RSDavis
03-07-2008, 02:56 PM
http://laceylibertarian.us/wp-images/rPaulRev.jpg
Ron Paul Roundup (03-07-08)
by RS Davis
The Freedom Files (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=194780914&blogID=364781387&Mytoken=C8C9B4BD-666F-47EE-84F5AEA6F401A96944009653)
Hello Freedomphiles! There is a lot of buzz and talk going on over the latest Ron Paul video. I am here to tell you, the Ron Paul for President 08 campaign is over.
But the rEVOLution has only just begun. As Dr Paul said in his video, "Though victory in the conventional political sense is not available in the presidential race...we must remember elections are short-term efforts. Revolutions are long-term projects."
But here's the video. See for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk_vVaZxTno
It's true. This rEVOLution didn't start with Ron Paul. It started with The Age of Enlightenment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment), with economists and philosophers like the physiocrats, Bastiat, Adam Smith, John Locke, Thomas Paine, Hume, and has been carried on by people like Ron Paul, Ayn Rand, Ludwig von Mises, and Milton Friedman.
We absolutely must remember, Ron Paul is the messenger, not the message. We must now all take it upon ourselves the mantle of messenger. I believe this is why Dr Paul wants us to continue to vote for him and send delegates on his behalf - a warning shot across the Statist bow that we are here, and we are not going to give up.
That's another reason that the march on Washington is a great idea. To let the halls of power know that this is not over, we will not be quiet, we will not fade, dejected into the political landscape. We are a force to be reckoned with, so ignore us at your own peril.
David Weigel comments (http://www.reason.com/blog/show/125359.html) comments on this, too, on reason:
It's an oddly worded statement, with lawyerly phrasing that saves Paul from announcing the end of his presidential bid. He asks his supporters to keep voting for him, maxing out their vote totals and delegate numbers. But he won't organize it: he'll "encourage" it. He asks for "the financial resources to continue," without setting a goal. He does clearly ask supporters to look to candidates for other office and start opening their wallets, and start educating their friends about liberty: "Knowledge is crucial to all political movements."
If there's a headline it's that Paul endorsed a June 21, Washington, D.C. "national rally to demonstrate our strength," although "the presidential campaign will not be the organizer of one event." If they build it, he will come. "I don't mind playing a key role in the revolution. But I don't want it to be a Ron Paul revolution."
To this end, Ron Paul has created Liberty PAC (http://www.libertypac.net/), and the FREE Foundation (http://www.free-nefl.com/index.html), which will be dedicated to helping organize and support pro-freedom candidates at all levels of government.
The LA Times, which has always been one of the most fair-minded sources for information on Ron Paul, had this (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/03/ronpaulquits.html) to say:
Although largely ignored by most media -- Fox News even barred Paul from a New Hampshire debate although he had already beaten Rudy Giuliani in the Iowa caucuses -- Paul's campaign was intriguing to The Ticket for its grassroots power and spontaneity and the involvement of many earnest people new to the political process. Because a few people claiming to be Paul supporters prowled the internet around the clock leaving crude messages and threats IN BIG LETTERS WITH LOTS OF EXCLAMATION MARKS !!!! AND YOU K*** W*** WORDS AND MISPILNGS, Paulunteers got a reputation as a bunch of loonies.
But with little national organization, thousands of sincere supporters coalesced into some 1,400 diligent meet-up groups for discussion, door-to-door campaigning, letter-writing, sign-painting and, above all, fundraising in a dedicated effort to work within the political system despite what they saw as biased media. They made a music video and some female Paulunteers even got mostly-undressed to pose for a Ron Paul pinup calendar.
Paul did capture some fourth, fifth and second places, including the Nevada, Maine and Montana Republican caucuses. But he was dissed by fellow GOP candidates and got noticeably less speaking time in debates, which the grandfatherly former ob-gyn quietly accepted. Still, Paul lasted longer in the GOP White House race than any of those better-known rich guys who were supposed to be frontrunners.
