Thread: Ron Paul on the Issues

Originally Posted by MW

Isn't it about time to give it up, Airborn? Most of us have already seen Ron Paul for what he is. He has voted for illegal alien amnesty in the past, he doesn't support a border fence, he has repeatedly voted against military on the border, he is a 'free trader' that basically supports an open border. I'm not saying Paul is all bad, however, I don't think he is someone most of us can support, especially after you look at his past voting record. Just saying ..........

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The ‘Lesser Of Two Evils’ Con-Game
Brandon Smith, Contributor
Activist Post

The moral relativism of the “lesser of two evils” philosophy has been draining the heart and soul of America for decades. Many of us in the Liberty Movement understand that it is nothing new, and have come to expect the abusive and emaciated logic it entails from time to time.

However, over the course of the past year it has become apparent to me that the talking points and propaganda that drive the hypocritical worldview are being utilized on an even grander scale than ever before. This fact struck me quite sharply while attending a local GOP Lincoln/Reagan dinner event while I was attempting to gauge the overall danger our country would be facing from potential RINO (Republican In Name Only) sellouts as well as what our hopes were for a possible political solution at the local and state level. The “conservative” rally was, to say the least, disappointing.

One thing that stood out plainly at this event, though, was that there was an overall template; an action plan, a message that had been pre-engineered. Someone had sent out a memo, or an email, or a guide, or perhaps beamed talking points directly into the cyborg brains of these political hacks. Their rhetoric was repetitive and uniform and dry like elbow skin. The demand was clearly stated; regardless of who won the Republican Primaries, no matter how unprincipled, how unconstitutional, how despicable, it was our “duty” as conservatives to back them through the national elections. Obama and the Democrats had to be defeated at all costs….

Now, one of the first tenets or rules that a person learns when delving into the Liberty Movement is that there is no such thing as political parties in America today. There are no conflicting interests in Washington D.C. There is no “grand battle” between left and right for the minds of the masses. It is a sham. A con. A fantasy. A false paradigm.


In reality, the leaderships of both fraudulent parties support essentially the same methodology, and that methodology could be summarized thus: Centralize everything, globalize everything, control everything, grow government power, reduce the effectiveness of the citizenry, turn the public against each other, rob them while they’re distracted. If an American does not understand this dynamic and how it is used to dominate the ebb and flow of our culture, then that American knows nothing. He is lost….

Sadly, even those of us who should very well know better than to fall into the false left/right paradigm trap do so on occasion, as has been made painfully obvious by the foolhardy actions of Rand Paul and his blank check endorsement of Mitt Romney. Certainly, this epic blunder, which seems to me to be a blind stab at political maneuvering on the part of Ron Paul’s son, has set off an angry firestorm amongst true Constitutionalists who know every lie Mitt Romney has ever told. People are using words like “betrayal”, and “traitor”, and with good reason, but let’s look at this calamity from the other side of things for a moment…

There are others out there who would applaud Rand Paul’s decision. While many of them will openly admit that they do not feel very secure in the shadow of a Romney presidency, they still rationalize their position by making the “lesser of two evils” argument.

“America may be going off the edge of a cliff”, they say, “but at least Romney won’t press the gas peddle as hard as Obama”. Here are just a few of the many reasons why this way of thinking will lead to the end of our society as we know it….

Lesser Of Two Evils? There’s No Such Thing…

First of all, asserting that there is such a thing as a “lesser of two evils” is an act of naivety. It relies on a very dangerous assumption; that one can somehow quantify which candidate is going to hurt the country less. I’ve even read essays by people who pretend they can mathematically delineate the “more evil” of the evils! Not surprisingly, their “logic” invariably leads them to proclaim the lesser evil to be the candidate of the party they happen to belong to. Ignorant Republicans always see the Democrat as the greater evil, while ignorant Democrats always see the Republican as the ultimate monster.

Here’s some math for you: there are two candidates for President of the United States, one is a cannibalistic serial killer who plans to murder 20 more people with his own hands while in office. The other is a cannibalistic serial killer who only plans to kill 19 innocents personally. Which candidate do you support?

