Did Ron Paul Actually Do Anything?

[shakey1]

I believe RP made an impression on many folks, myself included.

[osan]

"Did he do anything?" is a meaningless question. More context is needed.

[acptulsa]

Full disclaimer, the guy is my hero. I do feel like his 2012 campaign and his followers woke me up, truly. My entire paradigm on life changed whenever I learned about this guy and the liberty movement. I am thankful for that.

So, I want to pose this question: did he really do anything? The reason I'm bringing it up is there's increasing chatter within some libertarian spheres (starting with Matt Erickson who is starting up his "Kingpilled" podcast and is encouraging libertarians to put politics down and focus on becoming wealthy instead. This, he argues, will then make us more powerful and influential) that Ron Paul really didn't do much in the grand scheme. Liberty, for all intents and purposes, hasn't advanced (at least not nationally). Ron Paul himself never had any legislation passed, and what was the point in waking millions up only for them to become so disenfranchised with the system that they may as well be asleep again?

When I first hear this premise, I of course yelled blasphemy. But, I thought about it. And I'm honestly not sure the premise itself is wrong when examined from "look at how far liberty has eroded since 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, etc. What did he truly do that has had consequence?

And to be fair, I don't think it's a direct indictment against him as much as it is some of us followers who put him and others on pedestals.

Just curious to hear what others think of this.

"Did he do anything?" is a meaningless question. More context is needed.

Hey, Okie. Osan says your OP is an insufficiently tall wall of text.

And he would know.

[osan]

Hey, Okie. Osan says your OP is an insufficiently tall wall of text.

And he would know.

And who pissed in your​ cornflakes this morning?

[tebowlives]

He spread the word, like Paul Revere and Wentworth Cheswell did.

[oyarde]

Ron Paul is one of the most influential Americans in a modern era after Ike and Goldwater. Without Ron Paul you probably dont have Rand Paul and Thomas Massie who are the two greatest voices of freedom currently. Instead youd probably have a republican socialist party and a democratic communist party with no conservatives to be found .

[PAF]

Ron Paul has done more than any politician or activist in history. He has educated that governments and baureocrats are not the answer, but that reaching the hearts and minds of the people is. Which is 1,000% true.

Liberty comes from within. Those who fail or refuse to understand this will continue to keep the system alive. No matter who runs, or how hard one may vote.

[Okie RP fan]

Hey, Okie. Osan says your OP is an insufficiently tall wall of text.

And he would know.

"You can lead a horse to water..."
JK

-

So most of the newer responses are still in line with the majority opinion that he educated so many people and that he offspringed [sic] 3 politicians who are largely ineffective by themselves in the National Congress.

So again, I ask did he really do anything? Let's take this for an example: if Ron Paul didn't educate people or wasn't around, would there be 90% vax rates and a full totalitarian state right now? Would we be inching ever closer than we are now?

I understand some elements of this can be a tricky discussion to unfold. By let me get to my next question: what has his education and awakening of millions (?) done for us today? We are still a sinking ship right? So are we at least "aware" that this ship is sinking now? I guess that's better than being unaware? But even so, we can't stop the ship from sinking and no one else will believe us. So... what did that achieve?

[jmdrake]

I'm honestly not sure.





How do we know this? How do we know things would be worse than they already are?
What Rand really done, though? What has grilling Fauci done? Fauci is still in his position of power and has a cult following that contains half of the country...

I'm just trying to pick these things apart so I can fully understand everything around it.

Without Rand Paul taking on Fauci he would have had a cult that contained 75% to 90% of the country. Trump certainly did nothing to diminish Fauci.

[jmdrake]

Yes, Ron Paul did something... he "red-pilled" me. To me, that was his most crowning achievement.

- ML

PS. End the Fed.

This! And everyday Ron Paul is proven more and more right.

[Okie RP fan]

Without Rand Paul taking on Fauci he would have had a cult that contained 75% to 90% of the country. Trump certainly did nothing to diminish Fauci.

Obviously we have to talk in anecdotes on stuff like this, but these are the answers I'm most curious in hearing.
This is possible, although unverifiable.

[jmdrake]

Obviously we have to talk in anecdotes on stuff like this, but these are the answers I'm most curious in hearing.
This is possible, although unverifiable.

Okay. You're right. I can't quantify a percentage. I can't do a quantitative (the numbers) analysis. But the qualitative (the themes) analysis is there. I knew back in 2020 that Fauci had funded gain of function research. That was talked about in the journal Nature. But the lab leak theory was dismissed as "conspiracy." Most of the end of Trump's presidency was "Fauci is pushing lockdowns" and "Fauci is against hydroxcloroquine" but not "Fauci might be partial responsible for the whole shebang." What was "conspiracy theory" is now mainstream at least on conservative outlets. I look at the comments on the videos on Rand vs Fauci, regardless of the source, and the overwhelming majority are pro Rand. Jim Jordan is doing one hum dinger of a job too.

[osan]

Ron Paul has done more than any politician or activist in history.

That might be a bit over-stated, but your point it taken in any event.

He has educated that governments and baureocrats are not the answer, but that reaching the hearts and minds of the people is. Which is 1,000% true.

Bastiat did the same, as did Spooner, and perhaps one or two more.

That aside, reaching hearts and minds is apparently not quite sufficient to break people of the serf's mindset and the now-normal state of corruption in the Meaner. We have all this edumacation freely available, and yet we remain effective slaves to the punk Tyrants who regard us with such deep contempt, that they steal elections in bald-faced manner, abandon tens of thousands of Americans to the viciously murderous Muslims of Afghanistan, involve us in wars of foreign aggression, make us pay for them, tax us to death with nothing in return but more tyranny, foist fake epidemics of bio-engineered viruses upon us, act like raving lunatic clowns, and so on, while we sit idly by and take it all in. The best I've seen from "us" has been the moaning and complaining about SOME of it, but doing not a thing that is materially effective in altering our reality for the better.

