Iran war backfires on GOP

 "Congress over too many years has been used to allowing the President to have his own way on matters of war and peace. Members bask in the false patriotism promoted by the media and special interests as the people 'rally around the flag'.... This time is different.”

The Coming GOP Bloodbath? | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

September 28, 2026 - Most indicators suggest that the Republicans in the House and Senate are going to face a brutal backlash from the American people in November. Polling with generic ballots suggest a big win for the Democrats and likely the loss of Republican control of both houses of Congress.

There is little reason to cheer a Democratic party victory, however Republicans in charge have for the most part earned what is coming to them. They have refused to uphold their Constitutional obligation to take leading responsibility for war powers....

President Trump launched what is the most unpopular war in US history when on February 28th he ordered a full US assault on Iran. Iran had not attacked or even threatened the United States and our own intelligence community continued – and continues – to claim that Iran is not building nuclear weapons. The February attack followed last June’s US bombing of Iran after which the president claimed that the country’s nuclear program was “completely obliterated.”

Congress over too many years has been used to allowing the President to have his own way on matters of war and peace. Members bask in the false patriotism promoted by the media and special interests as the people “rally around the flag.” Eventually, when the war has gone on for years without “victory” – as in Iraq and Afghanistan – many claim they were never really for the war in the first place.

This time is different. There was no propaganda blitz. There were no attempts to convince the American people that the “smoking gun” could be a “mushroom cloud” as we were told in the run up to the 2003 Iraq war. The majority of Americans were against the war on Iran before it started and only became more opposed over time.

As the war drags on, we have seen the national debt pass $40 trillion, diesel fuel prices at the highest ever, and inflation hitting the middle class and poor even harder. The “cakewalk” again failed to materialize.

Incumbent Republicans seeking re-election are in such a panic over voter anger about the war that they have taken to calling for a quick end to it while on the campaign trail. When they get back inside the Beltway, however, they vote to keep the war going for fear of President Trump’s anger. This is not leadership.

Late last week the Iranian delegation in New York for the UN General Assembly meeting offered an off-ramp. Essentially it was the same Memorandum of Understanding that President Trump signed last June and promptly disregarded, but on a shorter timeline. By Sunday, the President announced that he would reject the deal – a deal like one he already signed.

There is no strategy for winning this disastrous war, it is clear. From over-confidence on decapitation strikes to certainty of a quick military victory, the Administration is now promising that they will win by crippling Iran’s economy. The problem is that Iran has been operating under “crippling” sanctions for decades and has a high economic pain tolerance.

Unfortunately, both parties in DC are war parties, so again it is hard to cheer the likely Republican losses. But sometimes electoral losses can serve as wake-up calls. Eventually we may see the re-emergence of antiwar Republicans in the spirit of the late Sen. Robert Taft and a restoration of the Constitution.

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/the-coming-gop-bloodbath/

President Trump's $5,000 bribe

 "Some commentators have expressed outrage over President Trump’s attempt to bribe voters. These commentators have tended to ignore the fact that, since the rise of the welfare-warfare-regulatory state, most political campaigns are little more than legalized bribery."

President Trump Bribes the People | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

September 21, 2026 - President Trump, speaking at the Republicans’ midterm convention, pledged that if Republicans maintained control of the Congress in the November election every adult American will receive 5,000 dollars from the government.... Trump said that the government could afford the estimated 1.3 trillion dollars cost 'because we’ve done so well and because our country is making so much money.'

The truth is the economy is not doing well. Prices are rising faster than incomes. And, thanks to the Iran War, the price of diesel fuel has reached an average of over six dollars a gallon. This increases shipping costs, thus further increasing many prices. The national debt now exceeds 40 trillion dollars, which is one reason why interest on Treasury bonds is at the highest level since 2007.

President Trump claims the 5,000 dollars payments can be financed with tariff revenue. The truth is that the government has not collected nearly enough tariff revenue to finance these payments.

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has suggested the government could raise the funds through actions including selling its shares in the tech company Intel. Selling those shares would only raise at most four percent of the cost of the payments. Nonetheless, the federal government should sell all the shares it has acquired in private companies. This corporatist policy distorts the market by incentivizing businesses to put pleasing politicians and bureaucrats ahead of pleasing consumers.

Some commentators have expressed outrage over President Trump’s attempt to bribe voters. These commentators have tended to ignore the fact that, since the rise of the welfare-warfare-regulatory state, most political campaigns are little more than legalized bribery. How else would you describe politicians who court support from the military-industrial complex with promise to deliver endless wars financed by ever-increasing Pentagon spending? Or court votes of farmers with promises of ever-increasing farm subsidies? Or court votes of senior citizens with promises concerning Social Security and Medicare? Or promise to those whose standard of living and prospect for economic advancement are harmed by the Federal Reserve’s destruction of the dollar that government will take care of them with food stamps, Medicaid, and government-subsidized housing?

This system of legalized bribery makes it impossible to make real spending cuts because every item in the federal budget has a constituency behind it. Politicians are convinced that their electoral success depends on them protecting this spending.

This system of legalized bribery cannot last much longer. The continued failure of Congress and presidents to cut spending will further efforts to replace the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. This will cause a major economic crisis that will force Congress to cut spending.

President Trump could avoid this fate by fulfilling his promise of no new wars and working with Congress to cut the bloated military budget. President Trump should also end all forms of corporate welfare and work with Congress to shut down all unconstitutional federal agencies. The savings from these cuts should be used to start paying down the debt and support those reliant on government programs during the transition away from the welfare state. Returning to local communities, private organizations, and churches the responsibility to help the less fortunate is more effective and compassionate than leaving the matter to government bureaucracies. Following this agenda would allow President Trump to “bribe” the people with peace, prosperity, and liberty.

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/president-trump-bribes-the-people/

Trump's corporatism

"Supporters of the free market must be as outspoken in opposition to Republican corporatism as they are in opposition to Democratic socialism."

Corporatism Goes Global | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

September 8, 2026 - Last Monday, a day before the Republican-controlled House passed a resolution condemning socialism, the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital announced that it had acquired a 35 percent stake in North American Blue Energy Partners, one of Venezuela’s largest private oil producers.

In the deal, the Venezuela government gives the company a hundred years lease for some oil fields. The deal also provides the US government with veto power over appointments to the company’s board of directors. Having power over appointments to the board gives the US government control over the company.

This deal makes the US partners with the same Venezuelan government whose president, Nicolás Maduro, was removed by the US military in January. It is also the same government that has been denounced as socialist by US politicians of both parties and that has been the target of US inspired regime change operations since the late Hugo Chávez assumed the presidency in 1999. One of those failed regime change efforts took place during President Trump’s first term.

Some may find it ironic that the Trump administration is partnering with a socialist government when President Trump regularly warns about the threat of socialism arising from the increasingly influential socialist wing of the Democratic Party. While President Trump may sincerely oppose some socialism, he is an avid promoter of corporatism. Corporatism is a socialism variant where businesses are nominally private but are controlled by the government.

