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Guest Post: It Is Time For The Ron Paul Revolution To Move Beyond Politics
Submitted by Brandon Smith of Alt-Market,
In the lead up weekend to the RNC convention, Tampa, Florida was awash in political electricity. It was so prevalent you could sense it in the corridors of air terminals across the country before you ever made it to that hot humid peninsula in the south. I admit, to be caught up in it is exciting. The ideal of democratic participation, the feeling of rejuvenation and community, joining the ranks of one’s ideological brethren to charge into intellectual combat for the future of our nation. If any of it was real, I would have been truly inspired. Unfortunately, I was well aware that the Republican convention was a farce, and knew full well what the end result would be for the Ron Paul campaign.
I had the privilege of being invited by the organizers of Paulfest, a Liberty Movement Woodstock of sorts, to give a speech on alternative economics and solutions to the general crisis we face as a country in the near future. On the long flight I found myself surrounded by GOP fanboys and even a Secret Service agent, as well as the endless FOX and CNN cavalcade reports on terminal TV’s during layovers. If you were in the middle of it, you would think something “important” was about to happen. If anything, it only clarified my concerns that there is still far too much that needs to be accomplished before the year of 2012 is over.
Arrival at Paulfest revealed immediate conflicts between the Ron Paul campaign and its base support. Certain Ron Paul staff (namely the infamous Jesse Benton) had been going out of their way to stiff and in some cases sabotage the event despite Ron Paul’s words of appreciation to those involved. Benton has had a long track record of venom against Ron Paul’s base supporters, which he referred to as “big fringe elements” in texts to potential speakers including Peter Schiff, to persuade them from partaking in the festival:
Benton has on numerous occasions kicked out alternative news journalists from Ron Paul events in a move to sterilize the press box. When the RNC deliberately buried states with large Ron Paul delegate counts in the bleachers at the back of the building where television cameras would not notice them, complaints to the GOP and the campaign abounded, and an audit of the RNC was even called for. Yet, Benton responded snidely, saying:
“I am glad so many of our delegates get to sit close together.”
It has become clear that Benton and others have been “handling” Ron Paul for a considerable portion of his campaign and attempting to divorce him from the elements of the movement which are seen as “extreme” or anti-establishment, even though these are the same elements that catapulted Ron Paul into the minds of average Americans. My impression is that they have been targeted for surgical removal because they are impossible to co-opt for the purposes of diplomacy (submission) with the Neo-Con elites running the GOP carnival.
Rand Paul’s recent endorsement of Mitt Romney is not surprising given the parasitic nature of particular campaign organizers who buzz about him, including Benton. The bottom line is that some people in the movement are not in it to fight for freedom, or to ensure a brighter and more Constitutional Republic. Some are in the movement to further their political careers and ambitions, and are perfectly willing to use the energy of popular candidates to carry them to success.
Sadly, this is the ultimate weakness of the political ideal; regardless of how honest and forthright a candidate is, even a principled luminary like Ron Paul can be undermined by those closest to him if he is not careful. Millions of people relying solely on the tenuous chance of victory of a single man in a single rigged contest is NEVER a recipe for liberty.
The internal conflict was a source of tension and depression for many who only wanted to see unity within the movement, a final hurrah for Ron Paul, and a last drive towards a respectable showing at the RNC. The problem is that for some reason there was an expectation among some Paul revolutionaries that there would be a semblance of “fairness”. I’m not sure why considering that after four years and two presidential campaigns there has never been a single moment of fair-play in the GOP towards Ron Paul or the Liberty Movement in general. We have been the targets of mass media attacks, Republican con-games, and even DHS profiling. How anyone could think that Ron Paul was going to win by playing a game in which the rules are written and re-written (literally, as we saw with the GOP state delegate selection process changes) by the corrupt system is beyond me.
The most I had ever hoped for was a broken and perhaps chaotic RNC (a rightful punishment for the Neo-Cons), and the expansion of truth. For me, the Ron Paul campaign has always been a vehicle for the movement to expose the reality of our society to those half-hypnotized by the doldrum madness of the mainstream. I never saw it as a solution to our vast problems in and of itself.
Those of us who come from a macroeconomic background tend to have a more grounded vision of time. That is to say, we know the potential danger, and have a more profound sense of urgency than those who only approach activism through politics. We have mathematical insight, not just social or intuitive insight, into the approaching storm. This comes not only with certainty, but extended responsibility. During a round table discussion which included myself, Stewart Rhodes of Oath Keepers, Chuck Baldwin, and many other fantastic voices of the movement, I found that the boys from Montana had our work cut out for us in moving the discussion away from the purely political. The talk touched on alternative strategies, including self sufficiency and independent living, but gravitated time and again back to “finding new candidates to take Ron Paul’s place”, and coming up with new protest venues.
I was not able to take an accurate tally, but my ballpark guess is that though there are millions of Ron Paul supporters out there, at least half are completely unprepared for any kind of crisis event, and really do believe they have four more years to wait in quasi-hibernation while America hangs by a thin fiscal thread. It is not my intention to drive a wedge between “preparedness Ron Paulers” and “political Ron Paulers”. Far from it. But really, these folks should know better.
Stewart Rhodes’ speech at Paulfest was the most shocking for many of the political Paulers, as well as the most necessary. He removed the kid gloves completely as well as any feel-good rhetoric, stating that the GOP as a party was dead, and deserved to be, letting the Paul folks know that any further strategy of attempting to “infiltrate” the Republican establishment and turn it over to the side of good was a waste of time. He also stated that it is no longer enough for the movement to play around as “intellectual warriors”, they might soon have to become real warriors. I agree.
In my speech, I gave clear cut and tangible solutions to Paulfest attendees, including alternative markets and barter networks, commodity based currencies, micro industries and localized business models, useful trade skills, off-grid living, preparedness, and if all else fails, real revolution. Not idealized intellectual activism under the catchy label of revolution, but fists in the air and rifles in hand revolution. The kind that scares the crap out of most, not because of its danger, but because of its finality of purpose. The will to fight, really fight, is frightening, especially to those who cling to the belief that one can reason with his opponents. The cold hard fact is; some men are not men. Some men are monsters, and reason is the last thing that will ever sway them…
I also closed with an admission; that I fear little for the future. Despite the flaws of the Ron Paul campaign, the elections, and the movement in general, there is something to be said for the miracle that has occurred since 2008, and I do mean “miracle”. Four years ago, an activist speaking against the Federal Reserve, for instance, would be immediately met with attacks from all sides and outnumbered 50 to 1. Today, the roles are reversed. The internet is teaming with life and defenders of liberty while the majority of Americans and even Congress are calling for an audit or end of the Fed. The preparedness culture has exploded with dedicated families willing to make the terrifying leap into a once alien lifestyle. The mainstream media has been crushed by alternative outlets; as their numbers dwindle into oblivion, ours skyrocket in turn. All in all, it is not a bad time to be a champion of the Constitutional philosophy, and the existence of such a movement gives me enduring optimism. I do not “think” we will prevail; I KNOW we will prevail.
As I sat in the Sun Dome in Tampa witnessing the last speech of Ron Paul’s campaign career, I felt the loss that lingered within the crowd, but this was not the end. Not to sound callous, but frankly, the best thing that could have happened to the movement today was a farewell from Ron Paul and an end to the political theater that most have been caught up in for the better part of this year. The game is over. The real battle begins.
Ron Paul did more for the movement than many of us had ever dreamed. He forced the Constitution back into the mainstream when we needed it most. He breathed life into America once again. But now, his job is done. Rand Paul will not carry the movement forward, nor will any other candidate, at least not in the short time this nation has left before it becomes entirely unrecognizable.
Now, Ron Paul activists will be forced to walk away from the chessboard and to examine the legitimacy of bottom up solutions at the local level, rather than being obsessed with the top down drudgery at the federal level. They will have to insulate themselves using decentralized economic systems and self sustaining living methods. They will have to learn to produce necessities for themselves, and to interact within their communities face to face. They will be compelled to educate local police and military to wake them up to the civil catastrophes ahead. If they do seek out political strategies, it will have to be at the county and state levels, where there is at least a chance of making viable progress. And, most of all, they will have to adopt a self-defense mindset in addition to intelligent discourse. They will have to become what I would call ‘Warrior Poets’ in the shadow of this dark age. They will have to think, and feel, but also be willing to fight, and perhaps even die for their principles. They will have to become whole men and women, rather than incomplete people, projecting all their hopes and dreams into a governmental white knight that will never come.
Ultimately, politics has been warped into a mechanism by which the masses can hand over their responsibility to affect change within the system they live, and pass the buck on to others. It is time to move away from this failed dynamic. It is time for the Ron Paul revolution to mature, and to embrace the pain of doing what must be done. It is time to take matters into our own hands.