Thanks, guys. That was nice. PM Jaworski also has some nice things to say (http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2008/03/ron-pauls-campa.html) on Western Standard:
So the "Revolution" continues, but in a much-changed form. Paul will no longer head it up as a presidential contender (at least, not as an active presidential contender). Instead, he'll either become its figurehead, or will try his hat as leader of a grassroots movement.
Viewed as a "movement," rather than a presidential campaign, Paul has been staggeringly successful. Not since Ayn Rand has anyone so singularly contributed to spreading and disseminating the message of individual liberty. To be sure, many libertarians will take issue with some of Paul's positions--Randy Barnett, for instance, and a few other libertarians, view the War in Iraq as a venture not merely consistent with, but a natural outgrowth of, a thorough commitment to principles of individual liberty--but he still has made more people aware of the philosophy than anyone else in a very, very long time.
He'll continue to be a gadfly to the big-government "conservatives" in the Republican Party. He'll continue to wave his gold standard stick. He'll continue to vote against every tax increase, every unbalanced budget, and every new government program. And he'll vote against funding for the Iraq war, and its continuation.
So long, Dr. Paul. I'll hang on to my pure silver Liberty Dollar with your mug emblazoned on it, and I'll go ahead and hang up that t-shirt I had you sign at the University of Michigan rally way back when. You surprised the hell out of me and others with your rallies that drew thousands, your internet army that no one has seen the likes of since Howard Dean (and even then it wasn't quite as large as yours), and those remarkable one-day "moneybombs" that blew away all previous records.
This movement is full of young, newly excited members, and if Rosa Parks Elementary students are any indication (http://www.middletownjournal.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/03/07/mj030708rosavotes.html), the young are the future of the movement, as well:
If Rosa Parks Elementary School students ruled the country, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, would be squaring off for the presidency this November.
Goeffrey Pike writes (http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/pike6.html)on LewRockwell.com that he is optimistic about the future of the rEVOLution:
There is a reason that Ron Paul drew strong support from young people. His young supporters know that Social Security is bankrupt and that they would be much better off with far less government. But even many young people that didn't support Paul understand that they shouldn't depend on Social Security and all of the other promises made by government.
It is unlikely that we will elect a libertarian president any time soon, but that doesn't mean that all is lost. It is the opinions and values of the people that will ultimately count. Although too many people buy into the falsehood of elections and think that democracy means freedom, even these people want to run their own lives and make their own choices.
The best hope for freedom in this world may still lie with Americans. Although the U.S. government has become an empire on the verge of bankruptcy, there is still a strong sense of individualism in this country. We have a high degree of religious freedom, freedom of speech, and freedom of press (yes, there are exceptions).
In the last year, the libertarian movement has grown by leaps and bounds, thanks in large part to Ron Paul's presidential run. The strongest support is from the youth and we have every reason to believe that this is a trend that will continue. The government education system has become such a joke that most kids don't even pay attention to what is taught in school. Sure, they probably aren't learning to read and write as well as they should, but at least many of them are coming out of high school not believing that the government is the answer to all of their problems.
With the open communication of the internet, how can this move towards liberty be stopped? We have the truth on our side and now we just have to communicate to others on how much better their life would be without big government.
Jason Easley wrote (http://www.bloggernews.net/114301) on Blogger News Network about the marathon nature of this movement, and how Ron Paul never lost sight of that, even during the sprints:
Dr. Paul never seemed to lose focus of the long shot nature of his campaign. He knew that he was saying what his own party did not want to hear. It takes a great deal of courage to stand up in front of millions and take positions that will be very unpopular. Ron Paul was on a crusade to return the GOP back to its conservative roots. To Paul, the Republican Party has become the standard bearer for interventionism, fiscal irresponsibility, and increasing the power of the federal government. Paul saw himself as the lone conservative voice, amongst a field of pretenders.
