Monday Open Thread: What Makes You So Special?

My “political awakening” process started with a friendly debate with a young man named John Kunkle while I was 23 years old serving in the U.S Navy circa 1987. We were in the Persian Gulf for Operation Earnest Will. John was a 19 year old “John Bircher” and we would argue his political/culture views for hours on end.

All too often, he had facts and I was only armed with a public-education and a media propagated understanding of history and current events. My independent checks of his “so-called” facts kept proving out his position. At some point, he recommended a book for me to read, Anatoliy Golitsyn’s “New Lies for Old” (ISBN 0-396-08194-0).

This book was written by the highest ranking KGB officer ever to defect ( mid 60’s) and its focus was the historical roots and strategy of disinformation within the communist plan to conquer Western Civilization. As a history buff… it was a great read , yet in his chapter, The Final Phase, he made wild outlandish predictions and gave severe warnings to the West of what was in store should it be fooled. I dismissed him and the book immediately.

In 1989, I saw the entire C-SPAN coverage of the Stockton School yard massacre hearing in Congress. Later that night, I turned on CBS news with Dan Rather and sat stunned as I saw CBS edit the hearing tape to make the NRA representative appear to be an uncaring monster. I was so flippin angry at the outright lie and propaganda, I went out and purchased my first gun that night and joined the NRA. I never trusted the media again.

As the events of 1990/91 unfolded, I saw that the book’s, (New Lies for Old), predictions were uncanny in its accuracy and sequence of events. I became then convinced that we did have would-be tyrants in very powerful positions, that John was right and I was WAY wrong and needed a better education.

Later I learned about other things: PDD-13, Twenty-Nine Palms survey of military members, Waco tape showing the shooting of fleeing folks from the fire via FLIR technology. Gen. Partin’s testimony to Congress on the OKC bombing, The Federal Reserve history, etc.

The candidacy of Ron Paul has given me hope that perhaps we, as Americans, will turn off the inane sitcoms and get serious about our future.

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“To be born free man is an accident, to live as one a responsibility and to die as one an obligation”

I was a sophmore in a very prestegious, all boy, Catholic high school in Queens, NYC.Two things happened that year that forever changed my outlook in the world we live in.

The first was the "explosion" of 793(?... I could be wrong on the flight number). The plane was flying out of Laguardia airport and, according to reports, literally "exploded" into a ball of fire seconds after it took off. I recall some of my highschool classmates living near the airport said the ball of fire lit up their living room. The "explosion" was of course blamed on mechanical failures..but.. there were many independant reports... coming from eye witnesses, airport workers, fisherman ect... who claimed they saw a "missile" or a "rocket" of some sort come from the ground and hit the plane just as it "exploded". I was very intrested in getting to the bottum of this story, even as a teenager. I followed the nightly news intently hoping they would provide some sort of explaination. Was it an act of terrorism? By who? Why? As the reports that a rocket hitting the plane became more and more credible and likely to have been the cause, and the phony "mechanical failure" story seemed more and more like a cover up... the less and less the media covered the story of a plane exploding in the sky. And as a young American man, I began to here the whispers, from everyday Americans, that the governmnet knew something... but wasnt telling. And this infuriated me.

The second thing that happened that changed my outlook also occured in 1993. Even though I was not aware of it at the time, this was the year that it came out, via the daughters of a Red Cross regional manager who had given his daughters a deathbed confession, to be a provable fact of our history that president Roosevelt was well aware of the Japanese plan to attack Pearl Harbor prior to the actual attack. While President Roosevelt had Prior Knowledge to the Pearle Harbor attack and did not warn the hundreds of American Sailors, and Soldiers stationed there... he was kind hearted enough to warn this Red Cross regional Director to send extra personel and medical supplies to the area to help the survivors. This information came out in court and, in my high school Global Studies class it was discussed...partially. Mr. Turner was my teachers name and what he said stuck with me forever. He said "Countries cannot just go to war. They need a reason, and excuse to go to war. Pearle Harbor was Roosevelt' s excuse, his reason to go to war. He may have known that the Japanese were going to attack, so he didnt warn anyone... so that he could he could use the attack as an excuse to enter America into WW2." Surprisingly, at the time I did not question Roosevelt's decision not to warn the Soldiers and Sailors of the attack which cost them their lives. I just took note and what my teacher taught me that day went directly into my long term memory. Mr. Turner went on to say that after WW2, the Japaese do not have their own military and America has had a permanant station in Japan to protect them from the Communist Chinese, costing us 10 Million dollars a yr (this number is presently at around 350 million a yr). I raised my hand and said why do we need to protect the Japanese... why cant they protect themselves? Ironically, he rolled his eyes and said because the communist cannot be trusted.

