Horse puckey. Don’t treat Ron Paul like a messiah. You are hope for the future.
And you missed the point of the post you just quoted. [:P]
How?
Seconded.
Wow, that video gave me a whole lot of extra respect for Ron. The principled part, the thing about empathy, the thing about different people having different/their own ways of contributing. Now I know Ron is really one of us.
I know he isn’t infallible and I certainly understand he isn’t a messiah. But, the only way we can possible see that liberty and freedom is restored is through education… Not through the plethora of indoctrination camps installed around the United States. If Ron Paul ran again in 2012, I would assume he would talk about Mises and AE incessantly in front of national media outlets.
As Beefhart pointed out in another post, look what’s going on in AP American Sophistry courses around the nation. That’s absolutely horrible.
My cousin came out of a highly reputable university and she believes that the Business cycle is inherent in a Capitalistic system. She exclaims “It’s just something we are going to have to deal with”.
I have a friend who’s going to become an American history teacher and he has unrightfully pinned deregulation as the cause of this current disaster.
I’ve tried conversing with them in a serene matter and it always ends with them shouting at me hysterically. I don’t know about you, but I’m done trying to convert these individuals. I try to point them in the right direction in a very polite way and it always ends with me inciting a laughing riot.
I don’t mean to be a debbie downer, but I keep running into dead ends here.
I never thought putting forward liberty and freedom would generate such a hostile reception.
Liberty and peace has always been the exception.
Don’t try to convert anyone. Instead find people who do not know anything about economics, and do not have any hard and fast opinions and share some economic insight with them. You are making the classic mistake so many people here make and then report frustration about. Instead of trying to get a hit, you are trying to hit home runs. People who are ideologically committed to an incompatible worldview will eat up nearly 100% of your time and give you no results.
Watch what Ron Paul does. He doesn’t argue with the people who disagree with him. He appeals to the people who are willing to listen.
If you want to have success, pick a goal you can achieve.
We have a big job. But I truly believe that momentum is on our side. Do your part. Every little bit helps.
And most of all, stay positive. These are exciting times, an exciting ideological battle to be engaged in.
Remember, YOU are the future of liberty, not Ron Paul. Learn from his example and advance the cause.
I’ve heard LS make this argument several times and I never really bought into it until I heard what Rothbard said about the future and ideas. If you’ve never heard Rothbard speak before, as I hadn’t, you’re in for a treat. Here.
One of his most inspiring examples is after the fall of communism/socialism where Lithuania sends its economists to the states to learn how to desocialize and be more free market. And, I’m going on memory here, but I believe that he said Jeffrey Tucker threw together a one-day seminar through the LvMI and these lithuanian economists loved it… they even ditched their central bank after we said no 
At one point Rothbard says that when socialist states fail, their elites will have to desocialize and they’ll have to turn to us classical liberals for guidance.
I had the opportunity to throw this example at someone online who said we should stop complaining and get out and do something. I pointed out the above and concluded that the best we can do is hone our arguments for the day when governments fail and people are looking for guidance.
Imagine of socialism fell and no one knew what to do because all the intellectuals were socialists.
The power of ideas >= any protest.
Just my two cents: Ron Paul has done more to promote the Austrian School and von Mises institute than any other person; if you can name one person who has probably introduced more people to AE, LvMI, or libertarianism than Ron Paul please let me know. He certainly sparked my interest in Austrian Economics a couple years ago and and then I began reading Mises, Rothbard, and Hayek and then that led me to be come an AnCap.
As far as his personal views go, just remember that he reads and has read the same material many of us read here. It would be virtually impossible for him to publicly admit to being an anarchist considering he holds an elected office and I think he realizes that he is effective at proliferating libertarian ideals in his current position. I’m not saying he is or isn’t an anarchist I’m merely saying it’s a possibility.
Richard Ebeling really helped pump me up in the last few weeks.
Watch both, highly recommended