The problem for Paul is that the Republican Party of 2008 is no longer the party of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. It is now a party divided between liberal Republicans like McCain and Giuliani, and social conservatives such as Mike Huckabee. It seems like there is no room in the party for old school fiscal conservatives. The blunt truth is that Ron Paul's views were never going to be accepted by today's Republican voters.
So, where does that leave the Ron Paul Roundups? Well, I've been fighting this fight for a long time, and I will continue to do so. If you are a regular reader of The Freedom Files (http://blog.myspace.com/freedomphiles), be sure I will continue to highlight abuses of power, heroes of liberty, free markets, free people, and limited government every day. If you've never been, drop by and sign up.
If you just read the reprints on RonPaulForums or elsewhere, I will continue to do my Roundups until the news well is dry. So, keep coming by and seeing the latest, even if the news is sporadic enough for the Roundup to stop daily distribution.
I'd like to say something about you, now, dear Freedomphiles, you Ron Paul rEVOLutionaries. Fighting this battle for so long had jaded me, made my cynical. It seemed to me the message of freedom was being recieved with a mighty yawn, and I often wondered if it was too late for America.
You have given me hope, and I thank you. This movement sprung up so fast and is so big, I am just gobsmacked. You put in the hours, you were creative, you were passionate. You stood proudly in the face of ridicule and spoke truth to power, and you have restored my optimism for the future of liberty. For that, you will never know the extent of my gratitude or the deep love and affection in my heart for each and every one of you.
So keep fighting the good fight. I will always be here with education, information, and guidance.
Top blogs since the last Roundup:
I Love This Kid! (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=194780914&blogID=364737915&Mytoken=61D99121-3FC0-4186-9F8EBF30AFCF6CA845622311)
The Market Responds to Smoking Bans (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=194780914&blogID=364726424&Mytoken=61D99121-3FC0-4186-9F8EBF30AFCF6CA845622311)
The Douchebags Won the First Round (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=194780914&blogID=364522787&Mytoken=61D99121-3FC0-4186-9F8EBF30AFCF6CA845622311)
http://www.brendangates.com/forumlogo.jpg
Ron Paul Roundup (03-07-08)
by RS Davis
The Freedom Files (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=194780914&blogID=364781387&Mytoken=C8C9B4BD-666F-47EE-84F5AEA6F401A96944009653)
Hello Freedomphiles! There is a lot of buzz and talk going on over the latest Ron Paul video. I am here to tell you, the Ron Paul for President 08 campaign is over.
But the rEVOLution has only just begun. As Dr Paul said in his video, "Though victory in the conventional political sense is not available in the presidential race...we must remember elections are short-term efforts. Revolutions are long-term projects."
But here's the video. See for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk_vVaZxTno
It's true. This rEVOLution didn't start with Ron Paul. It started with The Age of Enlightenment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment), with economists and philosophers like the physiocrats, Bastiat, Adam Smith, John Locke, Thomas Paine, Hume, and has been carried on by people like Ron Paul, Ayn Rand, Ludwig von Mises, and Milton Friedman.
We absolutely must remember, Ron Paul is the messenger, not the message. We must now all take it upon ourselves the mantle of messenger. I believe this is why Dr Paul wants us to continue to vote for him and send delegates on his behalf - a warning shot across the Statist bow that we are here, and we are not going to give up.
That's another reason that the march on Washington is a great idea. To let the halls of power know that this is not over, we will not be quiet, we will not fade, dejected into the political landscape. We are a force to be reckoned with, so ignore us at your own peril.
David Weigel comments (http://www.reason.com/blog/show/125359.html) comments on this, too, on reason:
It's an oddly worded statement, with lawyerly phrasing that saves Paul from announcing the end of his presidential bid. He asks his supporters to keep voting for him, maxing out their vote totals and delegate numbers. But he won't organize it: he'll "encourage" it. He asks for "the financial resources to continue," without setting a goal. He does clearly ask supporters to look to candidates for other office and start opening their wallets, and start educating their friends about liberty: "Knowledge is crucial to all political movements."