The correct answer is NEITHER.

Unless you are a fan of murder, there is no inherent difference between these two demonic bureaucrats. They both stand in opposition to the guiding principles of inborn conscience, as well as the protections provided by the laws of free people. The fact that one man will do slightly less damage during his reign is irrelevant. Is a choice between Stalin and Hitler, for instance, really a choice at all? Which one is the "lesser evil" in this equation?

Some may argue that this comparison is a bit over the top. I beg to differ. Presidents have the power not only to maim and kill en masse, but they also have the power to dismantle the laws which protect our civil liberties. To drive the point home as far as Romney and Obama are concerned, let’s watch the following video, which removes the blinders and exposes these two charlatans for what they really are; two peas in a pod:



A refusal to vote, or a vote for a third party, is not a vote for Obama, or a vote for Romney, but a vote against the charade.

There is no such thing as a “lesser evil”. Either a candidate follows the path of truth and honor, or he does not. If he does, he deserves our support. If he does not, or if both candidates are criminals, then they both must be tossed to the wayside. Just because the system has deliberately limited our choices does not mean we are required to participate in the flim-flam.

Participation Is A Duty?

I have also heard the argument that by refusing to participate within the system, and by refusing to choose a specimen from the carnival of horrors we are presented every election cycle, we are doing more harm to America than good. This is the most prevalent falsehood of our era.

The bottom line is, Americans have been dancing in the lesser of two evils pageantry for generations and our Constitutional shield has only been further degraded and destroyed in that time. I defy anyone to show how choosing Obama over McCain, or Bush over Gore, or Clinton over Bush Sr. has helped this country or its people. Where are these illusory advantages and benefits of participation? Where has our country gone while the public fettered away years trying to decide which ghoul to hand over the scepter of empire to? Or, the ultimate question; what specifically have they achieved? Have they gained anything? Has any minutia of our lives been made better by following the “lesser of two evils theory”? Only a fool would claim yes….

One might argue that a non-vote is the same as putting all bad candidates on the same footing, and that this would be “wrong”. I disagree. In an election in which all candidates share the same disparaging policies, they are ALREADY on the same footing. We simply refuse to give the farce legitimacy by casting our vote for any one of them.

In the game of chess, the primary goal is to diminish your opponent’s options. To force him into a corner where, no matter which choice he makes, he loses. Chess, however, is not life. In life, intelligent and creative individuals have the ability to walk away from the board completely and implement their own solutions. The more we continue to participate in the rigged game, and the more we continue to view the future as a series of self contained boundaries administered by the establishment instead of a wide open frontier in which all is possible, the more we will lose, until there is nothing left.

Only Cowards Compromise In The Face Of Evil

Good does not compromise with evil. As stated above, there is nothing to be gained by it. I find that the people most prone to suggesting or demanding compromise with oligarchs and tyrants are usually cowards who have never faced down any legitimate struggle in their lives with any passion. But, how do they sell this stunted philosophy to others? The illusion here is one of “reason” or “objectivity”.

Fearful men often use the guise of objectivity (even if they are not) to avoid confrontation, especially confrontation with a supposed authority figure or government. Strangely, their powers of reason and deduction invariably seem to lead them to subservience to the establishment structure. Compromise, for them, is a way to protect their flailing egos by playing the role of the “even-handed citizen” while at the same time crawling towards servitude.

The argument to this position would, of course, be that many in the Liberty Movement compromise with evil everyday. That we follow laws we disagree with and that we find reprehensible, and that this makes us somehow “hypocritical”. I would say that this is a very narrow and disingenuous view.

Free-minded people do not “follow” reprehensible laws so much as tolerate them while working to dismantle them (“following” infers acceptance). Being honorable and generally of good will, we look for peaceful avenues of redress and change. But, if those avenues are closed to us, and if the injustices expand, the free minded become freedom fighters. Dissent and even revolution are inevitable in the face of tyranny. It is an undeniable feature of human nature.

