On Fox Ron Paul Calls Social Security and Medicare Unconstitutional, Compares Them to ‘Slavery’

[democracy1st]

Run time: 02:03 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzc1Dx530uc   Posted on YouTube: May 15, 2011 By YouTube Member: thinkprogress5 Views on YouTube: 311   Posted on DU: May 16, 2011 By DU Member: democracy1st Views on DU: 4558

 
Appearing on Fox News Sunday this morning, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) defended his longstanding view that Medicare, Social Security (and pretty much everything else) violate the Constitution. At one point, Paul even claimed that letting Social Security and similar programs to move forward is just like permitting slavery:

WALLACE: You talk a lot about the Constitution. You say Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid are all unconstitutional.

PAUL: Technically, they are. . . . there’s no authority . Article I, Section 8 doesn’t say I can set up an insurance program for people. What part of the Constitution are you getting it from? The liberals are the ones who use this General Welfare Clause. . . . That is such an extreme liberal viewpoint that has been mistaught in our schools for so long and that’s what we have to reverse—that very notion that you’re presenting.

WALLACE: Congressman, it’s not just a liberal view. It was the decision of the Supreme Court in 1937 when they said that Social Security was constitutional under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.

PAUL: And the Constitution and the courts said slavery was legal to, and we had to reverse that.

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/15/paul-ss-medicare-slavery/

[FarLeftFist]

1. Whoa whoa whoa! Take it easy guys...

First Rand, now Ron?! Can these guys go a couple of days without invoking slavery?! Someone needs to tell them that there is nothing 'cool' about this kind of dialogue. Needless to say, dinner table discussions with those two must be a wasteland of psycho talk.

[Cali_Democrat]

2. ..

[Grassy Knoll]

19. TROLL ALERT BELOW YOU.....

[Cali_Democrat]

20. I saw that

I'm sure its stay will be brief

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FarLeftFist]

10. Who says there's nothing we can do to stop them?!

There's ALOT we can do.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FarLeftFist]

16. You do know that....

We vote for our elected officials, and we can easily keep voting for ones that will defend those programs as many Democratic politicians are currently doing. Don't want to see SS and medicare end? Send us more D's to public office.

[FarLeftFist]

7. Sooo....

You're saying we should discontinue SS and medicare?!

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FarLeftFist]

14. But you're forgetting about the societal effects as well...

First, what structure are you referring to? The structure that all humans are created equal? The notion that America should progress and be able to compete globally through education and social reform?
Second, what about the societal effects? Sometimes a SS payment is all thats separating a family from being homeless or not, being able to put food in their childrens belly's or not, etc etc. And medicare is so great that those billionaire corporatists will do everything in their power to try and dismantle it because it cuts into their profits.

[Grassy Knoll]

15. .

[FarLeftFist]

17. Hilarious HOW....

These anti-Govt Ron Paul types are the ones trying to get him elected to the HIGHEST GOVT POSITION. Reeks of hypocrisy. Whats that saying, "republicans rail against how bad Govt is then get elected to prove it".

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FarLeftFist]

8. What master plan?!

I don't think raising billionaires taxes a little when they are at historic lows (most of which are dodged offshore tax free) is a Master Plan for Social justice, its just a reasonable solution for a high deficit.

[Cali_Democrat]

13. You lost me

What exactly are you trying to say?

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FarLeftFist]

22. You're not even good at trolling.

Amateur as they get.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TheEuclideanOne]

24. I apologize for the people calling you a troll.

I think that the term sock puppet is more appropriate. Please accept my deepest apologies :rofl:

[Enthusiast]

29. That is funny!

Apology.

[Enthusiast]

30. You seem to be the only one

quoting Malcom X around here. Final solution? WTF?

[bitchkitty]

35. pffffft.

Your attempted impersonation of a 'typical' liberal rings false. You're no good at this, find another hobby.

[gtar100]

5. Funny. I don't feel like I'm being whipped and chained to work hard labor

for nothing except bare subsistence just so that I can live another day to work for some jerk who says he own me, when I pay Social Security taxes. No, it doesn't feel like that at all.

Yes, Ron has a problem with that "General Welfare" clause in the Constitution. Sure is rough for some people to see a government actually doing something good for its people. I'm sure he'd prefer to keep it in the "conceptual" realm.

What an asshole.

[FarLeftFist]

18. Basically the RW is saying....

Work your whole life at that job where your boss doesn't have a pension plan for you, then when your body can't take it anymore and your old, retire, fend for yourselves and DIE!!!

[Enthusiast]

31. Why that's exactly what they are saying.

And they have some Democrats saying it too.

[SemperEadem]

32. and they both have the nerve to call themselves "doctor"

the implications of their ideas makes one shudder.

[Shining Jack]

25. moRon Paul strikes again.

What a clueless crooked freak. :(

[florida08]

26. SS is not welfare

and certainly does not impoverish the country. But to equate the market with 'providing the general welfare' of the country.. Really? The ones who caused the recession and has impoverished the majority in the country? The market that went ballistic when congress refused the first time to bail them out? The one that pilfered savings, pension funds and retirement accounts..really Paul? This is who we are to look to for providing general welfare? :crazy:

[emanymton]

27. Governing Does Not Require Directives To Act.

.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The Constitution of USA directs and limits the actions of government by stated and implied powers. It does not prohibit the governments from acting in areas not directly mentioned in the Constitution. The people's governments of USA may act in ways the people deem appropriate unless the action is specifically prohibited.

It is a question of governance. Governing does not require written directives to act.

Ema Nymton
~@:o?
.

[Enthusiast]

28. This is why Paul

would make a piss poor president. He simply can't think outside the box. His thinking is limited, he has no vision.

[Larry Ogg]

34. Correction, he has a vision...,

Although it seems pretty close to the psychopathic vision of Utopia, in which a small group individuals who are not bothered by a conscience, own the world and live like gods.

And it's the psychopathic vision of Utopia where the workers of world are seen by the 6% psychopathic minority as being week because we have a conscience, and the tendency to care about other living things, such as our fellow human beings.

It's also within this bizarre delusional vision, that the caring, honest people of the world (94%) are the real predators, because we believe in sharing, and want more from our labor than the psychopathic rulers are willing to give up, even though these rulers contribute nothing to the survival of the species outside of war.

Again, his vision is that 6% of the world’s population is entitled to everything because they have no conscience, which makes them gods.

And all the 94% rest of us are entitled to nothing but servitude because we have a conscience, and when we are no longer useful servants, we should just be discarded as useless trash.

I know it seems harsh, but you have to the guy credit where credit is do, he does have a vision.

[valerief]

33. Does he think his paycheck, medical insurance, and lifetime pension are unconstitutional, too?

Does he refuse them?