Former Texas Rep. Ron Paul (R) officially launched his Institute for Peace and Prosperity on Wednesday afternoon in Washington, D.C.
At a press conference, the libertarian-leaning politician said his new educational organization was needed because "governments reflect the people's attitude," and the current attitude was far too accepting of war.
Paul has gained a relatively large and enthusiastic following for his uncompromising positions on foreign policy and economics. The former congressman considers himself a strict constitutionalist, and frequently decries U.S. military intervention overseas and the expansion of government. He harshly criticizes the Federal Reserve system and promotes Austrian economics.
"We don't have to invent something brand new," Paul said. "It's a natural instinct for people to want peace and prosperity. We had a pretty good history. We had a rule of law at one time, and that's called the Constitution. So if we want to refine the Constitution that's fine, there can be some changes made. But the thing of it is, ignoring the Constitution about going to war... If we totally ignore the Constitution on an important issue like going to war, that's where we're going to have a lot of trouble."
Rep. Walter Jones Jr. (R-NC), Rep. John Duncan (R-TN) and former Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), all members of the organization's advisory board, also spoke at the press conference, as did Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY).
Executive director Daniel McAdams explained the new Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity would not operate like a traditional think tank. Instead of merely publishing reports, he said the organization would have a lively website and hold seminars in various parts of the country.
Watch video, uploaded to YouTube, below:
