Ron Paul Blasts Washington’s ‘Boom’ as Debt-Fueled Sugar High

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On the latest episode of Liberty Report, former Congressman Ron Paul and co-host Chris Rosini didn’t mince words as they tore apart Washington’s claim of a “biggest boom in history.” Their verdict? It’s an artificial sugar high, fueled by debt, money printing, and tariffs. All of which, they argue, ultimately act as hidden taxes on Americans.

‘Tariffs Are Taxes’: Ron Paul Says Consumers Foot the Bill

The ever-so-optimistic Ron Paul explained that booms based on monetary “stimulus” usually end in the most predictable way-bankruptcies, inflation, and a painful reset. After all, fake growth demands a real correction, and if this is indeed the “biggest” boom, the payback might be just as enormous. He pointed to the post-2008 era of zero rates and quantitative easing, calling today’s economic cheerleading a rerun of past bubbles. History, after all, is so fond of repeating itself.

Rosini didn’t hold back either, taking a jab at the presidential habit of crowing about stock market gains when the numbers are up, then pretending it doesn’t matter when the market nosedives. He pointed out that the denial of inflation has migrated smoothly from one administration to the next, while household bills continue to rise in a completely different reality. With rate cuts on the horizon, higher prices are likely to stick around-making the current economic “expansion” feel suspiciously like a well-staged mirage.

Beyond the broad strokes of economic theory, Paul dropped an even bigger truth bomb: the system isn’t “capitalism,” it’s cronyism. It’s a patchwork of interventions disguised as democracy, but really steered by special interest groups and 51% coalitions. This, he says, forces Congress to keep the spending spigot open, even when they know better. The bipartisan love for intervention, in his view, is just unity in disguise. Or, perhaps more accurately, unity in cronyism.

Tariffs, according to Paul, were Exhibit A of this economic sleaze. He called them immoral and economically backward, as the bill always gets passed to the consumer. Using the example of sneakers, he pointed out that protectionism punishes shoppers with higher prices, while giving a free pass to favored producers. “Tariffs are taxes,” he quipped, and even without tariffs, foreign suppliers would just raise prices in response to U.S. barriers. So, who ends up paying? You guessed it-buyers.

Rosini added some hard numbers to the discussion, mentioning the $219 billion collected via tariffs. He also referenced a Goldman Sachs estimate that Americans are swallowing 86% of the cost. That’s a hefty tab, and yet, it barely makes a dent in the deficit, which is just as stubborn as ever. Meanwhile, the big-ticket promises about trillions of dollars in investment seem to be more about the sound of the words than any actual economic substance.

The pair agreed on one thing-demagoguery thrives because people are suckers for short-term gains, while lobbyists are busy greasing the wheels of government. Paul was adamant that the U.S. isn’t living in a true capitalist system; instead, it’s a permanent “mixed” economy-a strange cocktail of corporatism and central planning, with both political parties passing the baton back and forth to enlarge the state. The real solution, in his eyes, is a return to constitutional limits, sound money, and free-market principles. But hey, who’s counting?

However, not all was doom and gloom. They ended with a cautiously optimistic message: ideas matter, and better economic practices can spread quickly once the costs of intervention become unbearable. Paul pointed to groups teaching Austrian economics, suggesting that public opinion can shift fast-just look at the Covid-19 policies for proof. Until that magic moment comes, Paul and Rosini urged voters to focus less on grandiose political promises and more on rewarding restraint and fiscal prudence. Because, let’s face it, both parties have a knack for putting on a good show.

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2025-09-16 20:19