gocrew
12-26-2007, 05:11 PM
www.thngstff.blogspot.com (http://www.thngstff.blogspot.com)
When the spleen overtakes me, I can be as negative and grouchy as any man ever was. Though not a consistent cynic, my transient forays into gloom are quite as deep and seemingly unshakable as if I had spent a lifetime staking my claim there. But I am just a tourist in the realm of pessimism; a frequent tourist but still nothing more than a visitor. Often enough my fellow human beings provide enough evidence to convince me, at least for a while, that my disdain is unwarranted, or at least not wholly warranted. In America today there is a movement afoot – a revolution some have called it – that has proved more than enough to keep me optimistic for months at a time. As it becomes clearer and clearer that Ron Paul will make a serious challenge for the Republican nomination, and looks to be easily the most likely of the group to take it, I do not think it too early to consider how effective a president Ron Paul could be.
Even among his supporters there is a lurking skepticism about how much a Paul administration could accomplish. When he takes aim at the IRS even those whose hearts flitter giddily at the pronouncement will quickly come back down to earth with a sigh, glumly declaring that, “He’ll never be able to do it.” Perhaps he won’t, but let’s not discount that WE might.
When Ron Paul thanks us for inviting him to our revolution, he’s not just being humble. He may be the guest of honor, but the party is about all of us. If this is to be a revolution, then it needs to be about ideas, not about a man. Though we may dispute the particulars, we are in agreement that government must play a smaller role in our lives, even a drastically smaller role. It is incumbent upon us, therefore, without getting stuck on details, to support others who espouse similar beliefs.
Once elected, President Paul, even alone, can do much to further the cause. As commander-in-chief of the armed forces he can bring home our troops and close the vast, international network of military bases that the US government has established. If nothing more than this gets accomplished it will have been worth the struggle to see him elected. Not only will so much violence have been ended and so much future enmity prevented, but also fresh wounds can begin to heal, the budget will have been substantially reduced and the now feckless military-industrial complex will have been deprived of that impulsion by which they induce politicians to lay siege to civil liberties. A rough estimate of the effects, the effects of the effects and the effects of the effects of the effects of this troop withdrawal as they ripple through our country and around the world – even from a conservative perspective – is quite enough to gladden the heart.
This much Ron Paul has already promised, and as president there is little to nothing that could be done to stop him. The final result of his other promises, e.g., vetoing unbalanced budgets and imprudent spending, is less certain, but it must be noted that big increases in federal spending are generally driven by spendthrift presidents. The mere elimination of a squandering president’s demands would likely ease the pressure to increase the budget.
Apart from the above, a president may grant pardons and clemency to criminals, and Lord knows there are many who unjustly languish in prison as these words are written. Rather than paying for their imprisonment, we would be better off if their productive capacities were put to use, and they certainly would be better off. President Paul might also decide to take a swipe at a multitude of executive orders, orders which he no doubt views as unconstitutional. I am not aware of his position on this, but he could well conclude that any act of nullifying an executive order is precisely as constitutional as the original order itself. Indeed, the many tens and tens of thousands of regulations in the Federal Registrar could be wiped out as quickly as Dr. Paul can swipe the tip of a pen across parchment. I have seen estimates that these regulations represent an annual drain on the economy of $800 billion, and that figure is a few years old. Should he pursue this course, the lives of Americans everywhere would improve as unproductive labor reverted to more productive activities.
All this is that part of the revolution which will likely soon be in Dr. Paul’s hands. The greater part of it is up to us. I feel safe in assuming that no supporter of Dr. Paul is behind him because of his looks, his speaking ability or his fame. If it is the ideas which charge us, then let us take the fight for these ideas elsewhere, encouraged by how popular we now know them to be. Ron Paul will not – cannot – be elected in a vacuum. Already there are Republicans running for other offices and calling themselves Ron Paul Republicans. If they truly are Ron Paul Republicans, Dr. Paul can grant his endorsement to the ones he trusts in this respect, and we can help to get them elected. As Dr. Paul himself has said, politicians are good at gauging which way the wind is blowing, and many of them are already sympathetic to some of his positions. If the movement serves only to elect Ron Paul as president of the United States, it will have accomplished much but sold itself short. If it moves on beyond this election to change the face of American politics, if it fills Congress with men and women who want to work with Dr. Paul, not against him, then it truly could be a revolution.
A few successful policies early on can work to sway millions. A few libertarian-minded Congressmen can influence dozens of others. A few million Ron Paul supporters can get many other decent people elected to Congress and elsewhere. By the 72-year cycle theory of American history, we are four years late for a political overhaul. If we want that overhaul, let us dedicate ourselves right here and now to extending the revolution beyond – far beyond – the Paul presidency. Let’s use our momentum to make America what it never quite was but always should have been.
