Topic: Campaign for Liberty
Ron Paul and the Struggles of Attrition My comment on Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty after reading David Nolan's and Walt Thiessen's recent Bob Barr pieces.by Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution
(libertarian)
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Dear libertarians, constitutionalists, and any other Ron Paul supporters,
I am writing because I think some of us do not realize the situation we are in. We are struggling against what Ron Paul likes to term "the Establishment." We also need to be very wary of attrition. First, we need to recognize that it is paramount to keep ourselves together and politically active. Second, we need to patiently erode at the popular support for the Establishment and if possible flood the "hearts and minds" away from it. Third, this Establishment is a hurricane that is destroying the freedom, money, jobs, economy and even the very lives of We the People. That is what is trying to wear us down, and we need to bare our teeth into this storm, keep snarling our rejection back at it, and keep growing.
Don't Get Lost! Stay Together, Stay Politically Active
Principle-wise, this stuggle could also be termed a 'war of attrition' is no different from the colonists in the first American Revolution, no different from any other guerilla war of any minority versus a majority, of any battle of the weak against the strong. We most likely number somewhere between the 83,000 at the Campaign's website and the million-odd who voted for Ron Paul in the presidential primaries, but do not bet the farm on such a high figure.
Imagine Ron Paul as our general if you will. He has planted his flag on this small hillock of Freedom called www.campaignforliberty.com. We there all stand by him and his ideas of liberty and are basically throwing snowballs at passer-bys. Some we whack in the face and they fire back. Some though will say, boy that stung! and perhaps become aware of some truth behind this Establishment and then join us. Our job is to turn this little hill into a mountain, and eventually set off avalanches. This is the goal of the Revolution.
We are a collection of free women and men, and so want all who join to either to be or become. I've found through my writings and communications that 'changing minds' simply does not work AT ALL. Nor do I, in hindsight, ever want it to. The only chance is if an individual already has an open mind and is willing to listen to others' opinion before making a decision, or even to revisit their past decisions. Our job is to present our side of the argument with principled conviction and truth. Our message should hold in it love, compassion, facts, peace, hope, and even fun and humor. If you can't laugh in the faces of our shadowy overlords (sarcasm) and can't find humor in our government's perverted version of The Law, you need a timeout.
At any rate, becoming and staying politically active and encouraging it in others, even if they disagree, is perhaps the most important of all. Increasing levels of political activism and dissent against the government in whatever form is the main reason why I am optimistic our cause can succeed.
Win Hearts and Minds!
If we study other wars particularly the ones that have gone horribly in the past for the USA, there are wonderful lessons won at a high cost, such as Vietnam and Iraq. One indisputable commonality is that the strong (USA) lost the hearts and minds of the local populations. When this happened, the strong lost the war. Study the Vietnam War - the Viet Cong and Viet Minh ran circles around the South Vietnamese and Americans by befriending and caring for the local populations. Eventually even the vast wealth, infatuation with kill ratios, and 60,000 American lives were not able to overwhelm those intent on freedom and independence. Study Iraq - there have been countless opportunities for us to win their support by methodically building the nation's infrastructure with our billions of dollars of aid, but we have abjectly failed to do so. Instability, death squads and sectarian fighting, American oppression and torture, have all combined to turn it into a quagmire. Like Vietnam, the war in Iraq for hearts and minds is already lost, long before the day we decide to leave, unless victory is denoted by solely by controlling the region's oil.
Our goal is to see if there are any other hearts and minds out there who want to join, who want to do something but are either apathetic or ignorant of our ideas. If they join or are open-minded, fantastic. If not, debate for awhile if you want but move on. My personal mantra is to educate but also seek to be educated - it's a two-way street, I find.
Ron Paul's decision to stay within the Republican Party was at the time widely contested, at the Chart and elsewhere, but it now appears to me the decision was a wise one. If we study American political third parties, we find that they have been roundly defeated by the Reps and Dems or minimized, many times subverted by infighting.
