Does this movement have a chance?

[iflyboats]

I'm considering making a career out of throwing myself into the intellectual battle for this cause. The question for me, however, is whether it's a waste of time- whether there's any chance at to have real change in this country. My thinking is that things have already gone much too far in the wrong direction to ever be reversed. After all, Dr. Paul has been in the congress for 30 years and things have only gotten far worse in that time. It may be that the only way things will ever change is if we have a complete economic collapse and change is forced on us. Thoughts?

[pinkmandy]

I have children. I have no choice but to keep up the good fight for them. I will not look them in the eyes in the future and say I did nothing.

[asheville4paul]

It may be that the only way things will ever change is if we have a complete economic collapse and change is forced on us.

I believe this is true. This countries day of reckoning is around the corner. It may be next week or maybe 10 years. One thing is for certain, the United States treasury WILL default on its debt. There is no possible way we can meet our future obligations. Even if we immediately massively cut programs, and brought our troops home, I don't think we could realistically meet our obligations. I would give anything to have a crystal ball, and be able to see how all this craziness will play out.

As for your career, you might as well do what your hearts desire is.

[iflyboats]

I have children. I have no choice but to keep up the good fight for them. I will not look them in the eyes in the future and say I did nothing.

I'll definitely keep up the fight regardless, but I'm talking about making a career out of this- becoming an economist, constitutional lawyer, writer, etc. and devoting my life to it. After all the government is ruining just about anything else I can do for a living.

[nate895]

I'd do it.

You will make money even if we do not succeed, and you are helping us to succeed.

[Kludge]

Teachers are fairly influential. :rolleyes:

[smileylovesfreedom]

Waste of time? No. We waste time when we are doing something we don't love. We waste time when we refuse to speak up. We waste time when we assume "someone else will do it". I sure wished that 5 more people who have shown up to my last convention. We would have won another delegate. Yes - only 5 more votes. There were some RP supporters who didn't show - who quit - who thought it was all now a "waste of time". Silly people - we still need you!

[Conza88]

Ohh here we go again... :rolleyes:

[jblosser]

"One of the Just Men came to Sodom, determined to save its inhabitants from sin and punishment. Night and day he walked the streets and markets protesting against greed and theft, falsehood and indifference. In the beginning, people listened and smiled ironically. Then they stopped listening; he no longer even amused them. The killers went on killing, the wise kept silent, as if there were no Just Man in their midst.

"One day a child, moved by compassion for the unfortunate teacher, approached him with these words: 'Poor stranger, you shout, you scream, don't you see that it is hopeless?'

"'Yes, I see,' answered the Just Man.

'Then why do you go on?'

'I'll tell you why. In the beginning, I thought I could change man. Today, I know I can not. If I still shout today, if I still scream, it is to prevent man from ultimately changing me.'"

-- Elie Wiesel

[Doktor_Jeep]

Does this movement have a chance?

This movement is taking a chance.

This is not some wave at the beach that comes out of nowhere and goes nowhere else. You have to make it work.

The "chance" is now, and it's moving now. Make it work.

You have no choice.

[MS0453]

I have children. I have no choice but to keep up the good fight for them. I will not look them in the eyes in the future and say I did nothing.

Reminds me of something Thomas Paine wrote:

"I once felt all that kind of anger, which a man ought to feel, against the mean principles that are held by the Tories: a noted one, who kept a tavern at Amboy, was standing at his door, with as pretty a child in his hand, about eight or nine years old, as I ever saw, and after speaking his mind as freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this unfatherly expression, "Well! give me peace in my day." Not a man lives on the continent but fully believes that a separation must some time or other finally take place, and a generous parent should have said, "If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace;" and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty."

http://www.ushistory.org/paine/crisis/c-01.htm

[acptulsa]

So long as the thieves continue to get away with more and get bolder and get away with more and get bolder, there must come a tipping point. When that point is reached, how much better to have many to provide direction for the mob than to have only a few who see the correct path to take.

[Truth Warrior]

Chance? Odds are slim to none realistically, I'd say.<IMHO> :(

The points of no return were passed long long ago. The tipping point has tipped. Critical mass has been achieved.

