Update: Justin Raimondo answers objections.
The internet monk has recently stopped supporting Dr. Ron Paul. Why? Because of the release of the many newsletters written under Paul’s name, which include strong language against blacks, homosexuals, etc. In light of Michael’s disassociation, I would like to make a few observations:
a) I respect Michael Spencer (internet monk). He is a good man who has done some great things for the gospel. I even subscribe to his podcast. His ministry of teaching and aiding the poor is honorable.
b) His reasons for disassociating from Dr. Paul are extremely personal. That is, Internet monk works with Blacks, Hispanics, Koreans, etc. Hence, anything that bears an association with racism will be offensive to Mr. Spencer on a personal level. Mr. Spencer has every right to be weary. It is true that Ron Paul was at one time (maybe 20 years ago) associated with some people who spoke out against welfarism and made some remarks that would deem to be racist. I am sure I associated myself with people who held to radically different ideas contrary to mine, but does that mean I am to be held accountable, even if they speak on my behalf? This would be a great opportunity for Mr. Spencer to teach his students that what people say does not always represent accurately what someone else believes.
c) It is true that some of the remarks were a bit too severe, but were they all false?
d) The President of the NAACP in Austin, Texas said that Ron Paul could never be a racist. Austin NAACP President Nelson Linder, who has known Ron Paul for 20 years, unequivocally dismissed charges that the Congressman was a racist in light of recent smear attempts, and said the reason for him being attacked was that he was a threat to the establishment.
e) Though these newsletters were printed in Ron Paul’s name, Paul cannot keep up with all things at the same time nor can he edit everything. At that particular time Dr. Paul was practicing medicine, delivering babies ( a lot of black babies I must add), and doing other things, there were seven newsletters being printed under his name. He could not monitor everything while doing all that he was doing at the time. Paul has already apologized in the last 15 years for not being stricter on the writers of the newsletters. This is not the first time people are making this accusation.
f) Most importantly, those who wrote those letters could not be true libertarians, because libertarians do not see things in collectivist terms, rather they see people as individuals. Libertarians do not see groups of black and groups of white, rather they see individual people with unique God-given rights.
h) In the end, it is Ron Paul’s policies that matter not what someone wrote using his name 20 years ago. The truth is: to make Dr. Paul a racist would require someone to re-write all his policies. Paul is actually the only one who speaks about abolishing the unnecessary drug laws which discriminates against blacks.
Perhaps Mr. Spencer needs to re-consider his disassociation.