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What a fucking asshole statement. You think you have the bulge on minds like John Lock, Montesque,Alexander Hamilton and James Madison ..go fuck'n read the FEDERALIST PAPERS.
It not the structure of our government it's the idiot citizenry...asshole
Replace the state with what? Ever heard of Aristotles sixfold calssification of governments ..well our got his endorsement ..you wanna take him on pea brain?
( I know now you have to go look up Aristotle, etc..it'll be too much work for you so just change the channel on the TV)
For me, there's a LOT not to like about Ron Paul. But the plusses far outweigh the negatives right now. I'm more concerned about the rights of the already born than whether I can dump this fetus or not.
Ron the candidate is gone. But the idea that we're all mad as hell remains.
LA21
Revolution? Yup...right behind ya. Lets go get 'em.
Oh wait...the game is on. Can I get a rain check. I can help you on Tuesday.
Well, if you're off revolutionizing and all on Tuesday, I guess I won't be able to gladly pay you for that hamburger like I promised.
Eventually one state will decide to secede.This will cause a panic,and a disproportionate response,as they need to be made example of.However if somehow they survive,and their policies are popular,and they are given support.......
Yeah maybe Vermont will have the balls to try to secede. There is no way to make this system work.Unfortunately, the internet has shown the world what a spoiled and screwed up nation we are, as well as given them the technical knowledge to manufacture. Because they are hungry for what we have they work their asses off, while we bitch about inequality. There will be no true Capitalism in America, there is too much money at the top to pay off politicians. Ban lobbyists, that is the first step, but I'm sure our totally honorable and unbiased Supreme Court would find that unconstitutional. But being a dirty, insider trading, money grubbing politician is perfectly constitutional. We are so fucked.
Constitutional Convention is the next step.
We already have a fabulous constitution. The ONLY THING a constitutional convention can do is turn this place into Hitler's Paradise.
We actually need people with a moral compass in power. They must enforce our existing constitution. Without that, the chaos will continue until the shitpile covers us all.
Hmm, let's fix the system by using, THE SYSTEM!! Your logic is undeniably obtuse.
Judging by the negative reaction to the idea of actually USING our present constitution, I can only assume that the average weekend visitor to ZH is even more ignorant than I previously believed. And that's pretty difficult to do, considering the visible history recorded here every week.
Okay, let's rewrite the constitution in a new constitutional convention. Now it could only legally and realistically be done by the sitting politicians.
On a national level, only about 12% of the surveyed electorate approve of these constitutional delegates' performance as legislators. So we're going to let these PTB owned and operated pieces of political shit come up with a new document to govern us all?
Sure, let's do it all on the state level. 50 states coming up with 50 flavors of constitution. We can mix and match. Unfortunately it's the same breed of scum on the state level, but without as much seasoning and corporate financial grease.
Based on current performance of these people who we've not yet, for the most part, seen fit to assassinate, I really don't see how the in the LIVING HELL anybody would want that.
Meanwhile, we will continue to have a nation of people too indolent and/or stupid to be allowed to have any real control over their national government, which already has a viable constitution.
"...which already has a viable constitution."
The results suggest otherwise. However, I realize we're dealing with a belief system here; no evidence of performance required, and lots of evidence to the contrary ignored.
Not that I would expect better results from a CC. Could easily see making things worse with that approach.
People should rid themselves of this freakish and unhealthy desire to be controlled by others; especially by others in some distant, imperial capital thousands of miles away. It's part of the same authoritarian mental sickness that compels those inflicted to try and control distant others through violence (by voting), who have done them no harm and owe them nothing.
“But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist.” ~Lysander Spooner
Any of you folks who believe we need another constitutional convention should scroll back to the video on what the Republicans pulled at their convention.
There is NO WAY a CC produces anything other than what TPTB scrips into it. It is the most dangerous idea I've ever heard.
I spent some time in the 90's doing a lot of process reengineering.
One of the things my group found was that if we just went back to way things were SUPPOSED to be done, they worked better, faster, and more efficiently. Time after time we discovered that policies and processes were changed to accomodate this person, or that group.
Tear out the crap that doesnt belong. Then see how it works. THEN you should talk about a convention.
A convention would be a nightmare. Once the door is open, they would be able to abolish the whole damn thing and write it in Spanish if they felt like it. You think special interests are bad now. I would love to be a delagate to that thing. I could pad my accounts so deep that generations of little players would not have to work.
Another totally clueless bastard who hasn't aclue about what a total disaster a CC would be .... I'll bet he he couldn't tell you if we have a democracy or a republic and what the differences are...but he's got his comment up
Hey Ma.come look what I did ..flush twice dear that's a mean one. They're always mean when they curl around the bowl.
I just watched a documentary that blew my shorts off !
It's called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jrrnkKmUzo">Dreams from my real father</a> and details Barack Obama's real story.
Monedas 1929 Comedy Jihad World Tour
I just had some chili that blew my shorts off.
Fortunately there is no video.
Dude?
yeah
check out the box score on the guy about the chili ..he's a winner on this site and it's about farting
Yeah,told ya,
This place is all about Larry the cable guy .... average IQ here runs a very tepid 83.
yeah dude.
Revolution ain't gonna happen, IMO.
The best we can do is try to find a way for libertarians and socialists to find common ground in a third party. I've been discussing "far right" Marine Le Pen on a Chris Hedges Naked Capitalism post today, and imo hers comes closest to the kind of ideology that could bridge the divide.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/magazine/mag-01LePen-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
How can a Libertarian find any common ground with the filth of socialism, where one must give up all Liberty and Property to the State? Libertarians will do well to add to their numbers in an honest way and not fall for a socialist trap. Always remember that even in socialism there is an elite party within the party and the most obvious difference between socialism and the fascist state of affairs that we find ourselves in now is you at least have the impression of owning anything. I have far too many friends from and still in Eastern Europe and have heard first hand how "fair" and miserable things are under socialism to share anything with a socialist but some lead.
It's not left verses right it's YOU against the State - Ludwig von Mises www.mises.org
Your "filth of socialism" comment works very well to promote the elite agenda. Funny thing is, the neolibs describe her as neo-Nazi (lol).
I find Le Pen's tough on immigration, anti-globalist agenda resonates through right and left critical thinkers. Also, her anti ECB, NATO, World Bank, IMF, and WTO shows her independence. As far as socialist policies, she is selective. As Le Pen explained to the New York Times:
“For a long time, the National Front upheld the idea that the state always does things more expensively and less well than the private sector,” she told me. “But I’m convinced that’s not true. The reason is the inevitable quest for profitability, which is inherent in the private sector. There are certain domains which are so vital to the well-being of citizens that they must at all costs be kept out of the private sector and the law of supply and demand.” The government, therefore, should be entrusted with health care, education, transportation, banking and energy.”
Naked Capitalism commenter "Working Class Nero" says"
"The real threat to the top two quintiles wealthy elite are the policies of Marine Le Pen. Of course Chris Hedges, being a Top Two-er propagandist, immediately dismisses her as a “Neo-Nazi” (maybe he picked up this bit of wisdom at a Madonna concert?) What he really fears are her pro-bottom 60% policies. For example, she calls for economic protection along with strict border controls to ensure full employment. Globalization (offshoring well-paid jobs, in-shoring mal-paid third worlders) is the hammer with which the Top-Two-ers increasing lower the standard of living of the bottom 60%. She also calls for the repeal of the law requiring the government to “borrow” money from the wealthy, which once the borders were economically protected, would allow governments the wherewithal to actually stimulate their economies to full employment.
The only political movement that will really scare the Top Two-ers is a combination of the “Fascist” Tea Party with the Occupy movement. Obviously there are Top Two-ers in both movements who are doing everything they can to make such a combination impossible by stoking the flames of strong emotions through the timber of meaningless cultural issues. But if people could see past these past these obvious attempts at the division of the bottom 60%; the obvious basic areas of agreement would be the economic populism of Marine Le Pen, a reduction in military spending, a rebuilding of the public infrastructure (schools hospitals, etc) that benefit all, and a total de-emphasis on divisive but mostly meaningless cultural issues such as identity politics, homosexual marriage, guns, abortion, legitimate rape, and other stupid issues that serve as distractions from the severe economic problems the bottom 60% are facing."
Read more at http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2012/09/chris-hedges-hear-the-99-roar.html#EKpOEeE2IpGZpvDk.99
That site is trash anyways. I've read it more than once while bored and browsing the sidebar links. You're a statist, and as a statist you can only recognize the State as being the legitimate form of anything.
Great way to win an argument. Ad hom attacks are the easy way out, right? No having to actually think. The sheeple won't know the difference. Win, win!
But just for shit and grins, what makes me a "statist"? I googled it and it don't sound like me.
