Ron Paul Liberty Report

As the second day of the extradition hearing for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange continues in London, the lines of argumentation of both sides are taking shape. While the US tries to argue that Wikileaks publishing harmed individuals who aided the US government, there is little evidence to back the claim. Will the UK courts roll over for a Washington that would like to see, as former FBI Director Comey suggested, "Assange's head on a pike"?

Will the "bipartisan consensus" in Washington blame the coronavirus for the coming economic downturn? Why does the US media seem so uninterested in Julian Assange's extradition hearing today? Today's Liberty Report is all about the chaos exploding all around us...

The price of gold, the supreme money, has been steadily rising and topping $1,650. Since September of last year, the Federal Reserve has been printing new money at a voracious pace. While all of this new money is being created, the Coronavirus is affecting economic output. The tinderbox of rising prices continues to heat up.

President Trump must have been thrilled at the horrible circus that was the Democratic Party debate in Las Vegas last night. Rather than offer substance, it descended into a cacophony of accusations and insults. Bloomberg himself remarked that the whole thing would only end up getting more votes for Trump.

Nine years after a US-led attack on Libya and murder of its leader, the democracy and liberation promised by Hillary Clinton and her band of "humanitarian interventionists" has never arrived. Instead, the once-wealthiest African country is mired in civil war and the standard of living has plummeted. There are several warring factions and militias vying for control, none of which seems strong enough to rule the country. This is a valuable cautionary tale about the disasters of US interventionism - which is precisely why no one wants to talk about it.

Listening to the howls from Democrats and the applause from Republicans, one would think President Trump’s proposed fiscal year 2021 budget is a radical assault on the welfare state. The truth is the budget contains some minor spending cuts, most of which are not even real cuts. Instead they are reductions in the “projected rate of growth.”

The US and Taliban have reportedly arrived at a deal to begin drawing US troops down from the current 13,000 to 8,600 and then...well no one knows. The initial reduction of hostilities will begin on 22 February and if successful the drawdown will follow. Already neocons in Washington are warning Trump not to be "too hasty" about ending the 18 year war. Will the US finally come home from Afghanistan? Don't count on it!

The big news last year was that billionaire oligarchs Charles Koch and George Soros were "burying the hatchet" and teaming up to fund a new US foreign policy based on restraint rather than "endless wars." From that cooperation came the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, as well as additional funding for other organizations working on "restraint." Is this a game-changer or is it an attempt to re-brand old ideas and discredited individuals and institutions?

The Fed's counterfeiting has created the biggest economic bubble in history. A severe economic crisis will be the inevitable result. Indications from Fed Chairman Powell are that more QE will be on the way. Can an increase in the disease succeed in being the cure?

Sen. Rand Paul joins today's Liberty Report with an exclusive report on recent Senate actions on War Powers and Iran. Plus - what's happening on the Hill after the explosive "Afghanistan Papers" revealed the 18 year lie. Bonus: Rand on Snowden. Don't miss this one!

President Trump's State Department has for the first time cancelled US funding for Palestinian security forces who cooperate with their Israeli counterparts to reduce violence in the West Bank. As Israel appears poised to annex the West Bank, is this a pre-text for that action? Is there a quid pro quo for Trump in suspending this aid that no one wants to talk about?

There is a growing grassroots movement among conservatives across the United States to encourage US withdrawal from seemingly endless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. State legislatures are getting in the game, passing legislation restricting state guard units from deploying overseas unless war has been declared by Congress. Idaho Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin has spearheaded efforts across the country to end endless wars.

Why do the Democrats keep swinging and missing at Trump? They can’t make a good case for abuse of power because they don’t really oppose Trump’s most egregious abuses of power.

The annual charade of the Executive branch presenting a budget proposal for the next year began today. President Trump presented a massive $4.8 trillion budget proposal that gives the impression of slashing domestic spending while boosting spending on militarism. Do we really need what the Pentagon is buying? Do military spending increases really make us safer...or less safe?

US Rep. and Democratic Party presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard joins today's Liberty Report to discuss the real resonance of her antiwar message among New Hampshire voters. But why is the corporate media and even her own party doing its best to make sure that her voice is not heard? How did she come to turn against US foreign interventionism, after enlisting in the military early in the 2000s?