By Ron Paul
By the time most of you read this column, we will have a new US President. Donald J. Trump will be inaugurated for his second term today at 11:30 AM, Eastern time, and many Americans are hopeful that the disastrous foreign policy of the past four years under Biden will be improved. There is good news and bad news. First the good news. It is no surprise that Trump’s appointees to foreign policy and national security positions are to the person very hawkish on China. However Trump, as he often does, has defied conventional wisdom on what his China policy might be by not only inviting Chinese leader Xi Jinping to attend the inauguration, but actually picking up the telephone and having a conversation with his Chinese counterpart. According to a read-out of the call, the two discussed “trade, fentanyl, TikTok, and other subjects” and agreed to remain in regular contact. Winston Churchill is often (inaccurately) credited with the phrase “jaw-jaw is better than war-war,” but nonetheless it is an accurate statement. It is much better to engage even with “adversaries” than to refuse contact and add more sanctions. Those who prefer sanctions over communications are the true isolationists. On TikTok, the popular application has credited Trump with preventing the Congressional ban from taking effect. If true, it is another good Trump move in favor of our Constitutional free speech guarantees. Likewise with Russia, media reports suggest that holding a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin will be among the first things Trump does as President. That is great news for all of humanity, as Biden’s dangerous proxy war in Ukraine and refusal to communicate with the Russian president has brought us to the very edge of a once-unimaginable nuclear exchange. When the end of life on earth is at stake, it is reckless to ignore the possibility of de-escalation. In the Middle East, incoming President Trump is being credited with securing a ceasefire in Gaza, an achievement the Biden Administration seemed incapable of or uninterested in seriously attempting for the past year. Does Trump deserve all the credit? We don’t know. But we do know that thousands have been needlessly slaughtered while Biden dithered and sent more weapons. The wholesale destruction of Gaza with US bombs and financial support will be Biden’s enduring legacy and a stain on everyone involved. The bad news is that because of President Trump’s decision to appoint the most hawkish advisors, he will be surrounded by individuals who will constantly encourage him to confront rather than disengage. For example, his special envoy on the Ukraine war has recently boxed Trump in on Iran by declaring a return to the failed “maximum pressure” campaign of his first Administration. The policy failed to achieve the desired results when first implemented and it will fail again if adopted again. Why? Iran has developed far more extensive trade ties outside the influence of the US government, for example among the BRICS countries. It is not possible to isolate Iran as it has been in the past. As with China and others, with Iran it would be far better to jaw-jaw than to war-war. Let’s hope President Trump understands that. We will no doubt see some disappointments in incoming President Trump’s foreign policy, but there are solid reasons to be cautiously optimistic. Particularly when measured against his predecessor.
RPI's Daniel McAdams and Chris Rossini separate the news from the propaganda in this discussion of the REAL news of the week.
Will The J6 prisoners be freed? Will they be tossed into the street? Today in an extraordinary Liberty Report, businessman and philanthropist - and Ron Paul Institute Board Member - Gary Heavin will let us in on a massive effort underway to make sure that any January 6th protesters pardoned by incoming President Trump are not simply dropped into the street with no food, clothing, or shelter. Across the country - in nearly every state - Americans are mobilizing to help the wrongly detained American political prisoners arrested after January 6th, 2021. You can help the efforts by visiting: https://www.givesendgo.com/FREEDOMSAMBASSADOR
Sen. Marco Rubio is a shoo-in for Secretary of State in the coming Trump Administration, but will the long-time neocon interventionist last long in an administration elected to pursue a new kind of foreign policy? Politico writes today that he may have a very short run at Foggy Bottom. Also today: Why is Trump's Ukraine envoy accepting highly paid speaking gigs from a Marxist-terrorist cult?
Incoming President Trump's National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, has signaled that Ukraine must start recruiting even younger men into the meat grinder. After the loss of an estimated 600,000 men, Waltz is calling for even more killing, even as it is becoming obvious to even the mainstream media that Russia is winning the war. Is Waltz speaking for Trump? Also today: troops on the border? Will it work?
President Biden will deliver his final foreign policy speech today at the State Department, where it is anticipated he will claim that his foreign policy has left the US in a better position in the world than when he took office four years ago. Is he right? Also today: a new poll suggests that a full half of the executive branch bureaucracy plans to "resist" the policies of the incoming Trump Administration. What should be done?
By Ron Paul
Even though we are two weeks into 2025, I want to suggest some more New Year’s resolutions. The Federal Reserve should resolve to stop enabling excessive federal spending by purchasing Treasury bonds, thus monetizing the federal debt. The Federal Reserve’s monetization of federal debt enables the federal government to amass trillions of debt while running a global empire abroad and a welfare state at home. The American people feel the effects of the Fed’s debt monetization in the form of the regressive inflation tax. Eventually the monetization of federal debt will lead to a major economic crisis caused by, or resulting in, the rejection of the dollar’s world reserve currency status. The Federal Reserve should also resolve to refrain from developing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). A digital currency controlled by the Fed will give government new power to violate Americans’ financial privacy. The media should resolve to stop gaslighting the American people with misinformation. For example, the media should stop repeating the lie that a failure to raise the debt ceiling will lead to a government default on its debts. The truth is a refusal to raise the debt ceiling would force Congress to reduce present and future spending — just like most people do when they find themselves in debt. Another example of false news is that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was unrelated to the US supported 2014 coup in Ukraine and the breaking of the promise that if the Soviet Union withdrew from Eastern Europe the US would not support expanding NATO. Finally, those committed to the cause of liberty should resolve to increase their understanding of the benefits of liberty and the dangers of authoritarianism. This means studying the works of libertarian thinkers like Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard as well as of the opponents of liberty on both the left and right. It also means staying up to date with current events and trying to find the truth behind the lies of the mainstream media and the political class. Understanding our opponents’ arguments helps us win debates and, more importantly, win converts. Those wishing to advance the cause of liberty should spend time thinking about how their skills and interests can be best used to help the cause. Some people are best suited to run for public office while others are drawn to teaching or working for a public policy “think tank.” There is a great need for more journalists who understand economics and liberty. There is also a need for pro-liberty individuals who make movies, write books, and preform music. I have always believed music must be part of any successful libertarian revolution. Anyone who doubts the importance of culture should consider how many people were introduced to the ideas of liberty through Ayn Rand’s novels, and how many people came to understand the evils of authoritarianism through the novels of George Orwell. The liberty movement also needs more people willing to not just fund candidates but also to invest in those organizations developing and spreading information about the ideas of liberty and the dangers of all forms of authoritarianism. I hope everyone joins me in resolving to make 2025 a year of liberty, peace, and prosperity.
President-elect Trump caused many Americans to wince and scratch their heads this week. Trump succeeded in getting so many Americans to go out and overwhelmingly vote for “America First” and to focus on handling our country’s overwhelming problems. But over the last week, ideas that were not presented during the campaign have been floated: “North America” First and the additions of Canada and Greenland to the United States. Where did this come from?
The utter incompetence of the political class is on display as Los Angeles and California leadership watch the area burn to the ground. And the fire hydrants have no water in them. But...there's still money for Ukraine! Also today, Trump gets it right on the Russia/Ukraine war.
Politico has published an article accusing the billionaire businessman Elon Musk of "meddling" in foreign politics by expressing his opinion on foreign leaders. Is "meddling" just the new "disinformation" - i.e. people saying or doing things the elite does not like?
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