Category Archives: Transhuman News

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who looks more and more like he will pick up where his father left off and run for president in 2016, tried to create some separation between himself and his famous dad in a speech Wednesday.

I am a realist, not a neoconservative, nor an isolationist, Paul began in his opening remarks at the Heritage Foundation.

Paul called for a balanced approach to foreign policy that includes both significant action against radical Islam but also shunned the neoconservative and interventionist strains that dominated the Republican Party for the past decade and which his father, Ron Paul, campaigned vehemently against.

But even as he charted his own course on foreign policy, the differences between he and his father were much more about tone and emphasis than about substance. And indeed, he echoed much of what his father has espoused in recent years.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). (Chip Somodevilla GETTY IMAGES)

While many people think of Ron Paul as an isolationist, its important to note that he identified more as a non-interventionalist i.e. getting involved only in limited circumstances in which American interests were clearly at stake. For example, even as he was a vocal critic of the war in Iraq, he initially voted the authorize the use of force in Afghanistan.

Rand Paul embraced much of his fathers policy of limited intervention on Wednesday, calling for the closure of overseas bases, reluctance to use force, avoidance of nation-building, and the approval of Congress in order to declare war.

In the most telling moment of the speech, he even agreed with one of his fathers most controversial statements, saying western occupation fans the flames of radical Islam.

The difference is that, while Ron Pauls views on so-called blowback were often expressed in a very blunt manner he even said 9/11 was the result of blowback and said that Islam wasnt the enemyRand Paul repeatedly emphasized that the threat of radical Islam is real and quickly pivoted to that message Wednesday, rather than dwelling on the idea of blowback.

Radical Islam is no fleeting fad but a relentless force, he said. Though at times stateless, radical Islam is also supported by radicalized nations such as Iran. Though often militarily weak, radical Islam makes up for its lack of conventional armies with unlimited zeal.

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Rand Paul seeks distance from Ron Paul’s foreign policy — in tone, at least

After a public backlash, former presidential candidate Ron Paul used his Facebook page to clarify controversial comments he made Monday about the Navy SEAL who was killed at a Texas gun range over the weekend.

On Monday, Paul, 77, took cyber heat for a tweet he sent out following the news of the veteran's death.

Paul wrote: Chris Kyles death seems to confirm that hewho lives by the sword dies by the sword. Treating PTSD at a firing range doesnt make sense.

His comments were re-tweeted more than 800 times and most of the responses he received were negative.

Paul backtracked some and offered a clarification on his Facebook page.

He wrote: "As a veteran, I certainly recognize that this weekend's violence and killing of Chris Kyle were a tragic and sad event. My condolences and prayers go out to Mr. Kyles family. Unconstitutional and unnecessary wars have endless unintended consequences. A policy of non-violence, as Christ preached, would have prevented this and similar tragedies. -REP"

Paul has spent much of his congressional career denouncing military intervention overseas. He publicly opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and called them unconstitutional.

Eddie Ray Routh, 25, has been charged with one count of capital murder and two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of Kyle, author of the best-selling book American Sniper and his friend Chad Littlefield. All three were at a shooting range in Glen Rose, Texas. Routh is on suicide watch at the Erath County Jail, where hes being held on $3 million bail.

Kyle, who had four tours in Iraq, was the most lethal sniper in the U.S. He had 160 confirmed kills and received 14 different awards and decorations, including two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with Valor and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. After leaving the Navy, he wrote his biography, American Sniper.

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UNDER FIRE:Ron Paul Clarifies Tweet on SEAL's Death After Uproar

OTTAWA - Former Republican presidential candidate and libertarian Ron Paul will be the marquee speaker at Canada's premier gathering of Conservatives next month, a figure that even organizers bill as controversial.

Paul will speak to the Manning Centre for Building Democracy's networking conference, an event that in the past has drawn Prime Minister Stephen Harper and many of his key cabinet members and advisers.