If there's a headline it's that Paul endorsed a June 21, Washington, D.C. "national rally to demonstrate our strength," although "the presidential campaign will not be the organizer of one event." If they build it, he will come. "I don't mind playing a key role in the revolution. But I don't want it to be a Ron Paul revolution."
To this end, Ron Paul has created Liberty PAC (http://www.libertypac.net/), and the FREE Foundation (http://www.free-nefl.com/index.html), which will be dedicated to helping organize and support pro-freedom candidates at all levels of government.
The LA Times, which has always been one of the most fair-minded sources for information on Ron Paul, had this (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/03/ronpaulquits.html) to say:
Although largely ignored by most media -- Fox News even barred Paul from a New Hampshire debate although he had already beaten Rudy Giuliani in the Iowa caucuses -- Paul's campaign was intriguing to The Ticket for its grassroots power and spontaneity and the involvement of many earnest people new to the political process. Because a few people claiming to be Paul supporters prowled the internet around the clock leaving crude messages and threats IN BIG LETTERS WITH LOTS OF EXCLAMATION MARKS !!!! AND YOU K*** W*** WORDS AND MISPILNGS, Paulunteers got a reputation as a bunch of loonies.
But with little national organization, thousands of sincere supporters coalesced into some 1,400 diligent meet-up groups for discussion, door-to-door campaigning, letter-writing, sign-painting and, above all, fundraising in a dedicated effort to work within the political system despite what they saw as biased media. They made a music video and some female Paulunteers even got mostly-undressed to pose for a Ron Paul pinup calendar.
Paul did capture some fourth, fifth and second places, including the Nevada, Maine and Montana Republican caucuses. But he was dissed by fellow GOP candidates and got noticeably less speaking time in debates, which the grandfatherly former ob-gyn quietly accepted. Still, Paul lasted longer in the GOP White House race than any of those better-known rich guys who were supposed to be frontrunners.
Thanks, guys. That was nice. PM Jaworski also has some nice things to say (http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2008/03/ron-pauls-campa.html) on Western Standard:
So the "Revolution" continues, but in a much-changed form. Paul will no longer head it up as a presidential contender (at least, not as an active presidential contender). Instead, he'll either become its figurehead, or will try his hat as leader of a grassroots movement.
Viewed as a "movement," rather than a presidential campaign, Paul has been staggeringly successful. Not since Ayn Rand has anyone so singularly contributed to spreading and disseminating the message of individual liberty. To be sure, many libertarians will take issue with some of Paul's positions--Randy Barnett, for instance, and a few other libertarians, view the War in Iraq as a venture not merely consistent with, but a natural outgrowth of, a thorough commitment to principles of individual liberty--but he still has made more people aware of the philosophy than anyone else in a very, very long time.
He'll continue to be a gadfly to the big-government "conservatives" in the Republican Party. He'll continue to wave his gold standard stick. He'll continue to vote against every tax increase, every unbalanced budget, and every new government program. And he'll vote against funding for the Iraq war, and its continuation.
So long, Dr. Paul. I'll hang on to my pure silver Liberty Dollar with your mug emblazoned on it, and I'll go ahead and hang up that t-shirt I had you sign at the University of Michigan rally way back when. You surprised the hell out of me and others with your rallies that drew thousands, your internet army that no one has seen the likes of since Howard Dean (and even then it wasn't quite as large as yours), and those remarkable one-day "moneybombs" that blew away all previous records.
This movement is full of young, newly excited members, and if Rosa Parks Elementary students are any indication (http://www.middletownjournal.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/03/07/mj030708rosavotes.html), the young are the future of the movement, as well:
If Rosa Parks Elementary School students ruled the country, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, would be squaring off for the presidency this November.
