So I converted a Neo-con friend tonight

[Perry]

It took some time and patience. A few months back I showed him some Ron Paul videos and have since discussed certain issues with him concerning Israel and what following Christ means for politicians. Tonight he came over and watched the Google interview and the light finally went on. "How come none of the other candidates talk like that?" he says. :D "I am voting for Ron Paul!". He went on to tell me that months earlier when I first introduced him to paul he thought that Paul was an extremist. It does take time for these ideas to sink in you see. Why does it take time for these ideas to sink in? What my friend said next sums it all up. He actually admitted to me that he had been brainwashed and that now he understands what brainwashing (conditioning) really is!:p
The cherry on the cake: On his way out the door he said "I've got to tell my sister about this!" :):)

[Perry]

Blast it! I messed up the title again. I wish a really nice MOD would come along and do a spell check for me.:)

[jake]

hard to believe someone that was a 'neo-con' would be converted to the cause of freedom and personal liberty. well done! :)

[RPinSEAZ]

It's exciting to see the change that you can make in people. I think the thing that people have the hardest thing dealing with is coming to the realization that the ideas they supported killed people for no benefit. It takes longer from some, but eventually most will come around.

[krott5333]

It took some time and patience. A few months back I showed him some Ron Paul videos and have since discussed certain issues with him concerning Israel and what following Christ means for politicians. Tonight he came over and watched the Google interview and the light finally went on. "How come none of the other candidates talk like that?" he says. :D "I am voting for Ron Paul!". He went on to tell me that months earlier when I first introduced him to paul he thought that Paul was an extremist. It does take time for these ideas to sink in you see. Why does it take time for these ideas to sink in? What my friend said next sums it all up. He actually admitted to me that he had been brainwashed and that now he understands what brainwashing (conditioning) really is!:p
The cherry on the cake: On his way out the door he said "I've got to tell my sister about this!" :):)

I know all about this. I was brainwashed as well. I was a huge neo-con. Sean Hannity's biggest supporter, believe it or not.

It simply means that yes, there is hope for the neo-cons too!

[Goldwater Conservative]

Another political salvation. :)

And yeah, I too was once like your friend.

[r3volution]

i was also a fox news ignorant neocon , it was not Ron Paul that woke me up (it was something a bit more drastic that i cannot discuss online) but it eventually lead me to Ron Paul ..

[Man from La Mancha]

The genie is coming out of the bottle and won't be going back:D


http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/9435/blackwsmallyh7.gif (teaparty07.com)..http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/8947/brighton7gs5.gif (teaparty07.com)..copy,paste,linked to teaparty07.com

[stewie3128]

A few years ago, while reading Andrew Sullivan's blog, I realized that I was lying to myself when I said that I was pro-life, or anti-gay marriage, or all of that other neocon BS, and that it was a rot within me. I decided that I had to be honest with myself from there on, and that when I was wrong, I needed to admit it, and change my mind to reflect the truth and what it just. At that moment I became a libertarian, because I knew that my roots were in freedom and liberty, not in false alliances and religious zealotry.

[Slist]

A few years ago, while reading Andrew Sullivan's blog, I realized that I was lying to myself when I said that I was pro-life, or anti-gay marriage, or all of that other neocon BS, and that it was a rot within me. I decided that I had to be honest with myself from there on, and that when I was wrong, I needed to admit it, and change my mind to reflect the truth and what it just. At that moment I became a libertarian, because I knew that my roots were in freedom and liberty, not in false alliances and religious zealotry.

You know what? This makes me think of a slogan of the sorts
"Be honest to yourself. Read about Ron Paul."

No one likes to admit he is dishonest.. such a slogan might actually move someone to read about paul..
The convinced neocon would read about him, feeling certain that the ideas of this "Ron paul" are crazy and could not persuade him.. but he would read them so that later he can feel good about himself and tell everyone "I'm honest, fair and informed, I read about this guy".

Then, while reading about paul, he might actually start thinking...

[curtisag]

I used to be a neo-con too. I was all gun ho about Iraq, torture, and all that stuff. People can change, it wasn't easy for me, but thanks to Ron Paul he opened my eyes to truth. If you had talked to me 4 yrs ago about Ron Paul I'd probably laugh at you.

[chrismatthews]

It took some time and patience. A few months back I showed him some Ron Paul videos and have since discussed certain issues with him concerning Israel and what following Christ means for politicians. Tonight he came over and watched the Google interview and the light finally went on. "How come none of the other candidates talk like that?" he says. :D "I am voting for Ron Paul!". He went on to tell me that months earlier when I first introduced him to paul he thought that Paul was an extremist. It does take time for these ideas to sink in you see. Why does it take time for these ideas to sink in? What my friend said next sums it all up. He actually admitted to me that he had been brainwashed and that now he understands what brainwashing (conditioning) really is!:p
The cherry on the cake: On his way out the door he said "I've got to tell my sister about this!" :):)


You're a better man than I, i just wasted 30 minutes of my life "debating" on the Hannity forums. After losing 30 IQ points i had to call it quits.

