Thread: Ron Paul on the Issues

7/29/2012 @ 1:11PM |3,412 views

The Grand Shi Strategy of Ron Paul

8 comments
By Mark Spitznagel

(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

As the Republican National Convention approaches, the shouts of victory resounding in the tents will easily conceal the broader political forces at work in the party beyond this fall’s hopeful decisive victory.

The strategy of these forces are visible in the past Republican presidential campaign of Congressman Ron Paul. To some, Paul’s stubborn persistence in the campaign has been just that: a stubborn unwillingness to lie down and die despite evidence of sure defeat. But what they have missed is a common misperception of a subtle yet powerful age-old strategy at play.

The strategy of the Paul campaign, explicit or not, is the archetypal shi (pronounced “sure”) strategy expounded and employed by Chinese philosophers and military strategists for thousands of years.

Shi has no single, obvious translation, though the best seem to be strategic- or positional-advantage, or potential energy. We might call it cultivating the influence of the present on the future. Shi has been traced back as far as Laozi and the Daodejing, the fourth century BC political treatise attributed to him, with its counterintuitive processual and indirect approach to conflict. Over the centuries that followed, it gained more military-specific development starting with Sunzi.

The quintessential metaphor for shi is water, flowing ever downward in the most naturally powerful and effective way, ultimately overcoming everything in its path. Paradoxically, it is one of the softest and yet strongest forces in nature.

Shi’s antithesis, li, is the strategy of decisive victory in each present battle, typically a more natural, comfortable, and coherent approach than the greater subtleties of the shi approach. While li is seen as a very western world view, it is that forward-looking strategic-advantage orientation of shi that has been the basis of the advancement of western civilization itself—from capital investment and production to the ceaseless pursuit of innovation and, as in Paul’s case, freedom. Rarely have these advantages been realized immediately, while their costs typically have.

Throughout history, perhaps the clearest and most pedagogical example of shi at work has been in the Chinese board game weiqi (pronounced “way-chee”). In this simple yet most complex and calculated of games, opponents (one with black stones and the other with white) each try to surround the most territory on a square grid. The obvious initial strategy is to dive for the corners (the easiest territory to surround) in pursuit of immediate points. The extreme example in this picture shows that li strategy’s allure yet great disadvantage.

White is far ahead in terms of tangible territory right now. But black has established a strategic advantage and intangible edge by moving into the center to command the rest of the board. Black, employing the indirect and circuitous shi strategy, seeks future opportunistic potential, rather than applying direct force like the chess player bent on annihilation. Although white has scored at least 13 points out of the gate, and black has scored nothing, black is well-positioned for an eventual, but patient victory.

Thus, the future-oriented shi meets the present-oriented li—and wins. It requires a profound understanding of the Daoist concept of how current loss leads to eventual gain—or, as Laozi said, the soft overcoming the hard.

We see the shi strategy of Ron Paul in the great patience and nonaggression that favors the slow buildup of influence and strategic advantage over the decisive all-or-nothing clash. First, in the evolving GOP economic platform, Paul’s promotion and teaching of the Austrian school of economics and its business cycle theory has made the destructiveness of Federal Reserve interventionism a constant point of discussion in the primary race, which perhaps has been far more significant than the number of delegates won. Consider, for instance, Mitt Romney’s support of Paul’s current “Audit The Fed” bill, as well as his recent position on the inefficacy of further (as well as past) Fed quantitative easing; it remains only a question of degree with Romney, but a position that nonetheless would have been unlikely without the pressure from the Paul campaign—especially given Romney’s otherwise very simplistic Keynesian-leaning views.

Second, we see the shi strategy in Paul’s ever-expanding influence at the local and state level. Rather than winning at the GOP convention, the Ron Paul shi strategy has been to accumulate delegates in more and more caucus states, and thus control the states’ party apparatuses; from that base it will influence and back future like-minded libertarian-constitutionalist candidates for many years to come.

More than anything else, we can see Paul’s greatest shi advantage in his outsized support among the young. What better representation of the weiqi image than the potential in these well-positioned “stones” on the areas of the board of so little current consequence? Although undesired by political opponents today, their development will provide tremendous influence and advantage to Paul’s cause later.

In this society of immediate gratification and winning right now at all cost we need to ask ourselves: why should future elections and platforms matter so much less than the current ones? There are powerful cognitive biases at work—among them the temporal myopia of hyperbolic discounting, or excessively undervaluing the future, while focusing on the nearer term—which make fuzzy in our minds the importance of victories in the years ahead (a view that is promulgated by the media).

Romney wins the current decisive battle for delegates, and his fight with Obama will be critical, but a protracted campaign will continue to be waged. The ultimate war is against intrusive, burgeoning government, in the ongoing insurgencies of the battles yet to come—Ron Paul’s grand shi strategy.

Mark Spitznagel is the founder and Chief Investment Officer of California-based Universa Investments LP.