When the spleen overtakes me, I can be as negative and grouchy as any man ever was. Though not a consistent cynic, my transient forays into gloom are quite as deep and seemingly unshakable as if I had spent a lifetime staking my claim there. But I am just a tourist in the realm of pessimism; a frequent tourist but still nothing more than a visitor. Often enough my fellow human beings provide enough evidence to convince me, at least for a while, that my disdain is unwarranted, or at least not wholly warranted. In America today there is a movement afoot – a revolution some have called it – that has proved more than enough to keep me optimistic for months at a time. As it becomes clearer and clearer that Ron Paul will make a serious challenge for the Republican nomination, and looks to be easily the most likely of the group to take it, I do not think it too early to consider how effective a president Ron Paul could be.
Even among his supporters there is a lurking skepticism about how much a Paul administration could accomplish. When he takes aim at the IRS even those whose hearts flitter giddily at the pronouncement will quickly come back down to earth with a sigh, glumly declaring that, “He’ll never be able to do it.” Perhaps he won’t, but let’s not discount that WE might.
When Ron Paul thanks us for inviting him to our revolution, he’s not just being humble. He may be the guest of honor, but the party is about all of us. If this is to be a revolution, then it needs to be about ideas, not about a man. Though we may dispute the particulars, we are in agreement that government must play a smaller role in our lives, even a drastically smaller role. It is incumbent upon us, therefore, without getting stuck on details, to support others who espouse similar beliefs.
Once elected, President Paul, even alone, can do much to further the cause. As commander-in-chief of the armed forces he can bring home our troops and close the vast, international network of military bases that the US government has established. If nothing more than this gets accomplished it will have been worth the struggle to see him elected. Not only will so much violence have been ended and so much future enmity prevented, but also fresh wounds can begin to heal, the budget will have been substantially reduced and the now feckless military-industrial complex will have been deprived of that impulsion by which they induce politicians to lay siege to civil liberties. A rough estimate of the effects, the effects of the effects and the effects of the effects of the effects of this troop withdrawal as they ripple through our country and around the world – even from a conservative perspective – is quite enough to gladden the heart.
This much Ron Paul has already promised, and as president there is little to nothing that could be done to stop him. The final result of his other promises, e.g., vetoing unbalanced budgets and imprudent spending, is less certain, but it must be noted that big increases in federal spending are generally driven by spendthrift presidents. The mere elimination of a squandering president’s demands would likely ease the pressure to increase the budget.
Apart from the above, a president may grant pardons and clemency to criminals, and Lord knows there are many who unjustly languish in prison as these words are written. Rather than paying for their imprisonment, we would be better off if their productive capacities were put to use, and they certainly would be better off. President Paul might also decide to take a swipe at a multitude of executive orders, orders which he no doubt views as unconstitutional. I am not aware of his position on this, but he could well conclude that any act of nullifying an executive order is precisely as constitutional as the original order itself. Indeed, the many tens and tens of thousands of regulations in the Federal Registrar could be wiped out as quickly as Dr. Paul can swipe the tip of a pen across parchment. I have seen estimates that these regulations represent an annual drain on the economy of $800 billion, and that figure is a few years old. Should he pursue this course, the lives of Americans everywhere would improve as unproductive labor reverted to more productive activities.
All this is that part of the revolution which will likely soon be in Dr. Paul’s hands. The greater part of it is up to us. I feel safe in assuming that no supporter of Dr. Paul is behind him because of his looks, his speaking ability or his fame. If it is the ideas which charge us, then let us take the fight for these ideas elsewhere, encouraged by how popular we now know them to be. Ron Paul will not – cannot – be elected in a vacuum. Already there are Republicans running for other offices and calling themselves Ron Paul Republicans. If they truly are Ron Paul Republicans, Dr. Paul can grant his endorsement to the ones he trusts in this respect, and we can help to get them elected. As Dr. Paul himself has said, politicians are good at gauging which way the wind is blowing, and many of them are already sympathetic to some of his positions. If the movement serves only to elect Ron Paul as president of the United States, it will have accomplished much but sold itself short. If it moves on beyond this election to change the face of American politics, if it fills Congress with men and women who want to work with Dr. Paul, not against him, then it truly could be a revolution.
A few successful policies early on can work to sway millions. A few libertarian-minded Congressmen can influence dozens of others. A few million Ron Paul supporters can get many other decent people elected to Congress and elsewhere. By the 72-year cycle theory of American history, we are four years late for a political overhaul. If we want that overhaul, let us dedicate ourselves right here and now to extending the revolution beyond – far beyond – the Paul presidency. Let’s use our momentum to make America what it never quite was but always should have been.