[Adamsa]

Good work sir!

[ronpaulyourmom]

My whole life I've been an atheist, anarchist, and borderline pacifist. I'm about as far from a neo-con as you can possibly get... and yet here we all are. :)

Here's to common ground and open minds standing behind a man of principle like Dr. Paul.

[user]

I think this is just more evidence that most neocon supporters are not actually neocons at heart. They've just been brainwashed by the neocon establishment. There is indeed hope for America.

[JordanL]

I know all about this. I was brainwashed as well. I was a huge neo-con. Sean Hannity's biggest supporter, believe it or not.

It simply means that yes, there is hope for the neo-cons too!

I was a "neo-con" around 2004, during the last election, though I had flirted with Libertarianism before.

By mid 2005 though I was entirely disenchanted with the neo-con mantra's.

[Perry]

i was also a fox news ignorant neocon , it was not Ron Paul that woke me up (it was something a bit more drastic that i cannot discuss online) but it eventually lead me to Ron Paul ..

Comprende :)

[EotS]

heh - this thread is developing into a support group - "Hi, my name is Bob, and I'm a recovering Neocon."

Good on all of you who have been open enough to challenge your beliefs. I imagine there is a nagging feeling in the back of the mind of most people that have "fallen into" the neocon establishment. It just requires an awakening.

Kind of reminds me of my favorite Far Side by Gary Larson. A herd of cattle are grazing in a field. One of them stops and says "Hey, wait a minute...This is grass! We've been eating grass!"

[nexalacer]

Next step for recovering neo-cons: follow the path to truth to its logical destination- market anarchism!

[Brian Bailey]

You know what? This makes me think of a slogan of the sorts
"Be honest to yourself. Read about Ron Paul."

No one likes to admit he is dishonest.. such a slogan might actually move someone to read about paul..
The convinced neocon would read about him, feeling certain that the ideas of this "Ron paul" are crazy and could not persuade him.. but he would read them so that later he can feel good about himself and tell everyone "I'm honest, fair and informed, I read about this guy".

Then, while reading about paul, he might actually start thinking...

I like that slogan a lot.

[Brian Bailey]

Sorry for the double post.

I'm going to include this thread in the newsletter this afternoon.

[ShowMeLiberty]

heh - this thread is developing into a support group - "Hi, my name is Bob, and I'm a recovering Neocon."

Good on all of you who have been open enough to challenge your beliefs. I imagine there is a nagging feeling in the back of the mind of most people that have "fallen into" the neocon establishment. It just requires an awakening.

Kind of reminds me of my favorite Far Side by Gary Larson. A herd of cattle are grazing in a field. One of them stops and says "Hey, wait a minute...This is grass! We've been eating grass!"

ROFL!

I'm going to have to look for that Far Side cartoon. It says it perfectly!

First I was a recovering liberal turned neo-con. Now I'm a recovering neo-con turned Paulista. The older I get, the more I learn, the more libertarian minded I become. :)

It really is awesome to see when people throw off their conditioning and start thinking for themselves. I especially love it because what they start thinking about is what America really means to them, what they think it ought to be. We're all patriots at heart. Sometimes it just takes a little nudging to remind people what that truly means.

[user]

I can't tell you all how much it means to me that more and more people are turning to freedom everyday. :)

[TruckinMike]

Hi my name is Mike -- and I'm a neo-con.:o I was in that boat ..no doubt. But not now::D

And yesterday I came across a fellow trucker and asked him if he has heard of RP, 'yes".. then I asked if he had researched him.. he said yes, but he liked Huckabee. Well that didn't add up. I began questioning him... he knew nothing of RP.. only the Talk radio garb. -- I cleared that up real quick.. after a one hour parking lot discussion about guns, freedom and the constitution, he was a bonified RP supporter.. the easiest convert yet... He really just needed the facts... hannity has damaged us very badly... but this guy knew hannity was soft on the 2nd already. I used that belief to show him hannity's other errors in judgment. -- concerning the candidates and the constitution.

TM

[max]

it was not Ron Paul that woke me up (it was something a bit more drastic that i cannot discuss online) but it eventually lead me to Ron Paul ..

let me guess....

did it have something to do with TWO planes collapsing THREE massive skyscrapers at free fall speed perfectly into theor own footprints...after some nerdy arab kids who flunked Cessna school evaded US air defense for hours?

I hear ya bro ....

[max]

You're a better man than I, i just wasted 30 minutes of my life "debating" on the Hannity forums. After losing 30 IQ points i had to call it quits.

dodnt quit....because there are lurkers whose minds you are touching...

they may not post like the hard core neo-cons......but you are planting seeds

[aspiringconstitutionalist]

I know all about this. I was brainwashed as well. I was a huge neo-con. Sean Hannity's biggest supporter, believe it or not.