Since President Trump returned to power in 2025, the US government has “invested” in over 30 private companies. Government investment in private businesses distorts the market as it forces business owners and managers to make decisions (or have decisions made for them) based on what will please politicians and bureaucrats rather than consumers. It also encourages other businesses to divert resources toward attracting government investment instead of attracting consumers and private sector investors. Corporatism can also lead politicians and bureaucrats to base decisions on what will generate the greatest return on government’s investments.

Combining corporatism with foreign interventionism is a particularly harmful policy. This is illustrated by the US government’s new partnership with the Venezuelan government. Many Venezuelan citizens oppose the deal. If the current government were to be replaced, the new government may try to void the agreement or at least renegotiate it. So, the US government now has an interest in ensuring Hugo Chavez’s heirs remain in power. The next time the US military intervenes in Venezuela it could be to defend the socialists.

If the US government continues to make investment deals with foreign governments, the need to protect the investments could become a reason for deployment of US troops abroad. The US government could even use the military to “convince” other countries to do business with the US government.

President Trump’s corporatist merger of big government and big business enriches the well-off and well-connected at the expense of the rest of the population. Combining corporatism with foreign interventionism enriches corrupt and authoritarian foreign leaders while boosting the military-industrial complex. Because corporatism maintains the appearance of capitalism, and because many proponents of corporatism encourage this confusion, it is easy for socialists to blame corporatism’s failings on the free market. Supporters of the free market must be as outspoken in opposition to Republican corporatism as they are in opposition to Democratic socialism.

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/corporatism-goes-global/

Canada, USA at war, says Carney

‘You’re at war when you get attacked’: Mark Carney shows combative nature in face-off with Trump | Leyland Cecco, Heather Stewart, & Kalyeena Makortoff | The Guardian: 

August 30, 2026 - "Mark Carney stood before a walnut-veneered lectern, his face drawn tight, as he announced that talks with Canada’s biggest trading partner had collapsed. 'Last spring, I warned that America is trying to break us so that they can own us,' he said. “And I promised: that will never, ever happen. We are keeping that promise'.... Near the end of the press conference last Saturday, a reporter made reference to the sombre, combative tone of the speech: 'Why does it feel like today Mark Carney is going to war?'

"The prime minister paused. 'We were attacked. You’re at war when you get attacked,' he said. 'We got attacked'....

"After trade negotiations with the US broke down, the two sides traded recriminations and made good on threats to impose new tariffs on each other. In his latest act of petty antagonism, Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing the US federal government to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America'. But Carney, in walking away from the proposed deal, did what few other leaders have done: dared Trump and the US to test his nation’s resolve....

"Joseph Steinberg, a professor of economics at the University of Toronto, said that while during the Brexit debate, Carney 'did not shy away from trying to tell kind of the hard economic truths', he had not spoken much about the economics of the current US trade war.... Carney’s decision to retaliate against the US has caused some economists, including Steinberg, to point out that Canada will take a far more painful blow than the US.... 'At the moment, Canadians are likely to be extraordinarily intolerant of making any kind of concessions to the US whatsoever, even if they are in our economic best interest,' he said.

"In January, Carney warned people at [the World Economic Forum in] Davos that 'compliance will not buy safety' in a world increasingly dominated by hegemonic powers. While it never mentioned Trump, his speech was seen as a thinly veiled critique of the US president.... One of Carney’s prescriptions – forging deep relations with like-minded 'middle powers' and restructuring to lessen reliance on former allies – has already taken shape in Canada, at a speed and degree to which the pollster David Coletto described as a 'wartime-footing government without a war'. 'It’s a government organised around an external threat that’s willing to suspend its own party’s orthodoxies, centralise power to move fast, and measure itself in outcomes rather than values,' he wrote.

"Carney abandoned many of the policies of his predecessor Justin Trudeau, including his carbon and electric vehicle mandates. He has also fast-tracked large projects, including an oil pipeline, and invested tens of billions more into defence.... 

"'The public has hardly blinked,' Coletto said in an interview. 'Mark Carney’s approval rating has just sustained itself through this entire period.... I’ve been surprised with his nuanced read of the country. He’s been adept at being not just politically effective but in holding his support together through a trying time. This suggests there’s little value in underestimating his political instincts.'

"Polling shows that Carney remains the leader Canadians trust most to steer the country through economic uncertainty. But the prime minister has also embraced a role that would once have seemed almost incongruous: asking a country vastly smaller and less powerful than its neighbour to stand its ground."

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2026/aug/30/youre-at-war-when-you-get-attacked-mark-carney-shows-combative-nature-in-face-off-with-trump

Canada turns to Europe amid escalating Trump trade war | Roundtable | TRT | September 8, 2026:

U.S. government kllls the Spirit

 Government Kills the Spirit | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

May 4, 2026: "One of the industries hardest hit by the spike in fuel prices caused by the Iran War is airlines. Jet fuel prices have doubled since the start of the war. Airlines have reacted to the fuel price increase by raising fares and baggage fees, as well as by cutting routes. 

"Raising prices is not a good option for 'budget' airlines since their main appeal to consumers is their low prices. Increasing prices could cause these carriers to lose business. The financial strain from the increased fuel costs led discount airline Spirit to ask the Trump administration for a bailout. President Trump said a bailout would be conditioned on Spirit giving the government an ownership stake in the company. Spirit was unable to reach a deal with the government, so Spirit went out of business on Saturday. However, several other budget airlines are seeking a government bailout.

"Spirit has been struggling for years. In 2022, the airline sought to get on better financial footing by merging with fellow discount airline JetBlue. The merger may have allowed for more effective competition with the dominant carriers. However, the Justice Department successfully opposed the merger in court on the grounds it would lead to more concentration in the discount airlines market. This is one of many examples of how an aggressive approach to antitrust enforcement can harm businesses and consumers.

"Spirit is not the first business President Trump has considered having the government 'invest' in. For example, in exchange for government approval of Nippon Steel’s acquisition of US Steel, the government was given a 'golden share' allowing the government to overrule decisions made by the company that the government determines are against US 'national security.' Among the other companies the government has obtained an ownership interest in are several minerals mining companies and computer chip manufacturer Intel. If discount airlines receive bailouts in exchange for granting government ownership stakes in their businesses, other companies impacted by the spike in fuel prices may line up for the same deal.

"Having government own part of what is a nominally private company interferes with the efficient allocation of capital. It also means business decisions will be made to please government officials and bureaucrats instead of to meet the needs and wants of consumers. Government officials will also act based on what will boost returns in the government’s investments.

"Government ownership of all or part of private businesses is the epitome of economic fascism. Yet, there have not been protests from the so-called 'anti-fascist' progressives over President Trump arranging US government ownership stakes in private companies. This is probably because they are looking forward to a Democrat president expanding government’s investment in, and control of, private businesses.

"There has been little criticism of President Trump’s acquisition of ownership interests in private companies from Republican politicians or conservative writers and activists. Many of them, though, would have opposed President Obama or President Biden tooth and nail if either had the US government take an ownership interest in private companies.