While a national campaign like Ron Paul's served its primary purpose of spreading the message of peace, freedom and prosperity to a wide audience, the battles we need to fight must be won in the local and state trenches. Here at the Chart, I've found that the most provoking writings on this are from Jahfre Fire Eater, a strong proponent of focusing on influencing local politics, who, even better yet, acts out his convictions.
Here are the targets:
1) Hearts and Minds of Libertarian Party members
After reading David Nolan's "The Barr Campaign at Halftime" and Thiessen's latest "Unreality at the Barr Campaign" on the sinking stone that is the Bob Barr candidacy, it struck me that there must be plenty of Libertarian Party members who have not joined the Campaign for Liberty (C4L). There are 200,000 LP party members and as of today here are only 83,000 total registered at the C4L. Hey, if it's the third party path you've chosen, fine. Others would phrase it that you've effectively removed yourself from the political process, but I have no problems with this. I even wish you lots of luck though as we have the same goal and same principles. However, you do not need to switch party allegiance to join C4L. I happen to really like the LP constitution and think it has a lot of great ideas. However, one is struck by its similarity to the C4L's Statement of Principles. It makes me wonder why not all of LP's 200,000+ "Party of Principle" members have not yet rushed to sign up. Is it a question of ignorance, apathy, lack of principles, trying to 'herd cats' or something else?
If any LP party member of Nolan and Thiessen's articles read and agreed with them, you might want to try my earlier articles where I predicted Barr was a bad choice - one written before I had even researched him, entitled "Bob Barr - Assassin of the Ron Paul Revolution?" and a six-part letter to Bob Barr as I was researching him. [By the way, Barr DID eventually add 'Monetary Policy' to his presidential website as I had demanded, although the statement is, as Nolan notes, fairly general and toothless.] Barr may get my vote this November, but even though I follow him fairly closely, I am just unable to summon the same kind of excitement about his ideas than Ron Paul inspires with his almost 30-year congressional record of saying the same exact thing over and over, again and again like a broken record player. However, cross-fighting on the presidential campaign doesn't do us much good. Why?
#1 It is fairly inconsequential. In all likelihood McBama will be elected president, but their platforms and principles are so similar it does not really matter.
#2 Fact of the matter is with the Barackcuda unmasked recently as just another imperial socialist versus what I can only describe as Bush's older, meaner elder brother, if the LP nominated a Big Mac with a side order of fries, and these were the only three options, despite my hatred of fast food, my tick would be to Super Size it because at least that does not conflict with my principles, and the LP constitution agrees with them.
2) Hearts and Minds of Republican Party members
This is the political party Dr. Paul has decided to stick with, and it is up to us to eat it alive. Besides acting as a voice of reason and moderation against the neocons, we all can have an impact on it. Consider the verbose 93-page 2004 Republican platform for Big Government. Over 40% was dedicated to the primary goal of "Winning the War on Terror." As I am a registered Republican and a stalwart against the Global War on Terror, I have had the pleasure logging in at the party website and commenting on the 2008 platform. As I live abroad and unfortunately have close to zero local political experience myself, this is at least satisfying.
We should keep in mind that there are roughly 55 million registered Republicans and 35 million did not bother to vote in the primary. Only 9.5 million or roughly 17% voted for McCain. If a fellow Republican agree with us that the party of the Republic is no longer for limited government, lower taxes, peace and freedom, then the C4L may become a viable choice for them.
3) Hearts and Minds of Democratic Party members
It has been my experience that most Democratic members have the same desires as Republicans in terms of prosperity, peace and freedom, but they want the government to help everyone out for the "greater good." They also view themselves as in opposition to the Republican's War on Terror. First, there is no Democrat that I've met that has taken my suggestion to read Bastiat's The Law and has not had to rethink at least part of their view on the Democrat's socialist policies. However, Obama recently exploded the idea of the Democratic Party as the peace party. Since the defeat of Clinton, he has clearly gotten behind the banner of the War on Terror, and now just offers Americans a different choice of a war to support. Individually, he is possibly even more imperialistic than McCain, who himself grew up traveling from military base to military base with his daddy the Admiral.
