Vintage Video: 1988 Ron Paul Slams Chubby Drug War Advocate

By Christopher Robbins
The Gothamist

Ron Paul, besides having legions of fans that will break your kneecaps if you speak ill of him, has been advocating for the end of the War on Drugs for many years. Young people enjoy hearing him talk about this because Knife Hits are in the Constitution. Aside from the “legalize heroin” thing, it makes good sense! Here’s Dr. Paul appearing on the proto-shouty-rightwing program The Morton Downey Jr. Show in 1988, forcefully advocating his position before a chunky young Republican who advocates that we “use the military” to enforce the country’s draconian (and racist) drug laws.

As Paul astutely notes, it’s foolish to think “some monolithic government is gonna make you take care of yourself and be a better person…Why don’t they put you on a diet, you’re a little overweight!”

WOW! Who is this hirsute young Congressman from Texas? Is he available to be president? Obama supposedly had a Drug Czar that was going to stop the pointless “war” but that didn’t pan out was before he and his administration turned out to be centrist lackeys maintaining the status quo for the corporate class. You live and you learn!

Somewhat less endearing is Paul’s position that the government should not be in the business of assisting the sick and poor, as evidenced in Monday’s GOP debate when Wolf Blitzer asks Dr. Paul what should be done about an uninsured, previously healthy man on the brink of death. Try to NOT be disgusted when his supporters gleefully agree that “society should let him die.”