Ron Paul, now a Republican candidate for president in 2012, would abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Despite the fact that this agency is desperately needed by countless Americans affected by natural disasters, Paul would go away with it. He is clearly willing to put his libertarian ideology above all else, including human life.

Paul told CNN that he would abolish FEMA because he does not believe that federal money should be used to protect U.S. citizens from disaster.

BLITZER: And if there’s a disaster, like flooding or – or an earthquake or Hurricane Katrina, what’s wrong with asking fellow Americans to help their – their – their fellow citizens?

PAUL: Nothing. And I think Americans are very, very generous and they have traditionally. The big problem is Americans are getting poor and they’re not able to voluntarily come to the rescue. But to coerce people, to ask them to help, that is fine and dandy. But when you bankrupt our country and nobody has a job and then they say, well, FEMA needs to bail out everybody, then all we’re doing is compounding our problems.

Wow! He appears to be saying that disaster victims should receive no assistance aside from that provided by charitable organizations. I guess he must have then opposed use of the National Guard in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

H/T to Think Progress

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