Actually no, I just don't see having long intelligent debates on here as being worth the time. Most of you are simply incapable of it.
The advocating of organized violence or coercion makes you a statist. A violent revolt is a Statist action. Any Majority State or Government want's a violent revolt, because they know how to handle those. This is why they do what they do, they push your buttons and force you into the corner until you either comply or take up arm's against them. They want you do to do one of those two things because then they can simply mop up the mess and push for more control.
I don't understand why after a decade of seeing this shit in the media it's so hard for people to understand this. The same shit keeps repeating in country after country. They want you to revolt violently so that they can implement the programs that they have sidelined for it. What do you think the FEMA regions are for? The Billion rounds of ammo? The damn Drones they want to fly for Domestic Terrorism?
Yeah, I'm the intellectually handicapped one here alright... The rest you are just falling for the same BS time and time again and not learning a damn thing. To further the point, I do not debate with people that advocate violent revolts as the solution. Barbarians are not capable of intellegent discourse, because they have already turned off their brain if they are ready to resort to violence.
“Fascist” Tea Party
That is simply insulting to my intelligence mostly. The only thing farther from the Tea Party than fascism is socialism. Again there is little difference between you and a fascist as you both believe that the answer to anything is the State. John McCain is a fascist, he LIKES big Gub'ment and the many many BIG things you can do with one (or its military). At the current time in the United States you have ONE party, the PROGRESSIVE party with TWO factions. We call them Democrat and Republican and they are no more than the two sides of the inflationary fiat coin. The PROGRESSIVE party is the STATIST party.
Guess you didn't understand what it means when somebody puts quotes around a word. same way quotes were put around "neo-nazi" when describing Le Pen. The guy was quoting an earlier comment. Way to comment on the content of my comment. You pick out one little buzz word and focus on that.
But you are wrong about the Democratic and Republican party. They are far from progressive, they are plutocratic crony capitalist. They serve their corporate masters, not the sheeple. The wealth is being funnelled up as only the elites get richer and the gap of inequality grows. If they were progressive, the opposite would be the case. Look at the facts instead of making stuff up.
It's about money and power and human nature folks. Keep your eye on the ball. If you want to reform the system or create a new one to take its place (much more work), then you have to devise a system that prevents concentrations of wealth and power, and the few from taking over and controlling the system and all of us, because THAT'S human nature. Throughout human history all movements eventually become co-opted and overrun by these same forces -- the desire by a very few people to own and control everything.
Our own political and economic system as worked so far only because wealth and power were somewhat neutralized and limited by the concept of one person one vote, along with our own internal sense of what was right and wrong. As we have become more corrupt as a society, however, those who own and control the means of production and the money supply have dramatically increased their ownership and control of everything, by buying legislation, creating misinformation, by manipulating the system, and by manipulating and controlling us.
This is what you are fighting against. If can’t change this, you can’t change anything, and your revolution will be still-born or go off the tracks. To accomplish anything, you will have to first forget about party politics, political dogma, and all of your false distinctions and allegiances to the various political parties and ideologies, left versus right, conservative versus liberal, libertarian, blah, blah, blah. All distractions. All designed to confuse you and divide and conquer us. Keep your eye on the prize.
The system, any system must be able to PREVENT those with money and power from accumulating control over the political and economic system, and thereby controlling the rest of us. Period. Amen. If you can’t do that, you've done nothing.
I'm SubjectivObject, and I approve this message.
Kiss a commie for liberty? I don't see it catching on.
Re: "...Its time to move beyond politics"
Agreed. The whole idea of an "all powerful" President of the United States - someone who apparently now, by diktat, can decree how you WILL live - is a contemptible and ludicrous proposition.... to anyone with an ounce of self-respect, that is.
Ditto the Congress. Ditto the Supreme Court
Yes, it's time to"move beyond politcs" and bid Ron Paul "Adieu".
But fear not - I'm sure his Congressional pension, plus unaccounted for $millions in campaign-contributions from his last 2 Presidential bids will afford him a well- deserved & comfortable retirement.
Ron Paul opted out of the Congressional pension plan...also returned any unused monies from his office to the Treasury every year....and any campaign money unaccounted for is not in his pocket...douchebag troll
Apologies - thank you for clarifying that for me Rand.
Facts are facts nutlicker. You obviously don't give two toots about facts or researching them so being a childish troll, you're intellectually challanged as well.
Here's a ball, go play in the street.
He wouldn't know what to do with them if you gave him two balls.
Swing at the next pitch?
Well Settler,
how much of RP's campaign money was put in a place where it could be accounted for?
According to Open Secrets, none of my contributions to the Ron Paul moneybombs
were ever listed for either the 2008 or the 2012 cycles.
Other contributions of mine to other candidates are listed.
If you contributed, take a look and see if your money is there.
I've asked other Paulistas about this and got no response.
Hey Douchebag. Go look at RPs financial filings with the FEC,. He is almost totally invested in mining stocks, gold silver etc.
And look at his FEC expense reports. Most of the meals are at Dennys or pancake house.
And do not bid Adiue to the good doctor. The guy loves most just to excersize. He will be around with us after your fat ass dies of a coronary.
Or maybe AIDS. Who knows.
"men are monsters"
Yes, but, abandon the false fundamental dichotomies regarding the "some."
The necessary intellectual revolution begins with radical ideas, which are primarily paradigm shifts in our perspectives on politics. Political science needs to be made more consistent with physics and biology, through a creative synthesis of postmodernizing science with ancient mysticism. ONENESS, twice or thrice twisted!!!
The "monsters" are NOT going to allow "non-violence," since they will never stop pushing the boundaries. Rather, we need a radically different theory about violence. That is especially true after the development of mass destruction weapons, that are many orders of magnitude more than anything that ever existed before in human history. Any old-fashioned violent revolution is just as insane as a violent war, after atomic bombs, et alia! As above, so below, and the lies are different at every level ... Wars abroad and martial law at home, both mirrors to each other, and both utterly insane and irrational, after technology astronomically amplified everything!
I am one of the 99% of people who are NOT prepared. The reason is that I believe it is practically impossible to actually be prepared. The existing organized systems of frauds and robberies have been amplified quadrillions of times! Those genies are neve going back in their bottles, unless the human species goes extinct. Adapting to science and technologies that amplify us by many, many orders of magnitude are the real problems. No going backwards to impossible ideals, using false fundamental dichotomies, is ever going to be possible. Only going forward though radical transformations is possible, whether we like it or not!
I recommend developing unitary mechanisms to understand how human societies work, and applying those to fashioning the kinds of solutions we actually should implement. Most of that turns the world upside down, inside out and backwards, to the ways we were taught to think about it.
Anywhere, here is a link to my day dreams that it would have been nice to have Ron Paul for President of the USA!
one can always starting growing hemp in vacant lots.
You said:
Are you KIDDING me? You abdicate personal responsibility because you feel overwhelmed? G'luck w/that, Champ.
prep yer mind, yer ass will follow. . .
Fuck it. Let's move on. Au, Ag & Pb. It's a way of life.
Gary Johnson will carry on the battle, in 2012 and 2016.
You must be one of those 'optimists' - Ive heard of them, but don't see many around on ZH.
Could you explain the reasons you think there will be an election in 2016 - I assume you mean in the US, so that requires some justification regarding the idea that the states will remain united under a central government.
During 2008, I expected a total crash of the system by 2020 - now Im not so optimistic.
Oh, there might be an election in 2016. You know, like those elections in the USSR and Iraq (before the most recent Iraq war). But a "real" election? That's another matter. There hasn't been a "real election" in the USSA since... since... well, 1960 might be a good date to choose, but probably lots longer than that.
No Paul no Vote,
The Liberty political movement is not dead, it is just beginning. Just because the Conspiritarians are butt-hurt because we didn't win is no reason to write off what was accomplished on this campaign and make radical proclamations like "It's time for the Ron Paul Revolution to do what must be done!" WTF does that even mean anyway? This character assassination campaign against Jesse Benton is just plain stupid. Jesse was right to try and distance Ron Paul from the black helicopter nuts. NOT EVERYONE IN THIS MOVEMENT BELIEVES IN ALL YOUR BAT-SHIT CONSPIRACIES!
Conspiritarians and their endless demagoguing of some mystical central force which is running our lives, totally contradicts our main political point... THAT CENTRAL PLANNING DOESN'T WORK!!! Politics is about the image and the perception that a lot of conservatives and independents outside the movement have of Ron Paul is based on these delusional New World Order, Truther, Bilderberger nuts and this makes it extremely difficult for the rest of us who actually tried to run a professional and stylized campaign which would appeal to a broader demographic. You're conspiracy antics didn't help us get one vote on this campaign. And whenever we asked you to walk precincts or make calls, you decided to do a fucking SIGN WAVE instead! The real story of the Info Warrior Conspiritarians in this movement is that while there are a lot of you, when it comes to campaigning, you were totally useless.
