Ron Paul Surge: A November 5th to Remember
Remember, remember, the 5th of November
The gunpowder treason and plot
I know of no reason
the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot
You all know this verse by now (and if not, you shouldn't admit it). It's the protagonist's eerie refrain in V for Vendetta, the anti-statist movie based on the graphic novel. Supporters of liberty around the world are organizing pro-freedom events for today, November 5, 2007. But there is one in particular that I recommend taking part in if at all possible--and you don't even have to leave the house (you lazy bastard).
For a couple of months now, Ron Paul supporters have been spontaneously organizing (as they always do) to stage a massive one-day donation to the campaign. The goal is to get 100,000 people to each donate at least $100 to reach a grand total of $10M in a single day--an unprecedented and inspiring achievement.
There is a site up that is tracking the donations (not just today's but for the whole 4th quarter) . I've watched it rocket up by over $1M in just the last few minutes! I've never seen anything like it. People all over the country willing to give enormous amounts of money to a candidate that the media continues to deride as 'fringe.' That's the power of the freedom message. Maybe Ron Paul's not the perfect libertarian (or at least he can't appear to be one and still hope to get the GOP nod), but somehow he's lit a fire in this country. He's started (pardon the cliche) a revolution. He's shown the country that the choice doesn't have to be between conservative and liberal (both of whom are dangerous in different ways). He's shown that the choice can be one between liberty and oppression. Ron Paul understands the coercive nature of both American conservatism (coercive with regard to civil liberties and foreign policy) and American liberalism (coercive with regard to economics).
Romney, Giuliani, McCain, and Thompson are fighting over who can promise to nuke the most foreign countries, open the most new Gitmos, and devise the most tyrannical "homeland security" measures. Hillary, Obama, and Edwards are fighting over who can bring the most despicable version of socialism to America while not even considering the idea of getting our troops out of Iraq anytime this century. The Democrats and the GOP are simply two different faces of tyranny and coercion. The Libertarian Party will eventually rise to power to, ironically, destroy the very power it seeks and free the country. There are those in the LP who are not big fans of Ron Paul, but as far as I'm concerned, he has done more in the past year to spur a passion for libertarian philosophy than any official LP effort. Does the LP deserve every freedom lover's support? Absolutely. But so does Ron Paul, and I urge you to go to his campaign site right now and contribute at least a little something. This is going to make history, and it's going to give Ron Paul the funds he needs to really shake up the nature of electoral politics in this country.
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November 6th, 2007 - 16:32
And how much did you contribute?
November 6th, 2007 - 20:26
I don’t remember. I contributed just before finding out about the 11/5 project. And then the wife cut me off
We’re looking forward to seeing you Thursday when you come to good ol’ NC!
November 8th, 2007 - 15:39
I don’t know that the Libertarian Party will ever “rise to power” per se. More likely, Libertarian philosophy will rebound in one of the two main parties. The Republicans had a potent liberal wing from the late 1960s until the mid-1970s, as typified by Nelson Rockefeller. Barry Goldwater introduced many Libertarian concepts into the party in the early 1960s, which eventually caught hold in the late 1970s. Conversely, the Democratic party had a laissez-faire, sound money approach in the late 19th century, until it was corrupted by the populism of William Jennings Bryan.
Much of Alan Greenspan’s new book, “The Age of Turbulence,” is a jeremiad lamenting the current state of the GOP for the reasons you mention. Someone definitely needs to step up. It’s unfortunate that political efficacy comes down to coalition building, which seemingly necessitates the abandonment of philosophical ideals.
November 10th, 2007 - 09:00
“I don’t know that the Libertarian Party will ever “rise to power” per se. More likely, Libertarian philosophy will rebound in one of the two main parties.”
I don’t know about that. The Libertarian Party is the vehicle for everyone who believes in liberty in an internally consistent way–that is, they realize a rational, consistent philosophy requires the support of liberty in all aspects of life, not just certain areas. Unless the GOP somehow embraces freedom in the social and foreign policy spheres, or the Democrats somehow embrace freedom in the economic/business sphere, the Libertarian Party will continue to be the place for people unwilling to compromise their dedication to freedom. And I think those people are growing as a percentage of the population. But maybe I’m wrong.