Is Ron Paul a True Advocate for Freedom?

Discussing the mixed legacy of Dr. Ron Paul.

Wikimedia Commons, Gage Skidmore.

Dr. Ron Paul is perhaps the most famous and powerful libertarian ever (prior to Javier Milei’s election in Argentina).  But is he a true advocate for freedom? On the one hand, he has fought for the return of the gold standard and the elimination of the Federal Reserve in the economic sphere, he’s a staunch defender of life and the Second Amendment, and perhaps the most anti-government and consistent politician alive.  However, on the other hand, his foreign policy leaves a lot to be desired—non-interventionism taken to the extreme of isolationism that has inspired many anti-semites and bigots. 

Let's start with the good. Perhaps Dr. Paul’s greatest achievements are economic in nature. He has been opposed to the Federal Reserve and has held a pro-gold standard for over 50 years. He even introduced a bill to return to the gold standard once and for all.  And this work had actually led to real results. Prior to Trump’s takeover of the GOP, proposals like ending the Fed and returning to the gold standard were becoming mainstream in GOP circles, with multiple candidates calling for a return to it in the 2016 election. This would likely not have happened without Dr. Paul's hard work. Even populists like Vivek Ramaswamy have been critical of the Fed. 

That is not to say Dr.Paul is a saint. His foreign policy record is extremely poor, particularly on Israel.  I don’t believe that opposing U.S. funding to Ukraine is inherently pro-Russia. Nor do I believe opposing U.S. funding to Israel is inherently anti-semitic. However, supporting groups like the John Birch Society, as well as blasting against Zionism, is a very poor choice. This is not even to mention the contents of the Ron Paul newsletters, which Dr. Paul may or may not have written. I get where Dr. Paul and others like Thomas Massie are coming from. The U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were poorly managed in the long term. But embracing isolationism is just as bad as getting into forever wars that don’t have a clear exit strategy.

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Regardless of the morality of these positions, which I view as morally ambiguous at best, it’s simply poor. Foreign aid when done correctly can be an extreme asset to the United States.  Ukraine has been able to degrade Russia’s military severely at a relatively low cost compared to the U.S. budget. Foreign aid also minimizes U.S. casualties by minimizing the number of wars the U.S. would need to get involved in. U.S. military casualties are something both me and Dr. Paul would view as tragedies that should be minimized at all costs.

Overall, do I believe Dr. Ron Paul is an advocate for liberty? In the economic and social sense—absolutely. In the foreign policy sense—not really, but I understand the reason. Can he mess up, particularly with Israel—Absolutely. Equivalent to Ilhan Omar and Rashida Talib—not even close. 

Lincoln Gaffney is a junior at Juan Diego High School in Draper, UT. He is a founding member of the Wild Caucus of the Libertarian Party and currently serves as its Vice-Chair and Southwest Overseer. @lincolngaffney