And this is how I came to be the man I am today, completely distrustfull of the government, liberty minded, and a proud Ron Paul patriot. Even if no one reads this.. it was nice to walk through memory lane...

Semper Fortis

Coal, oil and natural gas. are collectively known as "fossil" fuels. they have become fundamental to our modern existance. wars are bieng fought over them and economys devastated. wouldn't you think it would be BIG news if we had good reason to doubt the entire "fossil" fuel theory? or that we have discovered extraterrestrial life?
apparently not, and I can hardly find anyone who is even interested.
Hydrocarbons are known as "organic" chemicals because they suppossedly only come from life. check this out.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMCSUUHJCF_0.html

and that is how I came to live in "wonderland"

natural gas is methane. jet fuel is kerosene. gasoline is primarily composed of octane.[it is both a substance as well as a rating] ethanol is grain alcohol, yep, it is "moonshine"

Ron Paul: The Lone Ranger of the 14th.

I recall attending an anti-war march in a major Ohio city.

It was a river of people, clogging the the main artery for blocks.

And (as was typical at the time) there were little peripheral groups of like 20 or so people marching around on the sidewalk. Typically various forms of communists: Trotskites, Maoists, ...

And one of these groups - one of the most obnoxious anti-US commie splinters - had a quarter-circle of minicam operators from the major TV outlets (back when a "mini"cam plus its backpack full of electronics weighed more than the cameraman).

It was a quarter-circle because they all had their backs - and the insensitive side of the directional microphones - toward the river of people protesting the "war". It was obvious that they were trying to create the illusion, in the population of the city and on the national news, that this antiwar protest (which they might have heard of by other channels) was a handfull of commies rather than a mass movement.

The "establishment media" has been with us since there has been an establishment and media. During the Vietnam period a lot of the "counterculture" set out on a deliberate attempt to infiltrate the media to get their own point of view across. (Which they have since done - as they themselves became the new media establishment. Thus the Old Media's incredible left-wing bias, creating the illusion that the middle of the road is about even with Joe Stalin's right hip.) And they now use the same techniques (marginalization by suppression tempered with occasional ridicule when news leaks out dispite their efforts) on THEIR ideological enemies. (Goebbels would be proud.)

Meanwhile, Rupert Murdoch has reconstructed the old establishment media - firmly in the Neocon camp. (Promise them "balance" and give all the other half of the "equal time" to just ONE faction of the previously-ignored Right.)

What goes around has been going around and around and around for a loooooong time.

I remember (without being too graphic) that I was in the bath tub when my room mate kept yelling at me to come see this guy on TV. It was Jan. or Feb. of 2007, and I came running out to listen. I was hooked ever since. I still wonder how the "news" let such a man speak such a clear, concise, pointed, and well right on message of the true "state of the union". I then began researching RP, watching ( dare I mention) Zeitgeist, America: Freedom to Fascims, Loose Change, as well as reading infowars, drudgereport, worldnetdaily, and others. I have been forever changed. Having gone to baptist school and college (yuck) and then law school, I was always left "wondering" what I was missing. All of the above provided those missing pieces and now much to my chagrin I see the world in its reality - I rarely watch TV, other than Lou Dobbs. I love the federalist papers, Plato's Republic, and all gov't history and bases - my how far we have strayed. As for religion, give it a rest - I will not take the ID Card (government doesn't need any more info on me).. others will not take it because of the end time philosophy - no matter your reason we both have a united purpose - NO ID CARD. Also, as far as end times - if the "coming" were true when numbering began then why was that prophecy not fulfilled when the Jews were rounded up, numbered, and slaughtered (sorry some things don't exist) and now that that generation is fading fast there is no one to tell the story - makes a great repeat - just use christian instead of jew. The one thing I LOVE them most of RP is that he doesn't cloak himself in religion because he has morals and integrity on his side and does not need Dobson to annoint him so the Dobsheeple follow his lead. This is also the only campaing I have ever donated to. I am appalled at how he got laughed, but those that laughed are now eating their laughter (as they know when the new election takes place they no longer have room at the table for the talking heads - they will need new puppets for another 4 year agenda). The people in power are just like the homeless and mentally ill; the only difference is the people in power have money - take away their money and they too belong in mental institutes. Research Ruby Payne's social philosophy.

My moment of clarity came thanks to Dr. Paul. The more I heard from him, the more I wanted to know. Having been a prior sheep, I turned to my trusted Fox News to see coverage of the most exciting presidential candidate in my 27 year memory. Watching Congressman Paul be purposely excluded from any positive (or even neutral coverage) on a supposedly conservative news outlet led me to watch any "news" more carefully. I now get my news from the DP, LewRockwell.com and occasionally drudgereport.com to see what the rest of the masses are accepting as reality. Dr. Paul and the DP truly were the cause of my awakening. There's no going back now...

