How Much Did Ron Paul Teach You about Liberty?

[The Rebel Poet]

I'm curious, how did you begin the journey to your libertarianism, paleo-conservatism, anarchism, or whatever you believe? How significant was Ron Paul to your education?

[Ronin Truth]

Which comes down to NONE, for me.

[Origanalist]

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[luctor-et-emergo]

I voted for 'I already understood liberty' because as a young kid I'd always ask my parents why the world is this messed up and why things aren't logical. Then later I was influenced by regular politics... After which I found Ron and I found out that apparently I'm not alone. Thats when I grasped what the governing principles of liberty are. That is thanks to Ron.

[Aspie Minarcho-Capitalist]

I became increasingly skeptical of the left and right paradigm and the mainstream media in late 2012 to early 2013 due to their disgruntling groupthink and subsequently began to appreciate social liberalism (without the collective identity rights and progressive moonbattery) and fiscal conservatism so I would've unknowingly be considered a beltway libertarian and a right wing atheist at the time. I started to learn a lot more about the philosophy in May 2014 and fortunately encountered the most well known of them by the name of Ron Paul. :)

I started to learn from him the truth about the beneficence of individual liberty, free markets and small government constitutionalism and gradually overcame the "socially liberal and fiscally conservative" herd mentality as-well as becoming incrementally libertarian socially and fiscally; for instance, I once supported moderate gun regulation and I now believe in unrestricted gun ownership. I also learned how collectivist systems (neo-conservatism, socialism), government managed trade agreements (NAFTA, TPP and WTO), the international fiat monetary system, fractional reserve banking, the Federal Reserve system and central banking supranational institutions (International Monetary Fund and World Bank) are the primary culprits of what's going wrong with the global economy for many many years.

[Valli6]

While I suppose I always had a notion and desire for "liberty" in in my head, the word itself seemed just a meaningless marketing term tossed around by politicians and persons who wanted to demonstrate how "patriotic" they were.

I spurned politics most of my adult life, because I quickly saw it as all rigged, total BS, that was never going to affect me in any positive way - only in negative ways - and so it was. The futility of it all was too painful to dwell on. I saw no realistic way to affect the outcome of anything, since people in positions of power seemed self-serving, and ranged from probably-to-definitely corrupt. While I did vote in presidential elections, no one I voted for ever actually won.

It wasn't until hearing Ron Paul speak*, that I realized "liberty" is a concept with a tangible meaning. He was able to articulate how applying the concept of liberty to all legislation, could protect me in everyday life - in ways I could relate to. Ron Paul made me get the point of the U.S. Constitution. Prior to Ron Paul, I'd always heard the Constitution praised as unique, yet I was unable to appreciate it since I didn't understand that it was intended to control how laws are written, and stop authoritarianism in it's tracks.

Ron Paul boiled it all down to a sort of science:
Keep it small, no special treatment (greatly curtailing most corruption), tolerate whatever doesn't harm you, and insist that maintaining liberty always be part of the equation. The result is probably the fairest form of governance we can aspire to.

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* starting with that debate in 2007

[fisharmor]

RP showed me two things.

First, he coalesced the idea in my head that when you adopt a main strategy of minimizing damage, that means you've lost before you even started.
He showed this through his career, not his campaigns.

Second, he showed me that there are other people who believe this.
He showed this through his campaigns.

Then Rand came and showed me that the number of people I thought to believe this is smaller than it seemed.

[BUTSRSLY]

How Much Did Ron Paul Teach You about Liberty?



23

[William Tell]

It was more that I agreed with him already about most things, than that he taught me much as far as ideology is concerned. I can't think of anything off the top of my head that Ron really changed my mind on. Although there may be something. I was already kind of immersed in that line of thinking. Before he ran he was already on my list of good guys, although I knew little about him besides that he "voted against the bad stuff"

[dancjm]

Changed my life.

& Made me a better person.

[presence]

In the early 2000's when I found Ron, for the first time I felt represented in Congress. I don't know that he taught me much philosophically; but I have become much more confident and solidified in my beliefs; especially with regard to Austrian economics.

I almost dropped out of college in my senior year Economics/Management because of the incessant lecturing and worship of Keynesian economics.

[kfarnan]

I didn't see how corrupt the system was until RP showed the antithesis to the normality.

[Vanguard101]

When I was 13 in 09. I can't thank him enough for changing my life. Not just my political philosophy, but how I view things in this world. I've never met him even though I could have, but if I did, I would probably cry.

[Jamesiv1]

Ron Paul woke me up to the ideas and philosophies of liberty. He inspired me through his actions that a single man can make a difference.

Rand Paul is showing me how to get a liberty politician elected.

Ron also showed me that "Liberty is popular!"

Liberty, then pizza.