Do you want to know why we didn't win? It's not because Jesse Benton screwed up... WE DIDN'T GET ENOUGH VOTES!!!
The liberty movement is not over, it is just getting started. If Conspiritarians want to "abandon the system" and "do what must be done" by all means, please do.
You must be new around here, even though it say's 3 years...
You're nothing more than another Statist trying to co-opt Ron Paul for your agenda. I do not think you actually understand Ron Paul's message or who he really is. With that said, I also do not think you are aware that Ron Paul is not a Statist like you want him to be. The man is an Anarchist.
lol this is so typical from the Anarcho-capitalist/Objectivists: demagogue whoever doesn't agree with you and call them a Statist.
Ron Paul has stated numerous times that he was on a campaign to rescue/transform the Republican party and whether you like it or not, there are still a lof of people in the Liberty movement who are pledged to do just that.
I've followed Ron Paul for 11 years. He's not who you think he is.
That's the problem with you new comers to this society of Anarchists, you don't know anything yet. You think that you are on this mission do something, when the reality is that Ron Paul was only pointing you to the Libertarian's. He was laying the groundwork for everyone to start the shift, and to start listening to what is being said in our community.
I could just tell you to listen to us, but where the fun in that be? We are the ones that started this Ron Paul Revolution over a decade ago. We put the man out front for you people to hear him. We wrote on the topic of Liberty so that everyone could understand where the power lies, and eventually accept that the State is not there to help you, it's only there to fuel it's own agenda. The Republican Party is a State.
FFS, why is that the education has to be done in the dark corners of the Internet, all of this should have been apparent in his books and his numerous podcasts and writing's on the subject. Liberty comes from the individual, not the party or government. Ron Paul was trying to diable the State by making it ineffective.
Great points, Nid. Ignore the Keiser/Aziz confab above.
The shills really have invaded ZH...
You want this loss at the RNC to be the catalyst for your Anarchist Revolution but the irony of your entire idea is that the Anarcho's don't believe in systems, don't believe in hierarchy and don't believe in leaders. So you educate and educate and spill all of this esoteric theory about the state but where has that gotten you? You are just another Ron Paul fan boy buying Alex Jones T-shirts and making We Are Change vids. You guys just want to tear down the political movement so you can own the "Ron Paul Revolution" for yourselves. You think if you can destroy Jesse Benton and the rest of the political movement it will legitimize your theory about educating the masses and having everyone drop out of the system in some kind of Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged fantasy that you project on the recent events surrounding Ron Paul. But it's not real. You are basing your entire argument on the backs of the people who worked on the political campaign and made it a success. You think we're done and your fantasy is going to come true, but it's never going to happen. You are leaderless, you are incapable of organizing and people think your movement is crazy. You are an internet community out to sell T-Shirts, nothing more.
I won't deny that many Anarcho capitalists and Libertarians started the Ron Paul Revolution and helped it grow over the past few years, it's true. But the point is this: Ron Paul ran for president as a Republican. He believed in working through the political system and the Republican party because he ran as a Libertarian once and it didn't work. He believed that the message of Liberty would bring more people to the political movement and that it would continue to grow by working within the system. He was right and the political movement is bigger than ever before. The Ron Paul people have taken over entire state parties, won local elections and are about to grow the liberty movement in congress. You think the people who worked on those campaigns and learned how to play the political game are just going to give up because you "educated them" on some blog post? You are going to be disappointed.
I'm sure everyone involved is really happy you were a supporter for 10 years or whatever, but if you think that gives you claim to the movement, you are wrong. If you expect people who worked on this campaign and others like it to give up because we lost, drop out of "the state" and go Anarcho because you made some cool posts with some Murray Rothbard quotes on Zero Hedge, you are wrong. The political movement is the Ron Paul movement and the people on the fringe trying to hijack it for their own agenda are going to be disappointed.
Ron Paul is anything but an "anarchist" - jeezus, get a grip.
he's a 40 year REPUBLICAN office holder who swings a Christian FundaMentalist flag, irrespective of all the cool college kids that want to wear the Tshirt (since when do the much mocked college party-class get respect here? weird), or the loyal volunteer military or the Tparty - he's the same Ron Paul that's been moneybombing and employing his family with the proceeds every time he "runs" - why is this so hard to understand??
other people talk about the same "message" RPaul uses, why is it only Paul that some of you will listen to? one needn't vote to understand the system only serves those who sign up to serve it. . .
Hey genius, he was sent a draft card, that is why he was in the Military. It was either get drafting and have to serve in Vietnam or sign up and stay in his profession.
It's like none of you have ever read his books or listened to the man....
did he actually author his books, or are they "ghosted" like the newsletters that made a shitload of money and bear his name, but he *shrugs* about who put the wordage together?
for the record, I did research him earlier this year when the fever was hot - and it's quite a nest of conflicting stories, and include some pretty shady "funding" IMO. I'm not very interested in rehashing details, most of my opinions are stated at the beginning of the year at ZH, it's very old news to me now.
other people have similar POV on the FED, economics, etc. - but rarely are his Christian (and other beliefs) mentioned here, so I'm guessing maybe YOU haven't done the research you accuse me of slacking on - in the end, his years as a Republican, and his record in office, and the hiring of extended family, and the groups he belongs to, and his son. .
. . . speaks volumes to me. but then, I don't vote, never have, never will. that would be acknowledging a system I've never believed was truthful, nor representative of humans, anywhere.
power and money act on the behalf of power and money, end of.
Imo - RP is an anarcho-capitialist. I am fairly sure, if you asked he would likely agree. When he is on TV and running for President - he is a Republican - but he ran as a Libertarian previously, and he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to change his mind easily. Also, you should be aware - being a republican 30yrs ago is a lot different to being a republican today, and RP espoused old repblican views, and not the new ones.
you want RP to be "an anarcho-capitalist" because you think that combo is cool - if RP believed in ANY of those principals, he'd be true to them. he's a Republican though, wears the label, and Rand talks it even louder. . .
peruse the evidence, stop "hoping" that you have a man you can idolise - do your mind a favour and tell it the truth, while you can.
I don't believe in anything, I reject the concepts of true or false (in physical reality) - I use data and construct models. I'm just going with the model with the most consistent data - and that says RP is for smaller govt, less regulation and free markets - taken to the extreme these policies reflect an anarcho-capitalist ideal.
It's hard to reconcile anarcho-capitalism and a desire for legislative "pro-life" policy.
In anarcho-capitalism, whenever people can *afford* it, it's fine.
I think there is a critical mass for the Outside Party.
Maybe the RoPa Party.
Not red, not blue, Orange. Nothing about the degenerate Status Quo rhymes with Orange.
The approach absolutely has to be non violent (to wit, I have registered guns galore), because violence gives every excuse for violent oppression by the status quo state power, and nothing civil can grow under those conditions. Make ruthless violence their mistake.
Establish the party in each state and venue suppression should essentially go away, or be yet one more obvious risk for the status quo police state.
The first plank of the Party platform; That party members want nothing material for themselves except to dismantle the existing political corpracracy and withdraw power from the banking and resource oligarchy and reestablish, refresh, the Constitutional principles. A true charity.
The Outside Party has to attack the entrenched status quo at the local grass roots. Eshew any notion of fixing all the current, transient, details of the local political process, instead focus on the philosophical tenets and doctrine for civil fairness to the extent any moment permits. Vet Outside people for election to local offices with the concurrent intent to expose corruption and impose fairness.
An alternative media must be coordinated and developed Outside the commercial media. Creativity and stamina are the only things that will effectively counter the entrenched Status Quo, because they have a cash flow the lets them work their incremental oppressions and get paid to cover day-to-day life at the same time. The Outside Party must work to identify, and expose the bureaucratic complicity with the Status Quo, toward defunding the parasitic functions.
The Outside Party, the RoPa Party (RoPa dope), the Orange party. Think about it.
Any new party will be infiltrated and taken over by the same crowd that owns everything now. That's the way they operate: infiltrate, own and control. If you don't get money out of politics by means of tough laws (like legislation that overturns Citizen's United), nothing will ever change, and the game will remain the same. Big money and power will ALWAYS seek to protect themselves and thier own interests -- money and power. It's in our genes. That's why we have laws -- to protect us from ourselves.