The Grand Shi Strategy of Ron Paul - Forbes

How Mitt Romney Tried to Erase the Evidence of His Governorship


AP

Comments (10)
Dashiell Bennett 2,091 Views Dec 6, 2011

Shortly before leaving the governor's office in Massachusetts, Mitt Romney's administration spent nearly $100,000 of state money to purge computer and email records in an unprecedented attempt to wipe out the paper trail of his tenure. His staff took home hard drives from state-owned computers and erased emails and other communications from state servers, complicating current efforts to retrieve and review the records of Romney's four-year term that ended in 2007.

It is not believed that Romney violated any laws, but according to state officials who spoke to Reuters, the move to scrub the digital archive of his administration was unusually thorough. Several members of his staff used their own money to purchase the hard drives of their state computers so that they could take them home after leaving their jobs. The staff also broke an existing lease on office equipment so that they could rent new "clean" computers at the end of their run, a move that cost the state $97,000 in additional funds.

Romney claims that whatever record remains of his time in office — including possible details of what was erased — are not subject to state disclosure laws. However, like regulations governing the destruction of digital records, Massachusetts law is vague on what is and isn't allowed. The court ruling most likely to cover any disclosure ruling is from 1997 (well before most state business was done on email) and the state's official records law has not been updated to deal with digital records, meaning Romney could benefit from Massachusetts' failure to adapt to the 21st Century.

The loss or potential sealing of Romney's Massachusetts records could become a huge issue in 2012, should he secure the Republican nomination. Those were the only four years that Romney ever spent in public office and how he ran his state will be a focal point of scrutiny for both voters and the media, particularly when it comes to the passage of his state health care law. Several news organizations are already working through freedom of information requests in the hope of combing through the historical record, but any legal complications regarding the release of those records — or the fact that many of them no longer exist — could delay any formal accounting of Romney's tenure until it's too late to make any difference.

Sounds like that's just the way he would like it.

How Mitt Romney Tried to Erase the Evidence of His Governorship - Politics - The Atlantic Wire#

Related: Romney Was Once Proud to Be a Washington Insider - Politics - The Atlantic Wire

MSNBC Guest: Romney Could End Up Withdrawing From GOP Race Before Convention (Updated Video)

Submitted by PollMan on Thu, 07/26/2012 - 11:52
Politics, General + Law(s)

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/vid.../18/msnbc_gues...

Mediaite: On his MSNBC show today, Al Sharpton opened by focusing on Mitt Romney‘s tax returns and increasing pressure from Republicans and conservatives for the GOP candidate to release more of them. Guest Catherine Crier said that it is certainly fair to look into that aspect of Romney’s background, and even threw out the notion that Romney might withdraw as the

Republican nominee before the convention.

Prediction: Romney Will Not be the Republican Nominee
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-abrams/prediction-romney-...

Update 7/29/12
matlarson10 Video

Romney Could Drop Out Before Convention Crowning Ron Paul Nominee
Romney Could Drop Out Before Convention Crowning Ron Paul Nominee - YouTube

MSNBC Guest: Romney Could End Up Withdrawing From GOP Race Before Convention (Updated Video) | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Revolution

US News: Will the Real Tea Party Please Stand Up?

Submitted by P.Au.L on Sat, 07/28/2012 - 15:29
Politics, General + Law(s)
Quicklink

[US News:] A fight is brewing between tea party groups ahead of the GOP convention.

Some say the "Ron Paul Festival" will be the legitimate tea party event at the convention. Others say the Michelle Bachman-Herman Cain headlined "Unity Rally 2012" is the real deal. Tea partiers attending Ron Paul's event say the Texas Rep. is the only rightful tea party candidate for president while those attending the Unity Rally think Mitt Romney deserves their endorsement.

And both sides have some heated words to share with the other.

Continue reading at US News

US News: Will the Real Tea Party Please Stand Up? | Peace . Gold . Liberty | Revolution

Will The Real Tea Party Please Stand Up?

By Elizabeth Flock
July 26, 2012

A tea party activist protests in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.

A fight is brewing between tea party groups ahead of the GOP convention.

Some say the "Ron Paul Festival" will be the legitimate tea party event at the convention.

Others say the Michelle Bachman-Herman Cain headlined "Unity Rally 2012" is the real deal. Tea partiers attending Ron Paul's event say the Texas Rep. is the only rightful tea party candidate for president while those attending the Unity Rally think Mitt Romney deserves their endorsement.

And both sides have some heated words to share with the other.

[See: Latest political cartoons]

Jane Aitken, founder of the Ron Paul-supporting New Hampshire Tea Party coalition, calls tea party groups supporting Romney "just GOP PACs" and "typical Republican neocons."

"We don't even recognize them as a legitimate tea party," she said. "[Some of them] wouldn't know a tea party candidate if it hit him in the head. These people are destroying the movement's name."

"Original" tea partiers like Aitken reserve special disdain for TheTeaParty.Net, one of the organizers of the Unity Rally.

"Every once in a while someone comes along who preys on the beliefs, tenets and successes of other people and entities and takes greed into their own hands to advance their own personal agenda and coffers," Unified Patriots, a group that supports constitutional conservatives, wrote on its website in April. "Such could be the case with The Tea Party.net."