A respect Dr. Paul and agree with most of his positions, but let's be serious now and dispense with the gratuitous idol-worship, much as the good doctor might deserve it: the net effect of his 36 years in the House has not been positive in the broader perspective. He held to his principles, and for that I respect him greatly, but in terms of real results he accomplished little. Now, before you burst an artery, allow me to be very clear here: that is not a bad reflection on Dr. Paul, but just evidence to show that one boy scout has more than his work cut out for him when he finds himself in a den of vipers.

While I am thankful for Ron Paul, I hold no illusions as to the grand-scheme effectiveness. Had it been otherwise, and forgetting that he would then have almost certainly been framed or assassinated, the nation would almost certainly be in far better shape than that in which we currently find it. That's more a statement as to the unworthy nature of the Meaner, than of Dr. Paul's inadequacy. It just goes to show precisely that the Meaner is such a rotten creature, perhaps there is no level to which a man can work that would bring people to sense and decency.

Liberty comes from within.

That's where it starts, but when awareness is all that men are willing to come to, refusing to act in materially effective ways to gain widespread freedom, that is also where it ends. This is the situation in which we currently find ourselves. Everyone wants freedom (or so they say - I remain doubtful), but they want someone else to secure and maintain it for them. So long as that condition remains, Ron Paul could stand on his head and spit nickels and it would make no real difference.

Those who fail or refuse to understand this will continue to keep the system alive.

And here we remain.

Sad stuff. but there you have it.

Humans: not much to recommend us.

[acptulsa]

This article came out a few months ago, but I just now saw it for the first time. If it has been posted here already I couldn't find it, so here it is.



http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives...cine-passport/

How Ron Paul Stopped the US Government from Imposing a National Vaccine Passport

Who do Americans have to thank for the United States government not subjecting them to a national vaccine passport like those being imposed by national governments in Europe? Megan Redshaw wrote in a Wednesday article at Children’s Health Defense that the credit goes to Ron Paul who, while serving as a member of the US House of Representatives, led the effort to bar the US government from creating for each American a “unique health identifier” number.

Redshaw wrote:
So far, the Biden administration has resisted the idea of a “vaccine passport” for the U.S. On May 28, U.S. Director of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas said the U.S. was taking a “very close look” at vaccine passports for international travel. Later that day, the DHS clarified there will be no “federal mandate” for vaccine passports in the U.S.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the U.S. does not have a national database for immunization records that could act as the source of vaccination data for use in digital passes. That’s because a national system to create a unique identification number to link the health records of every American has been banned since 1998, spearheaded by then-Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who said such a system would be an unwarranted privacy intrusion.

An attempt to overturn the ban passed the U.S. House in 2019, but was rejected by the Senate.
Paul left the US House in January of 2013.

Paul’s son Rand Paul has been a key person working in the US Senate to keep in place the prohibition on a unique health identifier. A September of 2019 press release from Rand Paul’s Senate office recounts the following:
Dr. Paul’s father, former Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), introduced language to the Labor-HHS appropriations bill in 1998 to restrict the use of federal funds to develop the identifier, and such a ban has been continually renewed in each Labor-HHS appropriations bill since.

This June, however, an amendment stripped this critical protection for Americans out of the version of the Labor-HHS appropriations bill ultimately passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. Enacting the bill into law with this amendment or a similar provision would open the floodgates for a government-issued ID to be linked with the private medical history of every man, woman, and child in America.

Prior to introducing standalone legislation to repeal the original authority created under HIPAA, Dr. Paul successfully advocated this month for keeping language banning federal funding for the unique health identifier in the proposed Senate version of the Labor-HHS appropriations bill.

Wasn't there a thread here recently asking if Ron Paul ever really accomplished anything?

Apparently he did. More than most of us probably know.

Indeed there was. Indeed he did.

[Political]

I see it is a numbers game. Everyone's effort helps. I applaud Ron Paul's efforts. I have a crazy idea, I read from a book. Let us unite as voters and pick one serious issue that we can all agree needs to be changed to take our country back from big money and return control to the voters. The book "America's Battle Plan", says to outlaw lobbyist is the most important. Would this be a move in the right direction? Should we as voters demand this from candidates if they want our votes?

[brandon]

Neocons completely dominated the GOP when Ron Paul launched his 2008 campaign. Today neocons are a tiny minority in the party led by Liz Cheney who's already been demoted and is on her way out. The GOP of the 2000s is dead. Ron Paul played a major role in this. Trump really sealed the deal, but without RP I don't think there would be a Trump.

Ron Paul Libertarianism lives on in so many ways. He was a pivotal figure in republican libertarian politics and his legacy will endure for many decades to come.

Just as Ron Paul was inspired by Mises, Hayek, Rothbard and many others: The libertarian leaders of the next generation are being inspired by Ron Paul and his proteges.

[afwjam]

Absolutely. He started the coalition that has grown beyond imagination. Grandfather of the tea party as they say. The trump people love Dr. Paul. The perfect libertarian ideal as a political takeover was never going to happen, that’s human nature and history. Change is messy and there’s a lot ahead of us, but he planted the seed. People are tuning out of tv, Hollywood, news, sports, it’s all dying as people check back into reality. This vaccine push has pulled together a coalition I never thought possible. The fight is yet to come but it’s coming and we are the majority. God bless Dr Paul I give him credit for waking me up and reminding me what it means to be a Patriot and love “America”