I don't disagree at all with the substance of what you say. What you say is the context that any form of oppositon must contend with, it is the environment that has be permitted to incrementally grow around us, and the process of reversal must be incremental also, The reversal process must start local in order to gain a foot hold to work from, and to work Outside the current red or blue party's structure, where no alternative is permitted to grow. Having to contend with and resist the forces and conditions you cite is simply the environment that has the worked with/witin. In this context, the array of tactics/strategy, policy, rhetoric, and philosphy of the Outside Party must be to, in a sense, make lemonade from the lemons the Status Quo are guaranteed to throw at it. Political ju-jit-su, ast it were. There is no way any alternative to the Status Quo can avoid this responsiibility to define and consolidate its alternative politics toward reestablishing/renewing the Constitution, its Ammendments, and the Bill of Rights and breakup of the Oligarchic network.
Gary Johnson speech at Paul fest in Tampa.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tLN5NBZ5KU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZY-MZROgc4&feature=fvwrel
Probably the most pathetic thing to witness is the large group of people who still buy into the US two party system and believe that they must fight to get republicans into office or democrats into office in order to save and or change America.
Look, the elites and corporate entities purchase both parties. Obama the socialist was cleared by corporate interests to run for president, otherwis ehe never ever would have been allowed to be the candidate. His socialism has seen record corporate profits, this is a FACT, record corporate profits. Now do you think the corporations didn't know they had Obama in their pocket. Obama is also a warmonger on par with Bush. Again, the military industrial complex cleared Obama to be the Democratic candidate and they have been well rewarded. Simply google "US defense budget" to see how they have been bought off.
All you people who continue to spew the talking points of your political parties like the many republican hacks who frequent ZH should know better. I note far fewer democrat types on ZH, but they exist and are just a foolish.
The supposed two party system is just a liberal and conservative wing of the same party. How much REAL change do you notice from one party to the next? A YES, these social issues and the culture wars are all cooked up to keep you distracted while the elites carve up the spoils and loot the nation. Bankers, Corporate whores, job out sourcers, war mongers, crooks and liars they are the heart and soul of the one party state. You notice under both parties we have inacted a police state and trashed every right the constitution used to grant you. Any president has the power to arrest and send away to a secret torture prison any American a president designates a threat to national security. This is the stuff of Joseph Stalin and the old USSR.
Obama also is responsible for an increase in inequality compared to Bush, as more was funnelled up to the 1% as the middle class was decimated. Some socialist.
excellent post, and it saddens me that your voice appears to be a minority here, a place that used to think outside the system/box. . .
election years are soo boring.
Election years are annoying. Really shows how stupid most people really are. How easily the are distracted, polarized, etc. The real predators of this world must think it is like shooting ducks in a pond.
sports model of governance - pick a team, buy the T-shirt, wave the banner, argue on behalf of other's ideas & beliefs. . .
voters are cultural creations that mimic religion & war - all have similar traits required to participate - very little required of the mind, beyond show up to rallies, and tick a box every few years - the epitome of lazy social participation.
well you have constructed a few straw men in your argument but you main thesis, that a two party system is BAD sucks.
Look at countries with 5,10,15 parties,,they are totally ungovernable, faction against faction. DO some homework and read Federalist Paper #10, probably the most cogent argument ever presented against the vice of faction.
You people are so fucking ignorant. I'll bet 80%+ of this crowd has never read the Federalist Papers, yet you all have the magic formula.
I taught my children in 1993 how to build a thatch shelter and build a fire in the forest while keeping food fresh by digging holes in the forest floor and using a block of ice as a refridgerant. They now live in northern Canada in an Atlas Shrugged type community where there are NO freebies, no welfare, no handouts, no food stamps but where families must take care of their own "disadvantaged" members without "communal" rights.
They are now having the time of their lives because the only "Social Media" they know is the local Legion Hall singing old Beatles songs to an accoustic guitar and when they get lonely, they walk down to the Community Centre to swap gossip because there are no high-speed internet portals anywhere to be found within 500 miles.
Sometimes a step back in human evolution and technological "progress" is the pause that refreshes.
Ho, hum. Sounds boring as fuck. Sorry, I will pin my hopes on a third party before I resign myself to a life of deprivation. There is no way to truly turn back the clock. There is only finding a way forward that works best for most.
Sorry? No need to RSVP if you haven't been invited.
Can it be any clearer than this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZLqsRqKFyI
Did ANYONE compliment or thank the guy that wrote the article???
I scanned most of the replies and may have missed it.
Brandon Smith did a bang up job with his article and I hope we see a great deal more of him. He is on my read first list.
I gave the article a vote up.
I did not fellate the author. It was a good piece, but not a GREAT piece.
Congratulations. Good work.
.......meanwhile the People's Front of Judea continue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P2jJdrz9bY
You want to stop all the nonsense, Stop Buying, organize and focus, and buy even less, and if it makes financial sense go bankrupt, and Blow the student loan,immigrate and sell your skill else where.
spareparts,
Goodbye. The USA was founded and made by people loyal to their communities. Off you go. Don't let the door hit your butt as you leave...soon, hopefully.
Despite our troubles, the English speaking people are still the most free, and determined to debate our differences and seek a better way...unlike the desert despots, oligarchs and monarchists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4B1POkJbdc
Globalization is the priority now. Agenda 21 is unfolding under the radar.
would those "English speaking people" be the same folks that have been colonising the globe and absorbing other nationstate's resources disproportionately for centuries?
the same folks that have HOW MANY military bases around the world? and massive "embassies" in places like Iraq and Haiti?
myopic.
You mean the ones responsible for 99% of the scientific and medical achievements in history? The one who freed the slaves after their blacl/purple brother sold them into bondage ..cut the revisionist history bull shitand
about how white men went to Africa to "drag away the conquered in chains"
The era of the Atlantic slave trade and the era of European conquests across the continent of Africa were different eras.
During the era of the Atlantic slave trade, most of Africa was ruled by Africans, who sold some of their slaves to white men.
European conquests in Africa had to wait until Europeans found some way to survive lethal African diseases, to which they lacked resistance. Only after medical science learned to deal with these diseases could the era of European conquests spread across sub-Saharan Africa. But the Atlantic slave trade was over by then.
Go change your deodorant.
spare me your memorised "white men are responsible for everything we know" nonsense - I've read of the ways "science" restricted truth for in-breeding societies of white coats, that seek patents to engineered natural substances, and know of their "contributions" to the global militaries that use humans as lab rats for their vile imaginings.
the history of corporations says more than your post did - power & money, it's what motivates the majority of your precious "white men". . .
http://duckduckgo.com/?q=history+of+corporations
away & change yer shorts.
Stop buying..immigrate?..immigrate to where? Even the illegals are going home in record numbers... Are you the guy living under the 405 overpass? What color is your sky.
Here's a CLUE..the rest of the world is even MORE fucked up than the USA and they probably wouldn't let you immigrate without a very necessary skill and from your tweet it sounds like you got zip to offer.
Tell ya what, when you find the place to immigate in this worlds economy send out the word ...cause the word you're sending out is pure bull shit.
National conventions are tax funded entertainment for the party faithful. Take the red pill or the blue pill.
These events do nothing for the people at large and do not nominate candidates or elect anyone. Stop it. It's a waste of money, and time.
I decided to skip red and blue pills and swallowed a button off my shirt instead.
I'm not any happier, but at least nobody's vying for donations or my support.
Sometimes you can see my belly button though.
Ron Paul suggested that his supporters continue to "STUDY." He means to read the books of Ludwig von Mises and the other "Austrian" economists, e.g. Hayek, Rothbard, Bastiat all available free online at www.mises.com
Also the works of AYn Rand: Atlas Shrugged The Virtue of Selfishness etc
A movie of part two of Atlas Shrugged will be in theaters Oct 12, 2012 tell everyone to see it and read the book.
G.Edward Griffin's The CReature From Jekyll Island about central banking history in AMerica and the secret origins of the Federal Reserve System. Hint: the Federal Reserve Act was written by J.P. Morgan at a secret meeting at his island duck hunting lodge in 1910 with his banker friends and passed into law in 1913.
So the Federal Reserve is a private banking cartel, privately owned and loans to the U.S. Treasury the Federal Reserve Notes it prints up so some of our national debt is owed to the bankers who loaned us the money which they didn't earn rather printed up in violation of the Constitution which gave the power to coin money to the Congress not to print it.
Losing faith in ZH.
If this post didn't draw the ire of TPTB and their alphabet soup of security agencies, (i.e. shut this mutherfucker down... NOW!) then I don't think much of what is posted can be in earnest.
Junior got taken down for frikken questioning 911 but ZH lives on while calling the R3VOLUTION to arms?
Website hosted in Switzerland. It's better for them to ignore. No such thing as good publicity.
Ron Paul should run as a third party
I really think Dr. Paul mostly ran just to have a platform to tell the unwashed masses many things that they need to hear. And for that, I thank him.
And to do that, he needed to be running inside the tent of one of the two wings of the US Party. That got him a few sound bites on MSM and landed him many interviews that might not have come his way as a 3rd party candidate.