The Obama mantra is "Change We Can Believe In." This slogan pretty much sums up why so many of my peers (young adults) support Obama, not because of his stance on issues but simply because he does not remind them of George W. Bush. My efforts to debate on Obama's views have ended in failure, normally due to lack of response. When I write and show that Obama is just a smooth-talking warmonger, no response. Most of his younger supporters have open minds at least, and perhaps if they decide to spend some time thinking about what freedom and liberty really are, they will realize Obama's silky promises will just bring more death and forms of enslavement to the world. However, there are those who choose to be enslaved and if they cannot defend their ideas or do not want to listen, leave them alone. Not worth the time.
4) Hearts and Minds of Anyone else
If you do the math and estimate the total Republicans at 55 million, the total Democrats at 72 million (which may be a bit low), and use the 2006 Census result of 220 million eligible voters with only 136 million registered, there are less than 8 million independent or third party voters. Just this simple math gives credence to why third parties have such trouble - the LP is the third largest party with a piddling 200,000 as stated above.
However, do the math. This means there is roughly 144 million, or 65%! of all eligible Americans who are either are politically apathetic or refuse to associate themselves with the two current parties. This is a huge potential for any political movement to tap into. How many of these would desire our version of liberty if they understood it remains to be discovered.
However, I do not limit C4L just to eligible voters or even just to Americans. We should talk with any mature young adult who wants to learn our ideas of liberty, and just inform them. They can then make up their own mind. It is obvious why enlisting the help of other foreign nationals living in the United States would help, many times these people are more open to new ideas than the average American, and they may feel frustrated they have no voice. Those living without, whether they have false perceptions of America, or not, are also targeted hearts and minds if for no other reason that one of our tenets is disengagement from all supranational organizations where Americans have no elected representatives.
The Evils of the Establishment
Our country is hemorrhaging. Literally, the corpses of well over 5,000 Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan can attest to this truth. The bleeding continues in the housing crisis which in turn is exacerbating the banking crisis. Accelerating inflation is bleeding away our dollar's purchasing power, unemployment is on the rise, and the dollar index is feeling a relentless pull downwards, despite the latest intervention. The Bush Administration is inexorably turning central and southwest Asia into a giant battleground. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are nothing new, but Operation Brimstone and Congress are moving towards unleashing hell on Iran. The American mainstream media is completely missing the fact that tensions at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border are exploding. Georgia and South Ossetia make interesting distractions.
The current government, whether McCain or Obama wins it really makes no difference, promises more of the same. "We must fight them over there to keep us safe here." They have increased the government spending, services and welfare to better serve us when we lose our jobs because the government signed our sovereignty away in an alphabet soup of international organizations, WTO, NAFTA, UN, and MFN with China. They give more bailouts to Big Money like Bear Stearns, Fannie and Freddie, and protection for the rest of the banking industry. While the thought of bankers in dire straits in their skyscrapers fails to bring tears to my eye, the loss of credit will stifle our economy. Perhaps the insurance and credit card companies will soon have a crisis as they sit in their skyscrapers as well. Meanwhile, Congress passes pork bills that do not even bother to read, as they make weak and ineffective gestures to individuals who need to be saved from poor decisions with their mortgages, or, although I am socially liberal, to those whose life is just not going along smoothly.
All the time the government legally plunders our money from us, whether overtly through taxes, or covertly through debasing our money and increasing our debt and servitude to foreign nations like Saudi Arabia, China, and Japan. Our best and brightest grow up to become lawyers and tax preparers instead of learning to innovate, produce or contribute to the economy and our society.
529,227 of our young men and women, our soldiers, our heroes and heroines, are protecting or dying in the sand and grit of farflung foreign deserts and nations while our country's infrastructure of bridges, roads, schools, energy, drinking water, and airports falls apart. [Try Doug Eberhardt's America's Infrastructure article. The country was rated a D in 2005 by the American Society of Civil Engineers.] When they return stateside wounded, our medical care is often insufficient. They think they are fighting for freedom, but in reality their fight is just for Bush, Cheney, Rice, and Rowe. Fortunes are being made off their flesh (Army privates in 2007 earned an average of $1,301 per month) by a hideous military-industrial complex.