"Contrary to what many seem to think, full or partial government ownership of private companies does not magically become less of a threat to liberty and prosperity when done by a Republican. Congress should pass a law forbidding any part of the federal government — including the Federal Reserve — from taking an ownership interest in any private business."

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

https://ronpaulinstitute.org/government-kills-the-spirit/

War as the enemy of liberty

War allows governments to increase spending, taxes, and regulations in order to feed the war machine. War also enables the government to violate personal liberty. Wars can justify measures that remain in place long after the wars end.

War Abroad and Authoritarianism at Home | Ron Paul Institute } Ron Paul:

March 23, 2026 - “'War is the health of the state.' That phrase, coined by Randolph Bourne, explains why opposition to war is a priority of many libertarians. War allows governments to increase spending, taxes, and regulations in order to feed the war machine. Wars can justify measures that remain in place long after the wars end. An example of this is income tax withholding that was created to fund World War Two.

"The use of war as a justification for increased interference in the market is reason enough for libertarians to oppose war. However, war also enables the government to violate liberty. During the Civil War, President Lincoln suspended habeas corpus, shut down newspapers, and instituted a military draft. The draft was also used in World Wars One and Two, as well as Korea and Vietnam. During World War One, Congress passed the Sedition Act, outlawing criticism of the government. Widespread violations of liberty are a hallmark of the ongoing 'war on terror.' An infamous example of war being used to justify violations of liberty is the internment of Japanese Americans during World War Two.

"Given this history, it is not surprising that the Iran War may lead to crackdowns on free speech. Following criticisms of the media’s coverage of the Iran War by President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr made a post on Twitter telling broadcast networks that the FCC has the power to revoke their broadcast licenses if they do not fulfill their responsibility to act in the 'public interest.' This was clearly a threat to revoke the license of any broadcast network whose coverage of the war displeases the Trump administration.

"Threatening to use the FCC’s power to shut down broadcast networks that the president dislikes is a blatant violation of the First Amendment by Chairman Carr. Chairman Carr may think that he can get a court to approve revoking a broadcaster’s license for its war coverage by claiming it is endangering national security. This would hardly be the first time the government used national security as an excuse to censor its critics.

"Since the US is waging the Iran War in collaboration with Israel and the Trump Administration supports defining criticism of Israel as antisemitism, it is not out of the realm of possibility that opposition to the war will be labeled as antisemitic hate speech and be banned.

"Thousands of American troops are being deployed to the Middle East. With no end to the war in sight and the US military taking on the task of ensuring oil tankers have safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the US military may soon need a major increase in troops. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has refused to rule out the possibility that President Trump may reinstate the draft.

"The Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) makes implementing the draft easer then ever by automatically registering every 18-year-old man with the Selective Service. The draft assumes rights are gifts from government that can be revoked at the whim of government officials. Violations of liberty come along with wars. Therefore, opposition to wars unrelated to the legitimate security needs of the country must be a priority for all who value liberty."

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/war-abroad-and-authoritarianism-at-home/

US Republicans save Department of Education

The Republican-majority Congress has passed an appropriations bill stopping the Trump administration's effort to shut down the Department of Education, something Trump campaigned on in 2024.

Republicans Save the Department of Education | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

February 9, 2026 - "In his 2024 campaign President Trump said he wanted to shut down the Department of Education. Created in 1979, the Department of Education has spent many billions of dollars and imposed numerous 'reforms' on America’s schools. A result has been a continuing decline in American students’ academic performance.

"In March, President Trump signed an executive order calling for eliminating the Department of Education. Since then, Education Secretary Linda McMahon has worked on transferring some Education Department activities to other agencies. For example, it has been announced that some activities of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, which is involved in federal K-12 education programs, will be moved to the Labor Department. While these changes can reduce the power and reach of the Education Department, they do not ensure a reduction of the federal government’s role in education.

"The appropriations bill that President Trump signed into law last week indicates he has given up on ending the Department of Education. The bill, which was first approved by the Republican-majority House and Senate, contains a provision requiring the Education Department to 'support staffing levels necessary to fulfill its statutory responsibilities including carrying out programs, projects, and activities.' Another provision prohibits the Education Department from transferring funds to other government agencies.

"The bill also increases the Education Department’s budget. Increasing the budget of an unconstitutional Cabinet department is never a good idea, but it is especially bad when the federal debt is increasing by trillions of dollars a year. If President Trump and the other Republicans who have said they want the Education Department shut down are not going to even attempt to shut it down, they could at least reduce its funding.

"It is clear that shutting down the Department of Education will require a sustained effort by Americans fed up with spending billions to produce a subpar educational system. Pressure needs to be put on lawmakers to restore control over education to states, local communities, and parents.

"School choice week was the week before President Trump signed the bill providing funding to the Education Department. Programs giving parents control over their children’s education — such as Education Savings Accounts — continue to grow in popularity as do alternatives to public schools such as private schools and homeschooling. Private schools and homeschooling received a boost from the 'Big Beautiful Bill' providing tax credits for scholarships for private school tuition and home school expenses.

"Parents looking for a homeschooling curriculum incorporating the ideas of liberty should consider my online curriculum. My curriculum provides students with a solid education in history, literature, mathematics, and the sciences. It also gives students the opportunity to create their own websites and internet-based businesses. This provides students with “real world” entrepreneurial experience that will be useful no matter what career paths they choose.

"The curriculum is designed to be self-taught, with students helping, and learning from, each other via online forums. Starting in the fourth grade, students are required to write at least one essay a week. Students also take a course in public speaking.

"The curriculum emphasizes the history, philosophy, and economics of liberty, but it never substitutes indoctrination for education. The goal is to produce students with superior critical thinking skills. If you think my curriculum may meet the needs of your child, please visit www.RonPaulCurriculum.com for more information."

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/republicans-save-the-department-of-education/

 

Trump's DOJ investigating Fed chairman

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation of Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell for allegedly lying to Congress, 

Trump’s Latest Regime Change Target | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

January 26, 2026 - "What does the Federal Reserve have in common with Venezuela and Greenland? It has been targeted by President Trump for regime change. 

Image generated by Grok (xAI), public domain.

"The Justice Department recently launched a criminal investigation into whether Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell lied to Congress about the costs of renovating the Federal Reserve’s offices. 

"Many believe this investigation was launched in order to support President Trump’s effort to replace Powell, who[m] he nominated to be Fed chairman in 2017, with a Fed chairman who will accommodate President Trump’s demands for lower interest rates.

"Almost all observers believe that President Trump’s desire to stack the Federal Reserve board with loyalists who will tailor monetary policy to his liking motivated the investigation of Federal Reserve Board Member Lisa Cook. President Trump is using allegations that Cook lied on a mortgage application as a justification to fire her.

"At a Supreme Court hearing on Lisa Cook’s case, the majority of justices — including some who have been supportive of President Trump’s attempt to exercise greater authority over federal agencies — seemed to oppose his firing of Cook. One reason for this would be viewing the Fed as different from federal agencies like the Federal Trade Commission because private banks play a role in the Fed’s governance. This indicates the Fed is a public-private hybrid.