“War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.”
-Marine Major General Smedley Butler

I had always ignored politics until the left/right culture war seemed to come to the fore. At least during the post Clinton era is when it came to my attention. It was interesting to me that liberals would overlook anything (e.g., useless missile strikes in Afghanastan and Sudan) to defend their pro-abortion party. And the most intelligent comment they could muster against the hated GWB was that he was a d**khead. I'm talking about university professors here. I didn't particularly care for GWB at the time; he certainly didn't inspire, but it was fun to probe them about why they were so hateful toward him, when it was his admission that he didn't really think America was ready for any substantial change with respect to abortion, i.e., confiscated funds from those opposed to it were still going to go to propping up the industry through planned parenthood etc.. They didn't have anything much to say, of course.

GWB also spoke of a humble foreign policy and not participating in nation building ala Kosovo, and I could identify with that. Then came the senior viagra benefit, which I thought was a *really* bad idea.

And then came 9-11. And I'll admit to listening to the likes of Neal Boortz and Laura Ingrahm during this period, and their pseudo libertarian talk (which I now recognize as fundamentally corporate fascist talk) was basically appealing. They spoke often of the freedoms and rights associated with the Declaration and the Constitution. I was familiar with those and valued them but knew that practically they were gone---the late war for Southern independence having basically put the last nails in the coffin of the founders' republic. I didn't see anything practical arising concerning a restoration of the republic. I also recognized the move into Afghanastan as the first event in a kind of domino effect. Iraq was the second event, and I thought things were going in a *really really* bad direction.

I think it is noteworthy that all voices unanimously gave essentially the same support to this direction (John Kerry and Bill Clinton in particular), so though it was clear that there should be a more reasoned approach to the problem of terrorism that we (especially Clinton with his senseless missile strikes---and I've since learned to recognize many other things) had created, there was no voice offering anything except stupidity---much less keeping quiet and acting directly against the agents of terror rather than nations which were (at most) only peripherially involved and compounding our problems by swelling the ranks of al qaida.

But there was a voice of reason out there at the time; I just hadn't heard it. I found that voice after somehow stumbling across a bumper sticker or youtube video or website---cannot remember---with the slogan: RESTORE THE REPUBLIC. (A phrase which was already in my brain, and had a practical meaning.) He was there saying reasonable things about our rediculous foreign policy (and domestic policy), but he was totally ignored.

Then the moment came. After listening to many Ron Paul videos and seeing that he was really serious about bringing about a practical restoration and was ignored; after seeing a couple of the debates, I heard Ingrahm go through a list of things in which ALL the Republican candidates were "terrible" on. Freedom of speech, agreeing that government could not produce virtue,...all the right words, and the list was long. Ron Paul was terrific on every single thing on her list. I pulled over to the side of the road, stopped the car, and screamed RON PAUL at the top of my lungs at the radio.

I've turned off the radio and hope those crazies go into oblivion. (This direction was consistent with my view toward Hollywood for years.) No TV, no movies, no radio. Let 'em all rot.

I really appreciate the story you shared.

Until a year ago, I got almost all of my news from NPR. I never trusted anything on television because it's always been obvious to me that its fundamentally flawed as a tool with hypnotic power. But NPR? Totally objective, and totally intelligent, right?

Then I got a computer and the internet, and I learned a ton of things that NPR had kept away from my attention. The biggest of those new stories to me was that many people doubted the official story of 911. Prior to this time last year, I had no idea about any of the issues which cast the official story in doubt.

So I'd conclude that NPR failed to keep me informed.

Aaron Russo did it for me. It all made sense.

realize the media bias. Simply, it was pointed out to me in several ways. I read about it, I looked into it myself, and I formed my opinion. I think that our strongest fight is to continue to educate people, point things out to them, let them look into it, and then let them form their own opinons.

When the media can virtually ignore a typical turnout of 250,000 people, who travel to DC from all over America in the dead of winter (January 22) to take part in an event which includes freezing your buns off, marching and lobbying AND WHO HAVE BEEN DOING SO FOR 30+ YEARS, EVERY YEAR, YEAR AFTER YEAR, and they're lucky to get so much as a mention in the mainstream media ... well, you start wondering if the media is deaf, dumb and blind. Then you notice that the 20 or so meaner-than-a-junkyard-dog pro-aborts, who were protesting the 250,000 in some obscure spot garner 20 seconds of the 30 second piece the MSM showered on the event, it becomes painfully clear what they're up to: IT'S NOT ABOUT REPORTING THE NEWS ... IT'S ABOUT HIDING THE TRUTH AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FROM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. IT'S ALSO ABOUT FASHIONING THE POISON THEY WANT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO SWALLOW. I have to say, they're good at what they do!