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, [and] the hope of its children."
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
As always, unlike the NFL, the author grants full permission to allow any accounts of, rebroadcasts, retransmissions, repostings in part or full of this article to your blog or anywhere else in order to promote the Restoration of our Republic.
Veritas numquam perit. Veritas odit moras. Veritas vincit. Truth never perishes. Truth hates delay. Truth conquers.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading, sorry its a bit of a rant. I usually like to just sit back and watch the Libertarian-vs-libertarian-Republican commentary but I decided to weigh in with my opinion, as small and insignificant as that may be. For background, I have been a fairly apathetic Republican since I became old enough to vote, which wasn't too long ago. Last year I became overly fed-up with the Iraq War and starting listening to this Ron Paul guy. I have chosen so far to stay a registered Republican although my views are solidly libertarian. My activism is mostly in the form of writing antiwar and now some monetary policy articles here at the Nolan Chart. Some are listed below, would love to know what you think! [Reach the Author Here!]
Also, as of right now the Mrs. Carol Paul is still in serious condition in the ICU following her 3rd successful surgery. I hope she gets her health back soon!
The Money Matrix - Prelude (PART 1/15) Published: August 1, 2008 Prelude and Source List to a Series on Global Monetary Policy of Control and Explaining Big Government's Finances
A Salute to Malalai Joya - Afghanistan's Tom Paine Published: August 8, 2008 Malalai Joya, a brave lady and banned legislator from Afghanistan, fights for justice, human rights, and democracy. She battles both the Warlords in power, the Taliban... and the American Government, which is probably why you have never heard of her.
Police State Invades Mayor's Home & Kills His Dogs (UPDATED) Published: August 1, 2008 "It was inconceivable to me that my government would be coming through my door." - the Mayor of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, or a recent police raid on his residence
The views expressed in this
article are those of Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: 2008-08-17 07:51:31
Hi Jake,
Nice article, and thanks for the link...but I'd have given you the thumb for this one anyway. ;-)
I receive wonderful feedback on some of my articles both from people who agree with some point or other and always from people who adamantly disagree. The best feedback comes from people who decided to get off the couch because I poked them in the right spot. I get enough of those to let me know I'm having some positive effect on the balance of forces.
The vast majority who say nothing either way are the ones I hope are thinking about this stuff; preaching to a choir isn't my goal. I'm more likely to poke the choir in the eye to get their attention and make the non-choir members wonder why I would do such a thing...gets their attention too, I suppose.
Doing nothing, or just observing, or just writing, isn't enough. The enemies of liberty are very active. Fortunately we have the Constitution on our side or we would all be cogs in the machine by now.
As always, if anyone is looking for more information about advancing conservative/libertarian principles in your local community you can check out our website at
The Alphaville Decoder
We haven't been very active on the Alphaville Decoder lately because frankly, we're burnt out on politics. Our candidates survived the primary last week and we don't really care about the national elections at all so we're taking a breather. Once cold weather hits we'll be cranking up the Decoder again and looking for input from like-minded defenders of liberty.
When the minority defeats the majority, as in the examples you mentioned, it is not a philosophy vs. a philosophy. It is a philosophy in control, or attempting control, versus a rejection. The American revolutionaries weren't a stalwart band of Capitalists, they just watched their house burn. They probably didn't even trust the "American" leaders, but they had to choose or run. Most chose their neighbor's side. They chose their friends and their town, and their state. That is why Vietnam. That is why American Revolution. That is why American Civil War. We always paint this picture that the general German populace was a delightful bunch of victimized huddled fearful women and children in their bombed out homes. But in the last days of the war in Germany, the children were the army. The entire nation united. They killed their jews. They fought until they had literally nothing left, and Hitler was the last to go.
The only time people do not feel the need to defend, is when what they see being attacked, isn't what they consider to be theirs.