"The criminal investigation into Chairman Powell and the attempt to fire Lisa Cook have caused investors, stock traders, and others to fear Trump is endangering the economy by compromising the Fed’s independence. This supposed threat to Fed autonomy has also caused some Republicans who are usually defenders of President Trump to criticize him.

"There is a long history of presidential attempts to influence monetary policy. President Richard Nixon, for example, pressured Fed Chairman Arthur Burns to lower rates.... Fed Chairman William Martin may not have liked Ike, but he caved to President Eisenhower’s demands that the Fed increase the money supply. President Bill Clinton persuaded Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan to support Clinton’s economic plans. The most extreme case of presidential pressure (at least until the Justice Department launched its criminal probe into Powell) was when President Lyndon Johnson shoved the Fed chairman against a wall because the Fed raised interest rates, causing trouble for Johnson’s Great Society at home and Vietnam War abroad. President Trump is thus not different from his predecessors; he is just more transparent.

"Opponents of Federal Reserve 'independence' have a point. Allowing a secretive central bank to control interest rates and the money supply is the reason the purchasing power of the dollar has vastly declined since 1971, when President Nixon severed the last link between the dollar and gold. Fed-produced fiat currency is also the cause of rising economic inequality and instability. 

"The beneficiaries of this system are the politicians and the corporatist interests living off the welfare-warfare state. 

"On the other hand, President Trump’s critics are correct that giving politicians power to set interest rates would be a recipe for disaster. 

"Instead of arguing over who should control the money supply and set rates, President Trump and Congress should work to audit and end the Fed."

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/trumps-latest-regime-change-target/

Trump embraces regime change in Venezuela

Making Imperialism Great Again? | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

January 12, 2026 - "It did not take long for President Trump to change the reason for sending the US military to 'arrest' Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The allegation that President Maduro ran a drug cartel was front and center in the months leading up to President Maduro’s 'arrest.' Afterwards, President Trump said the invasion was about Venezuela’s oil and announced plans for the US government to send American oil companies into Venezuela.

"About a week after the invasion, President Trump had a meeting with executives from American oil companies to discuss plans for Venezuela. Some of the companies’ executives at the meeting were less than enthusiastic about developing Venezuelan oil. One reason for this is that, since the Venezuelan government nationalized oil activities twenty years ago, fracking has made the US the world’s leading producer of oil and natural gas. Rebuilding the oil industry in Venezuela could cost as much as a billion dollars for an uncertain payoff. Among the complications, Venezuelan oil does not easily flow though pipelines unless it is cut with solvents, making it more expensive to transport.

"In his first press conference after the Venezuelan first couple was seized, President Trump said: 'We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.' He later stated that Maduro’s successor Vice President Delcy Rodriguez would 'pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,' if she does not adequately fulfill the US government’s demands.

"Following the invasion of Venezuela, there have been suggestions that President Trump will direct the US military to invade other countries as well. For example, Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio said, 'if I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned.'

"To no one’ s surprise, Senator Lindsey Graham was delighted by the possibility that Venezuela was just the first of many regime change wars President Trump will wage. Senator Graham even got President Trump to autograph a Make Iran Great Again hat. Many Iranian victims of the Shah of Iran’s secret police might disagree with Senator Graham on whether having the CIA install another puppet government in Iran will make that country great.

"President Trump’s newfound love of regime change wars may be one reason why he is seeking to increase the military budget to 1.5 trillion dollars. President Trump claims that tariff revenue can fund the increase, but that is simply not possible. The majority of the increase in spending would come from other taxes, including the Federal Reserve’s regressive and hidden inflation tax.

"A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that there is much less support for an 'activist' US foreign policy among Americans under 50 than among older Americans. This is the case among both Democrats and Republicans. In fact, the differing view on foreign policy among younger people was a major factor behind President Trump’s support from younger people in 2024. Continued betrayal by President Trump of his no more regime change wars pledge will cause the president and the Republicans to lose support among younger voters."

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/making-imperialism-great-again/

Trump reclassifies cannabis as Schedule III drug

While President Trump's executive order reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule III controlled substanceis is a welcome step forward, those who support liberty must continue to press for repeal of all federal drug laws. 

Chmee2, Cannabis sativa plant. CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Trump Takes a Step Toward Liberty | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

December 29, 2025 - "President Trump recently signed an executive order changing marijuana’s Controlled Substances Act classification from Schedule I to Schedule III. Schedule I is supposed to include especially dangerous drugs that are likely to be abused and have no medical purpose. Whatever one thinks of the wisdom and morality of using marijuana, the fact is it is less addictive, and quite possibly safer, than alcohol. Many Americans who live in one of the 40 states that have legalized medicinal marijuana use it for a variety of ailments.

"Reclassifying marijuana does not repeal federal laws criminalizing its use. The reclassifying does, though, facilitate research into marijuana’s medical benefits. It also enables marijuana businesses that are legal under state laws to take ordinary deductions on their taxes.

"While President Trump’s executive order is a step forward, those who support advancing liberty must continue to press for repeal of all federal drug laws.

"The Constitution does not give the federal government any authority to outlaw marijuana or any other “illicit” substance. At least supporters of alcohol prohibition understood that a constitutional amendment was needed to impose a national ban on alcohol. 

"The war on drugs has been a primary excuse for violations of liberties including unconstitutional searches and seizures, 'no-knock raids,' bank reports to the federal government on those making large cash deposits, and draconian mandatory minimum sentences. The drug war has also been used to justify foreign interventions — such as President Trump’s current actions against Venezuela.

"Defenders of the drug war say it is necessary because the drug trade is controlled by violent criminals — even though this is the inevitable result of outlawing a product people wish to consume. The most important reason to end the drug war is that government has no moral right to stop adults from engaging in a peaceful (even if unwise) behavior like smoking marijuana. Laws prohibiting drug use have no place in a free society. These laws are rooted in the idea that our rights are merely gifts from the government conditioned on our “good “behavior. A government that can stop people from smoking marijuana is a government that can also mandate what vaccines we receive and how our children are educated.

"Of course, in a free society, an individual who uses drugs would be responsible for the consequences of his choices, and those who oppose drug use could exercise their right to try to persuade others to abstain from drug use.

"When I campaigned to return to Congress in 1996, both Republicans (in the primary) and Democrats (in the general election) focused on attacking my position on drugs. In response, I explained that the federal government has no authority to outlaw drugs and that the police state being built to stop drug use threatens all our liberty. The responsibility for combatting drug use belongs elsewhere, such as with churches and family members. I summed up my position as not pro-drug, but pro-liberty. In the end, I won that race. The people have been ahead of politicians in understanding the folly of the drug war.

"All of us who value liberty must oppose the drug war. We should speak out for replacing various mandates and punishments of the drug war with increased respect for individual rights. We should also be steadfast that the end goal be a complete ending of the federal government’s drug prohibition."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/trump-takes-a-step-toward-liberty/

US military budget tops $1 Trillion

U.S. Air Force planes at Pittsburgh Air Show, 2017. Wikimedia Commons.

