"i'm reading your book. it has me questioning my democratic leanings"

[OptionsTrader]

So says a very hardcore progressive democrat friend of mine. I've known him since highschool and only recently had the chance to get the book in his hands.

he writes:

"ok; i'm reading your book. it has me questioning my democratic leanings and i'm not even finished w/chpt 2."

I am telling you this guy is as Democrat as they come and the book is working.

[Truth Warrior]

[Kotin]

Fantastic!!


I have said it and I'll say it again, the book is our greatest tool for spreading the message.


theres no one getting in the way of the message or slanting it or misrepresenting it!!

and after reading it so clearly laid out, theres no way anyone could not wake up and become one of us!!

Like Mary Ruwart said, like 80% of the country really is Libertarian or Libertarian leaning.. they just don't know it yet..

[liberteebell]

Heh, my democrat friends were much easier to "convert", even if they despised the republican label. Go figure!

[I Am Weasel]

Must be nice. I took the book to work today and a hardcore Hillary democrat refused to even read the preface citing "you know my position, he can't change anything without the congress". Despite me correcting him and reasserting that a President Paul could overturn the executive orders that have been instilled and bring home the military, I was shunned to no end. It's ok though, another worker and I later discussed it and came to the conclusion that people as that are exactly what's wrong with this country.

[NightOwl]

Must be nice. I took the book to work today and a hardcore Hillary democrat refused to even read the preface citing "you know my position, he can't change anything without the congress". Despite me correcting him and reasserting that a President Paul could overturn the executive orders that have been instilled and bring home the military, I was shunned to no end. It's ok though, another worker and I later discussed it and came to the conclusion that people as that are exactly what's wrong with this country.

One reply to your Hillary co-worker is to say, "Well, didn't George Bush change an awful lot, and for the worse, without Congress? Isn't that part of the reason you're against him? So it obviously can be done."

[Kade]

Heh, my democrat friends were much easier to "convert", even if they despised the republican label. Go figure!

Unless they meet ARealConservative, Theocrat,familydog, or any of the other extremely divisive whackjobs on the forums.

[amy31416]

*snip* or any of the other extremely divisive whackjobs on the forums.

Weren't you just complaining that someone called you a socialist bastard recently?

It seems divisive to me to call several people "divisive whackjobs."

[Kade]

Weren't you just complaining that someone called you a socialist bastard recently?

It seems divisive to me to call several people "divisive whackjobs."

For each person that tries to be civil to me, it never ends that way. I shovel it where it resides.

[christagious]

Tough part will be actually getting people to read it. some people don't want to change their beliefs

[Kade]

Tough part will be actually getting people to read it. some people don't want to change their beliefs

Indeed, you wouldn't know anyone like that, would you, christagious....

[LittleLightShining]

Indeed, you wouldn't know anyone like that, would you, christagious....

This started out as a worthwhile thread...

[Mahkato]

This started out as a worthwhile thread...

+1

[RSLudlum]

Tough part will be actually getting people to read it.

yeah, I think half the population is allergic to books.

[christagious]

Indeed, you wouldn't know anyone like that, would you, christagious....

What? you lost me.
I read the book and loved it

If you're implying, like so many other have, that my username has to do with "Christ", then you're wrong. I've explained it before and I guess I will again, I came up with it because first off, the name's Chris, and I wanted to combine my name with another word that would sound "cool" so I chose the word "contagious" thus comes the word "christagious" I took a cue from "Johnny Rotten" ,"Justin Sane", etc.

If that's NOT what you were implying, I'd like to know what the eff you're talking about.

[ARealConservative]

Unless they meet ARealConservative, Theocrat,familydog, or any of the other extremely divisive whackjobs on the forums.

Considering the fact that you will be voting for Obama this fall, who cares what you think.

I damn sure wouldn't bother attacking you in some some random thread.

[amy31416]

Indeed, you wouldn't know anyone like that, would you, christagious....

C'mon Kade--that's some pretty blatant bias against someone who turns out to not even have chosen the name for the religious connotations.

Liberals are supposed to be a lot better than conservatives when it comes to stereotypes, don't let your folks down.

[ronpaulhawaii]

C'mon Kade--that's some pretty blatant bias against someone who turns out to not even have chosen the name for the religious connotations.

Liberals are supposed to be a lot better than conservatives when it comes to stereotypes, don't let your folks down.

lol

[torchbearer]

lol

+1

[Mini-Me]

Heh, my democrat friends were much easier to "convert", even if they despised the republican label. Go figure!

Actually, I do think there's a reason for this, if my own "personal development quest" has anything to do with it. This is a LONG post, and I've written similar ones before, but the bold comments are the "main points."

I was born and raised a hardcore neocon (except an anti-gun one) - everyone around me was completely convinced that America is always right, that we currently have a free market and it's working perfectly, etc., and if you disagree with the way America is, you're obviously a nutcase anti-American flaming liberal who's ruining our country and needs to move to Canada. When the Patriot Act was passed, I assumed it was patriotic...because of the name. Except for hating taxes and recognizing the overall inefficiency of government, I trusted it.
In other words, if I was a typical neocon, that means that neocons in general are completely oblivious to or willfully ignorant of the fact that anything's wrong with America at all - except for taxes and liberals, of course.