What I find most interesting though is the conundrum that this conflict of interest creates for the skeptical establishment slave. If the Liberty Movement tolerates bad law while searching for a peaceful path towards change, they call us hypocritical. If the Liberty Movement abandons tolerance and bring force to bear against tyranny and its abuse of the law, they call us “fringe extremists”. Apparently, the only way we can be correct in the eyes of self proclaimed objectivists is if we bow to the constraints of the system, sit back, keep our mouths shut, and enjoy the bread and circuses.

The Greatest Evil Is Moral Relativism

Collectivist governments seek to encourage extreme moral flexibility. Totalitarian regimes cannot survive otherwise. The lesser of two evils sales pitch is, in the end, an extension of the methodology of moral relativism. It trains us to embrace the status quo, whether we like it or not, and to continuously rationalize our adherence to the sham just to get through the day. The mental gymnastics we are required to perform become more complex and unstable. Eventually, in order to ease our consciences which are screaming in agony at the pit of our chests, we have to stop caring about anything, and just go through the motions of participation.

This is not the way to freedom.

There are other ways to secure liberty beyond elections, but for these strategies to be effective, we have to stop asking for permission from the establishment before we take action. Perhaps you seek to step outside the box and away from the controlled paradigm. Perhaps you seek to confront the system head on, either exposing its duplicity and evil, or erasing it as an obstacle completely. The system, its laws, and its political theater are of no consequence, especially when it has been so corrupted.

Moral relativists, though keen on the idea of mutable law, enjoy the trappings of the law as long as it is to their benefit. The law, as I have pointed out in the past, is arbitrary, and always has been. The only true law is the law of inherent and universal conscience. My conscience, as with most other people, tells me that choosing the “lesser of two evils” (an illogical abstraction) sends a message to the elitists that manipulate our culture that I am willing to help them perpetuate their fiction. I become an accomplice in the crime. I commit self mutilation. I give power to the lie.

Such institutionalized misery can only be undone by uncompromising men and women who put principles and conscience before comfort, or even before their own lives. All throughout history, this is how wrong is undone. No society ever changed for the better by casting aside their beliefs and their individualism. No society ever changed for the better by choosing the lesser of two evils. No society ever changed for the better by holding out the hand of friendship to despots, maniacs, and con-men in the hopes that they would be spared just a little less tragedy before their time on this Earth is over.

You can contact Brandon Smith at: brandon@alt-market.com

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Activist Post: The ‘Lesser Of Two Evils’ Con-Game



MW....Give it up, give it up... for what, in other words just roll over and do the same thing we have been doing for years and years just follow the game plan they set for us, The American people are all asleep at the wheel you want it to continue that is a game plan if ever I saw one!!!! Interesting, If you think The Bushes, Clintons, Carters, even Ronnie Boy worked for "We The People" you may have eyes but you don't see, none of them past, present, and/or future one's care for the American people they want us gone or diluted into extinction. I think the right words are "wake up" not give it up!!!! There is no difference from the parties at all they are all just different side's of the same coin and they don't work for us..

Paulites Coming Back To Life - Bravo

Submitted by Kotanut on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 12:34in
Ron Paul 2012

I see a few Paulites are back to work on the Yahoo boards and various others, receiving overall good response. How could one lose with headlines like "Bad news for Obama, bad news for Romney: Voters down on both economic plans" ? I'm encouraged to believe the general public is still behind us.

http://www.dailypaul.com/240037/paul...-to-life-bravo

The Liberty Movement, the New Middle, and the End of the Beginning


Submitted by Robin Koerner on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 14:45
Blog | bluerepublican.org | watchingamerica.com

Last week, Ron Paul sent an email to supporters that indicated that he doesn’t expect to have enough delegates to win the GOP nomination. Subsequently, Rand Paul has endorsed Mitt Romney.

Today, some of Ron Paul’s supporters are hurting, frustrated, demoralized.