A Christmas Gift to the War Machine | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

December 22, 2025 - "Late last week, Congress passed and President Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill marks the first time the US military budget officially passed the one trillion dollar [$1,000,000,000,000] mark. Of course, when you add in other military-related spending such as interest on the debt, veterans’ affairs, and military components of other government agencies, the true number is at least one and a half times that amount.

"To paraphrase the famous 1953 President Eisenhower speech, 'The Chance for Peace,' each of these dollars spent on military offense and the maintenance of the US global empire rather than on defense of our own nation is taken from the mouths of the hungry and off the backs of hardworking American families.

"Congress is so addicted to military spending that they appropriated even more money than President Trump requested, including an unconscionable $800 million for thoroughly corrupt Ukraine. Will Washington ever be called to answer for why Americans, who are seeing their standard of living eaten away by inflation and a declining economy, should continue to subsidize a criminal regime overseas whose ruling class enjoys the comfort of golden toilets?

"The Ukraine money also undermines President Trump’s claim to be a neutral mediator in the conflict. How can you be a peacemaker when you are sending nearly a billion dollars in weapons to one side to help kill the other side? It makes no sense.

"Congress even included measures in the bill that would prevent President Trump from bringing any US troops home from real 'forever wars' in Korea and Europe. For how many more decades must the American worker continue to subsidize a US military presence in countries completely unrelated to our own security? World War II ended 80 years ago and the Korean war some ten years later. Yet the American military empire remains, at an incalculable cost to Americans.

"Some fellow critics will say this is all about welfare for rich countries overseas, and that’s partly right. But more than that, it is welfare for the politically-connected US military-industrial complex at home. Imagine how many retired US military officers and former US officials-turned-lobbyists might be financially inconvenienced if we finally 'just marched home'?

"This week Western Christians will celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace, with the Orthodox celebrating a few days later. It is disheartening that so many Americans who call themselves Christians also hold fast to a view that we must bankrupt our country and impoverish our people by playing policeman to the world and arbiter of whose regime must be changed by Washington.

"Christians are among the biggest victims in these overseas operations, including in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza. Yet many American Christians turn a blind eye to the suffering and misery produced by neocon-led militarism overseas. They don’t care that unquestioning support for Israel, for example, has nearly erased Christianity from where it was born. 

"Imagine if Jesus were born in the Holy Land today.

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” That is the message of the Savior whose birth we Christians celebrate this week. Continuing to bankrupt our country and export misery overseas in the futile pursuit of a global military empire places us in opposition to this worthwhile advice. Let us all join together and work for a real peace in the New Year!

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

https://ronpaulinstitute.org/a-christmas-gift-to-the-war-machine/

How to end the war in Ukraine

A Real Ukraine Peace Plan | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

Ron Paul is skeptical that the draft Ukraine war peace plan will result in a real peace, and says there is an easier way to end the fighting. 

November 25, 2025 - "Last week’s surprise release of a draft Ukraine war peace plan has raised hopes that the nearly three-year bloody conflict may finally come to an end. Ukraine has suffered horrible losses that may change the demographics of that country for decades to come. If this peace plan can be negotiated in a way that satisfies all sides and the guns finally go silent, I will be the first to cheer. However, the continued failure to understand the nature and origin of the current conflict leaves me skeptical that a real peace can be reached this way.

"From the Orange Revolution in the early 2000s to the Maidan revolution in 2014, the US and its NATO partners have been interfering in Ukraine’s internal affairs in attempt to manipulate the country into a hostile position toward its much larger and more powerful neighbor, Russia. We must remember how directly coordinated the 2014 coup was by the United States. US Senators, including John McCain and Lindsey Graham, were on the main square of a foreign capital demanding that the people overthrow their duly elected government. Victoria Nuland was caught on a telephone call planning who would run the post-coup government.

"Outside intervention led us to the terrible situation of today. This peace deal is another chapter in that same intervention, with the US and its partners desperately trying to manage and solve a problem that they created in the first place. Can you solve a problem created by outside intervention with more intervention?

"For the entirety of this conflict politicians and the media have been unwavering in blaming Russia entirely for what has occurred. I agree that they’re no angels. But the real villains here are the US neocons and their European counterparts who knew it was suicidal for Ukraine to take on Russia but pushed Ukraine to keep fighting anyway. 

"Early in the conflict a deal was on the table and nearly signed that would end the war, but the neocon former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanded that Ukraine keep fighting.

"Ukraine is the victim here, I agree. But it is as much a victim of the US and European neocons as of the Russians. They believed they could put NATO on Russia’s doorstep and face no consequences. If the tables were turned and a hostile China set up a new Latin American military alliance with the US as its designated enemy, would we sit by idly as military bases were constructed on our southern border? I don’t think so.

"President Trump promised he would end the war 24 hours after he was elected. It was an unrealistic boast, but he actually could have ended it rather quickly. The antidote to intervention Is non-intervention. Biden drug us into the war, that is true. But Trump could have pulled us out by quite simply ending all US involvement. No weapons, no intelligence, no coordination. No need for sanctions or the threat of sanctions, no need for elaborate peace plans.

"A real peace deal would realize that it was always idiotic to believe that Ukraine could stand up to Russia’s war machine – even with NATO’s backing. It is unimaginably cruel to demand that Ukraine keep fighting our proxy war down to the last Ukrainian.

"No 28-point plans can fix this. The real fix is much simpler: walk away."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

https://gdspoliticalanimal.blogspot.com/2025/11/how-to-end-war-in-ukraine.html

Democrats use 'affordability' issue against Trump

President Trump's election was due in part to his use of "affordability" issues against the Biden-Harris administration. Unsurprisingly, Democrats are now using the same issues against his administration. 

The Real Affordability Agenda | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

November 17, 2025 - "Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election was due in large part to his promises to pursue an America First foreign policy and rein in inflation. One year later, prices remain high, and President Trump is more focused on overseas meddling than on the American people. This has helped enable Democrats to win governor races in Virginia and New Jersey, and self-described Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani to win the New York City mayor race by running on 'affordability.'

"Since the election, President Trump has made a number of proposals to ease the burden of high prices. One of the president’s proposals is changing federal housing regulations to encourage lenders to offer 50-year mortgages. Though a 50-year mortgage in comparison to a 30-year mortgage could reduce monthly mortgage payments by over a hundred dollars for a median price home, it could also roughly double interest payments made over the life of the mortgage. So, while the longer mortgage may provide a short-term benefit, in the long run it is a losing proposition for potential homeowners.

"President Trump also proposed using the revenue from his tariffs to give most Americans at least 2,000 dollars. This may provide some help for struggling Americans, but it does not compensate for the damage inflicted on the American economy by the tariffs.

"President Trump has also announced plans to reduce tariffs on some countries in regard to coffee, bananas, and other agricultural products ... with an admission from the Trump administration that the high tariffs have led to increased prices and thus harmed Americans. Hopefully, President Trump will provide more relief from his tariffs, including relief aimed at helping American manufacturers who rely on imports for raw materials and tools.