You have a choice to make. You can continue to try to gain support, but the goals of your course will have to become looser and looser. You will have to compromise. You will have to rearrange your path or more will not follow. And the finality will not be a Capaign for Liberty, but a campaign against Democrats and Republicans. This can succeed, but it would be tough, and it would be an eroding method.
When America invaded California the Californios did not aid the Mexicans in defense. The Californios considerded themselves a separate entity from Mexico, and in the position of choice, they rathered the liberty of America over the imperialist government of Mexico, but only because they could remain Californio.
You need to find the common ground you have with all Democrats and Republicans, and that is your flag.
OR you can consider an alternative. Form a unity separate from the current. That is, a community of constitutionalists. A town, a city, a state, a nation, I don't know how large, but united and singular. That way, the common ground will be among the people. And all the irregularities of the alternatives won't exist. You want a revolution or a pop icon? Build a city of constituitionalists. Do it. Make revolution manifest. I will join you. I will get others.
>>Ron Paul's decision to stay within the Republican Party was at the time widely contested, at the Chart and elsewhere, but it now appears to me the decision was a wise one.<<
Good post Jake, but I'm going to take issue with this conclusion.
States currently polling "Barely Dem" are NH and IN.
States currently polling "Barely GOP" are NC, FL, OH, SD, ND, MT, CO NV.
One state is currently tied between Obama and McCain: VA
If Ron Paul and his enthusiastic movement was now a candidate via the Libertarian Party there would be a lot of media attention because of his impact on the outcome of many of these states. Rather than ignore his ideas his opponents would have to be attacking them, which would be good for the proliferation of Liberty's ideas.
Ron Paul would be wise to endorse Barr now. Baldwin is just not getting enough media attention.
I'm not sure why you think Paul would be doing that much better as the LP candidate than Barr. I know as many people who like Barr but not Paul as those who like Paul but aren't going with Barr. Personally, I'm an issues person and I see little difference except that Barr took some of the rough edges off. People might not want to hear it, but Paul will simply never have wide support. I supported him like crazy, but he's just too eccentric and frankly, he never did well in the debates or interviews in making the message palletable to everyday people. Barr is able to do that, and he would mop up in the debates if people would just give him a shot.
Chuck, I agree with you re Barr's advantages over Paul, but Paul was much more successful at generating contributions and creating local activism. These assets could be very useful now in the "Barely" states to bring media attention to issues.
Chuck, Paul has a very active, very strong base of support. he would have been a much better candidate, both in generating donations, activism, and in his beliefs.
As I've previously stated, Ron Pauyl dropped the ball ... hard. http://www.nolanchart.com/article3593.html
When I think Campaign for LIberty, I think of Ross Perot's "United We Stand". This pseudo-PAC is going no where fast and distracting liberty-minded individuals away from races in which actual Liberty-minded candidates are running. Instead of building up the weak, it's trying to bring down the beast ... a tactic that never works.
Ben Franklin stated that change comes from only one direction ... OUTSIDE. Trying to change the GOP is a fool's errand. I can think of TWO political parties (LP and CP) that exist RIGHT NOW that would welcome the enthusiasm of the Paul supporters, even only these supporters weren't falling over themselves trying to organize the GOP anti-convention. You'll be locked outside of the convention for a reason ... the GOP hates you and won't let you in.
Do you have any idea how many Huckabee, Romney, and other supporters tell me they would vote for Ron Paul were he still running? He could have rocked the political establishment to its knees with an independent or third party run. Instead he's content to whither into obscurity, the head of pseudo-PAC that shares 90% of its agenda with ALREADY ESTABLISHED PARTIES (LP and CP). If he was trying to fuck over the Liberty movement with a huge distraction, he really couldn't be doing a better job.
He needs to endorse someone and direct that energy towards candidates who actually have the courage to run for president and not drop out at half-time.
