Thesun 2009-07-06 Page13 Americas Second Most Respected Politician

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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 independent-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 candidate 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, honesty, and refusal to accept special interest money. Speaking of today’s US Congress, 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 intellect 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 Americans with his grassroots campaign, 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 Afghanistan and Iraq. He is also waging a lonely battle against the dangerous economic nostrums coming from the Obama White House and Congressional Democrats. 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. Paul opposes US involvement 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 courage. “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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TELLING IT AS IT IS

| MONDAY JULY 6 2009

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 -importance 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 occurred 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 Republican 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 libertarians 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 policies 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. Comments: letters@ thesundaily. com

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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 and hill slopes in the area. The residents argue under the Penang Structure Plan 2020 the secondary development 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 indicate that the boundary of Tanjung Bungah starts from Tanjung Bungah Hotel

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 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. Concerned Resident Penang