this book pushed me to do research beyond Liberty Defined, and draw my own conclusions. As Paul writes in his introduction: "I present not final answers but rather guideposts for thinking seriously about these topics. I certainly do not expect every reader to agree with my beliefs, but I do hope that I can inspire serious, fundamental, and independent-minded thinking and debate on them." I hope this book inspires you, too.