Ron Paul’s rEVOLutionaries may not have yet won the war, but they have won so many political battles in recent times that their chances in the war are looking better than many of them would have dared to imagine even a year ago

Paul’s supporters have taken over the top positions and platform of the GOP in state after state. Even where they have not, the new blood in the party is overwhelmingly liberty-orientated. Most new political activists join the fight on their side while nearly all of those who are leaving the field are fighting for the old guard. The enthusiasm of the under 35s and at the universities is extraordinary. Most of Paul’s pet issues are now mainstream. Registration with both main parties has been falling – except for the recent turn-around in GOP registration caused by people becoming Republican to support Ron Paul.

Most importantly, Americans who are fighting for liberty are no longer wet behind the ears: they know what to expect – the stuffing of ballot boxes, being thrown out of party meetings, having the cops called on them, even violence. Next time, they can prepare. Moreover, they know who they are, and that they are the most numerous bunch of rabid activists the country has right now - and probably for as long as they choose to remain so.

In a rather excellent video, Israel Anderson of Ron Paul Flix, recently exhorted the Liberty movement to keep its eyes on the prize - which was always bigger than the presidency: it is the country. Anderson rightly points out that a myriad elected offices nationwide are unfilled or filled in uncontested elections. Liberty rEVOLutionaries should be standing for every single one of them, as Israel says, from Sheriff to Dog Catcher. Relative to everything the movement has brought to bear on the Presidential campaign, this is low-hanging fruit: easy to do with a huge upside.

Meanwhile, Paul’s supporters go to the convention in Tampa with a moral mandate to do whatever it takes to publicize what has been done to them by the G.O.P.owers that be. While disqualification of Romney as the beneficiary of outright wrongdoing is unlikely, Paul’s delegates – which may well number 500 - could still choose to vote their consciences at the convention (rather than following the supposed “binding rules”, which may not be legal anyway). After all, the Party cannot credibly ask anyone to follow a rule book that it already tore up to ensure their man would win. This is by way of saying that if the success of the campaign is measured by the effect it has on the country, the best may yet be to come.

But what should the Liberty movement do the day after the convention if Paul loses? The correct answer is, “exactly what it was doing the day before the convention”: Paul has said consistently that it’s not about him, the man, but about the message he carries. It’s not about his campaign, but about the country he loves. Apart from everything else, then, we do a disservice not only to Liberty, but also to the man, if we let the end of his campaign translate into a dip in our efforts to spread the message until it has infected our entire political system.

One of the best outcomes of Ron Paul 2012 is the discovery that the Liberty movement is large enough, energetic enough and talented enough to do whatever still needs to be done. A few may feel differently right now, but that’s just because they’ve taken a sucker punch in the form of an unexpected setback, and they’re reeling. But that kind of shock arises not from the impossibility of the task, but from the inaccuracy of expectations. The correct response is to adjust one’s expectations – not one’s efforts.

After Tampa, many in the Liberty movement may be exhausted. They should take a breather - spend more time with families and less time posting videos … but just for a few days or weeks. Then, we must all come back to the fight stronger. Lives literally depend on it. Activists who are not sure what to do with their passion and energy when there’s no Presidential campaign on which to bring them to bear, should look again to Paul’s words: he has always said that those who love the Constitution and liberty should do whatever they are interested in and go wherever their passion lies. Such people are needed in every nook and cranny of society, after all.

But what about the small matter of the Presidential Election in November? (If it’s Obama vs. Romney, it really will be a small matter.)

I recently polled the Blue Republicans (former Democrats and Independents who’ve become Republican specifically to support Ron Paul) on whom they’d vote for if Paul isn’t nominated. The nearly one thousand responses yielded the following results: 80% will write-in Ron Paul in some way or another. 20% would vote Gary Johnson. Those who would choose their version of “the lesser of two evils” –Obama or Romney, according to taste – don’t even reach 1% combined.

Thank God for that.