It simply means that yes, there is hope for the neo-cons too!

Ditto.

[NewEnd]

I was so entrenched in my views, I was convinced the neocons were just as entrenched. But I had truth on my side, and I am really glad so many neoconservatives are seeing hte light.

I haev a liberal friend who does not feel the same. She is still angry about what those of us that opposed the Iraq war had to go through in 2003 and 2004.

[risiusj]

I'd like to say that you misnamed your thread title.
It wasn't you, it was Dr. Paul that converted the neo-con.

[LFOD]

I used to think the Democrats were an alternative to the Neocons!

HAHAHAHAHA

[user]

I used to think the Democrats were an alternative to the Neocons!

HAHAHAHAHA
Great post, I wish more people made the same realization

[Broadlighter]

I was a disillusioned liberal and believed I was a libertarian. After working in a politically corrected, state-run university system and Bill Clinton's signing of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, I realized what a sham liberalism had become.

After 9/11 I got swayed by the neo-con media, believing everything about radical Islamist ideologies. I thought it was about America's libertarianism the terrorists were trying to kill. Boy, was I wrong. I listened to Hannity, Rush, Savage, Medved, Hewitt, Beck and all the rest of their ilk and I was never fully comfortable with most of them. Most of their schpiel was about liberal bashing. And Medved used the epithet 'losertarians.'

Thank God for Ron Paul. He cured me of my apathy. Neo-cons, Neo-libs worship at the altar of state power. That's the difference between them and us.

To Hell with them.

[user]

I was a disillusioned liberal and believed I was a libertarian. After working in a politically corrected, state-run university system and Bill Clinton's signing of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, I realized what a sham liberalism had become.

After 9/11 I got swayed by the neo-con media, believing everything about radical Islamist ideologies. I thought it was about America's libertarianism the terrorists were trying to kill. Boy, was I wrong. I listened to Hannity, Rush, Savage, Medved, Hewitt, Beck and all the rest of their ilk and I was never fully comfortable with most of them. Most of their schpiel was about liberal bashing. And Medved used the epithet 'losertarians.'

Thank God for Ron Paul. He cured me of my apathy. Neo-cons, Neo-libs worship at the altar of state power. That's the difference between them and us.

To Hell with them.
I recommend this (link) (http://www.ronpaul2008.com/articles/161/what-does-freedom-really-mean/) to anyone in a similar situation

[chrismatthews]

dodnt quit....because there are lurkers whose minds you are touching...

they may not post like the hard core neo-cons......but you are planting seeds

I had no choice, im good at debate, but only so so at responding to "MOOO" and cud chewing, my sanity was at stake.

[Quizno]

The road to Ron Paul for me:

The thing that got me going was earlier this summer when the Senate was voting on the Immigration Reform bill. That bill just didn't make any sense to me, and our failure to secure the border after 9/11 just amazes me. For a long time I thought, they'll do it eventually...it's just our incompetent government that is slowing things down. After watching the coverage on CSPAN and finally seeing the bill get defeated I felt some relief, but the fact is, they are still not working to secure the border. So.....you have to start asking the question ..... why not? After some time on the internet I finally found some info on the NAU, as far as I'm concerned that's one piece of the puzzle. To make a long story short, after hundreds of hours on the internet over the last six months or so, I've come to the conclusion that we desperately need to change our direction, especially our foreign and economic policies.

The reason I support Ron Paul:

I believe him. Not just from watching him for a few minutes on TV here and there...but actually going to the Ron Paul Library (http://www.ronpaullibrary.org)and doing other research on the net. I dont agree with everything, but if we can get out of the Middle East, start working towards sound money, and get rid of some of the bloated incompetent governmental agencies that we currently have, that would be a great start. I also have to say that if he gets elected you have to be realistic about the number of changes that he could actually accomplish in 4 years. Getting rid of the FED(or even just giving them competition with another currency option) is gonna be a battle.

If any of the other candidates get elected it will just be business as usual .... and we need change.

[NewEnd]

I'd like to say that you misnamed your thread title.
It wasn't you, it was Dr. Paul that converted the neo-con.

No, it was our founders, and their message of liberty. Ron Paul is just echoing them, and Pery is echoing Ron Paul.

[Suzu]

Someone want to start a website called ex-neo-cons.com or something like that? I'll give you free hosting if you do....

[thomj76]

This line is appropo here...

[Broadlighter]

I recommend this (link) (http://www.ronpaul2008.com/articles/161/what-does-freedom-really-mean/) to anyone in a similar situation

I like the Chinese Yin-Yang symbol as a metaphor between big-government and
personal liberty.


I don't have an image site right now or I would post it here.