The Gift of Ron Paul: America's Gray Champion (GREAT STUFF!)

[KramerDSP]

From The Hill's Bernie Quiqley, this article is awesome.

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/195325-the-gift-of-ron-paul-americas-gray-champion (http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/195325-the-gift-of-ron-paul-americas-gray-champion)


Generally when countries surge to become rich and powerful, as America did after victory in Europe and Asia, after Germany did during the Bismarck period, they recede or retire naturally to new generations and new cultural forms. If left alone, they are usually more creative, enjoy more peaceful times. But more often countries rage against the return to balance, yield to fascism, as Germany did at the end of the Bismarck period, and die in a primal scream. We are much in the same position today, as was Bismarck’s Germany at the end, with stronger competitors, notably China, on the horizon, and the childish and hubristic claims of “exceptionalism” are chronic symptoms. But it will not happen here in America because of one person, Ron Paul. And he is what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Ron Paul is the Gray Champion, the aging veteran who stands in the middle of the road at the end and the beginning and says NO MORE. He alone makes the future possible. Historians Neil Howe and William Strauss describe the Gray Champion as the singular figure who cuts through the lies, illusions and deceits, but more important, gives the people the courage and awakens them from their moral slumber, for it is that which enables the beast. From their text, The Fourth Turning:

More at the link.

[KramerDSP]

Near the end, Quiqley writes this:


As Strauss and Howe’s excellent text indicates, we now, especially, rising into 2012, are at the classic end of a post-war cycle and the beginning of a historic transition. Ron Paul alone offers direction in seeing America as Jefferson did of healthy, heartland states, and seeing a world ahead breaking the globalist, world-destroying competition of Marx v. Keynes, both philosophies of conquest, to one of Hayek and the Austrian economists.

[BuddyRey]

Excellent!

[affa]

Excellent article. Very moving.

from Hawthorne:
"Long, long may it be, ere he comes again! His hour is one of darkness, and adversity, and peril. But should domestic tyranny oppress us, or the invader's step pollute our soil, still may the Gray Champion come, for he is the type of New England's hereditary spirit; and his shadowy march, on the eve of danger, must ever be the pledge, that New England's sons will vindicate their ancestry."

read the piece from Nathaniel Hawthorne in its entirety:
http://www.online-literature.com/poe/137/

This is too complex of an idea to ever really spread far and wide -- but wow is it powerful as an idea.

[stephensmith]

Wow. Thanks for posting this link. I read Strauss and Howe's book, Generations, years ago, and was very impressed with their breakthrough approach to understanding history. It is great to see an article that ties their thesis to the Ron Paul phenomenon. Thanks again!

- Steve

[J_White]

great read !

[Aratus]

i am in metaphysical bliss upon judiciously reading this

[TomtheTinker]

The guy who wrote this obviously must live in his mother's basement.

[Rafi]

Bernie Quigley is actually a buddhist. He is a friend of mine and a supporter of one of my heroes Moshe Feiglin. Google that.

I can't take full credit, but I may have written him the letter that convinced him to support Paul. Take a look and be reminded that I wrote this to Quigley before I knew much about Paul. So my eyes were starting to open but they were still mostly shut. Quigley was supporting a guy named Lew Lehrman at the time, who appears frequently on Judge Nap's show, but doesn't have much recognition beyond that. Quigley wrote me something about Paul not being a friend of Israel, and I responded like this:

-------------
May 15 2011

Hi Bernie -

I've been thinking about Ron Paul (especially now that Huckabee's out) and actually, I think if he wins the Republican nomination I'll vote for him.

I'm not concerned that he's not a friend of Israel. Lately, "friends of Israel" from LBJ on have been quite damaging. It's the enemies that have been helpful, (Nixon). I'd be fine with a President who doesn't intervene in any way whatsoever and cuts off American aid. A libertarian isolationist seems a good choice for that, and I think he'll really help solve america's financial crisis, which I'm very worried about.

Feiglin's opinion, as you may have read, is that American aid is extremely damaging to Israel's independence and totally unnecessary. He writes about it in his recent article "The Holocaust yet to Come". I'll keep my eye out for Lew Lehrman, though I've never heard his name before.

I value your opinion on these issues and am curious to hear what you have to say about Paul.

---------------
Looks like Quigley finally came around! Go us!

[Dianne]

Good stuff !!

[Revolution9]

Bernie Quigley is actually a buddhist. He is a friend of mine and a supporter of one of my heroes Moshe Feiglin. Google that.

I can't take full credit, but I may have written him the letter that convinced him to support Paul. Take a look and be reminded that I wrote this to Quigley before I knew much about Paul. So my eyes were starting to open but they were still mostly shut. Quigley was supporting a guy named Lew Lehrman at the time, who appears frequently on Judge Nap's show, but doesn't have much recognition beyond that. Quigley wrote me something about Paul not being a friend of Israel, and I responded like this:

-------------
May 15 2011

Hi Bernie -

I've been thinking about Ron Paul (especially now that Huckabee's out) and actually, I think if he wins the Republican nomination I'll vote for him.

I'm not concerned that he's not a friend of Israel. Lately, "friends of Israel" from LBJ on have been quite damaging. It's the enemies that have been helpful, (Nixon). I'd be fine with a President who doesn't intervene in any way whatsoever and cuts off American aid. A libertarian isolationist seems a good choice for that, and I think he'll really help solve america's financial crisis, which I'm very worried about.

Feiglin's opinion, as you may have read, is that American aid is extremely damaging to Israel's independence and totally unnecessary. He writes about it in his recent article "The Holocaust yet to Come". I'll keep my eye out for Lew Lehrman, though I've never heard his name before.

I value your opinion on these issues and am curious to hear what you have to say about Paul.

