Here is a list of canards that Ron Paul seems to continually repeat...

1) Ron Paul claims we have spent "trillions" on the war

Through the end of 2012, we will have spent around $1.4 trillion (not trillions), which amounts to about $120 billion per year average. 

By comparison Total Outlays projected for 2012 per the Whitehouse is ~$3.7 Trillion with Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid accounting for ~$1.5 Trillion of that number (see: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Overview).

The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11
Amy Belasco
Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget
March 29, 2011
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL33110.pdf 

2) Ron Paul and/or his followers claim the War or Wars are "Unconstitutional" since the Congress has never made a formal declaration of war. 

Yet Congress did approve the military action in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Bill Summary & Status
107th Congress (2001 - 2002)
H.J.RES.114

Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107%3AH.J.Res114:

Iraq Resolution was challenged in court in 2003 in Doe v. Bush and failed.

Doe v. Bush Opinion by Judge Lynch 3/13/2003
http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/pdf.opinions/03-1266-01A.pdf 

Excerpt of opinion:

The Constitution reserves the war powers to the legislative and executive branches. This court has declined the invitation to become involved in such matters once before. Over thirty years ago, the First Circuit addressed a war powers case challenging the constitutionality of the Vietnam War on the basis that Congress had not declared war. Massachusetts v. Laird, 451-10-F.2d 26 (1st Cir. 1971). The court found that other actions by Congress, such as continued appropriations to fund the war over the course of six years, id. at 34, provided enough indication of congressional approval to put the question beyond the reach of judicial review:

"The war in Vietnam is a product of the jointly supportive actions of the two branches to whom the congeries of the war powers have been committed. Because the branches are not in opposition, there is no necessity of determining boundaries. Should either branch be opposed to the continuance of hostilities, however, and present the issue in clear terms, a court might well take a different view. This question we do not face."

Afghanistan
Public Law 107–40
107th Congress

To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-107publ40/pdf/PLAW-107publ40.pdf

 3) Ron Paul claims that Israel's "blockade" of Gaza is an Act of War 

Video: Ron Paul denounces Israel’s flotilla raid, of course
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/06/03/video-ron-paul-denounces-israels-flotilla-raid-of-course/

Yet, if he read the Oslo Accords, he would understand that Israeli control of the Gaza coastline was part of the agreement.

Hamas’s useful Americans
http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Opinion/Article.aspx?id=229401 

Excerpt:
"Pursuant to the Oslo Accords negotiated and signed between Israel and the PLO, the Palestinians agreed that the Gaza coastline would be placed under Israeli control and that no foreign ships would be allowed closer than 12 nautical miles from the shore. Israel demanded this out of concern over widespread import of conventional and unconventional weapons into Gaza. Had it not been for this provision, there would be no Palestinian Authority today, and Israel would not have withdrawn from Gaza.

Because of this agreement, the Gaza maritime blockade is consistent with international law, and violating it constitutes a hostile action against the State of Israel. As such, Israel is permitted to utilize all necessary force to repel any seafaring intruders.

The UN’s soon-to-be-released Palmer Report, which investigated last year’s flotilla, will confirm that this is true."

4) Ron Paul claims that a "million" Iraqis have been killed because of the Iraq War.

Here is a recent interview of Ron Paul by Megyn Kelly on Fox News.

Megyn Kelly Interviews Ron Paul - FoxNews.com
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1113357701001/is-press-snubbing-ron-paul/ 

Ron Paul is likely referencing an erroneous Lancet "Study", which claimed there was between 400,000 and 800,000 Iraqis killed in the Iraq War. The Study was funded in part by George Soros and was found to be statistically biased.

Here is the full analysis:

Data Bomb
By Neil Munro and Carl M. Cannon, National Journal
Friday, Jan. 4, 2008
http://www3.nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2008/0104nj1.htm 

Here is a more accurate source and the website is also anti-Iraq War so the organization that runs the site is not attempting to down play the number of Iraqi deaths.

Their estimate is no greater than 112,000. 

Iraq Body Count
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/ 

5) Ron Paul claims that Israel can deter Iran by threat of nuclear retaliation, i.e., MAD or Mutually Assured Destruction. 

Iran is run by Islamists who seek the return of the 12th Imam, the Mahdi. They believe that the Mahdi will return when war, chaos and lawlessness engulfs the earth.

