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PAUL-ESTINIAN

Rand Paul to Meet with 'Libertarian' Palestinian Prez

Er, has the Kentucky senator met his Mid-East match?

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by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t

Image: The Toledo Blade

Libertarian-leaning Kentucky senator Rand Paul is visiting the Middle East this week, in a trip some say is a possible forerunner to a 2016 presidential bid.

More curious, however, is his planned meeting with "libertarian" Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. According to his Facebook profile, that's his official political orientation, as The Daily Caller reports. Of course, as some have pointed out, Abbas may have meant "liberation," the more generic political notion much unlike the property rights absolutism of certain Americans.

"In no way is the Palestinian Liberation Organization like the Cato Institute," writes DC's Jamie Weinstein. "Nothing in Abbas's record suggests he is actually philosophically libertarian - "or, for that matter, a member of the Libertarian Party in the United States."

As Weinstein further informs, Paul told the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies Monday that, in keeping with his limited government views, foreign aid to the country should be ended. He added, however, that he'd prefer to start with cutting aid to countries more hostile to the US than Israel, such as Pakistan and Egypt.

"I'm concerned that some of the weaponry that we are currently giving to Egypt may one day be used against Israel," said Paul.

Via The Daily Caller and The Huffington Post.
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Comments (view in Forum)

  • DARSB
    !
    I've had this nagging, empty feeling since Ron Paul retired, but now I feel so much better. There's just nothing as reassuringly silly as a random statement from a political Paul.
  • PNWest
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    And don't worry about times to come. Ron Paul's grandson is waiting in the wings after he clears up his little DUI problem. That won't be a big deal though IIRC between Bush and Cheney they had about 5 of them.
  • u
    Chromalord
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    which part of the middle east? If you are talking about Iran and Syria, those are already more heavily sanctioned then they ever have been in history. KY is about as pure GOP as states come. I smell an opportunist.
  • wild_turkey6
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    As a Kentuckian, I don't agree that Kentucky is a pure GOP state. On a federal level, both Senators are GOP and 5 of 6 Congressmen are GOP, but Kentucky has had only a handful of GOP governors in the last 100 years. Our Legislature kind of goes back and forth. Currently, Dems hold the House and GOP holds the Senate. Local elections are also split with the larger cities having Dem mayors.
    I'm not disagreeing with you, it is just that we like our local politicians to be Democrat, and our Federals, Republican.
  • u
    Chromalord
    !
    @wild_turkey6 I'm not trying to insult or argue with you, but my comment said " IS ABOUT as pure GOP states COME". Of course, no state is all GOP. I also was not referring to the past.
  • wild_turkey6
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    @Chromalord I didn't take it as an insult. I just find my state is funny when it comes to politics. We are pretty paradoxical. For a state that has high unemployment and a large number of people on some kind of welfare, we vote for a lot of GOP that would do away with benefits. Yet, the only Republican Governor that we elected in the last 50 years, was defeated after one term.
  • View all 10 replies >
  • u
    nimik
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    Rand Paul, the only politician who is actually looking to cut the spending. And what is a better place to start then cutting the money we send to countries that don't like us. Its wasteful anyways, the money never makes it to the people that actually need it in those countries. The leaders in those countries just take it and pocket it.
  • stepped_in_it
    !
    ""I'm concerned that some of the weaponry that we are currently giving to Egypt may one day be used against Israel," said Paul."
    I'm concerned about "giving" any country weaponry.....period! Have we not learned that most of this weaponry comes back to kill our boys, one way or another? Have we not learned (hopefully from childhood memories) that we can not BUY our friends either with weaponry or money? Has America's politics and big business become that stupid?
    I already know the answers....NO, NO and YES! <face planted into hands and big sigh let out>
  • o
    woodtick57
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    @stepped_in_it

