Posted by
Likkerish on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 7:11:44 AM
Ron Paul and "Paulination"
Honey bees do it. Wasps do it. Birds do it. Even rodents, possums, and monkeys do it. So, regardless of our political persuasions, why should we not expect Ron Paulians to do it, when it comes to having an influence on the Republican Party? Why should we not, in fact, expect fertilization of the Party by the followers of Ron Paul, a ten-term traditionally conservative Republican congressman, who have generated a whirlwind of grassroots activism supporting Dr Paul, which is gusting ever more strongly across America, yes even across the globe, and can be ignored only at our political peril?
Out of 835 Ron Paul Meetup Groups (the highest relating to any topic on the planet) with a membership of 40,056 in 685 cities, there are currently 16 Meetups in foreign countries, including one with 27 members in the International Zone of Baghdad, Iraq. If Republicans do not welcome this "paulinating" energy, it will go elsewhere and take expression independently. It will oppose the co-option of the Republican and Democratic parties by the utopian, Machiavellian, neo-conservatives and neo-liberals who have been neo-conning everyone to ignore their true roots, which are not in traditional Republican or Democratic values, but in big government, socialist ideals, which masquerade in truly conservative or truly liberal (in the classical sense) clothing. And, in so doing, it will weaken the Republican Party's ability to stand up to the Democratic neo-liberals, who no doubt will choose Hillary Clinton as their standard bearer.
Will the Ron Paul Revolution Alienate or "Paulinate" Republicans?
So many Republicans recoil in seeming horror at the influx of the Ron Paulians into their comfortable midst, perhaps for good reason. For, this coalition of individuals from across the political spectrum ranges from those who have never been involved in politics, to conservative independents of the old school, to disaffected liberals who have more in common with the "Classical Liberalism" of the Founders than they do with the big government focus of the Democratic Party Machine, even to those who will only be old enough to vote at election time in November 2008. But, it also includes the true conservatives, the so-called paleoconservatives, who advocate for limited government and noninvolvement in unnecessary, imperial wars and military-industrial-based, big government spending founded on the utopian, Machiavellian principles that goad the neo-conservatives into globalist action. This unity in diversity can provide the fertilization that the Republican Party needs at this critical juncture, even the country needs, to slough off all the malformed fruit, which has resulted from our being turned into emotional bonsai plants by our neo-conservative caretakers, and to produce new blooms that can create true abundance for all of us.
It seems to me that most Republicans, Libertarians, Conservative Classical Liberals of the Jeffersonian variety (which includes Ron Paul), and Constitutionalists would likely agree that preventing a take-over by Hillarycrats is a major priority, if not the #1 priority. Focusing on what we have in common prevents our getting caught up in divisive, mudslinging argument.
So, the question for all of anti-Hillarycrats is: How do we accomplish this? I suggest that a first step is that we all must avoid, like the plague, the divisiveness of ridiculing or patronizing remarks. Let's have no more "ronniepauls," no more "bimbos," no more "nut cases," no more "deluded Libertarians," no more "retards," no more "paulbots," or "troofers," no more "fools" or "idiots, no more “wackos, “conspiracy theorists," “anti-Semites” or “warmongers.” We can't afford this kind of dialogue, not if we want to defeat Hillary. It only serves to derail serious discussion.
The Republican ranks have shrunken considerably because of the hijacking of the party by the neo-con, utopian Machiavellians. The big money is clearly being raised by the Democrats. We need to look at the realities, not our fantasized versions of such. It is important to welcome the Ron Paulians into the ranks of the party faithful and not to disparage or ridicule them. There are a number who have articulated well their concerns in discussions in many different forums and have come under vicious attack to which they have on relatively counterattacked equally viciously at times. But, there are many among the Paulites, who do not attack, who remained focused on keeping the discussion centered on rational issues and not on attempts to divert discussion into emotional rants.
It is important to address these Paulian concerns, for the Paulites are growing in numbers that only they are fully recognizing. They represent a groundswell of dissatisfaction with both parties, with voting for either Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dum. This groundswell is not subsiding, but mounting.
Ron Paul and Rattlesnake Republicanism
Again, it bears repeating that we can all be best served by trying to focus on issues upon which we can agree. If it is the issue of national defense, it is important not to view the Paulites’ position as weak on defense, naïve, or anti-defensive in nature. The position of Ron Paul and the Paulites, as I understand it, is the defensive posture of the rattlesnake that served as our country’s first symbol, long before the eagle, and appeared on the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag. The rattlesnake does not defend by aggressive or offensive action. But, if it appears that you may be about to step on it, then its attack will be swift and deadly. This is symbolic of the foreign policy position that Ron Paul has advocated. However, instead of the rattlesnake’s quick reaction to imminent threat, some of us have become convinced of the effectiveness of the pit bull policy of preemptive attack that masquerades for national defense in the service of Machiavellian imperialism. The bottom line is that we are all interested in being safe and secure in our country. Only a fool would not be. So, it makes no sense for either side to call the other fools.
So, will Ron Paul "paulinate" the Republican Party? I suppose it depends upon how much people decide to remain committed to being "right," rather than to working cooperatively to support values which they hold in common, regardless of their differences. I have heard people actually say that if Ron Paul were to gain the Republican nomination, they would vote for Hillary. If this is really true, then one is compelled to wonder if these folks are true conservatives at all. They would appear to be actually neo-conservatives, who feel more in common with a big government, neo-liberal imperialist than they do with a true conservative who would avoid taking us into unnecessary wars under the guise of protecting our security through preemptive aggression.