Ron Paul Reacts to Gov't Spying News: What Did You Expect?

Former Texas Congressman Ron Paul, a longtime proponent of civil liberties, said Thursday that government surveillance programs are the inevitable result of a people who have let their guard down.

“I guess I wish I could be shocked,” Paul said during a Thursday interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “but I’m not surprised.”

“It’s a horrible, horrible situation," he added. "You got to watch the power of government. Power in government is almost always abused and this is abuse. ”

“Our economy doesn’t work, foreign policy is in shambles, and now we have no privacy because people say they want to be safe. Governments cannot make us safe,” he added:

Earlier that day, Paul had the same message for Neil Cavuto: Government surveillance is the product of a failed state:

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