Freedomain Radio

Citing reports that 85 percent of all black men in the District of Columbia are arrested, Paul wrote:

"Given the inefficiencies of what D.C. laughingly calls the `criminal justice system,' I think we can safely assume that 95 percent of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal," Paul said.

http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/aol-metropolitan/96/05/23/paul.html

What do you think he was saying?

Hmmm... I said in another thread that RP was the least offensive evil in Washington.  Perhaps I was selling him short. 

Rodzilla:

Hmmm... I said in another thread that RP was the least offensive evil in Washington.  Perhaps I was selling him short. 

How would that be offensive though? He's citing statistics saying that 85% of blacks are arrested.  So either they are indeed criminal or perhaps there is a strong racial prejudice going on in D.C.  OR perhaps what isn't ever going to be acknowledged is the culture of blacks in America and how their family histories are contributing to these statistics.  I don't see how citing statistics and drawing at least some conclusions is "offensive", sometimes the truth is offensive as we've seen with Greg and Niels.  I'm pretty sure Ron Paul is never going to think about the nature of the prison system and how the criminal justice system really destroys these people even more, nor is he going to consider their family history.

Do you think that RP is unaware of how the welfare state destroys the poor? Should individuals be solely blamed for institutional evils?

Nate, the dude is apparently lamenting the fact that the gendarmes of DC haven't locked up 95% of a certain racial group.  That's not offensive to you?

Rodzilla:

Nate, the dude is apparently lamenting the fact that the gendarmes of DC haven't locked up 95% of a certain racial group.  That's not offensive to you?

Ohh.  Yes if that is the case then I can see how that would certainly be offensive. 

Stefan Molyneux:

Do you think that RP is unaware of how the welfare state destroys the poor?

Definitely not.

Should individuals be solely blamed for institutional evils?

Definitely not.  Ron Paul is showing his inconsistency and contradictory nature that comes from his compromise on principle.  Good point.  That is quite contradictory now that I understand what he might be trying to say.

 

Nathan McKaskle:

Stefan Molyneux:

Do you think that RP is unaware of how the welfare state destroys the poor?

Definitely not.

Should individuals be solely blamed for institutional evils?

Definitely not.  Ron Paul is showing his inconsistency and contradictory nature that comes from his compromise on principle.  Good point.  That is quite contradictory now that I understand what he might be trying to say.

 

how does Ron Paul solely blame the individuals here?

[edit: deleted content]

also, this is one sentence out of what is most likely a longer quote and perhaps or probably in the rest of the quote he does address the institutional problems.

Rodzilla:

Nate, the dude is apparently lamenting the fact that the gendarmes of DC haven't locked up 95% of a certain racial group.  That's not offensive to you?

this is mere interpretation without reference to facts: it does not at all follow from Ron Paul's remarks

Nathan McKaskle:

Stefan Molyneux:

Do you think that RP is unaware of how the welfare state destroys the poor?

Definitely not.

Should individuals be solely blamed for institutional evils?

Definitely not.  Ron Paul is showing his inconsistency and contradictory nature that comes from his compromise on principle.  Good point.  That is quite contradictory now that I understand what he might be trying to say.

 

Okay, i dont understand how Ron Paul's remarks on race are logically related to his inconsistency and contradictory nature that comes from his compromise on principle... do you mean this in a general sense, that his intellect got corrupted because of his compromise and that his corrupted intellect would then also make him say such a thing?

I dont know, but it seems unfair to attack Ron Paul on the basis of these context-less quotes (the ones about race)

Conrad:

Nathan McKaskle:

Stefan Molyneux:

Do you think that RP is unaware of how the welfare state destroys the poor?

Definitely not.

Should individuals be solely blamed for institutional evils?

Definitely not.  Ron Paul is showing his inconsistency and contradictory nature that comes from his compromise on principle.  Good point.  That is quite contradictory now that I understand what he might be trying to say.

 

Okay, i dont understand how Ron Paul's remarks on race are logically related to his inconsistency and contradictory nature that comes from his compromise on principle... do you mean this in a general sense, that his intellect got corrupted because of his compromise and that his corrupted intellect would then also make him say such a thing?