They are not afraid of dying for Islam. These are not people that are afraid of Mutually Assured Destruction or the death of their own people. They seek it.

It's the equivalent of threatening to kill a suicide bomber. MAD is definitely not a deterrent.

Here is a video produced by the Iranian Government:
The Coming is Upon Us - Translation: Reza Kahlili
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwiadYT-N9k 

Iranian Rulers, Believing Pre-Messianic Destruction Is Imminent, Make Film To Prepare Muslims
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/iranian-rulers-believing-pre-messianic-destruction-is-imminent-make-film-to-prepare-muslims/

Iran Film: Iran Plans to Conquer Israel, World

http://www.newsmax.com/KenTimmerman/Ahmadinejad-Jerusalem-Iran-Hezbollah/2011/03/28/id/390925 

Ahmadinejad Claims Egyptian Riots Work of 12th Imam (Muslim Messiah)

http://www.newsrealblog.com/2011/02/16/ahmadinejad-claims-egyptian-riots-work-of-12th-imam-muslim-messiah/

6) Ron Paul, also claims that Islam/Sharia is not a threat. Islam/Islamists are already trying to undermine our country and are having some success. Europe already has major problems with Islam. 

(Too much evidence contradicting that claim to include all here)

Ron Paul: "Islam is not a threat"
The Alex Jones Show Wed 08.18.2010 part-5
http://youtu.be/fvoOOK6StuY?t=11m44s

Ron Paul: Without Hate For Islam Our Aggressive Foreign Policy Couldn't Continue
http://youtu.be/p8L2mH-kAlw

Ron Paul Slams NYC Mosque Demagogues
http://youtu.be/gLYCxeM78Ao

Islam: Do they Hate our Freedoms?
http://youtu.be/jcbPMdBTjwI

Ron Paul to Sean Hannity: “Stop with your Shari’a”
http://barenakedislam.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/ron-paul-to-sean-hannity-stop-with-your-sharia/

Ron Paul Would Open America’s Doors to Sharia
http://www.newsrealblog.com/2011/04/29/1-69/

...............

Muslim Brotherhood's "An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal of the Group in North America" 05/22/1991
http://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/misc/20.pdf

Undated Muslim Brotherhood Paper entitled, "Phases of the World Underground Movement Plan"
http://shariahthethreat.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Underground-Movement-Plan.pdf

Shariah Law and American State Courts
http://shariahinamericancourts.com/

See report here:
http://shariahinamericancourts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Sharia_Law_And_American_State_Courts_1.4_06212011.pdf

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
v.
HOLY LAND FOUNDATION FOR RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT
http://www.nefafoundation.org/newsite/file/FeaturedDocs/US_v_HLF_OppositionNAIT.pdf 

May Christians Preach Outside a Philadelphia Mosque?
http://www.americanthinker.com/archived-articles/../2011/05/may_christians_preach_outside.html

Dearborn, Michigan: Muslims physically attack Christian groups
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2011/06/dearborn-michigan-muslims-physically-attack-christian-groups.html

81% of US Mosques Promote Jihad
http://bigpeace.com/abostom/2011/06/05/81-of-us-mosques-promote-jihad/

Shari'a and Violence in American Mosques
by Mordechai Kedar and David Yerushalmi
Middle East Quarterly
Summer 2011, pp. 59-72 (view PDF)
http://www.meforum.org/2931/american-mosques

Shariamerica: Islam, Obama, and the Establishment Clause
http://youtu.be/ErzxOz3Dzv8 

7) Ron Paul claims Islam is attacking us because of US foreign intervention and he believes in a "Jeffersonian" foreign policy of non-intervention and avoiding "foreign entanglements".

Ron Paul claims that 9/11 was because of our "intervention" in the Middle East, i.e., "Blowback". He says Islam is attacking us because we are "bombing them" and that Iraq is an illegal war. Of course it doesn't matter that Congress passed a bill authorizing military intervention in Iraq, which was challenged in Federal Court and the Judge declined to intervene (see above).

He says he espouses Jeffersonian Foreign Policy as his excuse for his isolationist views. Of course history is always somewhat inconvenient in that Thomas Jefferson sent Navy ships and Marines to fight the Barbary Pirates. They were Muslim Pirates from the Muslim Barbary states of the Ottoman Empire (Islamic Caliphate). They were attacking our unarmed merchant ships and enslaving our sailors, even though we were paying tribute to the Barbary States to not attack us.

