Topic: Political Parties
You Can Avoid Being Repelled; Its Your Choice The more one exercises individual liberty in pursuit of goals, the less impact distractions can have.by Jahfre Fire Eater
(Libertarian)
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Where are all the fun, irreverent, politically incorrect, non-religious, non-evangelical, non-conspiracy oriented, limited government, pro-choice, peace and prosperity advocating, free market Republicans? Well, I mean, I know where I am, but where are you? Have we met? I'll be the one looking around during the prayers and rolling my eyes about conspiracy evidence and fudging the Pledge of Allegiance, literally.
It is no wonder the Republican party has had dwindling membership numbers. It is no wonder the record turnout this year for the nominating cycle hasn't resulted in nearly as drastic an increase in regular participation in GOP weekly and monthly meetings. A lot of folks who have just started participating in politics aren't patient enough to sit through rituals they disagree with or identify negatively with.
I've been going against the grain all my life so I've become very efficient at it. I've learned to choose my battles and divert impatience towards constructive outcomes. For instance, most people who have seen me in public situations would mistakenly judge my behavior as being patriotic, religious and reserved. I've become fascinated at how many people cannot tell the difference between respect for something and concurrence with it. More often than not when I simply respect someone else's beliefs they assume I share them. Of course if I'm asked I'll tell them where I stand. I'm not trying to be secretive. I've just found that I learn more and eventually have more to offer if I just lurk for a while. As Richard Feynman asked, "Why should I care what other people think?"
I think the key to our success in over throwing the neocons from within the party is to find ways to get the various factions of Republicans to find common ground. The GOP groups I've attended have been mostly attended by very old people. They have very rigid expectations because their own behavior and beliefs are very rigid. Most are devoutly religious folks who, unfortunately, cannot agree to work with us at promoting limited government and individual liberty without our first pledging allegiance to the icons of their various faiths. For them, there is, and can be, no separation of faith from politics.
The good news is that our current wave of GOP neophytes is not the first time new people have been disfranchised by the rigidity and ritual that these old Republicans expect new Republicans to adopt. The GOP is well seeded with people who have suppressed their frustrations in order to participate. These people are recognizing in us a different approach to conservatism, one that is not based on religious faith or blind patriotism or fear of Democrats or on fear in general. They always comment on our numbers.
While it may seem that our grass roots movement has petered out after the sign wavers and slogan chanters went home and the selected delegates began working more quietly, and more effectively within the party, it is actually still gathering strength and organization. Many of those who invested the past year of their lives into actively advocating their principles in government and in their communities through their support of Dr. Paul's campaign and his message have developed new habits. They have eventually, or suddenly, found themselves looking forward to the challenge of consistently representing their principles amidst the solid but ghostly mass of the old guard Republicans. Sadly many of these old Republicans would have been appalled 20 years ago to know they are today supporting an undeclared war against a tactic and a declared war against our currency and thus against our prosperity. I can see it is not comfortable for them to have us simply and steadfastly promote our principles. Even though we do so without evangelizing or trying to lay guilt or fear on them, they are uncomfortable facing the fact that they have separated themselves from those fundamental conservative principles. Their personal rationalizations probably sound very good in the their own minds but when they have to actually use them to justify their current positions, those rationalizations ring hollow and it shows in their eyes. The most telling sign is when during a civil political discussion they become angry because we do not share their religion and attempt to shut down the discussion by making a scene. They take turns so no one in particular looks any more unstable than the others. . . although some really are. . . we don't hold that against them.
If you find yourself put off by prayers and pledges and fanatical behavior to the point that you are considering using that as an excuse to leave the struggle for your liberty to others, you are not alone. It is a constant challenge to stay focused with so many distractions being heaped on every gathering of the old guard Republicans. There are ways to use this friction to your advantage and some good reasons for doing so.