---------------
Looks like Quigley finally came around! Go us!

So when is Israel going to sign a treaty with us so we can have an official document stating what the relationship is? She claims ally status. I do not see that in her actions. There are many claims that sound all official, but I don't see any documents where we can hold Israel's feet to the fire if she breaks treaties with America. I want an extradition treaty to be in place at minimum. An ALLY would surely have one.

I am tired of threads constantly devolving into a what we should be doing for Israel, about Israel, with Israel or against Israel. This is about America. We have NO treaties with Israel so why should it take so much of our national dialogues time???

Off to read the article now that I have answered to the sidetracking.

Rev9

[Rafi]

Rev9, you may have missed my point, which was simply that Quigley is on our side thanks to grassroots efforts like yours and mine. Had I not reached out to him he may not have turned. The fact that I wrote to him about Israel is just incidental, because that's what he was concerned about at the time.

In terms of treaties with my country, I don't think that's necessary. Sounds like entangling alliances to me.

Like RP has said, none of that, just trade, honest business, and mutual respect.

Right now, neither Israel nor America really respects the other because America thinks she owns the mideast and Israel has cowardly leadership.

If you really want to understand why Israel takes up so much of the discussion time as opposed to, I don't know, Swazi Land or something, or Russia or Germany to make a more serious point, then just look through your people's history. Jewish history is all over it, Christianity's identity is intimately tied in with my people. The values of the founding fathers (liberty being the top one) spring from the Old Testament and the exodus from Egypt of my grandparents, so America's fundamental values which you and everyone else on this forum are fighting their guts out for, are founded on the book about my grandparents.

You may think Israel is "just another country." In truth, we try to act that way. But the People of Israel (not the modern state, which is really messed up right now) are the bedrock of America's values, even though we don't represent those values very well at present, which is what annoys you I suspect. It annoys the shit out of me too and I'm doing what I can to spark a liberty revolution here as well.

I don't spare Israel criticism, but I hope you understand why Israel takes up so much time in the debate.

[acptulsa]

It never ceases to amaze me that so many consider American Exceptionalism as something innate, rather than something born of our principles and something maintained only as we adhere to our principles--in other words, something earned.

I think we need to twist Kennedy's words a bit (and I have to credit my mother with this one): Ask not if God is on your nation's side, ask if your nation is on God's side.

[Rafi]

It never ceases to amaze me that so many consider American Exceptionalism as something innate, rather than something born of our principles and something maintained only as we adhere to our principles--in other words, something earned.

I think we need to twist Kennedy's words a bit (and I have to credit my mother with this one): Ask not if God is on your nation's side, ask if your nation is on God's side.

I think Glenn Beck actually said that during his run on Fox a few times.

[acptulsa]

I think Glenn Beck actually said that during his run on Fox a few times.

Seriously? Doesn't sound like Beck. Not that I'd know for sure, as I go out of my way to avoid and ignore him.

Well, I'm still giving my mother credit, as I'm just about positive that she doesn't even know who Glen Beck is.

[Aratus]

ole manifest destiny's rhetorical hyperbole driven twin?

[Revolution9]

If you really want to understand why Israel takes up so much of the discussion time as opposed to, I don't know, Swazi Land or something, or Russia or Germany to make a more serious point, then just look through your people's history. Jewish history is all over it, Christianity's identity is intimately tied in with my people.

Not my people. I come from celtic/druidic bloodlines and one of them gave Mary Magdalene and Joseph of Arimathaea the 12 hides of land the first Christian chapel was built on. I was an altar boy and my church elders told me the Old Testament has NOTHING to do with me. I have no skin, none, in the diddle east. I find it disingenuous to be told that Palestine never existed when i have seen a whole collection of pre 1940 Palestine postage stamps. You do not get those under UPU unless you are a country.

Judeo-Christianity is an oxymoron and I consider it a satanic gambit to link the two when one is of the Old Testament and the New Testament to true Christians abrogates and dismisses the law of the Old testament. Like I said. It has fuck all to do with me and I consider your attempt to place me in that arena a gross insult to my Celtic Christian sensibilities and faith..

Rev9

[Rafi]

Not my people. I come from celtic/druidic bloodlines and one of them gave Mary Magdalene and Joseph of Arimathaea the 12 hides of land the first Christian chapel was built on. I was an altar boy and my church elders told me the Old Testament has NOTHING to do with me. I have no skin, none, in the diddle east. I find it disingenuous to be told that Palestine never existed when i have seen a whole collection of pre 1940 Palestine postage stamps. You do not get those under UPU unless you are a country.

Judeo-Christianity is an oxymoron and I consider it a satanic gambit to link the two when one is of the Old Testament and the New Testament to true Christians abrogates and dismisses the law of the Old testament. Like I said. It has fuck all to do with me and I consider your attempt to place me in that arena a gross insult to my Celtic Christian sensibilities and faith..

Rev9

So you're Druwish, eh? ;)

Who are on the postage stamps? Are they Brits? Or famous Palestinian leaders and scholars?

So essentially you're saying that two of my physical Jewish ancestors from Judea, Israel, Diddle East (Magdelene and Joseph) gave 12 hides for a Chapel to your physical Celtic ancestors and you are damn proud of it (as you should be), but you still insist that your identity has nothing at all to do with mine or the Diddle East.

Do you see the irony here?

I'm sorry to insult your sensibilities. Just remember that without me, your Celtic ancestors would have nothing to even abrogate. Define yourself by me negatively, or be proud of something my ancestors gave you for a chapel, that's fine too. Either way it's inescapable for you.

[Stevo_Chill]

isn't ron from the puritan colony?

[Aratus]

the ground good ole modern boston is on is the future tense shining city on a hill for all idealistic puritans in 1630