TheTeaParty.Net has been especially derided for having accepted large donations from groups with Republican ties.

Dustin Stockton, chief strategist of TheTeaParty.net, laughed off the criticisms. "The tea party is a big ambiguous thing," he said. "We respect everyone's right to be involved or not be involved.

A lot of people have a lot of different definitions of what the tea party is."

Stockton acnowledged that TheTeaParty.net would be backing Romney. "He won the nomination and that's what counts," he said.

It's unclear how exactly the spat between tea party groups supporting Romney and Paul will play out at the convention, but Aitken says she expects there to be a Chinese wall of sorts.

"Ron Paul isn't going to attend any of the other private [tea party] events," she said.

A third tea party event planned for the GOP convention, "Freedom Festival," died before it truly started because it could not secure a space to hold the event.

• Marco Rubio Gets Tea Party Seal Of Approval
  
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• Check out U.S. News Weekly: an insider's guide to politics and policy.

Elizabeth Flock is a staff writer for U.S. News & World Report.
You can contact her at eflock@usnews.com or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Will The Real Tea Party Please Stand Up? - Washington Whispers (usnews.com)

bottom line, if the gop nominates obamney over ron paul. Then the gop establishment elects obama. Obama/Romney 2012 Police State/Peace Drones/Illegal Wars/Failed Drug War / Obamneycare / CISPA / NDAA / Unconstitutional Patriot Act and not cutting one dime from current spending, only broken promises to cut future spending increases! Romney is Obama!

Any Tea Party that endorses or supports Romney is basically mis-guided or a neo-con status quo gop establishment! Obama/Romney 2012, the ticket for suckers! We will not settle for OBAMNEY 2012. Ron Paul 2012.

We had a tea party in 2007, and Ron Paul is the father of it. We need to reclaim the name from these GOP establishment people. I am sick of hearing that the tea party won't be in TAMPA! They will!

The Tea Party was hijacked, as usual, by the neocons. Ron Paul supporters are the Liberty Movement.

The Tea Party was officially started Dec. 16th 2007. Then FOX news and Dick Armey decided they would hijack the only political movement that started that election cycle. A bunch of angry republicans jumped on board and claimed something that wasnt theirs. How do I know? Because I was part of the group of people that called for a 'moneybomb' for Ron Paul on Dec. 16th 2007 that raised $6.1M... on the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. Personally, if you claim to be Tea Party and don't support Ron Paul.. you are more likely a FOX news drone more dedicated to the republican party than a philosophy(and can p*ss off).

Peace. Sound Money. Rights. Balancing the budget in four years.

That is the PLATFORM that created the Tea Party.

'Peace is a powerful message.' Ron Paul.

Eminem - The Real Slim Shady



The Real Slim Shady

May I have your attention please?
May I have your attention please?
Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?
I repeat, will the real Slim Shady please stand up?
We're gonna have a problem here..

The current view of the 2012 presidential election, based on HuffPost Pollster charts and analysis.

Updated: Thursday, July 26 12:57 pm ET

Obama 290 Electoral Votes <---- We Have A BINGO Vern

Romney 191 Electoral Votes


270 electoral votes needed to win

Obama vs. Romney Electoral Map

The GOP and RNC have a Suicide Run~Away Train happining and they just dont get it... Romney, just like McCain wasnt picked to Win; he was picked by the Elites to knock out any and all contenders against Obama

These 2 ~ Obama / Romney are Globalists and the Elite have hedged their Bets... there is NO change Coming

It will be a Democrat win and just like Dubya Bush... it will destroy the Conservative Movement and Gut the Republican Party

Obama vs Romney

Last Updated: 7/29

State	Pollster	Poll Date	Obama	Romney
National	Rasmussen Tracking	7/26-7/28	45%	47%
National	Gallup Tracking	7/21-7/28	46%	46%
Wisconsin	Rasmussen Reports	7/25-7/25	49%	46%
Missouri	Post Dispatch/Mason Dixon	7/23-7/25	42%	51%
Ohio	WeAskAmerica	7/24-7/24	48%	40%
Nevada	Rasmussen Reports	7/24-7/24	50%	45%
Missouri	WeAskAmerica	7/24-7/24	40%	49%
Michigan	Mitchell Research	7/23-7/23	44%	45%
Michigan	Rasmussen Reports	7/23-7/23	48%	42%
Michigan	PPP	7/21-7/23	53%	39%
Pennsylvania	PPP	7/21-7/23	49%	43%
New York	Quinnipiac	7/17-7/23	55%	32%
New Jersey	Monmouth University	7/18-7/22	50%	42%
National	NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl	7/18-7/22	49%	43%
Minnesota	KSTP/Survey USA	7/17-7/19	46%	40%

More Obama vs Romney »

Rasmussen Tracking »

Gallup Tracking »


Battleground States: Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania.
General Election? Read the Karl Rove Playbook

Presidential Polls for 2012 Election - Latest Political National Polls

Romney Could Drop Out Before Convention Crowning Ron Paul Nominee



Published on Jul 27, 2012 by matlarson10

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