Now that Ron Paul has won the presidential straw poll at CPAC, and given that in his speech there he said "if you disagree with me, think about it – read about it,” I note that I have been thinking, reading and writing about it quite a bit in recent months, and find I disagree with him in an intense and growing way. Here are links to several articles I have written that are relevant to Paul and particularly to his campaign against the Fed:
"Ron Paul's New Book: More Exaggeration and Conspiracy-Mongering." FrumForum, Sept. 8, 2009. My negative review of End the Fed. Excerpt: "His explanation mixes some legitimate concerns into a stew of exaggeration, misdirection and conspiracy-mongering. His solution combines the counterproductive with the untried, and is offered with an ideologue’s certitude that no adverse consequences or difficult tradeoffs need be considered."
"The Tumultuous 19th Century." Research, January 2010. Excerpt: "The course of that century, with its recurrent and severe financial crises, raises considerable doubts about End the Fed, the slogan of Paul’s movement and title of his bestselling book, and whether doing so would really produce greater financial stability and economic prosperity."
"The Fed and Its Enemies." Research, February 2010. Excerpt: "Debates about the Fed’s future should be informed by accurate accounts of the institution’s past, and that means disentangling history from some baseless, even bizarre, beliefs. Moreover, obscure figures are not alone in propagating the misconceptions. Consider how so prominent a politician as Ron Paul promotes the idea that the Fed is private...."
And there is more to come. Soon: a look at the history and prospects of the gold standard.
UPDATE: "The Gleam of Gold."
UPDATE 11/20/10: "The Fed and the GOP Weren't Always Enemies."
UPDATE: 2/25/11: "Furious at Finance."
MORE: "How Did Libertarians Lose Their Way?"
And on Rand Paul: "Paul Plays Politics with Physics."
UPDATE: Updates should not be considered comprehensive, as I have more anti-Ron Paul material than I can find time to include in this post. But here's one more: "Ron Paul's Spaced Out Plan."