Well, here I go again. Let's just say that I am no fan of third parties. The Libertarian Party, as an example, is a joke. It has been around for more than thirty years and has yet to get a bona-fide member of the LP into a State legislature or into Congress(no Ron Paul is a Republican--he is not in Congress as Libertarian Party member) A political party that cannot take advantage of the many opprtunities must be doing something wrong. An example: In the Californai Recall election of 2003, with the Terminator, Huffington, Conejo, McClintock and Bustamente as the leading candidates for that post, and with no nasty primaries or other such stuff, with a rowdy field of other candidates, the LP was crushed. The third party candidates wee all Terminated to less than one or two percent of the vote--Yet the LP claims it is the fastest growing political party--yes, and anyone can play the game of statistics. Let's put this another way--there's a lot of infighting in the LP. Brian Wilson, no not the Beach Boy band member, the libertarian talk show host, has had his fill of going to LP conventions where, to use his phrases, the obnoxious trios and the cross dressers are strangling the party. Then there's the bunch of purists who only want to educate the public vs the pragmatists who want to get a LP member elected to more that some school board or water district. The LP, if it is a political party, has to do more than to keep it together, and educate the public--it has to get some of its members into Congress as Libertarians. But there's that awful hitch--few Libertarians want to be in the evill system of American government, which leads to some weird candidates. Again, in California, in the last gubenatorial election before the recall, the LP's candidates for governor and Lt gov wrote up statements for the State of Calif's Primary Information packet, sent to most voters,. The statement of the LP's governor candidate was that he was a Druid priest, and the lt gov candidate had the issue of animal rights for ferrets--and not much more. Now if you are not too far gone, normal people, that is, the great mass who do not listen to,say, Coast to Coast with Art Bell or George Noory, find such statements about Druid priests and ferret rights crazy. Indeed, for the Voter packet for the general election, the statements by these candidates appeared rather conventional and normal--no statements about Druids and ferrets. Indeed, there is in the Barr campaign one small bit of lunacy--Barr's VP is a Vegas bookie--and this embarrasing bit was admitted recently on a local LA news show, with the LP reps trying to avoid the topic. Am I getting through? The LP's message, for whatever it is worth, is being ruined by its choices of candidates, by its internal petty bickering--there's nothing left but debris long before the general election--the Big Money/Politics/Media gang have nothing to kick around after the LP gets finished killing itself. One third party has it right in one area--the Communist Party USA, after they write their platform and elect their candidates in comvemtions, tell their members to shut up and not back-bite the candidates or the platform--a thing the Libertarians will not do. I have heard the excuses--indeed, the Democrats, bless them, are about to do the big backbite with Hillary, who wants her name entered into nomination at the convention, perhaps to have a vote and a floor fight, with Bill stealing the limelight from Obama's VP choice (he's to speak on the same night with the VP) Some pundits think that this will torpedo his campaign, with a lasting distate set in among those who wanted Clinton--to the benefit of McCain. But this kind of behavior is so Libertarian. Is it any wonder that the third party candidates get only one half of one percent of the vote in the general election, knowing that because of the party bickering that the message has been corrupted and it would be better, in the end to vote for the lesser of the two evils? Final note: Thank You Dr Paul for having a counter-covention, for not showing up at the Republican convention, thus assuring a united Republican party with the minimum of Paulite protests and demonstrations. In 2000, the Reform Party destroyed itself when Buchanan threw out of the convention his opponenets, who had a counter-convention down the street. The Republicans are safe from this possibility because Dr Paul has gracefully decided to exit the party, which benefits McCain.
Yup, Barr will get his one half of one percent--unless some State scews up with its ballots and Barr gets votes by mistake. Otherwise, he has no chance to even affect the election. the so-called bare minimum that the LP seems to settle for--no, the maximum that the LP can hope to do.
Which is why I am no libertarian--on the grounds of utility and the practical aspects of politics.
Posted By: John P Slevin
Date: 2008-08-18 22:27:53
You argue that allegiance to the LP is somehow less effective than the course chosen by those who support Ron Paul (and, by extension, the GOP), writing: "...you've effectively removed yourself from the political process..."
Ron Paul first ran for president as the LP's nominee because, as he stated at the time, he'd been unable to get anything done as a Republican.
I'll keep asking till someone can cogently answer. What exactly has Ron Paul accomplished in congress since returning to the GOP and what is it someone can hope to accomplish in that corrupt party?