I think Ron Paul did well for America and himself in running the campaign he ran. There was no hope in hell that he was going to be nominated by the owners' henchmen, but he did some important educatin' and that counts for a lot.
Quantitative data are often subjectively derived. Not always, but often, especially in economics and finance.
And these data routinely contain unquantified or else unquantifiable error bounds, so that when the data sets are combined and manipulated together, the overlapping error level present is amplified.
And such subjective inputs to quantitative models leads to erroneous and misleading subjective pseudo-'quantitative' results.
Subjective numeric results do not lead to valid 'insights', but to invalid analysis and policy.
And this is especially the case in the ever-flaky field of economics and the fraudulent shemozzle that is finance, particularly when frigged with within the arena of pseudo-democratic two-part dictator state politics.
To generalise and defer to such quantification as representing mathematical "insight", leading to "certainty" ... (!)
BZZZZT! ... no cigar
See rule #1 of quantification: Garbage in = Garbage out
America needs no Ron Paul because what America really needs right now is Adolf Hitler.
Go have another beer ane watch some TV. And don't forget to take your meds.
Go revist the history and answer my question to you. What did Hilter do to the banks after he came to power?
Ultimately, politics has been warped into a mechanism by which the masses can hand over their responsibility to affect change within the system they live, and pass the buck on to others.
Has it ever been different? Politics is a market institution too
Valiant words at the end of your piece. Tptb can trust however on the power of compound apathy - makes enforcement of current regime so much easier and means the ship of state stays range-bound.
So I think that opting out only makes sense if its for the purpose of forming better 'informal' institutions to starve the beast. Otherwise, your family/community is a lone sitting duck. There are other strategies that could also be adopted. Libertarianism is presented and promoted like Marxism was - teleological, utopian etc. It could learn a thing or two from the Fabians - not to openly decry and denounce our institutions - but to take the kings shilling and try to co-opt them: for libertarians to become educationalists, academics, journalists, bureaucrats, politicants, bankers, CEO's. To "take a long march through institutions"
RP has achieved a great deal - really, just raising awareness is a great achievement. However, his prescriptions remain outside the Overton window and are too easy to mischaracterise and his offer is a "difficult sell" - a complex product with unknown downstream costs - to an indoctrinated and dependent electorate. Education and Media is key here as RP has shewn. Rebirthing USA from FedGov will be a multi-generational effort...
I think the most effective things you can do is save money, buy gold and silver, eat well, constantly pick up new skills, and be polite to people. And I know a lot of you want to hide your gold or silver savings in a safe spot, but buy a couple of coins and show them to people. Let them feel the real stuff in their hand and tell them that people 5000 years ago thought it was money. There's nothing "nutbag" about a piece of metal. The more people actually hold gold in their hands, the more they realize what a contrivance the FRNs are. They're just liabilities between banks who have lent out other people's money 20-50 times over.
Yes, persistently and consistently grow stronger and wiser. Don't despair; prepare, prepare.
Glorious news from the front! The outrageous success of the Obomba/Clinton foreign policy strategy and its lurch into the bottomless-abyss of Washington ideological industrial war-mongering inept stupefaction, relentlessly gathers pace, and polarises humanity into the abject suicidal absurdity of nuclear factionalism with a proxy-war cherry on top.
It is a true privilege to be witnessing such persistent foreign-policy ineptitude and astonishing incompetence, and the conspicuous absence any sort of intelligent US leadership potential. It is beyond my wildest dreams to be able to witness the unfolding of epic dumb, in near real-time.
--
--
Hillary has them on-the-run now! The foreign policy and diplomacy of the USSA is evidently in very safe hands, no chance of a major war, it's a steady-as-she-goes guiding-hand to peaceness and cheesecake, so let's not rock the boat now that so much #WIN is coming down the shute.
Brother, if you keep up this foreign policy stuff this crowd will beaqt you to death ... talk about tater possum pie or sump'n like that..real life war talk cause massive group MEGO to take over ..then the Jimma Carter defense kicks in..hey, I'm not kidd'n..the used Jimma Carter as an example of good foreigh policy.
This is just a warning.
Blow it out your arse instead, you should get less crap on your keyboard that way. ;)
So, now that they have told you what they are offering (Obama/Romney), isn't time to tell them what YOU want?
Hmm..looks like a tough room..lets see how this plays
obama sucks
the FED sucks
Americans can lick anyone
Who cares about the rest of the world
I ain't afraid of nuclear war
Ok,OK stand back before she blows !!!!
O folks lets give it up for GlomarHabu and his sincerity tour ...
Dude?
Yeah.
I don't think they got it.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Take it down a notch.
OK.
Fucktard,liberal,asshole Bernanke,Wall Street wankers, dripping liberal smegma head.....
Ok,better.
The greatest disappointment in all this isn't that Ron Paul got the shaft. Everyone knew that was going to happen and I even called it in another post a while ago. Nope. The biggest disappointment is that the Ron Paul people kicked up a little dirt and the went home to cry themselves to sleep like little beta-male faggots. They got fucked right in the pooper and all they did was shout. Man, if that is the extent of the RP revolution, we are fucked and might as well call it a day. What happened to rioting? Where were the Molotov cocktails? Man, you guys are seriously pacified. And you have the balls to mock Europeans? Son, they know how riot. Remember Hungary back in 2006 after they found out their Prime Minister lied to them? Hell, I even remember when some teenager managed to commandeer a tank and drove it to the capital. That's how you do shit, junior.
I'm even starting to think Libertarians and true Conservatives are controlled opposition. We've even got some homo several above or below me (depending on how you filter) that spews bile but then makes the disclaimer (all non-violent of course!) Of course. That worked well for Occupy, didn't it? Well, enjoy getting pepper-sprayed and getting your ass kicked. The government is full of sociopaths. They won't care. They'll just tell you to move your ass to a free speech zone where no one will see you and 99% will comply. Look, if you aren't willing to lay down life and limb for liberty, kiss your Constitution goodbye. I don't think I need to tell you what that entails.
Now quit being a bunch of pacified queers and go make shit happen.
We'll follow your lead, we'll make at least a million keyboards pay the ultimate price of passionate typing.
You'll see your precious violence when the people get hungry, and not until then. And just remember what your Mahatma accomplished only armed with a free spirit.
Tell us what you did.
Fuck you Jesse Benton.
Other countries certainly have more than 2 parties, and seem to do just fine. I find it absolutely astounding that the US only has 2 parties, with apparently no other possible alternative. That just shows that either the people are completely stupid and unorganized, or that any other party gets actively sabotaged by the media. I'm sure it's a combination of both reasons.
The solution to both of the above is to organize better, be more nimble and smarter than the Republicrat machine. It does not necessarily have to take a lot of money. It's time to get creative.
It's all fine and dandy to suggest to stock up on Au, Ag and Pb, but what do you think is going to happen when the well organized PTB decide they want your stuff?? If you don't have some sort of organization and backup plan in place, all your careful preparations will be appropriated and you're gonna be turned into soylent green.
Look at what's happening in Greece and Europe in general. They are raping an entire continent, stealing the future from multiple generations, all in the name of progress. Don't think it can't happen here.
Welcome to the United States of Jumped-the-Shark. The only revolution that counts is the one that occurs in your thinking and then translates into individual action. Those individual actions will become collective of their own accord - no social networking happy crap required.
bravo!
free your mind and you will begin to find folks who similarly opt out of systemic opinionating reruns.
live life true to what you know, and you will be re-cognised.
Ron Paul received more attention this year than any in the past, and more people than ever heard his view of the future. If his overall view, including the marginal points, were acceptable to a broad segment he would have become a real force for change. Instead, he is viewed as a bomb thrower, and will always be viewed as the crazy uncle in the attic.
Paul is right about the major issues: abolish the Fed, stop policing the world, adopt real money issued by Congress, make all congressman part timers. But he was never clever enough to actually explain the problems and offer real solutions.
Land of Song!" said the warrior bard, "Tho' all the world betrays thee, One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard, One faithful harp shall praise thee!"
Politicians know that the way the people really vote is with their money. That's why they took over our money.
When they took us off the Gold Standard they took away our money, in order to make it theirs.
Here's what Ron Paul accomplisihed: (1) here in Chicago, graffiti from his supporters on public property and somethimes violent disruption along with the AWS and anti-Nato nuts who were here recently, (2) gold standard commission -- which is great because it will put that moronic idea to death, (3) more likelihood Obama wins.
"anti-Nato " ..nuts? what are you a fucking NWO asshole. A more useless organization was never conceived prior to the EU.
what are you a mulatto like obama?
Kadaffi is dead, no? A few hunderd thousand Kosovars are safely in their homes, saved from the Serbs by NATO.
Dude?
yeah?
Do these motherfuckers just type?