Goeffrey Pike writes (http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/pike6.html)on LewRockwell.com that he is optimistic about the future of the rEVOLution:
There is a reason that Ron Paul drew strong support from young people. His young supporters know that Social Security is bankrupt and that they would be much better off with far less government. But even many young people that didn't support Paul understand that they shouldn't depend on Social Security and all of the other promises made by government.
It is unlikely that we will elect a libertarian president any time soon, but that doesn't mean that all is lost. It is the opinions and values of the people that will ultimately count. Although too many people buy into the falsehood of elections and think that democracy means freedom, even these people want to run their own lives and make their own choices.
The best hope for freedom in this world may still lie with Americans. Although the U.S. government has become an empire on the verge of bankruptcy, there is still a strong sense of individualism in this country. We have a high degree of religious freedom, freedom of speech, and freedom of press (yes, there are exceptions).
In the last year, the libertarian movement has grown by leaps and bounds, thanks in large part to Ron Paul's presidential run. The strongest support is from the youth and we have every reason to believe that this is a trend that will continue. The government education system has become such a joke that most kids don't even pay attention to what is taught in school. Sure, they probably aren't learning to read and write as well as they should, but at least many of them are coming out of high school not believing that the government is the answer to all of their problems.
With the open communication of the internet, how can this move towards liberty be stopped? We have the truth on our side and now we just have to communicate to others on how much better their life would be without big government.
Jason Easley wrote (http://www.bloggernews.net/114301) on Blogger News Network about the marathon nature of this movement, and how Ron Paul never lost sight of that, even during the sprints:
Dr. Paul never seemed to lose focus of the long shot nature of his campaign. He knew that he was saying what his own party did not want to hear. It takes a great deal of courage to stand up in front of millions and take positions that will be very unpopular. Ron Paul was on a crusade to return the GOP back to its conservative roots. To Paul, the Republican Party has become the standard bearer for interventionism, fiscal irresponsibility, and increasing the power of the federal government. Paul saw himself as the lone conservative voice, amongst a field of pretenders.
The problem for Paul is that the Republican Party of 2008 is no longer the party of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. It is now a party divided between liberal Republicans like McCain and Giuliani, and social conservatives such as Mike Huckabee. It seems like there is no room in the party for old school fiscal conservatives. The blunt truth is that Ron Paul's views were never going to be accepted by today's Republican voters.
So, where does that leave the Ron Paul Roundups? Well, I've been fighting this fight for a long time, and I will continue to do so. If you are a regular reader of The Freedom Files (http://blog.myspace.com/freedomphiles), be sure I will continue to highlight abuses of power, heroes of liberty, free markets, free people, and limited government every day. If you've never been, drop by and sign up.
If you just read the reprints on RonPaulForums or elsewhere, I will continue to do my Roundups until the news well is dry. So, keep coming by and seeing the latest, even if the news is sporadic enough for the Roundup to stop daily distribution.
I'd like to say something about you, now, dear Freedomphiles, you Ron Paul rEVOLutionaries. Fighting this battle for so long had jaded me, made my cynical. It seemed to me the message of freedom was being recieved with a mighty yawn, and I often wondered if it was too late for America.
You have given me hope, and I thank you. This movement sprung up so fast and is so big, I am just gobsmacked. You put in the hours, you were creative, you were passionate. You stood proudly in the face of ridicule and spoke truth to power, and you have restored my optimism for the future of liberty. For that, you will never know the extent of my gratitude or the deep love and affection in my heart for each and every one of you.
So keep fighting the good fight. I will always be here with education, information, and guidance.
Top blogs since the last Roundup:
I Love This Kid! (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=194780914&blogID=364737915&Mytoken=61D99121-3FC0-4186-9F8EBF30AFCF6CA845622311)
The Market Responds to Smoking Bans (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=194780914&blogID=364726424&Mytoken=61D99121-3FC0-4186-9F8EBF30AFCF6CA845622311)
The Douchebags Won the First Round (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=194780914&blogID=364522787&Mytoken=61D99121-3FC0-4186-9F8EBF30AFCF6CA845622311)
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