A painful correction is coming and there's little that can be done to prevent it, according to former Republican congressman and libertarian firebrand Ron Paul.

A painful correction is coming and there's little that can be done to prevent it, according to former Republican congressman and libertarian firebrand Ron Paul.

Speaking to CNBC last week, the former GOP presidential contender argued the economy is not as strong as Wall Street consensus believes, and the situation could turn ugly as soon as October.

"If our markets are down 25 percent and gold is up 50 percent it wouldn't be a total shock to me," said Paul recently on "Futures Now."

That scenario would drag the S&P 500 Index as low as 1,819, and gold as high as $1,867 an ounce from current levels.