Yeah,mostly ..most never engage their brain if don't have to.
Oh,why's that?
Most are just whinn'n boys, no real brains who like to see their comments on the site..
OH
Yeah..use keywords bwankers,libtards,bitch'z,fuck, You standard CB radio talk.
OK, thanks
Ron Paul asks Ben Bernanke | Is Gold Money?| July 13, 2011
Those horrible advisers to the Pauls. They just can't be trusted. Too bad Ron and Rand have these evil people surrounding them, after all, Ron and Rand could do no wrong, at lest not ideologically.
It's so sad the Fuehrer has such bad advisers and generals. All would be perfect in Gross Deutschland if only he did not have such people around him. After all, he can do no wrong.
Those horrible advisers to the Pauls. They just can't be trusted. Too bad Ron and Rand have these evil people surrounding them, after all, Ron and Rand could do no wrong, at lest not ideologically.
It's so sad the Fuehrer has such bad advisers and generals. All would be perfect in Gross Deutschland if only he did not have such people around him. After all, he can do no wrong.
Considering Ron Pauls George Soros connections I'm not entiely sure who or what he is working for.
http://theulstermanreport.com/2012/01/03/breaking-the-george-soros-ron-p...
follow the money. . .
http://seeker401.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/ron-pauls-biggest-donor-a-bild...
AMEN, Bitchez.
Tyler, with all the good thoughts in your acticle and due respect: Benton was just doing his job. His job was to get Ron Paul as many primary/caucas votes as possible and, in the unlikely but not impossible case of his nomination, pave the way to getting as many votes in general elections as possible. He was doing exactly this.Unfortunately for you and me, to the great majority of primary- and caucus- goers (and presumably even more general-election -goers), Ron Paul candidacy, even as it was presented by the campaign, felt and feels quite out-of-ordinary, not to say extreme. I hate it but I cannot deny it.
Let us be realistic. Ron Paul did not have a chance to be elected the President for 2012. America is not ready. We did not know it with 100% certainty before the primary season but to pretend we do not know it now is to be in denial. Benton was fighting mission impossible and did not leave anything to chance. He did not compromise on ideas front. Re-read his campaign's announcements and press-releases and you have to admit they were ideologically pure Ron-Paulish -- no collabortionism, no deals. But when he believed a mere association with some people (and, do not make a mistake, from my personal perspective most of them are good people) would hurt the candidate's image *in the eyes of decision-makers, that is the majority of the voters*, he acted in accordance with his job definition. When he believed an access by a journalist would make his boss less electable (whether or not the journalist was a supporter or opponent), he acted same way. I agree with the term "sterilization" you used but I would argue any campaign has to do it and Benton walked it as well as one could. I do not believe an effort of a campaign to control its message and image of its candiate with surgical precision compromises the campaign's integrity. Creating an (evan sligtly) false image or a message would be another story -- but I do not think anyone can blame Benton in doing that.
Rand Paul is a very different story and I feel your article does not analyse his situation correctly either. Both Pauls are men of their own, they are not easy to coopt, not by staff on their payroll at any case. This is good news and the only good news. The bad news is that Rand Paul is much closer to wanting to be the president whatever it takes. He is NOT a version 2 of his father at all. He is willing to negotiate and sacrifice, support people who are clearly not sharing his goals and do anything it takes to win. I am not even certain he would not sacrifice the cause of liberty or would not side with those who want to break the Constitutional system of check and balances if he sees an opportunity (Romney is certainly such a guy). For these reasons, in my opinion, Rand might be able to become the President one day or come closer than his father. For the same reason, however, he will not reach same influence on minds and souls of American people as his father did.
The fun is now over and long and non-glamorous up-hill fight for minds, hearts and votes of American people is due. Knowing your friends and foes is most important at such a fight. Mistaking a friend for a foe hurts the cause as or more so than mistaking a foe for a friend.
Has anyone been following the North Koreans and Iranians at the Special Olympics ? Monedas 1929 Comedy Jihad Wheel Chair Tour
You fair-weather Paulians go need to take a rest. Maybe go jump back into the warm, putrid waters of the matrix and watch NCAA football or Jersey Whores and then come out when "its safe". You EPICALLY FAIL to "see" the ever-increasing light at the end of the tunnel. Ron Paul opened the eyes of many to the ONLY important issue. >>>>ENDING THE FED<<<<< So,take a break, and come back when you are rested. The battle has NOT EVEN BEGUN.
As far as Rand Paul goes I have 2 answers to his endorsment of Romney:
Answer One, for the staus quo, msm, fair-weather Paulians and matrix hogs------"Ohhhh noooooo, TRAITOR!!"
Answer Two, for the rest---------- ;)
"The cold hard fact is; some men are not men. Some men are monsters, and reason is the last thing that will ever sway them…"
And that is why you don't negotiate with dictators hellbent on destroying the world to implement sharia. King Solomon wrote thousands of years ago, "don't waste time with fools". Ron Paul never learned that lesson.
WTF is it with the "sharia" boogeyman?
My father with his 8th grade education who grew up in a log cabin 200 miles NW of Edmonton Alta Ca taught me many valuable things. One was you can work with your brawn or with your brain. I have done both and am currently working with my brawn but not by choice. The brain job paid 10x as much as I make now. I am 57 and don't choose to be working with brawn but the world does not owe me or anyone else a living. Thanks dad for your advice and I am working on a new brain job hunt.
Ron Paul caved in once again, refused to stand up and challenge the GOP, just like he caved in 2008.
He talks a good talk but seems to always cave in. If I were a "conspiracy theorist", I might suspect that Ron Paul's purpose was simple to occupy the opposition, then throw us all under the bus.
But his son threw Ron Paul under the bus by endorsing Romney, saying "it's all over" while his father was still in the race.
I took the huge Ron Paul 2008 magnetic stickers off my car a couple of days ago. They wore some paint off but I don't care. It was fun while it lasted. I even got a few three finger salutes and a few cheers over the years.
Now Ron Paul announces that he doesn't "completely" endorse Romney.
WTF? The only logical translation of such a statement is:
"Ron Paul (partially) endorses Romney"
In spite of Romney endorsing The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which endorses execution of anyone under the arbitrary order of The President of the United States, without any oversight whatsoever. Ron Paul opposed the NDAA, but now endorses (partially) Romney, who supports it.
Now, if Ron Paul had any real integrity, instead of saying "I don't completely endorse Romney" he should immediately endorse the libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, and let us know what he really stands for.
Paul's a Republican, tho.
aye, don't hold your breath.
Gary Johnson states his belief that
http://www.garyjohnson2012.com/issues/civil-liberties
which goes against RP's Christian desire to pass "Sanctity of Life" bills he's been pushing for years.
no idea why most of Paul's followers are so blind to these facts, and insist on labels that have never fit his beliefs. . .
is the need for a hero so strong?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avBJ9Lhggn0&feature=youtube_gdata
Thanks for your link to Gary Johnson.
I admit, I only offered him up because Ron Paul is labelled as a 'libertarian', as is Gary Johnson, yet now I see that Gary Johnson's position on government ownership of every woman's uterus is completely contrary to libertarianism.
I stand corrected on Gary Johnson, yet I still think Ron Paul should at least say that he does NOT endorse Mitt Romney.
The message of individual liberty and freedom has been "out there" long before Ron Paul. It didn't get much attention before because we were still the land of plenty, and most were content. It wasn't until things started to unravel that some started to look behind the curtain. I say this: If you haven't heard the word by now, you aren't worth telling it to again. The vast majority of the 'mercun sheeple have heard, and they dismissed the message as crackpot nonsense. Too many people are tied to the system. Whether it be by Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, student grants, farm subsidies, etc, you name it, there is a gubmint program for everyone, they only need ask for it. This was the whole intent on the part of the masters from the beginning. Too few want to be independent. Most love to lick the boot that is kicking them in the ass. Yes, I have thrown in the towel on the future of the USA. We will get collapse, but what comes out the other side will not be what the utopians think. History is full of what comes next for people who squander their freedoms and republic. They get rewarded with big step-daddy. And he isn't the loving father they all thought him to be. Welcome to Dark Ages 2, coming to a community near you very soon.
Just to add, does anyone know what brought about the end of the last Dark Ages? I'll tell you, although many will not like it, or understand: A spiritual awakening. All of the problems facing us today are only symptoms of the disease: spiritual death. There are no political or economic solutions until the spiritual awakening. Every despot and tyrant the world has ever seen knows this secret. Before you can destroy a nation, you must first corrupt it's people and institutions. Mission accomplished.
This is a pretty good article, in that it contains some ideas that haven't already been repeated 1000 times before (except in comments, but not in articles for the most part).
Like, for example, making clear that no game following rules can possibly work at this point in history. The science of sheeple control is too well understood at this point --- by the predators, I mean, not regular folks.