"While Democrats talk about 'affordability,' most are unwilling to support the free-market policies that produce abundance and affordability. Instead, they want more government interventions in the marketplace — even though history shows government interventions cause price increases and shortages. For example, New York City Mayor-elect Mamdani thinks the way to address housing costs in New York City is through new price controls on rent. He does not seem to understand that a reason housing costs are so high in New York City is because of the city’s existing rent control law.

"Another example is congressional Democrats’ 'solution' to the large increases in Obamacare premiums being to extend the 2021 'temporary' Obamacare subsidies enacted as part of covid relief legislation. Unfortunately, the Republican alternative appears to be to just send Americans money to use to pay medical costs.

"Politicians with both parties ignore the real cause of price inflation: the Federal Reserve. When the Federal Reserve increases the money supply, it reduces the dollar’s value, thus increasing the average American’s cost of living. A major reason the Fed devalues the dollar is to monetize the ever-increasing federal debt by purchasing Treasury securities. Therefore, an important action the president and Congress could take to make America affordable again would be to reduce federal spending and start paying down the over 38 trillion dollars debt. Congress should also pass legislation forbidding the Federal Reserve from purchasing federal debt.

"Congress should also pass the Audit the Fed bill, legislation exempting precious metals and cryptocurrencies from capital gains taxes, and a repeal of any other laws that prevent Americans from using alternative currencies. Auditing and ending the Federal Reserve is the true affordability agenda."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

https://ronpaulinstitute.org/the-real-affordability-agenda/

Blame your central bank for inflation

People rightly blame politicians running deficits for inflation. But spare some thought for the central bankers who enable them. 

Can’t Afford a Vacation? Blame the Fed. | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

November 3, 2025 - "According to data collected by the research firm Statista, 29 percent of Americans cannot afford to take a vacation this year. A vacation is not the only thing Americans are struggling to afford. The failure of wages to keep up with price inflation is why household debt hit a record level of 18.4 trillion dollars this year, with the average household owing more than 100,000 dollars.

"The Federal Reserve is responsible for the decline in American living standards and the rise in income inequality. The turning point in the people’s economic fortunes was on August 15, 1971. That is when then-President Richard Nixon closed the “gold window,” severing the last link between the dollar and gold. This left America with a purely fiat currency and no restraint on the Federal Reserve’s ability to create money.

"When the Federal Reserve pumps money into the economy the new money is not equally distributed. It first goes to wealthy and well-connected individuals. These individuals benefit from having increased purchasing power before the new money has caused price increases.

"The Fed also contributes to economic instability and inequality by creating bubbles that distort the signals sent by the market. This causes over-investment in some sectors. When bubbles burst, workers employed in certain sectors lose their jobs, while those at top often suffer at most a modest setback. The government bails out the “too big to fail” corporations, but the government never considers workers and homeowners too big to fail.

"The Federal Reserve facilitates the growth of the welfare-warfare state by purchasing Treasury bonds, thus monetizing federal debt. The majority of government spending is on programs benefiting powerful special interests. This includes in large part the military-industrial complex that gobbles up more money from the government each year.

"The Federal Reserve’s continued devaluation of the dollar to finance an empire abroad and a welfare state at home is the driving force behind the erosion of the people’s living standards. As the dollar loses purchasing power, demand for government assistance increases, leading to more government spending, more debt monetization, and a further decline in living standards.

"The fact that almost a third of Americans cannot afford a vacation illustrates how fiat money harms average Americans. Continued growth of federal debt and Fed-created inflation will lead to a major economic crisis. This will either induce or be caused by a rejection of the dollar’s world reserve currency status. The result will be a rise of demagogic authoritarians of both left and right and increased political violence, leading to an increase in government repression.

"Those of us who know the truth must continue to explain that the solution to our problems is a vacation from the welfare-warfare state and the fiat money system that facilitates government growth at the expense of the people’s standards of living and liberty. Limited government, free markets, and peaceful relations and free trade with as many nations as possible are components of the path to lasting peace and prosperity."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/cant-afford-a-vacation-blame-the-fed/

Neocons retake control of U.S. foreign policy

Marco Rubio's installation as U.S. Secretary of State and (acting) National Security Advisor has led to a neocon recapture of American foreign policy. 

The Rubio Doctrine: Neocons Are Back! | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

Oct 27, 2025 - "According to several recent news reports, the two major Trump foreign policy shifts last week are the handiwork of Marco Rubio, the President’s Secretary of State and (acting) National Security Advisor. As with all neocon plans, they will be big on promises and small on delivery.

"First up, according to Bloomberg it was Rubio who finally convinced President Trump to take 'ownership' of the US proxy war on Russia, and for the first time place sanctions on Russia. Up to this point President Trump chose to portray himself as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia. But with this move against Russia’s oil sector he can no longer credibly claim that this is 'Joe Biden’s war.'

"The Trump move followed a confusing few weeks since the Trump/Putin Alaska summit in August. After that meeting Trump dropped the neocon position that a ceasefire in the Russia/Ukraine war must occur before any peace negotiations. It was a sign that Trump was looking more realistically at the war. He also said he did not think Ukraine would win, which is pretty obvious. A surprise call to Putin the day before Ukrainian president Zelensky was to arrive in town just over a week ago reinforced that position and Zelensky left Washington empty-handed. He was seeking Tomahawk missiles that could strike deep into Russian territory.

"Then out of the blue President Trump last week announced through his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that the US would be sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies until Russia declares a ceasefire in the war before negotiations. That won’t happen, but what it does mean is that Rubio and the neocons have successfully gotten Trump to step on the escalation escalator. That is what they always do. It will be much harder to back down now.

"At the same time the US Administration was jumping deeper into the Russia/Ukraine war, a long-time neocon dream was suddenly back in play. Although in Trump’s first term a 'regime change' operation was attempted against Venezuela, it failed spectacularly. But the neocons have long dreamed of overthrowing the Venezuelan government – they almost got their way back in 2002 – and suddenly after several weeks of extrajudicial murder on the high seas in the name of fighting the drug war, President Trump announced that land strikes on Venezuela would begin soon.

"He did mention that he might brief Congress on his plans for war on Venezuela, not that Congress can be bothered to care much one way or the other.

"The neocon old guard that still dominates Washington foreign policy is taking a victory lap. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham was on the Sunday shows beaming over the conversion of 'no regime-change wars' President Trump to 'regime change wars' President Trump.

"The Saddam Hussein WMD factories of 2002 have become the Nicolas Maduro cocaine and fentanyl factories of 2025 and once again the neocon war lies are amplified by the US mainstream media and transmitted to the American people. A new disaster is in the making. The “global war on terror” has been rebranded the “hemispheric war on narco-terror” and the US military industrial complex is rubbing its hands in anticipation of a windfall.

"After John Bolton’s disastrous stint in the first Trump Administration, promises were made that the second Trump Administration would be neocon-free. Instead, the neocons are back. Unless President Trump wakes up soon, the neocons will destroy his second term…and maybe the country."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
ronpaulinstitute.org/the-rubio-doctrine-neocons-are-back/

Political persecution did not begin with Trump

Using government power to harass political opponents was a favorite pastime of American presidents before Donald Trump was even born. 

