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Ron Paul Defends The 99 Percent: ‘It’s a Very Healthy Movement’
ThinkProgress / Video Report
Published: Monday 5 December 2011
Ron Paul defends the Occupy movement.
Though most Republican presidential candidates make a point of trashing the 99 Percent Movement in an attempt to earn favor among far-right voters, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) had kind words for the popular movement recently.
During a campaign stop in Concord late last month, Paul was asked for his thoughts about Occupy Wall Street. Unlike other GOP candidates who have denigrated the protestors, including Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann, Paul defended the movement and attacked those who used ad hominem attacks against it. “In many ways, it’s a very healthy movement,” said the Texas congressman. He went on to push back against absurd criticisms of the movement: “I’m not one to say, ‘why don’t you get a bath and go get a job and quit crybabying.’ I don’t like that at all.”
PAUL: In many ways, it’s a very healthy movement. I’m not one to say, “why don’t you get a bath and go get a job and quit crybabying.” I don’t like that at all. I think that’s a misunderstanding of where the unemployment comes from. The unemployment comes from policy, government policy, and it’s the federal reserve and the business cycle is not a consequence of free markets. That doesn’t mean I think they’re all perfect out there. [...]
When spontaneous movements occur in a country, the johnny-come-latelys like to join and redirect the original intent of the Tea Party Movement and the original intent of the Occupiers, so for that reason the political people get involved and they try to grab hold of the message, and I think that’s been the case on both sides.
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ABOUT Scott Keyes
Scott Keyes is an investigative researcher for ThinkProgress.org at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Scott went to school at Stanford University where he received his B.A. in Political Science and M.A. in Sociology. He has appeared on MSNBC and TBD Newstalk TV and been a guest on many radio shows. His writing has been published by The Atlantic, Politico, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Scott comes to DC from southwest Ohio, a state very near and dear to his heart.
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17 comments on "Ron Paul Defends The 99 Percent: ‘It’s a Very Healthy Movement’"
December 06, 2011 8:17pm
He's pandering to the exact opposite of his normal Tea Party...
December 06, 2011 1:17pm
Don't let the (R) fool you he is not a neocon or a RINO. Taxing any man 60% is stupid. It should be a fair tax (Gary Johnson) close the loopholes and exceptions as Kristi Noem proposed in her CNN interview. Let's get the money out of politics and limit donations to the individual limit of $2500.00 no more unlimited donations to any politicians whether its from a corporation/union/superPAC!
December 06, 2011 8:47am
He's wanting to get the independent vote, and those on the fence. No matter how you look at this guy, he's a Republican. That in itself is reason enough to disregard anything this man has to say. Rewriting the tax code would straighten out 95% of this country's problems. Get Rid of All Tax Loopholes is the first thing to do. Secondly we need "20 Brackets to $20Million" with a top marginal rate of 60%.
December 06, 2011 7:50am
As a dyed in the wool radical who has been ranting about politics for 35 years only to see thing getting worse with every new president, I am not ready to dismiss Ron Paul as a candidate. Why have things gotten worse? Because every president was a part of the corrupt structure that is beholden to the Oligarchs. We backed Obama because of his promises to change. But, we never asked him to elaborate because we were so intent on making sure we didn't get another Bush in office. What was the result? We got another Bush that made Bush look like Obama's pupil (Meet the new boss, same as the old boss).
Since there are not going to be any armed revolutions in Amerikkka, we are faced with the prospect of another disappointing election. Are we going to vote for Obama, a man who has betrayed all we believe in, and has helped relegate us to serfs by expanding the wars, favoring the Oligarchs (his employers) and generally not standing up to the RepubliThugs? If not Obama, then who? Newt Gingrich, one of the architects of the "contract on America." Rick Perry, a man just as dumb as Bush? We do not have many choices, Ron Paul has been consistent with his message for 25 years. He is the only one that proposes changes to the system and not just changing the face. He is against war, the primary reason for our staggering debt. He wants to abolish the FED, the instrument through which the Oligarchs rule over us and corrupt our system. He wants to rid us of the intrusive TSA. I don't hear any of the other candidates saying anything near this. He even had the audacity to criticize AmeriKKKa's partner in crime - Israel.
Is he perfect? Hardly. Do I agree with everything he wants, probably not. But, what I do know, what he has proposed, I like. If elected, will he be able to implement all of what he wants? Probably not, because he would be fighting an uphill battle against the entrenched crooks whose boat he would be rocking.
I normally do not vote because experience has proven to me that every president will turn out bad and I could not live with my conscience knowing I helped put a man in to office who will not blink when bombing innocent civilians in a foreign country -- I have had it! Ron Paul at least provides a real glimmer of hope. He is definitely not an insider as witnessed by his fellow politicians and corporate media marginalizing him and his message.
Whether he gets the nomination on the Republican ticket or as a third party candidate, I, and I never thought the day would come that I would say this, I shall vote, and it may be for a Republican.
December 06, 2011 5:39am
It's not just Republican candidates that have ridiculed Occupy. The major media and even some of the left media have done so, because it presents a threat to the status quo.
One of the worst examples of the latter was Sally Kohn's disgusting opinion piece in the September 27th American Prospect. She could not have gotten her patronizing, denigrating, stenographic, hyperbolic garbage published without the approval of the editors, obviously.