My opinion is worth no more than the next man’s, but I am sure that a vote for Romney or Obama is a vote to give up everything that has been built in the liberty movement. It is to forget that we are playing the long game. It is to throw away an extraordinary opportunity to prove to the country that the new middle of American politics - the new swing vote – is a Constitutionalist liberty-loving block. In fact, it's not really "in the middle" at all - but entirely off the Left-Right axis. To write in Paul, (and in states where a write-in is a technological impossibility, perhaps a vote for Johnson,) puts the political class on notice that the best way to win over the non-partisan vote from here on out is to follow the Constitution and do nothing more to abuse our inalienable rights.

This is actually a very exciting possibility: precisely because Romney and Obama are in all ways that matter one and the same, the refusal of the Liberty movement to play ball on Nov. 6th could have a more immediate and deeper impact on the next four years of American politics than a vote between two Republicrat nominees.

How so? If the Liberty movement holds firm, it will now dominate the “new middle” of American politics: in a two-party Democracy, the median voter is the one that must be won over to secure a majority. His influence on policy is therefore disproportionate. By refusing to vote for someone whose politics are antithetical to their principles, Paul’s supporters exploit the weakness of this country’s political duopoly against that very duopoly – by forcing their principles to be accommodated by anyone or any party that must secure that middle to win a majority. The point is that the Liberty movement is not yet a majority of the GOP. But it is likely already be a majority of politically active Independents. That is power.

But we can only be the tail that wags the dog if we reduce the percentage of votes gained by both the Republican and the Democratic presidential candidates to significantly lower than any Republicrat presidential candidate has seen in decades. There are easily enough in the Liberty movement to do so – as long as we remember that in the pursuit of our goals, a vote for the Republicrats is a wasted vote.

Much to the chagrin of some of my purist libertarian friends, I have occasionally quoted Churchill on the dynamics of a nationwide fight against tyranny.

Forgive me if I do so again.

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

The Liberty Movement, the New Middle, and the End of the Beginning | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Twin victories in South Carolina!

Submitted by Andrew Jetton on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 13:53
Events
South Carolina

South Carolina State Senators Lee Bright and Kevin Bryant, who endorsed Dr. Paul in the run-up to this year's South Carolina Presidential Primary, each prevailed yesterday in their contested Primary races:
http://www.ronpaul2012.com/2012/06/12/ron-paul-endorsed-lee-...

Bright, in particular, had a difficult matchup against his seat's previous incumbent:
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20120604/ARTICLES/206051008...

At the polls, Bright prevailed with just over 60% of the vote, while Bryant won handily with over 75% of the vote:
SC - Election Results

Congratulations, South Carolina Liberty patriots!

Twin victories in South Carolina! | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Liberty Nd Pac Backed Candidate Unseats 22 Year Incumbent In North Dakota

Submitted by ntoman2 on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 12:46
Current Events

Liberty ND PAC backed candidate Nathan Toman unseats 22 year incumbent! Check out www.libertyndpac.com for more info.

Liberty Nd Pac Backed Candidate Unseats 22 Year Incumbent In North Dakota | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Tonight! Doug Wead to appear on RonPaulTribune for a Grassroots Interview!

Submitted by Ron Paul Tribune on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 14:18
Events

BREAKING NEWS, Tonight!!! Doug Wead to appear on RonPaulTribune for a Grassroots Interview!

Attention Liberty Lovers! We are pleased to announce that tonight at 10PM EST, Doug Wead will be joining Tracy Diaz from Libertychat.com and Chris Kairnes of “For the Love of Liberty” tonight on ronpaultribune.com (direct link below). They will be asking the hard questions that all of us want answered, and YOU the grassroots will be able to ask him questions as well!! Get to the room early, because at 8PM Chris Kairnes will be hosting his show with “Ron Paul Girl” AKA Libertarian Ann, Adam Armstrong and Brian Haverlock from the band Rebel Inc as guests!!!

YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS! TELL YOUR FRIENDS!

Please up vote, re-post, share, like, and spread the using social networking. We are a grassroots network and we can use your support. Thank You and enjoy the show!

For the LOVE of Liberty w/ Chris Kairnes

Tonight! Doug Wead to appear on RonPaulTribune for a Grassroots Interview! | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Jesus is the one we need! (please Dr. Paul, lead...)