    Since most US citizens can't name the representative that they voted for because their commercial had more flags in it, it might not even be renting...more like subliminally brainwashing...
  • mimi57
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    LOL...well since you have all the answers, what's the point?... I'm not big on Libertarians period, they divide the vote too much, and believe any form of
    deviance is acceptable, as long as you can tax it...
  • Fitz
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    I am not big on democrats and republicans, making the same old mistakes time and again. Divide the vote? Looks to me as the two major parties split the vote and yes the deviance's are taxed anyway. Tax the consumption not the income.
  • mimi57
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    @Fitz I agree to a point, however, whenever we 'legalize' anything that basically has a tendency to bring our society down, ie., the legalization of alcohol has helped to create hundreds of millions of alcoholics, gambling, lotteries etc., get rich off the
    poor and many have families who suffer,especially kids, prostitution will eventually
    have younger and youger girls/boys 'working' in it, as does most countries w/ legalized prostitution...it never raises the culture up, but instead brings it down...
  • Fitz
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    @mimi57 all prohibition did was to make organized crime rich. the Kennedy family made a fortune. The same thing is happening with marijuana today. Alcoholism, drug use and prostitution are occurring anyway and will continue no matter how illegal they are. It just makes sense to me to legalize it , tax it and use it rather than to spend money on a losing proposition. We cannot legislate morality, it has been tried and does not work.
  • mimi57
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    @Fitz Laws are made to protect people...nothing will convince me that alcoholics and /or drug addicts make the country safer. Ninety percent of people in prison are
    there due to drugs/ alcoholic, not to mention the victims of the crimes they committed to get there. Prostitution, is the oldest profession, indeed. However, how
    many become drug addicts, are beaten by their pimps or killed by them or their 'Johns'...many have kids, how does this make the Country a better, safer place?
    Not to mention the ages of prostitutes , due to human trafficking, are preteens or
    younger! No, we will never legislate 'morality', that said...why not legalize EVERYTHING ? It will be the survival of the 'fittest', which the way the libs are pushing immorality, that's the direction we are headed, I pity the children. Innocence Lost, for sure! Just because we can't , doesn't mean we shouldn't at least try...It's
    called "The Good Fight", but it's one we are sadly, but surely losing.
  • Fitz
    !
    @mimi57 no amount of legislation will protect a person from them self. I have lost a younger brother the past couple of years do in part to alcoholism and or drug abuse. my wife has lost her sister real recently due to alcoholism. both were in their mid to late forty's. My wife and I both came from large families. what I am trying to say is that if our families could not keep this from happening I'm damn sure that the government cannot keep it from happening either. In my opinion it is a waste of money and a waste of time for anyone to expect the government to try to do any good when it is inherently evil in itself.
  • View all 9 replies >
  • mimi57
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    Oh, BTW...I believe All foreign aid should be cut, keep the money here. We're broke
    anyway, where are we getting money to give away, we've been doing it forever and
    these ingrates still hate us. I doubt we'll ever have enough to re-pay China..they're
    buying up land here, they may be getting ready to "move in". How's your Chinese?
  • martydotcom
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    why do you think Egypt forced Hamas to stop the firing of rockets into Israel.? Because Hillery asked them to or threatened to cut them off?
    Giving another dime or life to Afgan is insanity
  • mimi57
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    @martydotcom Can you believe that?! And with the trillions we owe China?... Makes no sense at all. Afghanistan can fall off the planet , along with most of the others!
  • jessejaymes
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    While ron paul managed to come across as some grandfatherly type that cared about the country despite whether you agreed with him or not, Rand Paul is quickly becoming the standard bearer of America for the Lunatic fringe. The right likes to claim we've "pulled out of Iraq". Bodies mostly, money not even. We pour money into Iraq as we do every single country we devastate. Those Patriot batteries being installed in Turkey to protect them from Syria carry a billion dollar price tag in logistics and support without a single one being fired. Perhaps someone cares to explain what situation requires us to give weapons and money to Saudi Arabia? We continue to give money to Kuwait. For what? We have bases in Bahrain. There is not a single Arab country we are not spending money on in one way or the other. Yet Rand Paul wants to stop giving money and weapons to Israel. I for one, can imagine RP at a KKK meeting in the hills of Kentucky ranting about the Jews.
  • mudpike
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch... - Why doesn't the MSM ( mad street media) or the liberals ever let this Black , educated Professor have a voice in today's politics ? Mr .Williams or Professor Thomas Sowell words are taboo for the liberal -socialists . They can't dispute them & cannot use their favorite age old, tired , name calling tactics against them . Too bad for the American working class , we couldn't have a true African-American intellectual - non-politician man like either one of these run for president. Then of course, the left would make up stories out of fear to destroy them , as they fear any moderate or conservative person of color.
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