Need Help Getting People Interested.
I've been checking this site out for several months but this is the first time I've posted anything. I never cared about politics at all before I found out about Ron Paul and what he stands for. Since then I've been working on educating myself on Austrian Economics, monetary policy, and other topics of liberty. I've tried to get friends and family members to visit RonPaul2008.com when that was still up to learn about him, and I've offered The Revolution: A Manifesto to many friends to read. Neither has worked. Most of my friends don't care about politics at all like I used to. But it's strange because when I do discuss politics and the economy with some of them they agree completely with me and Ron Paul, yet whenever I bring him up they start to shut down and change the subject.
I'm sure many of you have had this same problem. What have you done to break down that barrier and get people to look into Ron Paul and the r3VOLution, and start caring about what's happening to our once great country?
Thanks for your help.
Great Thread
This is probably the best thread I have seen in awhile. Thank you bakeness7!
The "shutdown" you are seeing
is a direct result of media programming.
They have been instructed to disregard Ron Paul as a "crazy uncle" at least, and a "moonbat nutcase" at worst.
They also know that all/most of their peer group is also media-programmed in the exact same way. To buck media programming is the same as being isolated and marginalized in their peer group.
It's social pressure, stemming from mass indoctrination provided by the controlled mass media. One of the interesting aspects of media programming is that they are instructed to "mock it" and say it's slanted, while at the same time accepting what it tells them. These people actually think that they don't believe what the media is telling them overtly, but their actions show that they are robots to it. But, that's another subject.
The "way out" is to find someone who has at least some potential to understand things, and is feeling disaffected in some way by the status quo.
Then, befriend him and inform him, AND provide him with a replacement social support group to replace the one he's going to be rejected from.
It's alot like support groups that are used for many other types of purposes.
If they are going to jump out of their social net, then they need another one to replace it. Many people are not comfortable enough in their own skins to just become an individual.
Anyone who complains about
"the system" or "how things are" is a good prospect (and you know how much we Americans love to complain). Then it's your job to explain WHY things are the way they are.
I've read most...
of the comments and you've got some good answers.
But here is another one I think is a very good way of making your point without being pushy about it.
Get a Facebook account. Invite all your friends/search for them on Facebook.
Then you add as many of your friends' friends as possible.
Also search for groups which members can be targeted (Obama groups etc) and add them to.
I have noticed that one get hardly no rejections so go ahead and add as many people as you can.
Here it comes: Now you have to find topics on videos/articles from youtube and so on (those ones that have a "share on Facebook-button) related to your cause.
Avoid direct Ron Paul videos as you might be taken for a fanatic and leave everybody ignoring your posts.
For foreign policy you can for example post videos from "the real news network" on youtube which covers interesting stuff.
Post specific stuff that people are interested in related to the freedom project.
What happens then is that all of your friend on Facebook receive your posts with the description that comes with them (you can add your own description too) in their newsfeed which is what they see when they press "home". This leaves them with the option to ignore your posts if they want OR, they might actually look up your posts and from there maybe they start looking up related things themselves which sooner or later will lead them in the direction you want.
I have also noticed that you can' t shove your opinions down anyone's throat so this is a good way only suggesting things you find important.
And I think it is better than to send link directly to peoples Email.
Hope you get something out of this, it works for me!
Freedom, peace and prosperity
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. -Galileo Galilei
Take freedom as the starting position.
Freedom doesn't have to be justified. When someone calls for government intervention in the market, or in our personal habits, or in other countries, the burden of proving the need is theirs, not yours.
-jcr
"The problem with trying to child-proof the world, is that it makes people neglect the far more important task of world-proofing the child." -- Hugh Daniel
Ron Paul Would be President If All Americans Knew the Truth
I know exactly what you are talking about. It's almost as if Americans have been programed to shut down or tune out when the name "Ron Paul" is said. I think it is because by most of the media, Ron Paul has been made out to be a joke and his supporters as crazy.
As a result, when people hear his name, they become uninterested because they don't want to waste their time listening about a "joke" from crazy people.
The only way I have found that seems to work is to actually get them to watch one of his videos with you and then discuss it. If you don't watch it with them, they probably won't watch the whole thing. It seems people are mostly used to getting their information from video nowadays, so if they pay attention to anything, it will be video.
Ron Paul almost goes against most of what we have been programed to believe, that the big government takes good care of us, that we must invade and fight other countries to keep safe, and that more police is better than less police. So, to wake up to the reality that all this is untrue does take a shocker, otherwise, it's just easier to continue slaving on as normal.