Eventually, I realized that something was wrong...a LOT was wrong. We were losing our Constitutional rights, the economy was screwed up, the wealth gap was outrageous and getting worse, the middle class was disappearing, the government was run by lobbyists, we were turning into warmongers, etc. etc. The list just went on. At first, I briefly considered libertarianism, but I fell victim to the prevailing assumption (espoused by both parties, really) that we already had a free market. Because I knew something was very wrong, I fell for the popular Marxist prejudice that laissez-faire free market capitalism is just a tool for corporations and the "capitalist class" to oppress everyone else (and that it would be even WORSE than our current system). I became the all-out liberal I used to hate.

As time went on, I started to get more and more socialistic leanings, particularly with regard to healthcare (because I knew healthcare was screwed up, the the supposedly "free market" wasn't working) and education. I knew government was inefficient and I instinctively felt that there might be something fundamentally wrong with socialism, but I just couldn't see any other option in light of the all of the suffering going on under our current system. Besides, if all of the anti-intellectual neocons hate socialism and mainstream intellectuals love it, how can it be that bad? I finally had a healthy respect for civil liberties and not going to preemptive war, but I was still a foreign policy interventionist (I never knew there was another option!) and I had no idea how to balance the budget (although it's something I've always wanted...I've never ever believed in deficit spending).
In other words, if most garden-variety liberals are like I was, it's because unlike neocons, they recognize that there are some pretty big problems with our country, but they fall for the rosy utopian promises of false solutions.

My political thinking was almost entirely liberal when I first discovered Ron Paul...and although I ignored him for half a year (because of the "racist kook" smears...grrr), when I actually took a second look, I realized that finally, someone had answers. I actually first started learning a bit of Keynesian economics to come up with a rebuttal about why the gold standard is the worst of all options and that fiat money is the only sane choice, but...I failed when I realized several logical pitfalls in my positions. Once I finally started to understand Ron Paul's position on money, I opened up to being convinced on socialism, protectionism, etc. Since then, I've been learning more about free market economics and the nature of liberty and freedom than I ever thought existed. I've only been a "convert" for a relatively short part of my life, but I've learned so much that I cannot imagine ever being convinced by any other political philosophy ever again.

I'm not sure if I ever would have come over to libertarian/classical liberal/mid-20th century conservative thinking if it wasn't for Ron Paul, but it does seem that I was more receptive to it after I was a hardcore leftie than directly after my disillusionment with the neocon right.

[christagious]

C'mon Kade--that's some pretty blatant bias against someone who turns out to not even have chosen the name for the religious connotations.

Liberals are supposed to be a lot better than conservatives when it comes to stereotypes, don't let your folks down.

thanks amy. and aren't liberals supposed to be the "open-minded" ones? not bashing you though, Kade; I still don't even know what you were implying, and it was kinda random to bash my username when i never even said anything ignorant, in this thread at least. I just said that the harder part is to get people to read the book, then it smooth sailing from there, I believe. I'm considering lending the book out to some people at work, but I'm kind of attached to it.

[sidster]

thanks amy. and aren't liberals supposed to be the "open-minded" ones? not bashing you though, Kade; I still don't even know what you were implying, and it was kinda random to bash my username when i never even said anything ignorant, in this thread at least. I just said that the harder part is to get people to read the book, then it smooth sailing from there, I believe. I'm considering lending the book out to some people at work, but I'm kind of attached to it.

I bought 7 extra copies of it just recently. Sent two copies to my
ex-gf (in different state). One for her and the other to donate to her
local library. I gave one copy to a co-worker, another I will be giving
to another friend of mine, whom I almost convinced to vote for Ron
Paul but he ended up changing his mind at the Polling place and voted
for Huck (his story). One I have donated to a local library and the other
two will be donated to other local libraries as I make my time to go
over to them

I suggest everyone buy a few extra copies and donate to local libraries.
My local library, the gentleman who processed the book was VERY
excited about it. He said "Our first copy!"

[Kade]

C'mon Kade--that's some pretty blatant bias against someone who turns out to not even have chosen the name for the religious connotations.

Liberals are supposed to be a lot better than conservatives when it comes to stereotypes, don't let your folks down.

If you look at my history of posts, I bold everybody's name... the implication is yours...

[Kade]

thanks amy. and aren't liberals supposed to be the "open-minded" ones? not bashing you though, Kade; I still don't even know what you were implying, and it was kinda random to bash my username when i never even said anything ignorant, in this thread at least. I just said that the harder part is to get people to read the book, then it smooth sailing from there, I believe. I'm considering lending the book out to some people at work, but I'm kind of attached to it.

Yea, I apologize, but to be really honest and fair, it is VERY difficult to be open minded here...

[amy31416]

If you look at my history of posts, I bold everybody's name... the implication is yours...

Yea, I apologize, but to be really honest and fair, it is VERY difficult to be open minded here...

Glad you were big enough to apologize. I was surprised to see it coming from you.

[Kade]

Glad you were big enough to apologize. I was surprised to see it coming from you.

Do you happen to know why Minestra di pomodoro was banned?

[amy31416]

Do you happen to know why Minestra di pomodoro was banned?

I really don't know. You'll have to ask a mod.

[Mahkato]

Actually, ...

Thanks for your post, and the attempt to get this thread back on track.

[torchbearer]

I've ran out of copies to pass out... where is the cheapest place to get more?

[Kade]

Thanks for your post, and the attempt to get this thread back on track.

Yes. The book will change people's minds... but if people read, they are already 80 times more likely to be favorable people anyway.