Rep. Ron Paul's farewell to Congress, which took place a short time ago, is worth seeking out online to watch.

We have, for the past five years, occasionally devoted this space to issues regarding the Texas Republican, most of the time arguing that he has been unfairly marginalized because much of what he says isn't comfortable to hear - even if we happen to think it's true.

He was marginalized by his own party because he was always his own man. He was marginalized by the media because he was marginalized by his party and because he wasn't hesitant to use new media to drive his message and his fundraising. The salt in the wound was that the approach was effective.

The problem is that Paul cleaves closer to the ideals upon which the nation was founded - that the individual, not the government, is paramount. There are many who understand that to be the truth, but they are helpless against a government that has long overstepped its bounds and for whom individual rights are inconveniences to be shaved whenever possible in order to expand that government's power.

And we Americans have long let government get away with it, because the lockstep assurance from those sitting in the political chairs is that such actions are in our best and the nation's best interests.

But Ron Paul has repeatedly stood up and said, "not necessarily so," which has for long years been our stance as well.


We'll let him say a few things now:

"Many are now acknowledging that a financial crisis looms, but few understand it is, in reality, a moral crisis. It's the moral crisis that has allowed our liberties to be undermined and permits the exponential growth of illegal government power," Rep. Paul declared on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday.


Paul never much worried about rankling his fellows in Congress, but this is gloves-off, riding-into-the-sunset artillery fire.

Paul also listed what he viewed as the top five dangers currently facing America. There's something included that will anger just about everyone; there's something that just about everyone can stand up and cheer.


2. Violent anti-Americanism that has engulfed the world. Because the phenomenon of "blow-back" is not understood or denied, our foreign policy is destined to keep us in many wars that we have no business being in. National bankruptcy and a greater threat to our national security will result.

3. The ease in which we go to war, without a declaration by Congress, but accepting international authority from the United Nations or NATO even for pre-emptive wars, otherwise known as aggression.

4. A financial-political crisis as a consequence of excessive debt, unfunded liabilities, spending, bailouts and gross discrepancy in wealth distribution going from the middle class to the rich. The danger of central economic planning by the Federal Reserve must be understood.

5. World government taking over local and U.S. sovereignty by getting involved in the issues of war, welfare, trade, banking, a world currency, taxes, property ownership and private ownership of guns.

Paul enjoyed popularity in the Lebanon Valley. It's not difficult to see why, because there are portions of just about all of the above list that have found their way into the letters page as matters of concern to our readers.

And true to the spirit of individuality that Paul always pressed, his hope for the future and his demand for change was not something driven by government but by people. One by one. Slowly, over time.

"The number one responsibility for each of us is to change ourselves with hope that others will follow," Paul said. "This is of greater importance than working on changing the government; that is secondary to promoting a virtuous society. If we can achieve this, then the government will change."

There haven't been many like Ron Paul. Our nation is more poorly defined and lacking in clear vision because of it.