David Lin, in the Monday episode of the David Lin Report, asked libertarian communicator Ron Paul what nations Paul considers top adversaries or competitors internationally, suggesting that World War III could arise from conflict with one of them. In response, Paul replied that it is his own government — that of the United States — he is worried about, not Russia, China, or some other nation.

Here is the exchange between Lin and Paul:

Lin: OK, Dr. Paul, even though you may not be predicting World War III to be happening imminently, the concept of a World War III involves the US at war with an adversary. So, who do you consider America’s top adversaries or competitors even in the political sphere internationally right now

Paul: I tell you what, it’s not foreign. We took an oath to [defend the country from enemies foreign and domestic]. I don’t lay awake worrying about the Chinese invading us. I don’t worry about the Russians invading us. I worry about what our government is doing, and that’s where the real problem is. So, I can’t pick one military force because we precipitate so many problems ourselves, and, you know, if one thing is settled, we go looking for some more trouble. And I was much more optimistic when the Cold War ended, but things have deteriorated since then.

Indeed, it is the threats to Americans’ lives and liberty from their own government that Paul warned about in many speeches on the US House of Representatives floor as a member who had taken, as had his fellow members, the required oath of office Paul mentioned in the interview.

Watch here Paul’s interview, in which he also discusses matters including economic conditions in America, the Federal Reserve, and the price of gold:

Reprinted with permission from the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.