The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a
previous order of the House, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. PAUL) is recognized
for 5 minutes.
2009 Ron Paul 63:1
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, in the last
few years in interviews on the economy,
Ive been asked what I would do if
I were in charge. In answering the
question, I usually started with explaining
the errors we made that gave
us the crisis. The interviewer frequently
responded by saying that he
wasnt interested in the cause of the
problems, only what we should do now
to correct it. This is a typical attitude
in Washington, but we cannot expect
correct policies to be implemented if
we dont understand the cause of the
crisis. Instead, we have pursued all the
wrong policies. Let me list a few mistakes
we have made.
2009 Ron Paul 63:2
We have failed to recognize the true
cause of the crisis. Instead, free markets
and not enough regulations and
central economic planning have been
blamed.
2009 Ron Paul 63:3
We continue to listen to and give too
much credibility to the very people
who caused the crisis and failed to predict
the onset.
2009 Ron Paul 63:4
A massive single-year debt increase
of $2 trillion and a $9 trillion stimulus
by Congress and the Federal Reserve
verges on madness.
2009 Ron Paul 63:5
This has entailed taxpayers being
forced to buy worthless assets, propping
up malinvestments, not allowing
the liquidation of bad debt, bailing out
privileged banking, Wall Street and
corporate elites. We promote artificially
low interest rates which eliminates
information that only the market
can provide. Steadily sacrificing
economic and personal liberty is accepted
as good policy. Socializing
American industry offers little hope
that prosperity will soon return.
2009 Ron Paul 63:6
Inflating the money supply over 100
percent in less than a year is no way to
restore confidence to a failing financial
system. Expect huge price increases in
the future.
2009 Ron Paul 63:7
We have set the stage for further expanding
the money supply many folds
over through fractional reserve banking.
2009 Ron Paul 63:8
We deliberately liquidate debt, especially
government debt, by debasing
the currency. We refuse to accept the
fact that the debt cannot be paid, and
future obligations are incomprehensible
with revenues crashing and unpredictable
while expenditures are put on
auto pilot with no new request being
denied.
2009 Ron Paul 63:9
Theres an attitude that the deficit
and inflation can be dealt with later
on, yet tomorrow will be here sooner
than later.
2009 Ron Paul 63:10
Plans are being laid for a super regulator,
even if it takes a worldwide government
organization like the IMF to
impose it.
2009 Ron Paul 63:11
Promising the IMF $100 billion when
we cant even take care of our own peoples
medical needs is obviously absurd.
Plans are laid to massively increase
taxes, especially with the carbon tax,
that when tried in other countries
didnt work and had many unintended
consequences.
2009 Ron Paul 63:12
A national sales tax, now being
planned, sends bad signals to investors,
consumers and workers.
2009 Ron Paul 63:13
The deeply flawed neoconservative
foreign policy of expanding our militarism
in the Middle East and Central
Asia continues.
2009 Ron Paul 63:14
Theres no end in sight for secret
prisons, special courts, ignoring the
right of habeas corpus, no penalties for
carrying out illegal torture and a new
system of preventive detention. We
continue to protect the concepts of
state secrets and Presidential signing
statements. We are enlarging Bagram
prison in Afghanistan, and theres no
cessation of the senseless war on drugs.
2009 Ron Paul 63:15
Indeed, as former Vice President
Dick Cheney has said, were in greater
danger today than under the Bush administration;
but its not because were
not following the Cheney-Bush foreign
policy of preventive war, but rather because
we are. The Bush doctrine on war
is still in place, and the economic failures
of the previous administration are
being continued and expanded.
2009 Ron Paul 63:16
The policies required to provide a solution
to this catastrophic crisis we
face are available. We must apply a
precise philosophy of liberty along
with respect for private property ownership,
free markets, voluntary contracts
enforced by law and free minds.
2009 Ron Paul 63:17
Also required is the adoption of a
commonsense foreign policy that requires
us to stay out of the internal affairs
of other nations.
2009 Ron Paul 63:18
Pretending that politicians, central
bankers and regulators have the
knowledge to centrally plan the economy
and police the world only makes
things worse. Realizing this provides
the necessary first step to salvage our
economy and liberty.