I'm leaving Ron Paul land

[Videodrome]

I've been on an odd independent path in my politics that goes back to supporting Ralph Nader in 2000.  I just didn't care for the mainstream candidates or I resented what I felt was the political parties and media boxing the election into a 2 party system.  

After him, I came across Ron Paul and thought a lot of things he said appealed to me.  Basically staying out of people's business and not looking to pick fights in the middle east or nation building as well as push back against 'Corporatism' or what Nader would call Oligarchy.  Even people like Nader or Bill Maher seemed to have positive things to say about Ron as an anti-war candidate.  I was also in a Ron Paul group made up of Libertarians or Green Party people so really just folks that felt disenfranchised and wound up following Ron Paul. 

It seems that with the momentum Bernie Sanders is picking up, the part of me that was originally drawn toward Ralph Nader is very intrigued with him, yet part of me feels strange about it after spending time in Small Government Libertarian Land.  

At the same time, what has been even stranger for me is to see what now remains of Ron's followers after Rand Paul has dropped out.  Many members are openly Anarchist and when I start to step back I kind of wonder now what I was really involved in supporting.  

Another thing is I'm reassessing ideas on Economics, especially from one speaker Peter Schiff who started to be part of the Ron Paul  laissez-faire Free Market world.  Over time, I see that a lot of material has come out on YouTube describing Schiff as a conman scam artist.  

I guess I'm just pondering this here as I feel like I'm throwing out a flawed political Belief System.  I don't totally regret supporting Ron Paul because he was very anti-war and against the heavy surveillance of the Patriot Act, but I think he came with more bullshit than I realized, especially regarding things like Gold Standards or Monetary Policy.  

His remaining followers are weirding me out to. 

To wrap up, I guess I just wanted to share how someone can wind up in the Ron Paul camp and that Bernie Sanders drew me out.  Actually, last election another independent Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party also grabbed my interest and maybe then I considered going toward Progressive politics.

[vorlon13]

Paul had at least a better clue how to pay for stuff than Bernie.

At some point this weird and strange idea about paying for things might become important . . . .

[GrandizerII]

Paul had at least a better clue how to pay for stuff than Bernie.

At some point this weird and strange idea about paying for things might become important . . . .

How is it weird and strange when this is exactly the typical thing right now in America?

[Tiberius]

Paul had at least a better clue how to pay for stuff than Bernie.

At some point this weird and strange idea about paying for things might become important . . . .

Erm...Bernie has released details on how he would pay for all his plans. The main ones being closing tax loopholes and increasing taxes on people earning over $250,000 a year.

[Minimalist]

LOL.... yep.  Exactly where Bernie goes off the rails.

Knowing how to do it and getting it passed by these republicunt morons in the Congress are two vastly different things.

After decades in Congress he should know that.

[Divinity]

Paul had at least a better clue how to pay for stuff than Bernie.

No, Paul figured that he wouldn't have to pay for ANYTHING because he'd want to leave it to the Churches and Charity.

A better idea (though one you can't run for President on) would be to tax churches.

[Tiberius]

LOL.... yep.  Exactly where Bernie goes off the rails.

Knowing how to do it and getting it passed by these republicunt morons in the Congress are two vastly different things.

After decades in Congress he should know that.

If he can convince the Democrats to do it, and the Democrats regain control of Congress he could do it.

People said the same thing about Obamacare and that got passed.

The point is, he has given a detailed breakdown of where the money for his plans would come from.

[Minimalist]

If he can convince the Democrats to do it, and the Democrats regain control of Congress he could do it.

Here is your American Civics Lesson Word for the Day:  Gerrymandering.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk...-ever-see/

P.S.  Bernie has been around long enough to know this, too.

[Lemonvariable72]

Videogame I am much like you. There is one thing you have to understand though. The great past that people like Ron Paul praised never existed. While I like the idea of the gold standard, most of his monetary policy is very 19th century. And on social issues he's uber Christian. That said I do respect more then most because he voted against the Iraq war and the patriot act, and his voting history backs up his talk. In other words he does walk the walk. I respect that even if I disagree with him.

[Videodrome]

Videogame I am much like you. There is one thing you have to understand though. The great past that people like Ron Paul praised never existed. While I like the idea of the gold standard, most of his monetary policy is very 19th century. And on social issues he's uber Christian. That said I do respect more then most because he voted against the Iraq war and the patriot act, and his voting history backs up his talk. In other words he does walk the walk. I respect that even if I disagree with him.

Right, I am reassessing how I feel about his ideas on the Gold Standard or Ending the Federal Reserve.  I'm even giving some serious listens to Paul Krugman who is totally against Paul's ideas and also against people like Peter Schiff who continue to confuse the public and push commodity backed money.  

I'm now seriously considering the idea that Peter Schiff was telling nonsense or misrepresenting himself and I fell for his message. 

I'm also sharing this because I think there are other Ron Paul supporters like me who are leaving for similar reasons.  They also have core beliefs similar to me that are compatible with Bernie Sanders such as ending Corporatism or Oligarchy.  Some might be on the fence on 'Government Healthcare', but our current system is so broken I'm for trying Single Payer.