Another thing about the March for Life, not a single solitary stinking president or veep has EVER shown up at the rally ... not Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush the first, Clinton (obviously) or Junior. Apparently, it's frowned upon by the man behind the curtain.

Final comment: in the early 90's I was a loyal listener of Rush Limbaugh ... he was pro life, pro America and very outspoken in the best possible way. NAFTA was wending its way through Congress and Limbaugh had been an arch opponent. He even reported that 80% of the American people were against it. Then, one day, everything changed. Having previously articulated the hundred and one reasons why NAFTA was a bad idea, Rush suddenly saw the light: NAFTA would be good for America (he never could say why, however). From that point on, I was cured of believing any media ... so called right or left ... and that has served me very well. I think for myself, thank you very much! Getting rid of the cyclops was a brain-booster too.

As soon as I started to realize that war is the health of the state and notice everywhere and through all time and in what ways this is true, this was the final straw of NO GOING BACK and no more accepting what you are given/told.

So many things simply don't make sense unless you make this connection. And it's that moment when things start to make sense and you see cause and effect that it feels worth it to make any effort. If you stop the wars, the big foreign policy and control over money, the state will really start to wither and things get better for *everyone*.

It's called free will.

We can choose to exist or not to exist.

In this country, up until now, the easy choice has been not to exist.

Steady income, getting by, t.v., food, etc. etc.

The freedom movement will be easier in other countries. The struggling countries.

The choice to exist is the easier of the two choices there.

When we choose freedom, the world will choose freedom.

We will not have to convince the individuals in the struggling countries to exist, they already do.

The hard part is to get people to choose existence.

The easy part is to get them to choose freedom.

Because I have chosen to exist in America does not make me special, it makes me unusual.

That is it.

WAHOR!!
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/48994

my father is a cynic and skeptic (and i love him for it), he is a retired marine colonel. i served also, to the rank of captain in the army. i served under reagan, daddy bush, and clinton.

i was activated for hurricane andrew. we were forward echelon medical response. our mission in our orders was for four weeks. we completed our mission in three. there was talk about an extension, but no details on the mission.

well, daddy bush was running for office then. he wanted a huge military exposure in florida to win the election. our unit ended up participating in dog and pony shows for bush and his cronies. i even got an "adda boy" from undersecretary of the army, john o. marsh. he was later found guilty of shoplifting womens' underwear in d.c., in his size.

it was such a political play to waste our resouces for highly trained men and women to be used for political purposes. it was then that the lightbulb went on (i'm a late bloomer, i was 28....now 43).

now, dad and i have some really in-depth conversations regarding our constitution and sovereignty. i'm glad i'm awake now and ron paul has only given me more fuel to fight this cause.

peace

GOP treason turned my head.

The infamous USA-Patriot Act. Before that I was a conservative Libertarian who split his philosophies between Harry Browne and Rush Limbaugh depending upon what mood I woke up in. Before that I bought into the illusion that Republicans were well-meaning but spineless incompetents. But before the Patriot Act, there was not really a defining moment where a line was drawn in the sand. Anyone who voted for that bill was unworthy to hold public office, and the majority of those who did were Republicans. It was an eye-opener for me.

At the same time, that was when I first became an admirer of Ron Paul. He publicly sounded the alarm on the Patriot Act and voted against it.
I am grateful to have him as a statesman representing this country.

SUPPORT OUR FOUNDERS' AMERICA
Support the Constitution of the United States

Was the victim of a yellow journalistic hit piece as an innocent sophomore in college. That encounter taught me the hard way how the media works (in general): the facts are selectively reported so as to further the editorial agenda.

Fastforward some 5 years when I was handed a copy of "Atlas Shrugged". Boom it was all over. My liberal midwestern college education was shamble-ized and thoroughly discredited. Politics from that point forward was virtually pointless; even the Libertarian Party in my view was destined to a minor role for the near term.

I really don't recall how I came to know about Dr. Paul; however it was clear immediately that he possessed two fundamental traits that the LP presidential candidates and others did not:

1) He was a member of one of the major parties, had been for a significant duration. He was the boy who said the Emperor had no clothes, and was in a position to have a noticeable impact on politics 'as usual' in DC.

2) His use of the Constitution as an objective standard by which to cut off meaningless philosophical and legalistic debate was masterful. I think many, even here, underestimate the beauty and power of this approach. And it is an approach that we all can use in the fight for freedom at every level. Ron has presented us the intellectual ammunition that we having been overlooking as a nation for far too long.

Those two things cured my apathy.