The Man Who Changed the World - Now the Real Work Begins

The country got here through a long, slow process of allowing dry rot and termites to go mostly unopposed. How can a Constitution survive allowing unrestricted torrents of ignorant, philosophically ambivalent "citizens" to vote? How can it survive allowing ignorant, philosophically antagonistic politicians to assume high office and appoint judges THEY find attractive to "interpret" the checks and balances which are crystal clear on their face? How can it survive allowing a "public school system" to emerge which teaches propaganda in place of thoughtful reading and analysis of the documents upon which the country was founded.

Anyway, the simple fact is that the majority of people who have citizenship in this country are NOT anything more than nominally American - they don't give a crap about the philosophy upon which this country was founded and many are actually unabashed enemies of the Constitution.

Can the situation be turned around? It won't be easy, and it won't be quick, but we have one HUGE advantage: facts and logic support our campaign while socialism can really only appeal to stupidity, maliciousness, and guilt.

Do YOUR CHILDREN understand that government is INHERENT toxic...toxic by its very nature and toxic 100% of the time? Do YOU understand that? DO YOUR NEIGHBORS?

"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." -- George Washington

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http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0304g.asp

Étienne de La Boétie, Part 1
by Wendy McElroy, April 2003

Part 2

A 16th-century essay entitled Discourse of Voluntary Servitude by the French jurist Étienne de La Boétie (1530–1563) discusses a question that haunts those who love liberty: Why do people obey unjust laws?

The Discourse offers insight. It examines the psychology of those who obey, those who command, and those who resist. La Boétie (pronounced La Bwettie) was particularly interested in why people obey. He asked, “If a tyrant is one man and his subjects are many, why do they consent to their own enslavement?”

La Boétie did not believe that the state ruled primarily through force. For one thing, there were many more slaves than agents of the state: if even a small percentage of the populace refused to obey a law, that law became unenforceable. Moreover, most people obeyed without being forced to do so. La Boétie evolved an alternate explanation that he called “voluntary servitude.”

This post is right on! This country needs to restore it's public virtue before the republic can be restored. The founders knew and talked about public virtue as a universally understood principle. This post is what public virtue us all about and it is the key to taking back this country.

This is a version of the ancient Chinese proverb.

If there is light in the soul,
there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
there will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.

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"Better to be flexible like bamboo than rigid like oak, for when the storm comes bamboo will bend and survive, where as oak will crack and die."

This is exactly why we must keep donating!!!!!

2ndTeaParty says

Thank you for posting this tale. I believe this message was and remains very inspirational to me. I had been initially disappointed after the NH primary results, our 8% finish, but no longer, thanks to this anecdote, which has transformed my feelings of disappointment to encouragement.

<<<<>>>>>>>> Ron Paul R3volUTION is Change<<<<<<<<<<
................……….>>>>> LOVE in the middle <<<<<……..
............…………….The R3volUTION lives …………….
….............………….Keep on keeping on …………….……….
.........................Peace, Prosperity & Freedom………….

Would someone like to explain to me why did this person, name unmentioned but seems to hide behind the word of the Lord, beat us again in just about everyone precinct if we are so strong? What are all the other Paulites doing in these states? We are loaded with cash far as numbers go, more than most of them, and we are in 5th? And he beat us - TWICE????

It's not over yet, and in fact the transformation has barely begun. Dr. Paul has been shouldering the burden of knowledge for THIRTY YEARS! He's been the lone voice of sanity in Congress for TWENTY YEARS! Talk about the patience of Job!

We have a local hero, North Carolina State University's basketball coach Jim Valvano, who said it best in his battle with cancer: "Never give up."

Everything happens for a reason. We are at the right place, at the right time, with tenacity that will outlast this painful transition from the old world (and media) to the new.

My one request is that all Ron Paul supporters LOOK AROUND and support other patriots who are standing up to help take our country back. Out of our Triangle Ron Paul Meetup (#52), I launched a Congressional campaign here in North Carolina two weeks ago. We have primary opposition and need to raise significant funds quickly to take on the neoconservative establishment candidate in our May 6 primary. But we have a great organization, and a great message, and I KNOW that we can win this local race with your help.

