I think we are suffering because of a complacency that has increased since the end of WWII. The "greatest generation" and their "boomer" children enjoyed a higher standard of living that was based on pioneer caliber productivity and work ethic, but largely enhanced by technological advancement and US leverage in the world's economy (strong dollars). The "middle class" grew and a large percentage of Americans were content as they enjoyed a better living standard than their parents. Average people had a sense of security because company loyalty was a two-way street. College education became the norm rather than an exception, everyone had electricity and indoor plumbing. More people felt that they had more opportunity and more access to improve their situation than ever before. To be hardworking and honest was all that was needed.

Unfortunately we grew complacent. Too few took notice that somewhere along the way our leaders had decided that the route to getting everyone on board the happy train was not by promoting the things that got us there in the first place, work ethic, individual responsibility, and equal opportunity. Government control was the progressive way to eliminate inequality and poverty. To accomplish that the scope and power of government needed to grow.

Government has become a business that has adopted a mission to expand and become more powerful. The guise is that this is growth is necessary for the good of the public, but just the opposite is true. Government invented the concept of leisure retirement with a SS Ponzi scheme, well received at the time. From there our appetite for handouts has snowballed. The latest casualty is health care.

My children are the first generation since WWII that are projected to have a lower standard of living than their parents. Complacency is already being replaced with discontent. Unfortunately much of this discontent is wasted energy as the government and media now participate in strategic misdirection.

Here is the platform of the person I want to run things....

The US is a sovereign nation that needs to enforce a logical immigration policy. Only legal citizens should vote or have access to taxpayer funded benefits. No one in government should have an incentive to encourage illegal entry into the US. Immigration is desirable, but we have new standards. We no longer want the poor, hungry, huddled masses, our needs have changed since the early 1800's.

The US taxpayer should not fund the world's police force. We need to acknowledge that the US cannot be isolationist we and have interests abroad, but our persecution of those interest should be only through mutually beneficial trade and economic alliance. We do not have a manifest-destiny to impose our culture on others. We should only use military force when attacked, or when there is an imminent and direct threat of attack.

There is no such thing as an entitlement. There are earned benefits, and there is charity. Tax dollars should not fund charity, that is a personal decision. We need to begin he hard work of dismantling taxpayer funded charity both corporate and personal.

The only 'statesman' left in America.
Ron Paul's original speech posted previously in the Gulch at:
http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts/1f...
Ron Paul's original 'speech' on his website:
http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives...

If only Ron Paul weren't so smart - I could be blissfully ignorant like all of the other sheeple!

Let them eat cake!!!

I have been saying for years that our Government is working and moving very rapidly toward the Monarchy of the 16th and 17th centuries.

We have a ruling class of elitists who set themselves up on high, lord over us their power while at the same time declaring they are public servants working to lift up the proverbial poor and middle class.

The FACT and TRUTH is that they are working to create two classes. Ruling class, and Servant class. These elitists are ever so close to completing this task.

Watch some movies and see the parallels. 1986, Soilent Green, The Hunger Games, Even Star Wars as Senator Palpatine played both ends against the middle in order to secure for himself "Emergency Powers" to provide the security the people wanted, which he PROMISED, he would relinquish once the crisis was over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo4cFViN...
Obama and our Government constantly declare that with each removal of our freedoms we will achieve more security and peace.
Our founders saw this coming over 200 years ago and tried to provide the checks and balances needed to prevent this.
Ben Franklin one of our founders offer this warning:
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”

Welcome to National Socialism, American Style.
The Soviet Socialist States of America (SSA)
Two phrases come to mind:
1) Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. ~ Ben Franklin.

2) First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. ~ Pastor Martin Niemeyer

The question in my mind is if Ron Paul has a chance to go much further than he has already. It's a minor miracle that, given his views, he has become a senator. I get him, and so, I think, does most Gulchers, but it seems that most write him off as too far out to be effective.

Doctor Paul is the best. As an independent, in my state of New Mexico, I cannot vote in the primaries but I can vote in the general election. So, I could not vote for Doctor Paul when the Republican Primary came up. I sincerely believe the establishment would not allow our greatest statesman to run, he had a great following of young people. This has to do with his belief that social media was the place to win. I sincerely hope that the younger Doctor Paul is half of what his dad is. But we know the establishment will not let that happen. They will continue to feed us rehashes of Bush and Clinton, twins separated at birth but similar ideology. More elites to ward over us, as if we were not sick enough of their rule already.

from what i am reading here and what i know of from numerous comments i have heard from people i speak with we are far from a minority. what i wonder about is how far the elites are prepared to go before they become the reason that the country explodes.

I wonder if Ron Paul could actually start a trend to get things turned around if elected president. Then I take a reality check and see that he can't, and i do not believe any one person can. A pitiful situation we are facing. The youth of america no know difference.

Comrade citizens, who are we to question our more than equal elite betters?
How can we little bits of nothing possess intellects so godly huge that they can pass at least two major bills into law without even reading them first?
Do you possess such awesome wisdom? I surely do not.
Let us not question those ordained to take care of us. Be at one with the collective.
Otherwise, a terrorist teabagger may take a squat on us and thump a Bible on our heads.

This is his best issue: the Federal Reserve, and fractional-reserve banking. On this issue, he knows what he's talking about.

Have you guys ever seen John Stewart's skit on how the media was ignoring Ron Paul. It's fantastic. In my mind, Ron Paul continues to nail it. He's consistent. I really have an appreciation for him. Unfortunately, the average voter just doesn't get it. The average schlub has already sacrificed true liberty.

And "speaking of the devil" this just dinged in on my email.

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/cri...

At this point I am out for myself against our governmental system. There is no changing it in my lifetime for the better. It has to play itself out like in Venezuela before people will stop supporting it