It Didn’t Start with Trump | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

Oct 20, 2025 - "'What do you expect when you sue the president?' Hearing that comment, some people may guess the comment was made by someone addressing one of President Trump’s political opponents who has been targeted for federal prosecution. That quote, though, is much older. It is from an IRS agent addressing officials of a conservative organization that was being audited during Bill Clinton’s presidency. This illustrates that the use of federal agencies to punish presidents’ enemies did not start with President Trump.

"The administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt used tax investigations against political opponents. Targeted individuals included publishers of newspapers that were highly critical of Roosevelt’s domestic and foreign policies.

"President John F. Kennedy used the IRS and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to drive his conservative critics off the radio. President Lyndon Johnson also used the IRS and the FCC to silence conservative critics. One tool that was used to silence conservatives was to accuse broadcasters of violating the “fairness doctrine” by favoring conservative commentators.

"President Richard Nixon used the IRS to target political enemies. The Nixon administration also threatened television and radio companies with revocation of their broadcast licenses unless they provided favorable coverage of the administration.

"During the Clinton administration, the IRS not only targeted conservative and libertarian organizations. It audited Paula Jones after she sued President Clinton for sexual harassment.

"During the George W. Bush years, the IRS targeted organizations critical of the Iraq War. When Barack Obama assumed the presidency, the tax agency turned its attention back to conservative and libertarian groups, with a focus on organizations associated with the Tea Party. The Department of Homeland Security also issued a warning that those with pro-liberty bumper stickers — including supporting the Libertarian Party or my presidential campaign — might be violent extremists.

"During the Biden administration, many Americans received harsh sentences for being present at the Capitol on January 6 even if they did not commit any violent acts.

"Federal agencies can also target presidents’ political enemies without a presidential order to do so being issued. Some ambitious and unscrupulous individuals will target a president’s enemies believing that this is an effective way to curry favor with the president or high-level administration officials. Others will use the power of the government against the president’s political enemies or those involved with political movements seeking to change the direction of the government out of a belief that these people or groups constitute a threat to the federal government that justifies violating constitutional rights.

"This history suggests that abuse of power is an inevitable feature of the modern welfare-warfare-regulatory state. Therefore, instead of focusing just on electing the 'right' president, we should focus on shrinking the size and scope of the federal government to its constitutional limitations. This will ensure that Americans can exercise their right to criticize the government without fear of reprisal. As Thomas Jefferson said, 'in questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution.'"

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/it-didnt-start-with-trump/

Trump endorses corporatism

President Trump has recently endorsed a policy that is arguably as socialist as anything proposed by New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani or Sen. Bernie Sanders — partial government ownership of private corporations.

Making Corporatism Great Again | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

Sep 8, 2025 - "President Trump has recently endorsed a policy that is arguably as socialist as anything proposed by New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani or Sen. Bernie Sanders — partial government ownership of private corporations.

"Earlier this year, as a condition of approving Nippon Steel’s purchase of US Steel, President Trump demanded Nippon give the US government a 'golden share' in US Steel. This golden share allows the US government to overrule Nippon’s management if the government determines Nippon is acting against US 'national security,' which means the government can overrule many decisions made by Nippon‘s management.

"Unfortunately, Nippon was not a 'one-and-done' excursion into corporatism. President Trump recently struck a deal with computer chip manufacturer Intel to give the company 8.9 billion dollars in government subsidies in exchange for ten percent of Intel’s stock. This deal makes the US government Intel’s largest stockholder!

"The Trump administration has promised that it will not use its position to undermine Intel’s board. However, the administration is reserving the right to counter Intel’s board if the administration determines the board is taking an action that would adversely impact the relationship of the company or its subsidiaries with the US government. So, the Trump administration is yet again giving itself power to manage a nominally private company.

"Enabling the government to control a private company (even if the government does not actually exercise its power) means the company’s management will base its decisions on what will please those currently in power, rather than on the desires of consumers.

"Government investment in corporations will cause politicians to make decisions based on what will profit the companies the government has 'invested' in while those companies’ competitors will seek to attract government investment in order to win special privileges for themselves.

"A corporation partially owned by government will be considered 'too big to fail' since its failure would cause the government to lose the money 'invested' in the businesses. So, the argument will be that a bailout will save the taxpayers money.

"According to a 2024 analysis by the World Bank — an organization not known as a supporter of free-market economics, companies of which government owns ten percent or more are six percent less profitable and have workforces that are 32 percent less productive.

"Some members of the Trump administration have suggested that the federal government take a partial ownership interest in defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has pointed out that big defense contractor Lockheed Martin, for example, is “basically an arm of the US government” since almost all its revenue comes from the US government. Secretary Lutnick has a point, but the closeness between the Pentagon and big corporations is an argument for restoring a noninterventionist foreign policy. Giving the government an ownership interest in defense contractors would allow the war party to argue that militarism is good for the taxpayer because it boosts the value of the government’s “investments”!

"Government 'investment' in private businesses will only worsen the twin plagues of corporatism and cronyism that afflict our political and economic systems. Instead of further entangling government and business, those seeking to make America great again should work to end the welfare-warfare-regulatory state and the fiat money system that makes it possible. The only path to prosperity is through a true free market, limited government, and a foreign policy of peace and free trade."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/making-corporatism-great-again/

Should U.S. Department of Defense rebrand?

U.S. president Trump wants to rebrand the Department of Defense as the "Department of War," its name before 1947. Ron Paul sees potential risks to the rebrand, but also some potential benefits if it's done right. 

Department of War? | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul: 

Sep 2, 2025 - "Last week President Trump took steps to re-name the Department of Defense the 'Department of War.' The President explained his rationale for the name change: 'It used to be called the Department of War and it had a stronger sound. We want defense, but we want offense too … As Department of War we won everything…and I think we…have to go back to that.'

"At first it sounds like a terrible idea. A 'Department of War' may well make war more likely – the 'stronger sound' may embolden the US government to take us into even more wars. There would no longer be any need for the pretext that we take the nation to war to defend this country and its interests – and only as a last resort. As Clinton Administration official Madeleine Albright famously asked of Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell when she was pushing for US war in the Balkans, 'What’s the point of having this superb military that you’re always talking about if we can’t use it?'

"So yes, that is a real danger. But at the same time, the US has been at war nearly constantly since the end of World War II, so it’s not like the 'Defense Department' has been in any way a defensive department. With that in mind, returning the Department of Defense to the Department of War, which is how it started, may not be such a bad idea after all – as long as we can be honest about the rest of the terms around our warmaking.

"If we return to a 'War Department,' then we should also return to the Constitutional requirement that any military activity engaged in by that department short of defending against an imminent attack on the US requires a Congressional declaration of war. That was the practice followed when it was called the War Department and we should return to it.