Every single "country" on earth is a fiction. In fact, we have at least 200 variations of predators DBA government. That's how I describe the situation, but the author calls them "monsters". I accept that as close enough to "predators" for our purposes.
Whether "predators" or "monsters", no real progress towards honesty, ethics, liberty or individualism will be made until everyone stops pretending we are dealing with a disagreement between humans.
We are not. We are dealing with predators, with monsters. They may have a "modus-operandi", but they certainly follow no rules. Anyone who imagines for one nanosecond that predators and monsters can be controlled by words or rules... is terminally braindamaged. Just look at what the predator-freaks did at the republican convention. The rules don't matter, the microphone does (and who hires the off-duty cop thugs to control those who want the rules followed).
No matter how you spin your brain around in your skull, there is no way to honestly pretend that those humans who have been president or in congress or the supreme court could possibly have turned the USA into the blatant fascist USSA that it is today --- by a series of honest mistakes! If you believe that, you are incapable of thought.
So, if anyone really does want to figure out the way forward from here, you better forget politics. You better forget anything conventional, except perhaps conventional armed revolution. But even there, you better be a lot smarter than any previous attempt, because the predators have been busy getting ready. They are just itching for the fight to start, so they can show their true colors --- predators and monsters.
I won't even waste my time telling folks what they should do now if they want to live a life of liberty, because I already know they won't. While I see some people implement elements of a solution that might work, they get far too much wrong. For example, the "free state project" in New Hampshire (if that's the correct name) has one part right --- trying to create a concentration of liberty advocates in one place. However, they chose an impossible location that ultimately cannot work (inside the USSA), and they spend their time screwing around with "government". Like so many others, they don't understand that "fixing government" in the USSA is not a possible solution.
On the other hand, if they could get 20,000 or 50,000 liberty advocates to move to one of the smallest countries on earth (population wise)... well... then they'd at least have a chance to take over government and... what?
Make government more benevolent? That won't work either, except in the short term. Learn lessons from modern history, please! The predators will insert themselves into ANY and EVERY fictitious organization that is ever formed. Period. They have this technique down pat at this point. Why do you imagine every single government on earth is controlled by predators-DBA-government? So... one thing they'd have to do even in this modified scenario (the tiny country variant) is to construct and IMPOSE some kind of NON-government that includes mechanisms to prevent any and every attempt to take control and turn that fictitious entity into yet-another predator-DBA-government.
Frankly, even the above is probably impractical (though at least... possible). Almost certainly solutions will not be anything even remotely like "political solutions". A group of people would be vastly, vastly, vastly better served by something more mundane and straightforward like... buy a cruise-ship just being retired, and create a community in international waters. This is a bit like what Peter Thiel plans to try, except not controlled by a "king" or "corporation" as he plans.
Another approach would be to develop standardized and therefore replicatable "self-sufficient systems" so very small groups of collaborators everywhere on earth (for the short term) can combine money forces and make it relatively easy and cheap to implement self-sufficient communities in extreme boonies (where governments don't even bother going). While assembling a complete and sufficient set of self-sufficient systems is a BIG job for one individual, it is not a very big job for 10 individuals financed by 1,000 or 10,000 individuals.
Another totally different solution is to develop a breakthrough technology that renders the predators... irrelevant or impotent (for practical purposes). I don't mean something that puts the predators out of business, I mean something that makes the predators irrelevant or impotent as far as small collaborative groups of individualists (probably in the extreme boonies until space travel is possible). I won't mention what work is (and has been) underway along these lines, because that might have negative consequences. But think along these lines if you're creative, because I'm sure there are other opportunities that are not being worked upon yet.
My main point is... forget political approaches, or anything even vaguely political (unless you plan to attempt something in an extremely low-population "country" as described above).
Be fully honest and realistic about the current situation at this point in history. While knowledge of history can be helpful, you better also understand that never before have predators had such complete control of the entire world and never before have they had anything remotely like the modern technology being developed and deployed now. The window for anything like a conventional response is already almost closed.
Like it or not, completely new solutions are required. And if they are not found soon, in the next couple decades at most, you can just write off human beings, because they're finished. In fact, as a whole, humans are already finished --- it is already much too late. What is still possible is for tiny groups of collaborative individuals to evade the predators until someone develops cheap-enough, practical-enough ways to get off this rock and create habitats in outer space. And, in fact, that appears to be the only medium and long term solution. Then just hang a big sign around earth that says "predatortown" --- leave earth and mankind behind, and good riddens.
+1 rodin coil, especially the crowdsourcing self-sufficient systems part. however, one must always be cautious of the tendency of humans to replicate the very same predatory fictions that they are seeking from which to escape.
perhaps the real battle is in inner space, not outer space. and perhaps it's not a battle at all.
!!!!! CORRECT !!!!! The way forward is not a battle. A battle is a form of destruction, and that is the mechanism of the predators. What we need is the opposite of battle and destruction. What we need has at least 2 parts.
1: Avoid being the target of the destructive acts of predators, whether local-yokels or federal or trans-federal. This probably means finding places in extreme boonies and establishing self-sufficient nano-communities.
2: Focus on productive endeavors that serve to make you independent from all predators and all fictions (because all fictions will spy on you and report to the predators, every single time). What we need may be a literal underground, meaning nano-communities that literally have their most core assets hidden, secured... under the ground (or ocean). Since we are talking about nano-communities, assets are well dispersed --- no single point of failure, no single point to infiltrate, no single point to destroy.
You are extremely correct that the only liberty movement worth supporting must be a liberty movement that very, very, very clearly, explicitly and firmly identifies all these predator fictions that have been the vehicle of destruction of mankind. Otherwise the liberty movement WILL BE infiltrated and destroyed, AND the advocates of liberty won't know what to do to stop it.
If the RonPaul liberty advocates had ANY brains, or ANY planning, they would have rushed the stage en-masse when they pulled that scam of approving the new rules even when the voice vote clearly went the other way AND all demands for points-of-order and counts were ignored. That is the only way that remained, and now that opportunity (taking over the republican party by means of the republican party rules) is now lost. Yet they shouldn't have been so naive as to imagine working within the system has any chance whatsoever.
So yes, forget battles, though always be ready for self-defense (when evading predators fails). But be realistic. Can you even imagine a long-term strategy that could work on earth? I cannot. Not starting at this point in history. Planet earth already has been handed over to the predators. That has happened, and the predators are in such absolute, complete, total control of everything now, no plausible prospect exists to reverse this sitation. Humans have already flushed their home planet down the toilet. Accept that, because if you don't, the predators will simply chew up liberty-advocates one-by-one until they are gone. Homeland security, the SS administration and other domestic predator-clusters did not order 1-billion+ bullets with the intension of letting them go unfired past their "use-by" dates. AND, as much as the RonPaul liberty movement has grown, it will never grow much beyond double its current size. AND, even if it did, less than 1% will be willing to take unconventional or dangerous or intense-and-sustained actions, which is vastly "too few" to achieve anything in conventional ways.
So, there are only two plausible possibilities. One is getting into outer space, which is a domain that predators cannot control for various reasons. The other is development of some amazing technology that lets liberty advocates defend themselves from the power of predators-DBA-government. That would have to be some amazing-freaking technology, and one the predators could not steal and then turn against those in the liberty movement who developed it. Number one is clearly the most likely appropriate medium-long-ish solution.
BTW, what is "rodin coil"?
rodin coil = some (potentially) amazing freaking technology
http://www.seri-worldwide.org/id117.html
here's another on the opposite end of the tech spectrum
http://zenstoves.net/
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Can you even imagine a long-term strategy that could work on earth?"
yes, but unfortunately it not be without enormous indiscriminate suffering to much of humanity. and it would require enough of those well-placed nanocommunities to survive the first wave without resorting to tribalism (or cannibalism for that matter).
personally i would prefer shootin the bastards up in space and staying put here. it's still quite a beautiful planet and there seems to be unfinished business left here, like how to be responsible & respectful caretakers of the joint.
"The cold hard fact is; some men are not men. Some men are monsters, and reason is the last thing that will ever sway them…"
I sincerely retract my earlier comment impugning the integrity of Ron Paul.I made the comment off-the-cuff & without due consideration and stand rightfully corrected.
I figured Ron Paul stood a good chance of being installed as temporary President after the MASS ARRESTS occur, but this article has me doubting that. http://tinyurl.com/cd5cyjo/
How is it that Ron Paul seems to be so lucid, reasonable, ethical, and sane, if not charismatic, while so many of his outspoken supporters seem to be over-caffeinated, attention-deficit, pre-adolescent, anarcho-narcissists.
Liberty is a two-way street. Freedom goes in both directions, but responsibility requires staying out of the way of oncoming traffic.