principled, yes. but so was hitler.
libertarians are great as long as they have common sense. ron paul doesnt.
the free market does not regulate itself anywhere near efficiently enough or expediently enough to be left to its own devices. regulations and regulators are necessary. the epa is necessary, the federal reserve is necessary, minimum wage is necessary. without them pollution would be rampant, the financial system would be destructively unstable and unreliable, and workers would be taken advantage of by employers. simply because they can, and because doing so would increase profits.
the free market doesnt produce benevolent service industries. fire protection, health care, education, postal service, roads, infrastructure.. it is necessary that the government provides these. without this private industry would fill these roles in a way that costs more, provides less, and is discriminatory. simply because they can, and because doing so would increase profits.
ron paul doesnt understand this. ron paul doesnt understand that common sense always outweighs political principle.