First is the Pledge of Allegiance. I refuse to pledge any part of my existence to a flag, a cloud, a pyramid, a cross, another person or a philosophy or any other symbol or abstract entity created by the words or hands of Men. So I fudge it, as I stated earlier. It is fun and easy. Instead of bristling about sheepish conformity and considering leaving during the pledge, I stand there with my hand on my heart and proclaim for all the world to hear, "I fudge allegiance, to the flag and to the United States of America. . . "By the end of this ritual I feel invigorated from the public exercise of my liberty I just completed.
Next is the prayer. These poor praying people seem to have been shielded from the likes of me. . . until recently. I use prayer time for people watching. I often wonder what is going through their minds. Especially guys like one I used to work with. He and his wife led bible study on Wednesday evening in their home and never missed church on Sunday but he was a disgusting pig on business trips. I couldn't stand to be around him after a while but he was my sales partner so I had to learn to accept him for who he is without letting it change who I am. I don't think many people are like him but then maybe I'm just naive. Either way, I'll take it.
Sometimes I imagine prayers for them. "Dear God. Thanks for helping us crush the commies. I sure hope that you'll see fit for me to live long enough to see the blood leak out of every last Muslim and for Democrats to get what they got coming. Give my best to the members of our group who died last week and for those who will die this week. "
Once the rituals are performed and the political debate gets rolling, these old guys pull no punches. That's where the fun is and where the influence begins. Sure, in every group there will be one, or several, people who cannot take a breath without thanking almighty Jesus for it and encouraging you to get down on your knees with him to give thanks for that most recent lung-full. There will be a few who think the 10 commandments are the only law. There will be some Constitution thumpers who may or may not also be religious; some are devout atheists. These are folks of multiple faiths yet tightly focused political passion. None of these people matter. They are not on our side with regard to promoting a libertarian Conservative direction for the GOP. Anyone in these categories will require your adopting one or more of their faiths before they ever hear a word you say. Even then they can only hear you when you begin saying the same words they are saying. They can't hear anything else. I'm not judging them for their faith or beliefs. I don't care what they believe. I have been impressed with the depth of knowledge many of these people have about their particular beliefs and I usually enjoy conversations with them. I only judge them as to whether or not they are able to help me influence the GOP with my principles.
The only folks in these groups who matter are those like-minded individuals who came before us and managed to blend in somehow or the old timers who have slowly realized that their time is over and you can't go back. You don't have to know who they are. They will find you. You just have to be ready to believe that one or two of those geezers are really cool liberty geeks. Once they find you and you gain their trust, they will introduce you to whoever you need to know. Don't take their word for anything they are just as opinionated as the next person. Just use them for networking and have fun.
Don't waste time trying to change anyone. Be yourself and the people who can strengthen your position will come to you. After a couple months if no one comes to you except to evangelize or lecture you, you are the problem. Figure it out. Why would someone who is on your side not trust you? They are out there. I've met them everywhere.
The point of this article is to share ways to keep us in the fight longer and with more effectiveness. I know these things work. As I mentioned earlier, I've been going against the grain for a long time. The fudge of allegiance is something I began doing about 3 weeks after we had to learn the pledge of allegiance. I can't remember how old I was but I knew then that pledging allegiance wasn't for me.
Making up prayers for other people is something I started doing around the same time every week in church. It makes the time pass more quickly and keeps me fresh for the political battles I'll choose later.
I don't know if God exists. I haven't ever held faith in either direction. I know I don't know. I think that gives me a leg up on a lot of people. In my opinion, faith in either direction provides convenient answers to things that can't be known. I see this as limiting choice and I am pro-choice. I can't see any logic to arbitrarily shutting down investigation and debate on the most fundamental questions about our existence. I know I'm way, way, way outnumbered on this. All the Christians, Muslims and most of the Atheists will disagree with me. That doesn't make them right.
When I ask what kind of God could exist, I always rely on the perspective found in the book "The Contemplative Life," by Joel Goldsmith. Mr. Goldsmith wrote about God being omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. I further assert that God is all things known, all things unknown and all things unknowable. God is the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega. All these things I can confidently say yes, if God is these things then maybe God exists, everywhere, always. Whoa. That is a lot of God. So if God is everywhere and everything then why would anyone ever swear an allegiance to a symbol of anything invented by Men?