I've also come to know and respect Dean Santoro and Ted Terbolizard (www.congressionalcoasttocoast.com). They need help, too. There's no simple way to assess who from the Ron Paul movement is a credible candidate, but I ask folks committed to the cause to reach out and evaluate the candidates and see if you can help.

Ron Paul is the catalyst and the inspiration, and he needs our help IN government as well.

Please donate today -- LET'S CLEAN HOUSE IN 2008!

BJ Lawson

Candidate for Congress, North Carolina's 4th District
http://www.lawsonforcongress.com

Ron Paul and the 300: a comparison

http://youtube.com/watch?v=sg-XFtSQzpU

Our roar has been loud and long enough...we have touched the untouchable...that is the victory. From this, a greater victory is possible.

===================================================

Ron Paul is the great uniter, the income tax fighter...the military-supported, defender of the border...the political apathy solution and the champion of the Constitution! Doctor Paul is on-call!

The answer to America's problems and the problems of our world rest in our hand. The Divine Providence of scripture is written there.

1) Pick an object - any object that you can manipulate in one hand - and lay it before you on the table.

2) Put your hand next to the object palm down - examine you hand and fingers.

3) Now turn the palm of your hand upwards and examine the placement of your thumb in relation to each one of your fingers.

4) Pick up the object before you and place it in your hand. Move the object around - back and forth, up and down, turn it this way and that way.

5) Observe what each finger does. Observe what the thumb does in relation to each finger.

Kenny Bleu Campbell, a street minister - and good friend - from East St. Louis Illinois taught me the names of each of the five fingers as follows:

1 - Thumb = Apostle
2 - Index = Prophet
3 - Middle = Evangelist
4 - Ring = Pastor
5 - Pinky = Teacher

An incredible revelation of understand lays right there in our hand.

Peace and God Bless!

"Lord I have no plans of my own save those you shall reveal to me." Dean Fagerstrom - The Mission Of Anglion

My sentiments exactly and very well said. I don't know how old you are Michael, but back in 1992 there was a man named Ross Perot who had many more resources than Dr. Paul, who bought TV time in 1/2 hour chunks so he could get his message across, and was polling at about 40% of the electorate against George H.W. and Bill Clinton. He was also described as a "kook" (sound familiar). George H.W.'s campaign "allegedly" floated a rumor about his daughter being a lesbian on the eve of her marriage, and Ross Perot quit the race in a wink (apparently because he valued his daughter's happiness more than being president). My question is this: with the kind of resources and appeal Ross Perot had, what chance did anyone out there realistically think we had this time around? If 10% of the electorate is truly with us, that's probably around 20-25 million people nationwide! If that's not enough muscle to change things, then we have only ourselves to blame. Sure, we are facing a long and difficult fight, but so did Ghandi and MLK, and they won! We will too because our cause is just.

We just got our first taste of how Dr Paul feels every time the congressional vote is 434-1 and he's the 1.

Stretch that over 30 years and it's rather humbling

...January 15th.

That's what is SO important, and often overlooked. I was disappointed to see what happened in NH -- not just for myself but for our country.

But then I had to remember:

Where were we -- each of us as individuals, and as a "movement" -- just one year ago?

Stuck in denial of where our country was headed, or apathetic/depressed about everything going on (that would be me), or so busy shopping, shopping shopping per Bush's advice, or working tons of hours to make ends meet w/o thinking about anything else?

But look at us NOW!

- We have actually re-read the Constitution, and we UNDERSTAND it! the *real* meaning behind why the Founders did what they did!

- We are paying attention to the economy - the falling dollar, gold/silver, the stock market!

- We have opened our minds to understanding about the Propaganda Machine (eg Fox & the "old corporate" media)

- We see how corporate America is intertwined with our govt, bringing us to this form of a "softer fascism"

- We think about the impact US foreign policy has on our economy, on how it affects people in countries all over the world (which is at least one reason why we have RP supporters worldwide)!

- We now realize that we as individuals CAN make a difference, alone and coming together as a group!

These are just some of the ways we have made HUGE progress!

So don't be let down... we have a very high bar set for ourselves, but we have to remember how far we have come in such a very short time!

