Most readers here know that I've been an enthusiastic supporter of Dr. Paul, what with the pictures of him that I did in Photoshop and the video that was posted on YouTube. Heck, I even made a Ron Paul Jack-o'-Lantern for this past Halloween! And last month I finally got to meet him.
So now, he's winding-down his drive for the Oval Office. What do I make of this?
Personally, I think that in years to come the Ron Paul presidential campaign is going to be one of the most appreciated things to have happened in the era of modern American politics. But that's not going to happen before some very rough times we'll have to go through.
Here is why I am inclined to call Ron Paul's campaign a success: it demonstrated that there is a complete absence of principles and honor in the current American political system. And if one demands further proof, he need look no further than the "two major candidates" that our system has wound up producing, with the demand that we must "choose" one of the two.
I think Ron Paul's campaign has given ample evidence that there exists between the two major parties, the corporate media, and government in general an unwritten rule that the status quo must be preserved at all costs. Those who might threaten The Way Things Are, are effectively quashed. We saw this happen numerous times during this past year to Ron Paul, especially how he was prevented from participating in numerous "debates" and when he was allowed, the "objective" moderators from Fox News or whatever made it their mission to openly question Dr. Paul's viability as a candidate. They never did that to Romney, or Huckabee, or McCain, or anyone else.
Maybe the biggest lesson we can take from the Ron Paul presidential campaign is that: "You cannot beat the system".
Maybe we don't have to try to beat it, either.
Because the system that is modern American politics is crashing and burning quite well on its own, without any help from us.
Look at what's happening around us: soaring gas prices and even higher kerosene prices (which will soon make trucking goods a much less attractive career for those who this country depends on for shipping). Skyrocketing cost of food. Illegal migrants flooding into the country. Flagrant use of illegal labor (which has led to many recent problems involving food production). Plummeting value of the dollar. Increasing taxes. Government continually stripping rights away. Wars without end, hallelujah, amen...
Those "stimulus" checks that we all got? I made a sound investment with mine (which is all that I'm going to say about that). If there had to be a sign that ours is a broken and defeated country, that was it. "Stimulus" was socialism. It was crumbs thrown to us from the table, and we gobbled it up without thinking about it. I understand that retail buying was up last month. "Stimulus worked," some will tell Chris.
Okay, fine. But now the stimulus money has run out and the economy is grinding to a halt again. Are we supposed to expect another stimulus? Believe it or not, I have heard that this is seriously under consideration. Which will pump more money into the supply, making the dollar worth even less...
I don't even want to begin to speculate on what's been going on with the weather lately, and how this has already caused the price of corn to shoot through the roof. A number of people have suggested that if there is anything like a severe hurricane season this year, the cost of commodities like oil and food will become unconscionable. Granted, there's not much we can do about acts of God. But there has been plenty that we could have already done about managing what's been granted our purview.
Except not one of the "leading contenders" for President has a damned clue about what to do about any of this. Heck, we've pretty much been promised higher taxes, no matter who is elected.
It can't be said that we didn't have a choice. Ron Paul and a very few others who took a stab at this wanted to bring legitimate concerns and solutions to the table. They never stood a chance. They were derided as "joke candidates", "also-rans" while we were supposed to believe that people like McCain and Clinton and Obama were... what, serious?!
Can anyone tell me that any of those three have been out for anything other than the power and the opportunity to stamp their names in the history books?
I don't know what that's a worse commentary on: the ones who perpetuate this system or the American people who continually buy into it.
But hey, this system already gave us George W. Bush: bar none the worst President in American history. Why should we expect any better from it?
So it is that I'm sticking with the vow that I made over a year ago: I am voting for Ron Paul for President, or I am voting for no one at all. And if I have to go to the poll and not mark down anyone for President, so be it. I've no problem with that. My conscience will be clean. Because the sad fact of the matter is, it's not going to matter one whit who among the candidates of the two major parties is elected President.
The inertia has become too great. The timbers have become too rotted. It is the acme of either foolishness or insanity to put faith in either party, or the present system at all, to stop what was already in motion long ago.
Trust me, having done the politics game already: this is not something to stock your hopes in.
But even so, I can't help but believe that Ron Paul's campaign was not only a success, it had a divine hand behind it. Maybe it was just one of the ways that God let the American people have a chance to turn back from the brink.
But we didn't take it. Now we've got two childish punks, drunk on power, fighting for control of the steering while while the car of state speeds full-tilt toward the cliff...
Hang on tight, friends and neighbors: it's a long way down.
2 comments:
Well said, and terribly frightening. I've long been apathetic about politics, just for the reason that I recognize the candidates as puppets. It doesn't matter really who you vote for... politicians have long been in the pockets of big business (I mean, hello GW Bush... everything he's ever done in office can be traced to either a) more power or b) more money from the oil he owns). Ron Paul cured that apathy. I took an active interest in politics and the future of the company, because I finally had a candidate I believed in. Honest and brimming not just with buzzwords and empty promises, but brimming with SOLUTIONS. It's a tragedy that the people were too blinded by the status quo, too willing to let themselves be led by the powers that be to think for themselves.
... by company, I meant country!!! :)
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