She later recanted some of those clueless and gratuitous opinions, I suspect more because of the heat they generated rather than her having some kind of a "moment of clarity." But even her expression of a change of heart during an interview on CNN was unconvincing. Originally certain that she'd hit a home run, she now seems to think it was merely a triple, when in fact she struck out.
December 05, 2011 9:15pm
Bravo, Naomi . . . I have children who are artist and perform on these stages. Art is for all! I have met the donors to these great companies, and I am grateful for their donations. I, too, donate, but in proportion to my income. All should donate! I also agree that art must be brought to the people . . . that our children need to have the exposure to these events. Today I was given a tardy excuse for a student who was late. The note was written on the back of a parking lot pass for a football game. It would have been a nice surprise to see an opera ticket. Besides attending the ballet and choral music, I have purchased tickets to a pro-football game $176 a piece. I believe that our performers and athletes need to be paid . . . but . . .
December 05, 2011 7:01pm
check your facts. Ron Paul is for single payer healthcare, not the insurance industry designed joke that is Obamacare and sold out by the Dems. I am a progressive lefty and I would vote for Paul in a heartbeat just for his anti-Fed and anti war stance. No other candidate, Dem or Republican, is willing to defy the Mil/Ind complex or Wall Street.
December 06, 2011 5:19am
I shared your opinions until few months ago. Then I discovered his extensive connections with the John Birch Society. Pretty scary and disappointing to say the least.
You should look it up.
December 05, 2011 7:00pm
Whether one agrees with him or not, Ron Paul is an honest man who says exactly what he believes. As such, he is the rarest of rarities in political life. A certain percentage of his followers have been involved with the "occupy" movement from the beginning and although as "liberatarians" they are in the minority, they are as welcome as anybody else as long as they are willing to state their case while abiding by the "process" of respect and equality for all.
December 05, 2011 6:54pm
We all pay for the better income and benefits of the 1%, Angelo. The unions create better wages and benefits for the non union workers. Also, check out 'Sicko' to educate yourself on comparative health care systems, Angelo.
December 05, 2011 6:18pm
If he's not against us, he's for us (so said Jesus Christ) and for him to say that he's actually on our side shouldn't be dismissed. As for healthcare, Obama chose to rob Peter to pay Paul. Those he forces to buy health insurance support those who can't afford it. It's the same principle that unions employ. We all pay (90% of us are non-unionized) for the better wages and benefits of the 10% that are unionized. Maybe without government (the Paul idea), the 99% will send people to Cuba where they educate 1,000'2 of doctors (for free) and distribute them worldwide (yes, even to the U.S.) If we leave healthcare up to government, it just turns into politicians and industry lining their pockets at our expense.
December 06, 2011 5:15am
Your comments are too strange.
You have less because workers collectively bargain and express their political opinions? This sounds like the Koch brothers line: Disenfranchise union members and do the same to minorities, students, elders, etc.
The billionaire Kochs don't want to pay their fair share of taxes, hence their support of a hundred think tanks and some academic prostitutes to crank out propaganda that supports their agenda. So they don't want to pay for the roads their trucks roll across, the pollution of the air and water around their refineries, the spills from their pipelines, or I suppose, even the street lights because they don't need to walk or cycle anywhere.
Government health care works fine in a host of countries as near to us as Canada. In fact, given the relationship between politicians and industry, especially insurance and big pharma, it is the only way costs can be contained.
Cuba has been very generous to the world, providing doctors for the most disavantaged communities and countries. But thinking that they could fill in the gap to assure delivery of healthcare to those without in the U.S. betrays a prodigious lack of understanding of basic math.
December 05, 2011 3:46pm
"Its not the business cycle", even though tax breaks for the business cycle are used to invest in cheap overseas jobs, even though the business cycle has driven wages down and driven working hours up, even though the business cycle won't contribute to health or education etc, can plunder the land with impunity, pollute for free etc. Its not the business cycle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZU3wfjtIJY
December 05, 2011 3:16pm
Ron Paul intends to abolish the TSA. I want this.
December 05, 2011 2:11pm
he doesnt "like that at all" lol hmmn but he likes it when people who dont have insurance dont get care. typical repulsive hypocrite.
December 05, 2011 5:12pm
You are then misinformed of his beliefs. Him, Kucinich, and Gravel are the only ones in the running (if the latter two switch to 'independent') who are not owned by the banking elite. All you hear is Paul's end goal which wouldn't work at this moment because it requires an end to the corruption and a transition period.
You are falling for the soundbites. Besides, it doesn't matter if you agree with him or not because he won't force and manipulate his beliefs onto the people. He follows the constitution and the will of the people, which his voting record proves.
December 05, 2011 1:30pm
I would be hesitant to take Ron Paul's statement as factual. When his entire agenda or philosophy is taken into account, it is hard to believe that his siding with the 99% in any way would be altruistic or heart felt. I see it more as a savvy politician knowing how to manipulate and how to get the most out of someone else's parade. Right wingers are having a field day with crisis politics and using the shock doctrine tactics to achieve what they want. The 99% are just waking up from a long 30 or 40 year nap and have a lot of catching up to do in the area of knowing how to get what they want and need.