Martin Michaels
“The neo-conservative era is dead. The ill-advised policies pushed by the neo-cons have everywhere led to chaos and destruction, and to a hatred of the United States and its people,” writes retired Congressman Ron Paul in a recent press release.
After retiring from office in January, Paul hasn’t exited the Washington stage quietly. Rather, he recently announced he will be forming “The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity” — a think-tank that will challenge ardent Republican and Democratic support for wars abroad, and big government approaches to social and economic problems.
“Multi-trillion dollar wars have not made the world a safer place; they have only bankrupted our economic future,” Paul said.
Paul retired in January after serving his Texas constituency for more than 30 years. An ardent libertarian, Paul was frequently at odds with his Republican colleagues, voting consistently to oppose those policies that he saw as unconstitutional. Paul is a libertarian but ran for president twice on the Republican party ticket, seeking to win the nomination. He ran as a Libertarian in 1988, receiving 431,179 votes.
“It [the think-tank] will fill the growing demand for information on foreign affairs from a non-interventionist perspective through a lively and diverse website, and will provide unique educational opportunities to university students and others,” his office says.
Paul consistently called for an end to U.S. wars abroad, standing alone as the only Republican to vote against the Iraq War resolution in 2002. As a minority voice within his own party, Paul frequently criticized major Republican leaders, including Ronald Reagan, whom he called “a dramatic failure,” declaring in 1988 that the “Republicans are on their way out as a major party.”
His statements may seem like hyperbole as Paul, 77, now turns his efforts to education and outreach to oppose the predominant neoconservatism that informs policies of the Republican Party.
Neoconservatism was championed by President George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and others who tout U.S. military might and support the U.S. position as policeman and “peacekeeper” across the world.
“I would immediately back off from the Middle East. We are not in a declared war. Why fight these wars? Bin Laden is dead and al-Qaeda, our CIA says basically isn’t in Afghanistan anymore,” said Paul in a 2011 statement.
The Institute hopes to create a multiparty coalition to support this new, non-interventionist U.S. foreign policy. “The Institute will serve as the focal point of a new coalition that crosses political, ideological and party lines,” his office says.
Prominent supporters have already lined up to back the Institute. The Institute’s board now consists of Rep. Walter Jones, Jr. (R-N.C.), Rep. John Duncan, Jr. (R-Tenn.), former Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Judge Andrew Napolitano.
Paul also hopes to expand his homeschooling curriculum for students, which he describes as a program that will provide students “education in liberty like no other.” The curriculum was launched earlier this month with a focus on the Constitution.