"Dropping the notion that we have a 'Defense Department' would free us from the charade that our massive military spending budget was anything but a war budget. No more 'defense appropriations' bills in Congress. Let’s call them 'war appropriations' bills. Let the American people understand what so much of their hard-earned money is being taken to support. It’s not 'defense.' It’s 'war.' And none of it has benefitted the American people.

"Trump misunderstands one very important thing in his stated desire to return to a 'War Department,' however. A tougher sounding name did not win the wars. Before the name change, which happened after the infamous National Security Act of 1947 that created the CIA and the permanent national security state, we won wars because for the most part we followed the Constitution and had a Congressional declaration of war. That way the war had a beginning and end and a clear set of goals. Since World War II the United States has not declared war even though it has been in a continuous state of war. It is no coincidence that none of these 'wars' have been won. From 1950 Korea to 2025 Yemen and everything in between.

"So go ahead and change it back to the 'Department of War.' But let’s also stop pretending that maintaining the global US military empire is 'defense.” It’s not."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/department-of-war/

America needs an 'America First' foreign policy

"Americans elected Donald Trump in part for his promise to put America first at home and overseas. He promised a war-weary America that he would start no new wars and would get us out of the existing ones. Eight months into his second Administration it appears his promise remains to be fulfilled," 

 

President Trump Should Return to an ‘America First’ Foreign Policy | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

August 25, 2025 - "After four years of unnecessarily confrontational foreign policy under President Biden, Americans elected Donald Trump in part for his promise to put America first at home and overseas. He promised a war-weary America that he would start no new wars and would get us out of the existing ones. Eight months into his second Administration it appears his promise remains to be fulfilled, as his approval rating continues to slip.

"On Ukraine, President Trump wisely observed coming into office that the conflict is 'Joe Biden’s war' not his own. Unfortunately he could not resist the temptation to get involved in the conflict, even under the guise of 'peacemaker.' I’ve often said that getting out of conflicts overseas is not that complicated: we should just come home. Even when there are no troops involved, 'just come home' means disengage from the conflict. But President Trump wants to play referee in the war while arming and supporting one side. Is it any wonder he is making no progress in ending the war?

"Likewise with Israel and Gaza, Trump’s promise to put America first has faltered. President Biden put Americans on the hook for additional billions of dollars to support Israel’s actions in Gaza without even a word about the slaughter and destruction. As more Americans become disgusted by Israel’s obliteration of the property and population of that tiny strip of land, Trump shows no signs of shifting from Biden’s approach. More money and more weapons are sent as starvation claims more and more children each day. Trump has reportedly remarked to a donor that his own base is turning against him because of his Israel policy. Yet he refuses to alter course and 'just come home.'

"Trump has even returned to the failed Latin America policy of his first Administration, in last week’s move toward a military confrontation with oil-rich Venezuela. Trump sent two warships and 4,000 US troops to the waters near Venezuela under the highly suspect accusation that the country’s president is actually head of an international drug cartel. He should have learned from the almost comical recognition of Juan Guaido as the real president of Venezuela in his first term that meddling in that country is not in America’s interest. It seems the neocons around him, including warhawk Marco Rubio, are sucking him into another unnecessary conflict.

"Add in Trump’s military attacks on Yemen and Iran and the balance sheet thus far does not point to an 'America first' foreign policy.

"There is still time for President Trump to change course and fulfill his promises to the American people. 

• Put Ukraine and Russia on notice that from this point the US is withdrawing from any role in the conflict. Let the Europeans work it out if they feel it is in their interest. Getting us out of NATO is also a good idea.
• End US financial and military support for an Israel that cannot seem to get along with its neighbors. Perhaps without the US backstopping Israel’s warmongering, the country and its leadership would start to reflect on the wisdom of starting wars with multiple countries in its neighborhood.
• Stop trying to overthrow Venezuela’s Maduro and everyone else the neocons have placed on the 'hit list.' End all sanctions and open up trade instead. Maduro’s failed socialist economic policies will be his undoing, not American sanctions or saber-rattling.

"America first above all means 'just come home.' It’s that simple."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

https://ronpaulinstitute.org/president-trump-should-return-to-an-america-first-foreign-policy/

Government statistics downplaying U.S. inflation

A recent survey found almost half of American parents taking on increased debt to buy their children's back-to-school supplies 

Another Reason to Ban Tik-Tok? | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

Aug 18, 2025 - "According to the July Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, prices rose by 2.7 percent over the past year, and by 3.1 percent when the 'volatile' food and housing sectors are removed from the calculation. Markets rose following the release of the CPI since the increase in price inflation was not as high as expected. This led to an increase in expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next month.

"Of course, the CPI numbers are manipulated to understate the true rate, and effects, of inflation. One way this is done is by 'Chained CPI.' This is where the government does not consider consumers impacted by price increases that make their favorite products unaffordable if there are affordable substitutes available – as if government bureaucrats can determine what is and is not an adequate substitute for a good made unaffordable by the Federal Reserve.

"The official government figures do not take into account 'shrinkflation.' This is when a business responds to price inflation by reducing product size and otherwise reducing a good’s quality. Shrinkflation makes it appear that consumers are paying the same prices but in fact they are paying more since they are getting less of the product.

"Examples of 'shrinkflation” include increases in the size of cardboard toilet paper holders by 25 percent. This allows toilet paper companies to reduce the amount of paper per roll while maintaining the same number of rolls per package. 

"Other examples of shrinkflation include using wider bottles with concave bottoms for liquid soap, thus enabling soap manufacturers to hide the 15 percent reduction in the amount of soap per bottle, substituting cheaper vegetable oil for dairy milk in chocolates, and substituting foam pool noodles with an 'angel' hair noodle that contains 40 percent less material. Shrinkflation also exists in the airline industry. Ticket prices may have remained steady, or even declined, but travelers now must pay a fee for many 'frills‘ that used to be included with the ticket, such as baggage check-in, on-flight food and beverage service, and seat selection.

"Those looking for evidence of how inflation is affecting Americans might want to stop looking at CPI reports and instead go on Tik-Tok and other popular social media sites. There they will find videos of parents highlighting the burden placed on the family budget by the skyrocketing price of school supplies. A survey by Bankrate found that 29 percent of family budgets were strained by the growing costs of school supplies, while a survey by Intuit Credit Karma found that 44 percent of parents were going into, or increasing, their family’s debt in order to buy their children school supplies. School supplies prices have even risen at big box retailers like Wal-Mart and Target. Even Dollar Tree has raised some prices to over a dollar!

"The reason so many parents are struggling to afford school supplies is not corporate greed, but the Federal Reserve’s inflationary policies. The best thing Congress can do for America’s families is cut spending, thus reducing the pressure on the Fed to monetize the federal debt thus further weakening the dollar.

"Congress should also reform the monetary system by passing the Audit the Fed bill and repealing all laws that discourage the use of competing currencies such as precious metals and cryptocurrencies. 

"Sadly, even Tik-Tok videos of parents struggling to afford school supplies will likely not cause Congress to take these steps. Instead, the videos are more likely to cause Congress to renew efforts to ban Tok-Tok."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/another-reason-to-ban-tik-tok/