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Rand Paul: Big Brother Really Is Watching Us

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21–30 of 83 posts

Re: Rand Paul: Big Brother Really Is Watching Us

#21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

would it be better if he were a libertarian that hated Ayn Rand? (there are quite a few)

It's only fair considering Ayn Rand hated libertarians.

Yeah, it's a bit amusing isn't it, that everybody these days equates "Ayn Rand" and "Libertarians" as though her philosophy and libertarianism were one and the same... Certainly many libertarians find Rand inspirational (I do, for one) but as you say, she was no fan of libertarians at all.

Re: Rand Paul: Big Brother Really Is Watching Us

#22
post #11

"... If someone is attending speeches from someone who is promoting the violent overthrow of our government, that’s really an offense that we should be going after — they should be deported or put in prison." http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/05/31/232182/rand-pau...

To be fair (and I am by no means a Rand Paul fan) this argument it tu quoque. Yes, the quote you have given suggests hypocrisy. The core argument of NSA/CIA overreach is still a sound one, though.

Re: Rand Paul: Big Brother Really Is Watching Us

#23
post #11

"... If someone is attending speeches from someone who is promoting the violent overthrow of our government, that’s really an offense that we should be going after — they should be deported or put in prison." http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/05/31/232182/rand-pau...

Do you support the violent overthrow of the government? Many people would die.

Re: Rand Paul: Big Brother Really Is Watching Us

#25

"No one objects to balancing security against liberty. No one objects to seeking warrants for targeted monitoring based on probable cause. We've always done this. What is objectionable is a system in which government has unlimited and privileged access to the details of our private affairs, and citizens are simply supposed to trust that there won't be any abuse of power. This is an absurd expectation." I think one of…

> One thought is this: how about making it a felony not to disclose information that an agency is clearly violating the constitution. The obligation to whistle blow is usually an explicit part of "honor codes," such as "I will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do." The US military uses this honor code in various contexts, see for example US Navy's Bootcamp http://www.bootcamp.navy.mil/recruits.asp and…

We tell people that "I was just following orders" is no excuse for committing a crime but when someone stands up and brings attention to the fact that the government itself is violating the law, they are a traitor. It's sickening.

Re: Rand Paul: Big Brother Really Is Watching Us

#26
post #4

Congratulations Obama, Feinstein. You've got me throwing in with Rand Paul. Though I could trust you with our civil liberties and privacy, but now I have to get behind the Ayn Rand loving libertarian on this. So be it; policy over party.

Hey, ya never know, once you take the plunge, you might find that you like it here on the dark-side. :-) Libertarians are mostly pretty nice once you get to know them. Some of us are downright friendly at times.

I have no problems with Libertarian individuals (or Republican or Democrats). I have serious issues with a national party that, when I watched their 2004 convention, a man in a Thomas Jefferson costume gave a speech about pot and guns. I thought it was a joke, but it wasn't. It was CSPAN.

Unless I myself run for office, I don't think I'll ever find a political party that closely aligns with my beliefs and also takes them seriously.

Re: Rand Paul: Big Brother Really Is Watching Us

#27
post #11

"... If someone is attending speeches from someone who is promoting the violent overthrow of our government, that’s really an offense that we should be going after — they should be deported or put in prison." http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/05/31/232182/rand-pau...

Do you support the violent overthrow of the government? Many people would die.

Since when is listening to one's positions, however awful they may be, indicative of support?

Re: Rand Paul: Big Brother Really Is Watching Us

#28

As a progressive, I have conflicts with some of Rand Paul (and his father Ron) policies and positions. However, you have to admit they're beginning to sound like profits. Like it or not, they adhere to a fairly strict view of the constitution and that's admirable in the current poll-based world of politics. That said, Paul (and father) were never good communicators. Both vocally and even prosaically. I'm surprised he…

The son doesn't have the spine of the father. I'm noticing that Rand is very sneaky too, why doesn't he just mount his legal challenge against this programs without asking for signatures or anything? Does he care about the principles his espousing or about making some headlines (for example, he could've really filibustered Brennan's nomination following his standing filibuster with a modern one)? Lately it seems to be the latter. Still, this op-eds do inform the general public but I don't think he has the spine or principle to walk the talk.

Re: Rand Paul: Big Brother Really Is Watching Us

#29

It's unfortunate that he believes the government should control a woman's uterus, which is an even more serious invasion of privacy and more likely to cause harm than this data collection.

I'm unsure why exactly you're being down voted, but unless someone who down voted you comes forward, I'm guessing the answer is in part misogynistic and also in part myopia on the importance of data collection vs. women's reproductive rights.

Regardless, it's an important point to make that politicians are complex creatures, just like the rest of us. It's best not to hold them in high regard as people and to instead focus on their policies.

Re: Rand Paul: Big Brother Really Is Watching Us

#30
post #29

It's unfortunate that he believes the government should control a woman's uterus, which is an even more serious invasion of privacy and more likely to cause harm than this data collection.

I'm unsure why exactly you're being down voted, but unless someone who down voted you comes forward, I'm guessing the answer is in part misogynistic and also in part myopia on the importance of data collection vs. women's reproductive rights. Regardless, it's an important point to make that politicians are complex creatures, just like the rest of us. It's best not to hold them in high regard as people and to instead…

I'm guessing HN is over-whelmingly younger males, so reproductive rights are not a big issue. Someday some of them will have a daughter and they'll have a chance to rethink the issue.
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