After most people get home from work, they don't have the time or energy to start tackling major issues either, they just want to relax and prepare for the next day, so weekends or free time are the best times to talk about Ron Paul.
If most Americans knew the truth about America and the truth about Ron Paul, I have no doubt that America would be excitedly electing him President right now by a landslide.
The problem is, most people are ignorant and have been misinformed for most their lives - I was there a while ago too.
Ron Paul's Convention Speech
I know a congressman
By the way, during discussion, what I do is say, "I know of a congressman that supports that," when an issue is brought up, but I don't give away the name right away.
This sparks an interest. Then I might talk about the issue for quite a while and they will be asking me who it is.
I only let them know that it's Ron Paul when eventually I have confirmed they completely agree with the issue and they are asking me to tell them who it is.
Works much better that way.
Ron Paul's Convention Speech
My strategy is as
My strategy is as follows.
First you have to read Ron Paul's Manifesto and know the entire book inside and out.
Second, I speak to all my friends like normal, but whenever I see an opening of making a Pro-freedom comment I make one. I don't mention Ron Paul's name that often, but I make a lot of comments.
I use many of Ron Paul's talking points.
I've also changed my attitude. I'm a lot more vociferous. Originally I used to be somewhat restrained and sounded not so confident and my friends would make jokingly make comments that I was nuts etc...
Now, I say things like "you're naive for believing otherwise" "You're delusional" "You're nuts for not seeing this logic" etc...
I've noticed that my friends fall for that type of talk and eventually they're starting to listen and understand.
Bottom line: Show confidence. Make it seem that they're crazy for not thinking that freedom works.
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The pursuit of liberty is addictive... Let's make it contagious.
Email-show them this...
***I was like you. One day last summer though, I randomly clicked on this link & was hooked on Ron Paul by the time this Awesome video was over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIivoqLbeeg&feature=related
***Another good one - George Carlin-Ron Paul
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktIECyzf4YM
***For fun (Ron Paul cartoon):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Y10EasUZk
Obama = O.ne B.ig A.ss M.istake A.merica
I had a heck of a time
I had a heck of a time getting my old neighbor to go through this stuff. He's a very smart man (one of the top radiologists in the country) and more active than most in politics but this kind of information was so foreign to him that he just shrugged it off. Two weeks ago I went back and gave him an audio book of "The Revolution" since he commutes a good distance among his multiple houses and cars. He called me last week to thank me, mostly because of the monetary issues.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that you need to find an unobtrusive way to get them the information. If they watch a lot of TV, burn them a DVD like Freedom to Fascism. If they drive a lot, get them the Revolution audio book. If they read a lot buy them a copy of the book. If they are on the computer a lot send them some videos and simple sites. Eventually you are going to hit a nerve on a topic they have been tangentially thinking about. When that happens, they will probably end up continuing and asking for more information.
Be civil with them. Don't act like a know it all and keep giving them quality resources that they would be likely to go through.
"Freedom suppressed and again regained bites with keener fangs than freedom never endangered." -- Cicero
This one is short and very
'big picture." Though it's targeted to a slightly older crowd, it's meant to reveal a new way of thinking while targeting people's personal lives. A seques and a third part are being produced now. Good luck! -JP
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ywoRULi6TFs
The first 5 million supporters of Dr. Paul are 'early adopters.' The next 10 million will require a modified approach.
go check my post on $186
It is new for me, I am curious if others have the same results. It seems very promising. I think having it on the money is nearly a confession, and money always gets peoples attention.
Truth exists, and it deserves to be cherished.
I've seen some suggestions
I've seen some suggestions for this video or that video. I'm involved with a project paying people to watch videos and provide feedback. We're still in the early stages, but you can refer to the following report to get an idea which videos work best (there's also breakdowns by party and age).
http://operationeducation.org/reports/rptvideos.cfm
We'll continue to have more data on these videos and other videos as time goes by. Hopefully this will help people better target which videos to have people watch.
I COMPLETELY AGREE
with all of what you said! My friends basically hate me because I am so excited about politics now that Ron Paul and policy is all I want to talk about! I joke with my friends that Ron Paul is great for the country, but bad for my social-life. :). I finally realized that the people that do listen are the ones that have reached their breaking point, or in some way shape or form been directly affected (or realize they have been) by all of the bad policy that is going on in our country.
I have the very same problem at home with my boyfriend. He couldn't care less about politics, and I'm always spouting off about some bill that passed or some liberty that went out the window. He wants to argue with me about "what he doesn't care about", but he doesn't want to go do the research to try and PROVE me wrong. It is very frustrating. For now, I try to hold in my excitement about politics and my desire to stick-it to the men (MSM and Big Brother), but boy is it hard!
