Ron Paul Strikes Back At The GOP, Texas, And Burma

Dr. Ron Paul earned the nickname "Dr. No" by voting against any and all federal appropriations that came before the House of Representatives, but it seems that Paul is equally adamantly opposed to purely symbolic governmental interventions. Nick Curran of Radar reports that Paul was the only member of the House to vote against a resolution sending condolences to the Burmese victims of Cyclone Nargis. Which is literally the least the US government could possibly do, but too much for Paul.

Ron Paul to Myanmar: "Fuck You" Don't call Paul an extremist though. He may be opposed to empty gestures of solidarity with southeast Asian natural disaster victims, but he's willing to compromise on empty gestures of solidarity with football players: As Curran notes, in the current legislative session, Paul has voted to congratulate the University of Kansas, Louisiana State, and the New York Giants on their respective seasons.

Even if Paul stands alone in Congress withholding condolences from the Burmese, there are legions of Paulians still fighting to somehow wrest the Republican presidential nomination from John McCain. They've managed to win control of several state conventions, including Minnesota and Nevada, and are expecting to provoke some kind of floor fight at the Republican National Convention in the summer. (Don't ask how they could believe that. Paulians also believe in the gold standard and fear a "North American Union.") And if the Paul movement can manage to a) embarrass John McCain and b) moderate the GOP's recent embrace of war as the health of the state, I can only say long live the rEVOLution.

On the other hand, if all their efforts fizzle, the Paulians have a backup plan: Buying up property in rural Texas where they'll establish "Paulville," a libertarian utopia "gated communities containing 100% Ron Paul supporters." After all, what could be more freeing than quasi-religious total political conformity out in Bumblefuck, Texas, far beyond the reach of the law? Nothing could go wrong with that.