Paul, referred to by some pundits as the real inspiration behind the Tea Party movement in the United States, is one of the foremost voices for small government including eliminating foreign aid, the education department, key social programs and the war on drugs.

He is staunchly anti-abortion, anti-gun control, and opposed to President Barack Obama's health-care reform. The 77-year-old has advocated for an end to Medicare and Medicaid in the United States.

A Texan, Paul is a former doctor turned congressman and currently the chairman of the Campaign for Liberty. He was able to assemble a loyal following over the course of two Republican races in 2008 and 2011, notably with the use of the Internet.

"We oppose the dehumanizing assumption that all issues that divide us must be settled at the federal level and forced on every American community, whether by activist judges, a power-hungry executive, or a meddling Congress," says the campaign's website.

"We believe in the humane alternative of local self-government, as called for in our Constitution."

Olivier Ballou, a spokesman for the Manning Centre, said centre president Preston Manning himself will engage in an on-stage discussion with Paul following the former presidential candidate's speech.

"He's definitely our biggest attraction and source of controversy," Ballou said. "He's one of those guys that people either love him or hate him. It's fascinating since we announced him seeing the debates online."

On the Manning Centre's Facebook page, commenters were divided about the wisdom of having Paul speak at the conference.

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Controversial Republican Ron Paul to speak to Canadian Conservative gathering

By Shira Schoenberg, Globe Correspondent

Texas Representative Ron Paul on Sunday admitted to being a bit disappointed that he did not win the Maine caucuses, but said he will continue to work to accumulate delegates.

According to Maine results announced Saturday night, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won with 39 percent of the vote, followed by Paul with 35 percent. Paul had been focusing his attention on smaller, caucus states, and was hoping to get his first win in Maine.

Paul, on CBSs Face the Nation, noted that the other campaigns have gone up and down. With changing political, economic, and foreign events, he said, This whole ball game can change rather rapidly.

But Paul declined to single out Romney, the man who beat him, for criticism. Asked by CBSs Bob Schieffer why Romney is having trouble convincing people that he is a conservative, Paul responded, I think if it comes to (former House Speaker Newt) Gingrich or (former Pennsylvania Senator) Santorum, they should suffer the same consequences.

He said Gingrichs and Santorums records are far from being conservative, and none of the candidates have firm convictions. Asked again about Romney, Paul responded, Hes every bit as conservative as any of the other two.

Paul said none of the candidates besides him is talking about changes in foreign policy, monetary policy, or significant spending cuts, and the only differences between the other three are management style.

Asked if he thinks Romney can beat President Obama, Paul said yes.

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Ron Paul will press on despite Maine disappointment

By Shira Schoenberg, Globe Correspondent

Before Saturdays Nevada caucuses, Texas Representative Ron Paul tried to make inroads with the states Mormon voters. It didnt matter.

According to an analysis of the Nevada results by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, based on exit polls, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romneys support among Mormons dropped slightly between 2008 and 2012 from 95 percent to 88 percent. That remains an overwhelming amount of support for Romney, a former leader in the Mormon Church. Around one quarter of caucusgoers were Mormon.

Romney won the Nevada caucuses with 50 percent of the vote, followed by Newt Gingrich with 21.1 percent, Ron Paul with 18.7 percent, and Rick Santorum with 9.9 percent.

The Globe reported that Paul had been reaching out to Mormon voters. And Paul did come in second among Mormons but with just 5 percent of the vote, up from 3 percent in 2008.

In fact, the results showed that Paul would do well to keep religion out of his politics. Paul did best among religiously unaffiliated voters, winning 54 percent of that group. (Paul won among non-religious voters in 2008 as well, when he came in second overall.)

For Romney, the most significant takeaway is that he is continuing to struggle to get widespread support from evangelical voters. His margin of victory among non-evangelicals was twice as large as his margin of victory among evangelicals. Polls have found that evangelical voters tend to be wary of Romneys Mormon faith.

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Ron Paul wins few votes from Mormons in Nevada