View source for Rand Paul/The story of one rat

== “The story of one rat” ==

'' Translated from Russian [[:ru: Рэнд Пол]]''

The other day, Senator Rand Paul, who has a reputation as a [[libertarian]], with a single vote slowed down the sending of $ 40 billion to Ukrainians for military and humanitarian needs.

Why this odious stunt of his has nothing to do with libertarianism, [[Why I’m ashamed to be a libertarian|I explained earlier]].

Like his father [[Ron Paul]] (and his “godfather” [[Putin]]), Rand blames the war on the United States and NATO because they “provoked” the Russian dictator to wipe out Ukrainian cities. In the Senate, he prevents any assistance to Ukrainians, who are dying today in tens of thousands, losing loved ones and all the property accumulated over their lives. Recently, Paul said that “there are reasons for the invasion” because Ukraine, like other “countries that Russia has attacked lately, was part of Russia ... part of the [[Soviet Union]]” (“[https://www.businessinsider.com/rand-paul-says-ukraine-part-of-russia-debate-blinken-war-2022-4 Rand Paul echoes Putin’s talking points on Ukraine while arguing with Blinken over Russia’s motives for invading]”).

Ironically, Ron Paul named his son after [[Ayn Rand]] [ Actually just a short form of Randal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rand_Paul#Early_life] —Ed ], a fierce anti-Soviet militarist who declared: “anyone has the right to seize” a country where a dictator rules and human rights are not respected. Unlike her, Rand Paul prefers not to fight with dictatorial regimes, but to be close friends with them. Perhaps too tightly and even personally.

Since 2018, Paul has been considered by both parties to be “Russia’s most rabid defender” in Trump’s entourage. He called critics of Trump’s course on rapprochement with Russia “crazy” ([https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/onetime-political-foe-rand-paul-stands-as-trumps-fiercest-defender-on-russia/2018/07/17/f3827eaa-89e7-11e8-8aea-86e88ae760d8_story.html] [https://archive.ph/aTaCX]).

In August 2018, Rand Paul traveled to Moscow in an attempt to mend relations with the Putin regime. He met with several Russian officials, including Sergei Kislyak, a former ambassador to Washington and a key figure in the US election controversy. Paul gave the Putin administration a letter from Trump, where he spoke about the importance of cooperation between the two states in various fields. The senator also invited Russian officials to Washington and called their future visit “incredibly important.”

Of particular note is the fact that Paul was accompanied in Russia by Peter Gettler, president and CEO of the libertarian Cato Institute, who paid for their trip (“[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/sen-rand-paul-goes-to-moscow-and-invites-russians-to-washingtonin-unofficial-bid-to-boost-ties/2018/08/06/0090975a-9945-11e8-8d5e-c6c594024954_story.html Sen. Rand Paul goes to Moscow and invites Russians to Washington in unofficial bid to boost ties]”).

After returning to the States, Rand Paul said that he wanted to personally talk with the president about lifting sanctions against Russian politicians. Trump responded immediately and invited Paul to a round of golf. The White House then described the senator as a person whom “the president loves and with whom he enjoys spending time” (“[https://www.newsweek.com/trump-paul-board-air-force-one-together-leaving-new-jersey-1079850 Trump, Paul Golf Together in New Jersey]”).

However, Paul’s proposal to lift sanctions against the Russians in the committee was rejected by a majority. Opponents directly spoke of his initiative as “encouraging Russian aggression.”

But Paul’s pro-Kremlin efforts did not always end in failure.

In 2018, the US imposed sanctions on Deripaska’s aluminum empire Rusal because he supported the occupation of Crimea. Six months later, the sanctions were, however, lifted. The Senate was only three votes short of keeping sanctions against Putin’s oligarch and his semi-mafia firm. One of the three was the vote of Senator Rand Paul. Since then, Rusal has been allowed to do business in the States.

Rusal soon announced that it was investing $200 million in an aluminum smelter in Kentucky, the state represented by Rand Paul. Coincidence?

For years, Paul in the Senate opposed sanctions against Nord Stream 2. The pipeline would greatly increase Russian gas supplies to Germany, as well as Russia’s political influence in Western Europe. Both would be useful to Putin during the upcoming war (“[https://www.thedailybeast.com/nord-stream-2-sen-rand-paul-fights-sanctions-on-russian-pipeline Rand Paul Fights Sanctions on Russian Pipeline]”).

I don’t think Rand Paul is an idiot who doesn’t understand the consequences of his actions. Similarly, I don’t think he’s a libertarian. His arguments in favor of the policy of “appeasement” of the fascist state, which eventually led to a horrific war in Europe, make no sense and represent a set of cheap sophisms. Rand Paul is, first and foremost, a bureaucrat. His essence as a bureaucrat is to be corrupt, live off money taken by force from others, often bloody money, and serve the interests of the mafia. One or the other.

However, people like Ron and Rand Paul, and members of powerful organizations like the Cato Institute, are still portrayed as “libertarians.” Thanks to the war, so much of the dirty truth about these “libertarians”, their true goals and employers, has been revealed that I fear that the supporters of freedom will soon have to look for another name.