Is the solution for us all to become Peruvians?

March 13, 2007 7:49 AM

I am looking for a quotation similar to "Ron Paul, who believes the solution is for us all to become Peruvians..."

I thought this was in a Molly Ivins column, but the closest I can find is this column, published 13 October 1996 in the Austin American-Statesman:

In the amazing 14th, Democrat Lefty Morris (his slogan is 'Lefty is Right!') faces the Republican/Libertarian Ron Paul, who is himself so far right that he's sometimes left, as happens with your Libertarians. I think my favorite issue here is Paul's 1993 newsletter advising 'Frightened Americans' on how to get their money out of the country. He advised that Peruvian citizenship could be purchased for a mere 25 grand. That we should all become Peruvians is one of the more innovative suggestions of this festive campaign season. But what will the Peruvians think of it?

Have searched for ["ron paul" peruvian solution] on Google, Yahoo, and Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe. Apparently the newsletter was called the Ron Paul Survival Report, but I am looking for a quotation about Ron Paul, not from him. Any other ideas?

posted by grouse to Law & Government (3 answers total)

There's a Molly Ivins column in the Austin-American Statesman from November 10th, 1996:

"Ooooouuuu, Texas! Are we ever going to get a chance to wake up after Election Day without a horrible headache and a sense of mortification? Ron Paul? Congressman Clueless? Good grief, even in Louisiana, our longtime rival for the nation's worst politicians, they had enough sense to boot that dingbat Woody Jenkins. So, what do we do? Put Gene Fontenot in a runoff.

Oh, and thanks for giving us more Republicans in the Lege -- just what we always needed.

Mind you, I have nothing against sensible Republicans. One of my all-time heroes is Fred Agnich of Dallas. I even like Ike Harris. I voted for Kay Bailey Hutchison; on my better days, I find Warren Chisum amusing. But are you out of your tiny minds? They don't have to meet any federal standards except to cut it, so it's open-season on poor kids. Poor kids have no lobbyists in Austin, and if there's one thing this state has a lot of, it's poor children. You know, there was a good reason why they federalized that system in the first place.

Just to review our daffiest picks: Ron Paul is the Libertarian crackpot from Surfside who recommended that we all buy citizenship in Peru, priced at a very reasonable $25,000. (Buy now -- some Peruvian is bound to meet Paul and cut off the offer.) Not to mention that he wants to repeal the drug laws and Social Security."

Is this what you're looking for?

There's also some Ron Paul talk in the September 26, 1996 Houston Chronicle, in an article by R.G. Ratcliffe:

"Morris based his accusations on two Paul publications: The Ron Paul Survival Report and the Forfeiture Alert.

In the first, Paul noted U.S. citizens can buy Peruvian passports for $25,000, which would enable them to conceal their true citizenship while traveling abroad.

In the Forfeiture Alert, Paul predicted a major economic catastrophe and promoted the purchase of a book that would tell citizens how to move money out of the country, buy gold without leaving a paper trail for the Internal Revenue Service to follow and how to use ""mail drops' to ensure correspondence privacy.

Though Morris said he knew of no criminal wrong-doing by Paul, Morris said these view are ""extremist' and out of the ""mainstream' of political thought in Texas. Morris, a lawyer, said he has never advised clients on how to protect their assets or fought a forfeiture or tax lien.

Paul said the advice on a second passport was for U.S. citizens who travel abroad and might become victims of terrorists. He said they would be much more likely to survive if they could give the terrorist a foreign passport rather than having to admit to being U.S. citizens."

posted by cashman at 8:16 AM on March 13, 2007

I just did you the favor of calling Ron Paul's PR officer in his congressional office in DC. If I hear back I will post the information here.
posted by parmanparman at 8:17 AM on March 13, 2007

Response by poster: Thank you guys, but I am looking for some very specific wording. I'm almost sure it is like "the solution is for us all to become Peruvians." I think the word "solution" is in there at least.

Thanks parmanparman. I'm not sure if Ron Paul's office will help since I don't think this is incredibly flattering for him.
posted by grouse at 8:53 AM on March 13, 2007