[Tardisious]

Now is not the time to join 3rd parties with no hope of winning anything. I urge all liberty and freedom minded people to abandon the Libertarian and Constitution parties. Join the Republican and Democratic parties.. How can we flee the two largest parties and then expect the people that are left in those parties to endorse freedom and liberty. The Ron Paul Revolution has shown us that we CAN effect change within the status quo. Get involved locally in one of the two major parties and effect real change.

[dirknb@hotmail.com]

I understand where you're coming from. I went at it hardcore about 15 years ago. After a few years I pretty much dropped out from frustration. I hardly even watched the news for about 10 years. I just figured screw it, I'm going to just have a good time and not deal with the stress and frustration of trying to educate people who just didn't care. I was beating my head against the wall and decided I didn't want to do that for the rest of my life and not be able to stop it or turn the tide.

Things have changed now. The internet and the proliferation of DVD's have blown the lid off of the monopoly on the flow of information that existed for many decades. Add to that the fact that our world is changing much faster now and things have begun accelerating towards despotism much more quickly. Since 9/11 and now the ongoing war, along with the screwed up financial mess, people are starting to notice how fucked up things are on their own. They are much more receptive to the message than 10 or 15 years ago.

This is our window of opportunity. It won't stay this open forever though. Once the internet is regulated and once all of the Bill of Rights shredding legislation and presidential directives are fully utilized it will become more difficult to disseminate information again.

I've never been more optimistic about our chances. No one said this was going to be easy. Think of our country and the mostly brainwashed populace as a big ship. It won't turn around on a dime. It will take awhile to get the ship to move the other direction.

Keep this in mind. Even if RP doesn't get into the White House this time, we can still win. As he has said numerous times, it's not about him, it's about the message. He has just given a tremendous boost to the movement that already existed.

Surf the wave!

[porcupine]

I'm considering making a career out of throwing myself into the intellectual battle for this cause. The question for me, however, is whether it's a waste of time- whether there's any chance at to have real change in this country. My thinking is that things have already gone much too far in the wrong direction to ever be reversed. After all, Dr. Paul has been in the congress for 30 years and things have only gotten far worse in that time. It may be that the only way things will ever change is if we have a complete economic collapse and change is forced on us. Thoughts?

If you're going to devote your life to this cause, you might as well make it worthwhile and join the Free State Project. Then you can at least be around lots of people working hard at the same goals you are.

[orlandoinfl]

This movement is the ONLY thing making this miserable global society worth fighting for.

WE (YOU AND ME) are the last hope for freedom for the entire world. The world goes as the United States goes. That is the burden we have. Godspeed.

[Akus]

so long as we keep being active in local politics, the movement shouldn't die. And it has a chance, simply because all the non-Ron Paul supporters in the local republican clubs will die of old age

[Athan]

I did NOT join a Ron Paul Meet up group to have the organization end only in the year 2008. To join such a group is a waste of time, effort, and money. I expressly asked them if they are going beyond this election year and they told me yes. After they said yes without me pressing the issue, then I decided to stay and commit.

To hell with the possible futility of it! Martin Luther King didn't give a rats ass that untold millions of Americans preferred that the marching demonstrators not cause a ruckus in Birmingham, Alabama.

"the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality. There comes a time when silence becomes betrayal..."

[Highland]

I did NOT join a Ron Paul Meet up group to have the organization end only in the year 2008. To join such a group is a waste of time, effort, and money. I expressly asked them if they are going beyond this election year and they told me yes. After they said yes without me pressing the issue, then I decided to stay and commit.

To hell with the possible futility of it! Martin Luther King didn't give a rats ass that untold millions of Americans preferred that the marching demonstrators not cause a ruckus in Birmingham, Alabama.

"the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality. There comes a time when silence becomes betrayal..."

The hottest place in hell is reserved for our president....and his co-horts...average people did not do this....and should not be condemned. God Bless them and their understanding of freedom.

[ronpaulhawaii]

Welcome to the forums.

Of course this movement stands a chance, and the more people who work at it the easier it will be. There really is no choice, I tried hiding in HI for 2 decades and my life was idyllic, but ultimately unsatisfying. While I can think of lots of things that might be more "fun", I don't want to leave this earth thinking, "If I'd only done more..."

Thanks for joining our r3VOLution

m

[revolutionman]

i cant imagine any instance where fighting for what you believe in has been a waste of time. Even if we only ever attain small victories every now and then, at least we are here, standing firm for freedom and liberty, better than no victories ever at all which is what would happen if we just all went back to our respective sides of the isle.