Before Thomas Jefferson became President he and John Adams where sent to London to meet with the Ambassador from Tripoli.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War

Excerpt:
"In1786, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams went to negotiate with Tripoli's envoy to London, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman or (Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). Upon inquiring "concerning the ground of the pretensions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury", the ambassador replied:

'It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every muslim who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise. He said, also, that the man who was the first to board a vessel had one slave over and above his share, and that when they sprang to the deck of an enemy's ship, every sailor held a dagger in each hand and a third in his mouth; which usually struck such terror into the foe that they cried out for quarter at once.' " 

Also see: Barbary Wars
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/barbary.htm

Excerpt: 

"In May, 1801, the United States refused to succumb to the increasing demands of the Pacha of Tripoli; in return, the Pacha declared war against the States. While Tripoli was not a strong power and little effort was necessary to watch and blockade it, the fear was that the other Barbary powers would join against the United States. The United States sent naval squadrons into the Mediterranean under the slogan of 'Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!' Under the leadership of Commodores Richard Dale and Edward Preble, the Navy blockaded the enemy coast, bombarded his shore fortresses, and engaged in close, bitterly contested gunboat actions." 

This "tribute" the US Government was paying the Barbary states was as high as 20% of the US Federal Government budget. The Muslim Barbary States likely considered it a "Jiyza" Tax. A Jizya tax is a tax that Muslims charge subjugated Kuffar (non-believers, i.e., Christians and Jews), meant to be so onerous as to impoverish the Kuffar.

Then when Thomas Jefferson became President he sent Naval ships to deal with the Muslim Pirates and Congress authorized it but did NOT issue a formal declaration of war (sound familiar).

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War

Excerpt:
"In 1802, in response to Jefferson's request for authority to deal with the pirates, Congress passed 'An act for the Protection of Commerce and seamen of the United States against the Tripolitan cruisers', authorizing the President to '…employ such of the armed vessels of the United States as may be judged requisite… for protecting effectually the commerce and seamen thereof on the Atlantic ocean, the Mediterranean and adjoining seas.' 'The statute authorized American ships to seize vessels belonging to the Bey of Tripoli, with the captured property distributed to those who brought the vessels into port.'" 

Someone should ask Ron Paul what was the United States doing to the Islamic Barbary States in 1786? Were we bombing them with hot air balloons or maybe.... carrier pigeons? Were we stealing their oil (at monopolistic prices)??

Why would they be attacking our unarmed merchant ships and enslaving the sailors??

Islamic Crusades 5: Why did they hate us in 1783?
http://youtu.be/vUuH2G7dPFk 
America's first "war on terror" Thomas Jefferson and the Barbary Pirates
http://youtu.be/BqwZcsvgl9c

The First War on Terror: The United Sates and the Barbary Coast

http://youtu.be/sB5BNDyGq1c 

8) Ron Paul claims we do not have trade relations with Cuba

A History Lesson for Ron Paul
http://frontpagemag.com/2011/08/12/a-history-lesson-for-ron-paul/ 

Excerpt:
"Ron Paul, in an exasperated tone during the Iowa debates, said: “All these trade sanctions!…This is why we still don’t have a trade relationship with Cuba.”

Ground Control to candidate Paul: according to figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. has transacted almost $4 billion in trade with Cuba over the past decade. Up until two years ago the U.S. served as Stalinist Cuba’s biggest food supplier and fifth biggest import partner. We’ve fallen a few notched recently, but we’re still in the top half. Furthermore, the U.S. has been Castro-controlled Cuba’s biggest donor of humanitarian aid, including medicine and medical supplies for decades.

Ground Control to candidate Paul: For over a decade, the so-called U.S. embargo has merely stipulated that Castro’s Stalinist regime pay cash up front through a third–party bank for all U.S. agricultural products; no Ex-Im (U.S. taxpayer) financing of such sales. (You’d really, really think a libertarian would approve of this?) Enacted by the Bush team in 2001, this cash-up-front policy has kept the U.S. taxpayer among the few in the world not screwed and tattooed by Fidel Castro."

 Compiled by Kurt Vangsness