As disappointed as I may be in the outcome of the NH primaries, I will not give up. I will not stop until there is nothing left. I will not vote the lesser of two evils because who is the lesser? I will stand up for my country until there is nothing left to stand for. I will fight the good fight until there is nothing left to fight. I will wail until my voice can no longer wail or my eyes can no longer cry tears. We may be few, as according to the MSM, but we are strong. We will not be partakers of injustices. We will be able to sleep at night with a good conscience. We will have no regrets. Good has to overcome bad and we will succeed. We cannot stop with this election year friends. Dr. Paul has shaken and moved many Americans. We cannot fail HIM. Get out there and fight against the MSM, against corporate America, against the neocons.

Thanks Michael,

This is just what we needed. Thanks also to Dr. Paul for bringing us all to this place. A year ago, never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed I'd be here tonight commenting about someone I didn't know at the time and who's views were never heard.

Dr. Paul has changed me so much already and this IS just the beginning. Every person still under the spell of the "MSM and the status quo establishment" needs the TRUTH, FREEDOM, and LIBERATION the Ron Paul Revolution has brought to me. Thats what its all about people. Sharing this Freedom message with other countrymen. As seen tonight their are many still with blinders on. Ron Paul's message and the Constitution are rock solid, lets boldly share it. It sells itself if the person hearing it is at all open.

Let's Go! Let's Fight! Let's multiply and Grow this FREEDOM message!

Thank you Ron Paul for the hope you set for America. God mend your every flaw and confirm your soul in self control. God Bless America.

Like Michael wrote, I wanna add a little bit

There was a COUNTRY who wanted to change the world. She found that he wasn't making much progress, so She tried instead to change herself.
Then an interesting thing happened. Once AMERICA had changed himself, the world changed!
- - - - - -

Words of wisdom, as always, from our gracious proprietor of our RP forum.

As we all assess what just happened tonight, emotions run high. Was the vote rigged? Are some of us deflated? Did the New Republic hit-piece part of growing neoCON wrecking crew to manufacture consent harm us? Do we need to reassess our tactics? Are we too ubiquitous? Are we certain of anything? On and on...

What we should not fall prey to is the age-old divide and conquer, self-defeating bombs dropped on us by the neoCONs.

What is obvious is there were vote rigging. What was obvious is our overwhelming voter presence faced an uphill battle when only 20% of NH votes were hand counted, and the rest by already three-state de-certified Diebold machines. Neither Dems nor GOP apparently feels it's a priority restore the public confidence in our voting processes; if 2000 and 2004 were not a lesson in blackbox voting, I don't know what is. When there is doubt, there is no doubt.

The self-evident timing of the hit piece by a pro-Israeli lobby gay activist wearing the cloak of "liberal" working at a magazine which has become utterly irrelevant in the last 50yrs. The tone of which clearly reflect its neoCON demagoguery. Plus, the author Jamie Kirchick is publicly on record as a Goonliani supporter (remember this is someone claiming to be a liberal), and knows and believes that Ron Paul is no racist, but enjoys seeing candidates and campaign "riled up." A cynical nihilistic bastard indeed.

And with continued assaults on all the irrelevant non-sequitor because there isn't a single intellectual argument that can be made to defeat our Doctor's positions. They MUST resort to ad hominem attacks, lies, smears, propaganda, and manufactured consent. It's part and parcel of this stage of retail politics.

We all had hopes that the NH process would yield some level of voting integrity. It wasn't to be. But if one is to be so easily dissuaded, one must take stock. Why do we really support the Doctor and this movement?

When I heard about the Kirchick hitpiece, my stomach suddenly churned. This has never been about convincing ourselves. It's always been about the rest of the American sheeple. While it is true that people only change, when they are ready and when they want to. However, like asking someone out for the first time, we take risks in introducing our ideas to the asleep. But what is at stake?

To me, no less than the survival of our American Republic. We've had our foot in the door of an empire for half of this fledgling Constitutional experiment. But we are in danger of a social, economic and military collapse. And the public apparently is none the wiser. It pains me to watch a good man smeared publicly so mercilessly, especially knowing that he is, and has always been correct. Just because his is the lone voice in an insane world, does not negate the truth. The Truth is and will always be self-evident and empirical.