The whole God/no God conflict of faiths falls apart for me when men begin to assign human attributes to God. No. That just can't be. I believe the anthropomorphizing of God dilutes and pollutes the glory of such a concept. I believe the religions and rituals of Men that do this and the violence and hatred they have fostered throughout the ages are a blight on the potential of the human race. There is nothing I can do to change it but I will never participate in it even with the act of pledging allegiance or adopting faith over acceptance that some things are unknowable to me. Its all related, of course. God, religion, faith, patriotism, nationalism, idealism, hate, fear, manipulation, war, death, wealth, poverty, famine, disease, pollution, violence and natural catastrophe are all forces that shape what we believe and how we behave today. Yet it is still possible for a wide variety of people who have been shaped by these forces to find common ground on support for the principles of the Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Limited Government, Free Enterprise and the Defense of these principles. It isn't easy and it isn't going to happen all by itself. We must make it happen by being effective and efficient in our use of the GOP tool and its membership.
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2008 Jahfre Fire Eater, all rights reserved.
Published: Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Last modified: Tuesday, April 1, 2008
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i was outside sunday morning fiddling around out in the yard, and got to thinking. i looked across the street at the church i don't go to, that wakes me up every sunday with those stupid bells, and looked down at the garden in front of me... -epiphany- "There's more God in this handful of dirt than in any dozen churches... Damn, why can't anyone else see it?" but i also realized these people were trained from childhood to think church is god, and that god defines them, and i felt truly sorry for them.
ok, now that i got the mushy stuff off my mind; very good article and very good points. most people dont see the fact that there are people within these groups that have kept quiet just to keep the peace with their old guard parents/relatives. you have to help these people rebuild their confidence after being shut down and trampled on for so many years. convince them that their voice is worth using. great things happen with a little support.
Posted By: Mrs. Fire Eater
Date: 2008-04-03 09:03:16
There's a guy named Doug Newman who has a blog called Fountain of Truth. He is devout, and also devoutly dedicated to pointing out the "evil" of megachurches and so on. Big Chuck Baldwin fan. I think it's nice to see these Christians calling out their own. What I think is heartbreaking is when something is broken, and the user can't see why. The church has played an important role in community adhesiveness throughout our history, and no longer serves such a role. Those who are blind think this is because of a lack of God in the world, rather than the fact that the church no longer serves the people, instead serving itself, and the young and sightful know it. I too am respectful, and try to have patience with the faith of others who I respect, but it's tiresome when I just want to talk about good government. They can't see it, how their idea of good government would be easier to win if they were more inclusive. It's the Birchers that really get to me - they think because the official organization "isn't allowed" to talk about religion that it's a secular organization, but if you can't talk to a Bircher about government without talking about God, what's the difference? I feel sorry for them. Here we are, their best allies, and they annoy us away. Too bad. You have good attitude, Husband. I hope I can sustain it.
What an excellent piece! It just exactly fits like a glove with the misgivings I've felt after attending and joining meetings of the local chapter of the Republican Assembly, which vaunts itself as "The Republican Wing of the Republican Party". The dominance of the Evangelical-Born Again types here is virtually absolute. (Of course where I live is the buckle of the Bible Belt.) A first time visitor or alien (from another planet?) would think the bottom line is to ultimately impose a sort of Theocracy beginning with first amending the Consitution to prohibit Gay marriage and abortion. No wonder, when somebody like Fred Thompson or Ron Paul comes along and says such matters should be left up to the states, they are viewed as kooks (aliens). It's not that these folks have forgotten what our founding documents say, they cherry pick, promulgating a confusing amalgamation of the religious and the civil.
Changing the Republican Party from within or building a viable Libertarian Party is going to be a generational challenge (maybe half-a-generation with optimal leadership and resourcing). Keep plugging away to wake people up to realize that so many of their "cherished" positions (like the socially pressured pledge and collective public prayer) are antithetical to the exercise of individual conscience and liberty, and substantive discourse on the issues. And recruitment and retention of "warriors".
Again, excellent!
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2008 Jahfre Fire Eater, all rights reserved.