I think one thing we have to realize, is that though most of the country realizes we are in a recession, and gas is expensive and yada-yada-yada, that it hasn't yet pushed them to their breaking point. A lot of people are still spending money and still living pretty comfortable. A lot of people also just don't care about the war or the dollar because they don't know or don't want to know. But, let me tell you, when it becomes undeniable (eventually) that people are directly affected (often when they are forced to give up something they love because they can't afford it anymore or because they had a run in with just one of the many ways our civil liberties have been squashed) and they come around. When they do, we'll be there, to take them under our wing of freedom. I am waiting patiently for the day when i can openly and welcomingly have great political discussions with the people that "just don't care". You know, it is sad that some of the most important things that should be discussed in this country over dinner, don't get discussed. I think everyone needs to have the Politics, Religon, Sex and Death talks, we'd be a better educated country if we did. Just for the sake of conspiricy, I think the government started the taboo of what is "appropriate" to talk with others about, how fittingly if no one does, perfect for them. :) lol
ln
And how...
Early on I had a similar response from my wife, but it started long before Ron Paul. She just thought Ron Paul was my latest political 'obsession'. Luckily for me/our relationship she takes me seriously enough to at least research the people I talk about a little on her own. She'll never vote for someone just because *I* think he/she is the right person.
I agree, though, it would be nice to be able to have these discussions with people, especially people who come from an educated background, and by educated I don't mean MSM and what we're taught in school. Educated people have to do their own research, and that obviously makes the number small...and that's been our biggest problem. Of course, at that point you'd be preaching to the choir. But I digress...
Getting back to the original post... I've got nothing helpful to offer. I've seen some good ideas in this thread, though. A few I may try, myself, because aside from my wife and maybe brother, I'm pretty sure I've had zero luck in making converts.
Ahhh.. but who wants to worry about some 'intangible' freedoms when Sunday night football is on.. or golf, or (shiver) NASCAR, or the Simpsons, or Family Guy, or some news blurb about how well our soldiers are dying....
As long as
"the beer is flowing and the sports are showing" it's hard to get people to care. "Bread and Circuses", they used to call it.
Take NFL off the air, then you'll see some riots.
AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU!
Everything you wrote is true and I've thought about the same exact things.
Who cares if we annoy people with our obsessive freedom talk. Like you said, eventually things will get worse and people will just flock towards our freedom movement.
It's not a matter of if but when...
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The pursuit of liberty is addictive... Let's make it contagious.
Find a boy friend
who reads, you will be glad you did. Peace
Prepare & Share the Message of Freedom through Positive-Peaceful-Activism.
Please, show this video to your friends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTQQJOEn9yI
It may not work right away, but it is important that they have this knowledge because if they do, they can make the right decision when the next crisis comes.
"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."
Benjamin Franklin
government of the people, by the people, for the people
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Heres what I do
When i'm talking with my more liberal friends I talk with they like like anti war, civil liberties and my conservative friends economic issue, debt, monetary issues. I seem to get some headway that way. Its sad but most conservatives are pro war so saying Ron Paul is anti war to them would make them hate him. I even got a pro war person to vote for Ron Paul because he didnt like McCain at all. And he was the other choice.
Need Help Getting People Interested
I'd like to thank everyone for their ideas. I'm definately going to use some of these on some of my friends to see if I can crack the egg. The reason I decided to ask for help was a discussion with a friend last night after a softball game. I don't know how it got brought up but he was talking about how the Fed was screwing us and causing inflation and I was agreeing with him on most everything he said. I've mentioned RP to him many times to try get him to learn about him, cause I know he'd like him if he learned about RP. My friend doesn't really watch the news cause he knows it's mostly BS, but the only thing he could say in response to me saying I think he'd like Ron Paul was "He's a little to extreme for me.......the going back to the gold standard". Now I haven't educated myself enough on that to really get into discussion on it, but he couldn't really say any other of Paul's positions, even though he was in favor of our position on the Fed. Shortly after I asked if I gave him a 170 page book if he'd read it and didn't say the name or author (The Revolution of course). I couldn't even get him to say yes to that. So hopefully with some of these new ideas you all have given me I can do a little better.
Thanks again!
