Idiots like Chris Petrilli think that this is an "articulate deconstruction of why Ron Paul is dangerous".

Chris conveniently disables comments on posts with which people might disagree, so I reply here.

The "article" is not so much a deconstruction as an emotional roller-coaster ride through what Ron Paul has said about a few arcane topics that are of disproportional importance to the author of the "article".

The facts are that, yes, Ron Paul is not as well-educated on science as we would like. Yes, he has been recorded stating that evolution is "just a theory".

But there is a greater moral principle that scientists shouldn't get to run other people's lives just because they think they're right. The FDA shouldn't be able to prevent you from taking human growth hormone, or taking steroids, or smoke pot, or take useless nutritional supplements, because it thinks those things are bad for you.

The U.S. presidency is a supremely powerful position. The U.S. president has more or less direct control over some 1/3 of all things done in the United States. This makes most candidates personal beliefs suspect and dangerous, because given this power, they will try to use it in accordance with their personal beliefs.

But the purpose of Ron Paul's candidacy is to reduce this power. He is not running for office on the premise that he will enforce his moral views. He is running on the premise that he will increase everyone's freedom, including the freedom of those with whom he agrees, as well as those with whom he does not.

Ron Paul is in favor of devolving the U.S. federal government. He is in favor of reducing it in size by factors of magnitude, and letting the states govern themselves.

Yes, the ensuing deregulation might make your life slightly more dangerous to the extent that people trying to sell you cherries or pomegranates might find it easier to dupe you into believing that the fruit protects against Alzheimer's. But it is not the role of the government to protect you from this. People got along without an FDA just fine before Fascist. D. Roosevelt came along. And we can get along without an FDA again.

The role of scientists is to do research and publish results. It is not their role to intrude on people's lives and prevent them from doping up on human growth hormone if they want to. Nor to lock up grandmas if they are found growing marijuana for medicinal use. Or for whoever's use!

The current U.S. government is fascist. So are most social democracies abroad. Ron Paul is pretty much your only hope to live in a country that might once again be as free as that of its founding fathers.