Quote from ZZZzzzzzzz:
In an ideal world, lots of economic systems work, because in an ideal world you have ideal people who live by ideals.
Now back to reality, we don't have an ideal world. We have people who if given the power, will abuse it, they always have, the likely always will.
I fully understand the concepts Paul promotes, but they are not generally practically obtained by the methods he proposes. Libertarian ideals can be practiced by some people, just as Communist ideals can be practiced by some people, but neither extreme can be forced upon the masses with any degree of success.
That's the problem with extremists on both the right and the left, they are not practical, and have a very difficult time finding middle ground to get things done.
They don't have a spirit of compromise, a spirit of give and take, which is necessary to hold together a country that is now as diverse as ours is. This is no longer the late 18th century, though people out there think that we can govern as if it were.
Paul's so called pragmatism is anything but actually pragmatic considering where we actually are right now. It just won't work. It would be a disaster to have him as president right now. It would lead to tremendous stagnation in D.C. because he would veto nearly everything. Paul is not a person who compromises, or even thinks of it much, unless it serves his personal immediate agenda.
I have pointed out some of the flaws that exist in Paul, some of the inconsistencies and the brand of politician expedience he practices, and the Paulites will listen to none of it.
Only a moderate has any chance of gradually bringing the country back to the right or left depending on the direction we are out of balance.
The problems we have are not caused by government, that is a complete fallacy...hence the solutions are not going to come via some revolution in government.
Paul appeals to those who want to take no responsibility personally for the problems America has, but rather want to blame others or the government.
Not until there is such time that Americans view the problems of poor Americans, problems of racial minority groups of Americans, problems of American women, problems of gay Americans, and the problems of an aging population of Americans as our American problems...no single politician or a few changes in the legislative branch is going to have that much of a large impact beyond a negative one.
It is very hard to find a republican who will say, "You know, it is my fault I voted for Bush. It is my fault, I voted in these guys. My mind made a poor decision. I need to have my head examined and my thinking evaluated for making such a poor choice."
What happens is that the same mind that made the poor decision doesn't want to understand why it was wrong, but just wants to think their decisions now will be right. Nothing changes that way, same mistake prone mind, same mistakes.
No, it is the fault of everyone who voted for Bush, and the legislative branch we have had to look at their own thinking that has allowed this to happen.
No politician who wants to get elected has the brass to step up and point to America and say "It is your fault people. You screwed up. You voted in the wrong people. You didn't want to take the time to make intelligent decisions. All you wanted was this, or that, without thinking what was really best for all Americans. You just wanted to abdicate your personal responsibility of citizenship to whoever made you feel good with their empty promises."
Paul offers empty promises he can't deliver upon. Same with Obama, same with all the other politicians.
We are in the situation we are in because of us the people, not them, the government...
We had a brief moment in time following 9/11 of unity, unity against a common enemy, an external enemy.
How long did that last? What sacrifices were actually made and for how long? What about our own internal shared enemy?
We have corruption in every single institution in this country, every single one. It is rampant.
We live in a "Christian Nation" which has seen the moral decay away from Christian principles in the name of money and instant gratification. The self righteous spend their time pointing at all the other "Sinners" as if they are not part of the problem in their own life. They don't lead by example or by a concept of promotion via attraction, but spend time preaching and in hate of what others do and how they lead their lives. It is always the fault of the other guy.
That kind of corruption nationwide is not the fault of government, nor the churches, nor the media, nor terrorism, nor any other external agent.
We really have no candidate that I can see who talks much about personal responsibility, that the need to change lies in the American people themselves, which begins with an introspection and honest assessment of each individual's own part in the problem, and part in the solution.
Paul is no different in this respect, he is speaking to the audience who wants to be told that it is all somebody else who is to blame, i.e. the government, etc.
The problems we have in America are a result of Americans as a collective whole, and no single president or leader is going to make that go away by wishing it away, or by blaming the FED, or by blaming the media, or by blaming entitlements, or by blaming the dems, or the repubs, or by blaming taxation, ad infinitum.
It says "We The People" not "We The Government." Well that means we are at fault, not the government.
We collectively are to blame, not the the government or the structure. That's just another boogeyman that works when people want to look outside of themselves.
I know the Paulites believe Paul is this principled guy and above ego, and desire for power, blah, blah, blah.
That fairy tale is what keeps the Paulites going, what will keep them blaming the media, the FED, etc., just like a child has to keep believing in Santa Claus even when they know in their heart at a certain age that Santa Claus is not real...