I'd like to know why it's extreme
Ooh.. I wish I could have been in that conversation, because I've still to hear the supporting information about why going back to a gold standard would be so extreme/detrimental - assuming it's not tried over night - there would definitely need to be a transitional period - read the book "The Creature From Jekyll Island". The FED/CFR sure have done their job of educating (brainwashing) the public very well. Even educated spout this kind of babble without any real in depth support of it... it's right up there with the 'wasted vote' crap.
Nooo, no no.. don't WASTE your vote on someone you actually agree with/believe in ('Ron Paul' or '3rd Party'), you should vote for one of the two major-party candidates (who we won't mention are always members of the CFR, but don't you worry about that.. no need to look behind the curtain). but again I digress... :)
I've encountered the same attitudes for a very long time.
Much of it is an apathy that I detect in people who are completely wrapped up in their own little worlds and have no inclination to engage in any kind of discussion regarding public policy or politicians. Trying to relate the discussion to the aspects of their own lives can be effective.
_________________________________________
"An economy built on fiat money is a society on its way to ashes."
It was said............
back in the fifties the two things that wern't PC to talk about were sex and death. In the sixties the two things became politics and religion..........
I think it's been that way ever since.
JUST SPAM THEM!!!
At the beginning of the campaign season last year, I knew it was going to be an uphill battle since anytime I brought up his name - people were like, Ron who? So, I went through every e-mail that was in my inbox, junk/forwards/chain mail etc, and made a e-mail list of close to 500 people and I started spaming my google Ron Paul alerts...anytime I saw an article on Ron Paul, guess what - anyone that ever sent me an e-mail got a copy of it as well.
After that, I hardly ran into anyone that I knew who I had to explain who RP was and I had about at least 10 people call me on Nov 5th and Dec 16th to tell me how I cost them $100 - gotta love that.
What would Ron Paul do?
r3VOLution Continues...
I look at it as if I'm
I look at it as if I'm 'selling'...which ina sense I am. I figure out how my listener can benefit from knowing just a little of what I know..be it taxes, the federal reserve, government spending, the war..there are dozens of ways into your subject.
Don't beat 'em over the head with it...tap 'em gently..arouse their curiosity...words like 'private into'...'secret'..will get attention every single time.
Don't try to convert in one conversation...do many..tap tap tap...
Don't argue as that makes folks feel defensive, the very opposite of the way you want to go.
Good luck.
I agree...
I think the single biggest mistake Paul supporters make is being far too agressive.
1) Be subtle and don't go on and on when given the opportunity unless they ask you to. Change the subject yourself but then you can revisit later without creeping anyone out.
2) People love to rally behind a common enemy (like the media rallying against the crazy ron paul fanatics). Find out what pisses someone off and agree! Once your agreeing with them they are more likely to listen to what you have to say with an open ear. For ex. start with asking what they think of G. W. Bush and let them go on and on about how much they hate him and agree. This will set a good conversational tone.
3) Avoid jumping right into "conspiracy theories" even if you believe in it 100%. Starting out with saying that 911 was a planned demolition is going to sound like madness to someone without any background information. That's like someone coming up to you and tell you that your parents are not really your parents. No matter how much evidence they have you're going to think they're nuts.
4) Just give the evidence, don't give your conclusion. Let them chew on it and they will come to their own conclusion, and respect you a lot more for not force-feeding them. People also feel more passionate about things they feel they have discovered for themselves.
5) Action is only provoked after someone is infuriated enough with what they've found. People in general are lazy and don't care about politics at all other than for conversational purposes. It is what is it.
- Luke
- Luke
one reason why.............
people do not listen is because we are talking about something they know nothing about. Likewise, if your a brain sergon its kinda hard to strike up a conversation about the function of the brain using brain jargon or termonlolgy to communicate to the guy on the street.
So it helps to have a foundation or a level on which everyone can communicate. Show people who are out of the loop the John Birch video, available on line, "An Overview of America." It is an excellent 30 min trainning tool and sets the foundation for understanding Americanism and in so doing it teaches communication and comprehension.
This video works! Just get the people to see it and go from there.
Two Other Web-sites
For Finances:
www.europac.net - I have learned more about economics from this website than 18 years of "formal education".
www.campaignforliberty.com - Ron Paul's new website and PAC. The blog is very good and more narrowly focussed than dailypaul.com.
Pictures Say A Thousand Words
Americans like movies. I have had some success with e-mailing videos to people. There is a web-site with 100's of good videos. Here is the link:
www.freedocumentaries.org
I recommend:
Freedom to Fascism
Zeitgeist: Episode 2
Zeitgeist: Episode 3
Money as Debt
Esoteric Agenda
And they are FREE.
Good luck!