BuddyRey
11-10-2008, 02:33 PM
Be a citizen journalist! Or an author! Or a playwright, a poet, a comic, a pastor, a cartoonist, an attorney, a songwriter, etc. We need libertarian periodicals, newspapers, satirists, social critics, entertainers, and legal counselors just as much as we need people to represent us in Washington!
Not everybody is cut out for, or even WANTS to be in politics. Fortunately, there are so many ways one can help the liberty movement without having to run for public office that literally anybody of any temperment, nature, or aptitude can make invaluable contributions to the development of a free society. Think BIG, and realize that victory in Washington is only one piece of the puzzle! We also have to win hearts and minds, and (with the exception of Ron Paul) politicians are generally inept at this.
Many of you know this, but it bears repeating; The Founding Fathers, in the beginning, were UNABLE to convince the American people that Revolution against the British Empire was a necessary and desirable step toward independence. It took a pamphleteer, a man-of-letters named Thomas Paine to inflame the passions and incite the wrath of the American people against tyranny! Thomas Paine's brief manifesto "Common Sense" sold over 500,000 copies, an unheard-of amount for nearly any book back then, especially a political treatise. Without Thomas Paine, a Continental Congress full of the most staunch proponents of liberty would not have been enough to spark the American Revolution. Even John Adams admitted that "Without the pen of Paine, the sword of Washington would have been wielded in vain."
Paine is not the only NON-politician to make an indelible mark on the American consciousness in the name of individualism and common sense. History is rife with examples, from highly regarded social critics like Mark Twain and H.L. Mencken, to "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker! The question you must ask yourself is not necessarily "How can I become a politician for the Revolution?" but "How can I best use my skills, whatever they may be, to promote liberty in my own way, and through my own unique talents and interests?" The bottom-up success of Dr. Paul's campaign alone should teach us that, just as each individual has something dynamic and unique to bring to the table, it takes every single one of these unique individuals to further our goals.
Not everybody is cut out for, or even WANTS to be in politics. Fortunately, there are so many ways one can help the liberty movement without having to run for public office that literally anybody of any temperment, nature, or aptitude can make invaluable contributions to the development of a free society. Think BIG, and realize that victory in Washington is only one piece of the puzzle! We also have to win hearts and minds, and (with the exception of Ron Paul) politicians are generally inept at this.
Many of you know this, but it bears repeating; The Founding Fathers, in the beginning, were UNABLE to convince the American people that Revolution against the British Empire was a necessary and desirable step toward independence. It took a pamphleteer, a man-of-letters named Thomas Paine to inflame the passions and incite the wrath of the American people against tyranny! Thomas Paine's brief manifesto "Common Sense" sold over 500,000 copies, an unheard-of amount for nearly any book back then, especially a political treatise. Without Thomas Paine, a Continental Congress full of the most staunch proponents of liberty would not have been enough to spark the American Revolution. Even John Adams admitted that "Without the pen of Paine, the sword of Washington would have been wielded in vain."
Paine is not the only NON-politician to make an indelible mark on the American consciousness in the name of individualism and common sense. History is rife with examples, from highly regarded social critics like Mark Twain and H.L. Mencken, to "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker! The question you must ask yourself is not necessarily "How can I become a politician for the Revolution?" but "How can I best use my skills, whatever they may be, to promote liberty in my own way, and through my own unique talents and interests?" The bottom-up success of Dr. Paul's campaign alone should teach us that, just as each individual has something dynamic and unique to bring to the table, it takes every single one of these unique individuals to further our goals.