Paul thinks protests are 'very good, very risky'

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul said Tuesday that he views the Occupy Wall Street movement as “both very good, and very risky.”

Why risky? “I think there are a few that attend these rallies that actually want more government — they want to just tax people more and believe if we just taxed the 1 percent, it could solve all the problems,” Paul said in an interview with The Des Moines Register.

“But I think that the majority of them think government is the problem and taxes are too high, and they know that the Federal Reserve plays a role in this, which, of course, is something I agree with.”

The national protest also highlights the degree to which the U.S. monetary policy has hurt average Americans, Paul said. He believes the Federal Reserve in essence creates money out of thin air, and that inflated paper money led to the housing bubble and market collapse. The Texas congressman was in Iowa for the National Association of Manufacturers presidential candidate forum in Pella, and took time to speak to voters in Oskaloosa and Ottumwa.

“Last year it was the tea party people that were unhappy, and now it’s the Occupy people,” Paul said. “I don’t think it’s as simple as Republicans and Democrats. I believe they are all lumped together being unhappy with government for different reasons.”