Anyone but a dolt would acknowledge Ron Paul has been completely ineffective in congress.
That's no knock on Ron Paul, and I like Ron Paul, really loved this last campaign of his.
Nearly all of Ron Paul's new legion of supporters never had heard of the guy prior to his inclusion in these last Republican primary debates. Never had heard of this congressman who was first elected in 1976. How effective has he been?
Ron Paul personally has stated, repeatedly has made the point that things are going downhill, have been since he first was elected.
What has he accomplished as a congressman?
Again, I'm a big supporter of Ron Paul, was before he became the LP's nominee those many years ago. I like what the guy stands for but I don't confuse the matter by suggesting he's accomplished a whole hell of alot as a congress critter. He hasn't.
Since you were asking about effectively removing yourself from politics I just thought I'd ask you to tell me why the GOP is where it is at. Why?
Posted By: Jake, the champion of the constitution
Date: 2008-08-20 07:18:34
Dear John P Slevin,
Thanks for writing. You have a point of course. However, please note that I merely commented (not argued!!!) that others would say you've removed yourself from the political process, on this website and others. I actually have no comment on that, my attitude is do what you will.
You asked a question that you said no one can answer to your satisfaction, heres my best shot: "What exactly has Ron Paul accomplished in congress since returning to the GOP and what is it someone can hope to accomplish in that corrupt party?"
I agree with you that RP hasn't been able to accomplish much of anything in Congress if you talk about passing bills. However, he has been one of the very few voices of freedom and a real patriot, a national hero if you will (freedom and patriotism as I define it of course, sounds like we probably agree)
His bills are the precursor to freeing America and most make sound financial or constitutional sense from all those others I have read. If his peers do not pay attention, or offer him no support, as we have seen on many many roll calls, and he is the only one whose principles can't be bought, and whose vote is not a compromise, is it worth abandonment?
So you can condemn him for being ineffective and standing by his principles. So condemn him for staying in the two party system, the same two party system that has been able to soundly defeat third parties for a very, very long time. Do you suppose that he would do the same if the # of signups at C4L were 5 million, not 84,000? I think not, I think if this were the case we would be well on the way to a Liberty Party or Jeffersonian Party. I hope you decide to plant your flag at C4L as well, or at least signup and come back on the day you think we are succeeding. Good luck
Posted By: John P Slevin
Date: 2008-08-20 07:58:58
I didn't condemn anyone.
It is illogical to expect a different result when one keeps doing the same thing. Ron Paul first was elected to congress in 1976. In everyone of his terms there he's accomplished, basically, nothing of any importance.
So, when is the revolution to begin? It's nice knowing Ron Paul is in congress...and that's about all his seat there can mean to anyone interested in liberty...it's nice, it is nothing more than that.
Why seek to reform a corrupt government by first joining a corrupt party? To do things that way require that one first must reform the GOP before one can go about reforming the government.
Ron Paul, and all who think the GOP somehow is a more effective home have it all assbackwards.
It's about reforming government, not party hack crap.
And since Ron Paul has been utterly ineffective in reforming the GOP for more than 3 decades, why take his advice on how to go about it?
That may sound to you like condemnation. I think it's just logical questioning.
Face the simple facts. Many of Ron Paul's newest supporters, and many of those around the new organization he's formed are in it for the bucks.
I love what Ron Paul is saying and doing, but I can'thelp but feel that he is dividing the LP. By standing as a Republican and abandoning the party, he has taken some bite out of the message of libertarianism (IMHO).
Here is what I am torn about.
Ron Paul has probably been the most influential libertarian in history, and the purist of libertarians support him. At the same time they fall all over him with praise, they dog the candidates nominated by the party because of his libertarian "impurity." Do they not realize that their poster child has made concessions to get where he is today? Did he not give up on the libertarian creede by joining another party?
Also, these Libertarians are violating a rule established by their "party of principle" by donating and supporting a Republican. The LP party has a by-law that says it will not endorse or support a candidate of the opposing party but they do not have problems compromising on this principle while complaining about others who compromise by being more moderate.
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