So if any of us get discouraged by a simple smear, if fear of public embarrassment of guilt by association, or humiliation is some banal reason to abandon truth, perhaps some of us never knew why we got into pursuing and spreading the tenets of freedom. I mean do some of us really know what we believe in? This is certainly the time to take stock.

Truly, we must become the change we want to see in our world. Tonight truly is just the beginning. All tonight has shown is, that our adversaries are ruthless, dirty, calculating, and base. But we do have truth on our side. As the Doctor says, tyranny is ancient. Freedom is the future.

What is at stake? What are we willing to ensure that this Republic withstand the slings and arrows of a few degenerate souls who have misguided millions into siding with their own oppressors inadvertantly? The mantle of liberty is set upon us, those aware to communicate to those in neural hibernation.

It is time. We rise for liberty. We rise is support of Dr. Paul. Our path is just. But do we really have any other choice but to continue when so much is at stake?

So what is at stake for you?? Ask yourselves. Unless each of us reach that certainty in the gut of our soul, you will always be swayed by smear merchants and propaganda. But when you are clear, when every fiber of your being recognizes why you must, why you are compelled to do this, you will never stop.

Tomorrow awaits. SO does Nevada and South Carolina. Let us stay strong. We know their bag of tricks, we've felt the brunt of it. But we shall deal with it as we go on. Remember the Doctor is only one man. He's the face of our movement. He faces much more, at a personal level. Time to stand with him. Time to stand for the Republic. Not because we need to, but because we want to. And because we must.

-see you all soon.

I first came across Daily Paul through your other website "Bull No Bull". I can remember visiting this site when only a hand full of guests were here at any given time. My family and I moved to NJ from Ottawa, Canada back in 1999. 9/11 (my Son's birthday) really messed me up and for many years I felt those who did us harm needed to pay a mighty price. Thanks to you, the Good Doctor and all the great Ron Paul supporters, clarity has been restored. The genie is indeed out of the bottle and as we change as individuals so to the world around us will gradually change. God Bless.

"No War, No Income Tax, No Big Brother, No Kidding."

I shall carry on ,telling my children and my friends, and defending my peapatch.

Great article. I'm now a precinct committee officer for the Republican party in Washington State, a "Paulite" Republican, and there are now thousands of us nationwide. WE ARE the new Republicans, and we will get our country back! Ron Paul has enlightened all of us. So either way, what happens in the race for President, let's not forget that Ron Paul has already won.

I want to kick some ideas around for better attack plans.

Ron's speech on CNN sounded almost like he was ready to retire, but if this doesn't happen, we've got a lot of fighting to do, and we may do it anyway if there's another viable candidate that the Ron Paul revolution can be shifted over to, even partially intact...

So I just slapped this site together, and hope I'm not alone on some of these ideas ... Here's the site (sorry about the foul language, I was irritated when I slapped it together).

http://operationwakethesefuckingidiotsup.blogspot.com/

If I am alone, oh well, I gave it a shot.

Have you? My life has changed because of Ron Paul. Yours?

...because we are poised to forge ahead and that is most of the reactions posted below.

For the two posts saying to "relax" and to understand that this is only the beginning of this election year and that we have plenty of money...thank you. You are absolutely right.

Immediate responses to Michael's beautiful post about the 33rd post ever to this site were swept into the nostalgia of just all that has happened in this short period of time on even this gathering place, our Daily Paul. For those of us (I was one of them) who joined a little later, the first part of Michael's post was a beautiful testimony from his soul....about why he is doing this. It spoke to some of us and it will speak to more for the same reason which is why I am asking that it still be up or be reposted tomorrow. We need to read it because he said what we feel.]

Nobody is giving up here. Far from it. Dr. Paul knows that now as well and, it makes me happy to think that might be part of the reason for his smile and incredible energy on tonights CNN where we could see "our family in NH with RP talking to them.

You lose morale, you lose the race. Candidates do not drop out of campaigns because they lose, they drop out because they're broke. Paul has plenty of money for plenty of states. This is the most unorthodox campaign in a generation so maybe we'll see something different. A ton of political pundits and gurus believe the republican nomination may even go to Texas which is in March. Read up tomorrow if you don't believe me.