Making a Statement
So many times I hear of people voting based on who they think can win instead of who they think is morally the right person for the job. It's time to stop this nonsense and realize that we need to stand our ground, even if we lose. The quote "Give me liberty or give me death," comes to mind. I hear a lot of people in here are ready to shrug, and I speak to you when I say that it's time to tell the world how much you're worth. If you do shrug, do it with a statement, tell the world what your standards are, what it will cost to keep you as a member of their society.
To the people who think it isn't too late, that we can still fight to save the most free nation on the face of the earth from succumbing to the virus of statism, I say don't compromise. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you have to win it all or nothing. We will lose the next election, and maybe the one after that and the one after that. But if one by one we stand and show the way to the others who don't follow politics, who don't follow any philosophy but vote on superficial characteristics, we can gain ground and retain our democracy. All we have to do is agree on the standard of personal liberty and responsibility, because you can't have one without the other.
It's time to charge the moral high ground with all our might and hold it till the last man and women. If you follow our view on life and what it means you know that no matter what the world throws at you, you can survive. It's going to be a waiting game, but don't wait till the end to tell the world that it's all over. Do it now, and no one can claim that they didn't know, that they weren't warned.
Speak to anyone who will listen, start with those closest to you. Don't waste time, don't argue for longer than it's worth. Give the message and keep giving it out. You don't have to say much, it's simple just keep to the basics. "Do you have control of your mind and your body? Do you want others to control what you can do with your life without your consent? " go from there, start a conversation, start twenty. Don't argue, just answer. They'll ask you everything they need to know if they're worth the time.
Vote libertarian. Vote objectivist. Don't compromise. Don't contradict. If you're right, say it, if you're wrong, admit it and move on. Don't be scared of your self esteem suffering. Use your own judgement, your own logic and no one else's.
It's time to make a statement, and it's going to hurt. But whether we put ourselves in this situation, or it was handed down to us, this is reality. This is the way it is and there is no denying that A is A. Now what are we going to do about it?
To the people who think it isn't too late, that we can still fight to save the most free nation on the face of the earth from succumbing to the virus of statism, I say don't compromise. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you have to win it all or nothing. We will lose the next election, and maybe the one after that and the one after that. But if one by one we stand and show the way to the others who don't follow politics, who don't follow any philosophy but vote on superficial characteristics, we can gain ground and retain our democracy. All we have to do is agree on the standard of personal liberty and responsibility, because you can't have one without the other.
It's time to charge the moral high ground with all our might and hold it till the last man and women. If you follow our view on life and what it means you know that no matter what the world throws at you, you can survive. It's going to be a waiting game, but don't wait till the end to tell the world that it's all over. Do it now, and no one can claim that they didn't know, that they weren't warned.
Speak to anyone who will listen, start with those closest to you. Don't waste time, don't argue for longer than it's worth. Give the message and keep giving it out. You don't have to say much, it's simple just keep to the basics. "Do you have control of your mind and your body? Do you want others to control what you can do with your life without your consent? " go from there, start a conversation, start twenty. Don't argue, just answer. They'll ask you everything they need to know if they're worth the time.
Vote libertarian. Vote objectivist. Don't compromise. Don't contradict. If you're right, say it, if you're wrong, admit it and move on. Don't be scared of your self esteem suffering. Use your own judgement, your own logic and no one else's.
It's time to make a statement, and it's going to hurt. But whether we put ourselves in this situation, or it was handed down to us, this is reality. This is the way it is and there is no denying that A is A. Now what are we going to do about it?
I don't see Republicans or Democrats being significantly more pro-freedom. If you agree you shouldn't carry on about hating Democrats, or even an individual Democrat, without mentioning the same thing is true of Republicans. If you come off as contemptuous of Democrats, you're needlessly alienating half the population from your message.
We need to be more open to incremental change. I wouldn't want to see what happens if overnight drug laws were gone, MA stopped paying for nursing care, SBIR grants disappeared,mortgages and student loans not guaranteed, and so on, all in the same year. That would be crazy. It's analogous to the gov't having a knife in a victim; you don't just yank it out.
The Internet has removed gatekeepers to publishing text, audio, and video. The time is ripe to democratize/individualize other institutions too.
Like it, or not, we are a two party system, and you better figure out which party comes closest to your values and go that way. Otherwise, you will always be a steadfast rebel, watching the parade pass you by while sitting on the curb.
It is not impossible to use your Objectivist learning's in this search, and you can influence the options with your associations. The Tea Party is a very powerful example of what can be accomplished.
Just a thought....
Lobby to your heart's content, but there is always that reckoning day.
Vote smart...like it was your last.
I've always voted Democrat unless there was no Democrat or I knew a Republican wouldn't win. I don't rule out voting for a Republican if she/he were a strong advocate for freedom.
I don't think any of this voting makes a difference. The parties are good at keeping each other honest over things they disagree on. The trouble is the things they agree on. I couldn't stand President Bush calling international criminals "terrorists" and elevating them to something the US would declare "war" on, a war w/o end that demands we give up freedoms. So I *voted* for President Obama. President Obama is a great man, I believe, but most of the things I didn't like about President Bush got *worse* with President Obama. I would like to see someone similar to President Obama elected in '16, but I don't expect any improvement on freedom issues from voting. I almost want a Republican to get it so the people around me realize just how bad it is that president has more and more power. People literally say they trust Obama, and I basically do too, BUT they don't seem to realize there's an election in three years.
Those are keepers.