I dont know, but it seems unfair to attack Ron Paul on the basis of these context-less quotes (the ones about race)

Do you understand that his views on the welfare state and his views on criminals, specifically of the black race, contradict each other? 

That he is in office, against taxation, yet takes a salary paid by taxation is also an innate contradiction.  That people are willing to compromise their values, that willingness to compromise will result in further compromises and contradiction.   See Nathaniel Branden in his section on the child who steals from a friend in his book the Psychology of Self-Esteem.
 

Nathan McKaskle:

Conrad:

Nathan McKaskle:

Stefan Molyneux:

Do you think that RP is unaware of how the welfare state destroys the poor?

Definitely not.

Should individuals be solely blamed for institutional evils?

Definitely not.  Ron Paul is showing his inconsistency and contradictory nature that comes from his compromise on principle.  Good point.  That is quite contradictory now that I understand what he might be trying to say.

 

Okay, i dont understand how Ron Paul's remarks on race are logically related to his inconsistency and contradictory nature that comes from his compromise on principle... do you mean this in a general sense, that his intellect got corrupted because of his compromise and that his corrupted intellect would then also make him say such a thing?

I dont know, but it seems unfair to attack Ron Paul on the basis of these context-less quotes (the ones about race)

Do you understand that his views on the welfare state and his views on criminals, specifically of the black race, contradict each other? 

what is his view on criminals? he doesnt say that they are evil beyond belief and owe it all to themselves. at least he doesnt say that in this quote, and you dont know in what context he made his remark on black criminals. perhaps he was exactly trying to say that the welfare state creates the environment for criminals. You cant tell what he meant from these quotes alone.

That he is in office, against taxation, yet takes a salary paid by taxation is also an innate contradiction.  That people are willing to compromise their values, that willingness to compromise will result in further compromises and contradiction.   See Nathaniel Branden in his section on the child who steals from a friend in his book the Psychology of Self-Esteem.

okay, so you meant my second point, that his intellect got corrupted leading to more corruption along the way. That is very possible, but these quotes do not prove this (in the absence of the context in which they were made and in the absence of other remarks on the subject)
 

Conrad:

Rodzilla:

Nate, the dude is apparently lamenting the fact that the gendarmes of DC haven't locked up 95% of a certain racial group.  That's not offensive to you?

this is mere interpretation without reference to facts: it does not at all follow from Ron Paul's remarks

I agree that I may have crossed a line there, for emotional impact.  Please consider that comment redacted.  Here's a better way of getting my point across...

If such a huge majority of a certain racial group in a certain geographical area are being rounded up and put in cages, I find it very difficult to see that as a failure in the police system for not imprisoning enough of these scary, benighted people.  Rather, I see it as a complete failure of the local society and culture, including the welfare and criminal justice systems.

The fact is that Ron Paul (if this quote is genuine) directs his attention to the government "solution," in that it may not be severe enough.  This will obviously do nothing to help those people who are most harmed by the failures of the local society.  It will intensify their suffering.

This, coupled with Paul's Mexican fence fetish, gives me a strong hunch that the man is a bigoted racist.  (Where's his call for a fence along the Canadian border?  Can't bad guys cross that one just as easily?)

Rodzilla:

The fact is that Ron Paul (if this quote is genuine) directs his attention to the government "solution," in that it may not be severe enough.  This will obviously do nothing to help those people who are most harmed by the failures of the local society.  It will intensify their suffering.

This, coupled with Paul's Mexican fence fetish, gives me a strong hunch that the man is a bigoted racist.  (Where's his call for a fence along the Canadian border?  Can't bad guys cross that one just as easily?)

Right On, Rod!

Whether or not this quote is true, you can't deny Paul's irrational fascination with Mexicans, which to me, is more than enough evidence to condemn him as racist. 

...and, those two words, Rod: "severe" and "solution". They immediately reminded me of another time, when another entire race of people were talked about in terms of a "solution". But, maybe that's taking the point too far...