Patriot,

In these difficult times, when serious people look with shock and
awe at what today's government is capable of getting away with -
from unconstitutional mass surveillance of American citizens to
downright Deep State meddling in national political affairs -
it's easy to think we've turned some new, dark corner in our
national history.

But as I explain in my latest column, which you can read below,
what we're witnessing isn't actually new at all.

The weaponization of politics is an American tradition.

That might seem demoralizing, but in truth, the fact our country
has endured the episodes I describe in my column proves the
strength of our constitutional system.

In times like these, we should not despair, but remember that
those who came before us faced even greater challenges.

We must stand strong, regardless of political affiliation, and
even in the face of intimidation, in support of impartial
administration of justice.

Read my column below, and if you agree, please support Campaign
for Liberty's efforts to restore the Rule of Law in America.
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For Liberty,

Ron Paul
Chairman, Campaign for Liberty


Weaponization of Politics, an American Tradition

President Donald Trump is hardly the first political figure who
has had the legal and policy processes weaponized against him. In
fact, there is a long and shameful history of U.S. politicians
and bureaucrats weaponizing governmental powers against their
political opponents.

The First Amendment was not even a decade old when fear of
influence on America by French agents was used to support the
passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts. This outlawed "false,
scandalous, and malicious writing" against the U.S. government,
Congress, or the president and made it illegal to conspire "to
oppose any measure or measures of the government of the United
States."

The weaponization of politics is another example of how hysteria
over alleged foreign threats leads to less liberty. The claim
that opponents of U.S. government policy were serving interests
of France is an early example. Sadly, critics of U.S. government
policy have been smeared for spreading disinformation to benefit
hostile foreign powers many times since.

During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln oversaw the
shutting down of newspapers and even the arresting of state
legislators. After the U.S. became involved in World War I,
Congress passed a new Sedition Act banning "disloyal, profane,
scurrilous, or abusive language" toward the military or U.S.
government. This act was used to imprison Eugene Debs, who then
ran for president as the Socialist Party nominee while in prison.


Opponents of U.S. involvement in World War II were accused by
supporters of U.S. military intervention of being a "fifth
column" for Germany's government. Later, opponents of wars in
Vietnam, Iraq, and other countries where the U.S. intervened were
subjected to government surveillance and harassment.

Critics of U.S. foreign policy may be the first critics of the
U.S. government targeted for opposing government policies, but
they are not the last. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover targeted the
civil rights movement and wiretapped and harassed Martin Luther
King Jr. Hoover also kept files on those he deemed subversives,
including even the pop music group The Monkees.

Presidents of both parties have used the IRS against their
political enemies. As an IRS agent told the head of a
conservative organization who was being audited after calling for
the impeachment of then-President Clinton, "What do you expect
when you target the president?"

The drafters of the Constitution knew those with power would
always be tempted to use the power against their opponents.
Hence, they created a limited government where power was diffused
and checked. Unfortunately, American politicians gave in to the
temptation to weaponize the law against their opponents in the
early days of the Republic.

Since then, the growth of government has led to the growth of an
unelected and unaccountable bureaucracy that plays an important
role for the deep state. The deep state pursues its own agenda
regardless of the wishes of the people. The deep state works to
subvert those who oppose its agenda, using tactics up to and
including assassination in the case of President Kennedy.

A lesson of this history is that people who desire liberty should
not trust the U.S. government to advance liberty. Instead, they
need to be vigilant in ensuring the government acts within the
limits stated in the Constitution. Making sure the government is
pursuing a policy of peace and free trade abroad is also
essential to promoting liberty at home.
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great American principles of individual liberty, constitutional
government, sound money, free markets, and a constitutional
foreign policy, by means of education, issue advocacy, and
grassroots mobilization.

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and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

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contributions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions
(IRC § 170) or as business deductions (IRC §
162(e)(1)).

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