Submitted by billion on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 09:28
Daily Paul Liberty Forum

I know some of you will chop me into pieces for this post but I truly believe that Ron Paul needs to talk more about his personal faith and what brought him to his insights. Give honour to the One that deserves honour...

We need Christians(I almost detest the word because of all false Christians) in power who understands liberty and who never will force anyone into their own faith...but they should not hide it. Being honest and upfront about your personal beliefs is NOT wrong. That is not the same as forcing your faith upon someone else.

I don't think we will see real blessings to this movement until Jesus name is put first...and I'm hoping that Dr. Paul will lead by setting an example. Please Dr. Paul, if you read this, talk about what Jesus did for you in your next speech. Let us know more about your insights from the Bible and why Jesus comes first in your life.

For many Jesus is the man who brought full freedom...not only in this world..but forever. Please don't hide this fact. Let him shine in truth and honour!

Let's change history for real...let us remember these years as dark years that was broken by the light and gave a new era of good times.

The alternative is not bright...it's up to all of us to show where real freedom comes from.

Please remember, the founders had only one king and it was Jesus.

BTW, feel free to correct my english. I'm from Sweden.

Jesus is the one we need! (please Dr. Paul, lead...) | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Gov. Jesse Ventura: Abolish Both Political Parties - Infowars w/ Alex Jones 6/12/12


Submitted by johncarter444 on Tue, 06/12/2012 - 18:27
Politics & Law



Gov. Jesse Ventura: Abolish Both Political Parties - Infowars w/ Alex Jones 6/12/12 | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Ron Paul 2012

Immigration Immigration*|*Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign CommitteeRon Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign Committee



A MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY

A nation without borders is no nation at all.

It just doesn’t make sense to fight terrorists abroad while leaving our front door unlocked.

Unfortunately, for far too long, neither major political party has had the courage to do what is necessary to tackle the problem.

Instead, we’re presented with so-called “solutions” that involve amnesty proposals or further restricting Americans’ civil liberties through programs like REAL ID.

Ron Paul opposes both of these schemes and believes they will only make illegal immigration and the problems associated with it worse. He has been proud to see states exercising their Tenth Amendment rights and protecting their citizens by refusing to comply with the unconstitutional REAL ID law.

While the federal government neglects its constitutional responsibility to protect our borders, it continues to push mandates on the states to provide free education and medical care to illegal immigrants at a time when the states are drowning in debt. This must not be tolerated any longer.

Like most Americans, Ron Paul also understands just how valuable legal immigration is to our country.

Immigrants who want to work hard, obey our laws, and live the American Dream have always been great assets.

COMMON SENSE REFORMS

If elected President, Ron Paul will work to implement the following common sense reforms:

* Enforce Border Security – America should be guarding her own borders and enforcing her own laws instead of policing the world and implementing UN mandates.

* No Amnesty - The Obama Administration’s endorsement of so-called “Comprehensive Immigration Reform,” granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, will only encourage more law-breaking.

* Abolish the Welfare State – Taxpayers cannot continue to pay the high costs to sustain this powerful incentive for illegal immigration. As Milton Friedman famously said, you can’t have open borders and a welfare state.

* End Birthright Citizenship – As long as illegal immigrants know their children born here will be granted U.S. citizenship, we’ll never be able to control our immigration problem.

* Protect Lawful Immigrants – As President, Ron Paul will encourage legal immigration by streamlining the entry process without rewarding lawbreakers.

As long as our borders remain wide open, the security and safety of the American people are at stake.

As President, Ron Paul will address immigration by fighting for effective solutions that protect our nation, uphold the rule of law, and respect every American citizen’s civil liberties.


Unlike R'Money A.K.A. Romney... Ron Paul does not Flip Flop

as a Matter of fact Mittens is using Marco Rubio to do a stealth Amnesty for Illegals via college

Maybe if Paul had this stance on illegal immigration during the primary's and debates he would be the Nom. right now!
Kinda late in the game to take a "Hardline Stance" against illegal immigration now that it's over!