I see what you all are saying about 'wishful thinking,' and I'm sure there are people out there who see Ron Paul as a savior-type figure who will 'set things right,' and that this type of thinking could serve as a major buffer for misinterpreting reality and the true 'terror of the situation' and lead to essential in-action and more 'sleep.' Yes, indeed - but this happens with everything else in this world of A influences, doesn't it?
At least Ron Paul speaks of liberty and personal responsibility, and he explains HOW these were lost in America (without most people noticing) - and it is these messages (as opposed to the needless debate over 'abortion' and 'gay marriage' the other candidates love to spin) that just MIGHT lead to higher thinking processes that may instill in people a sense of doubt about the crap they're being fed through the media... it just MIGHT make them question what they call 'reality.'
This is the '
HOPE' I see in Ron Paul: someone who can and DOES speak about (most) things AS THEY ARE - straightforwardly - without the flowery, sleep-inducing, and buffering words and phrases the other candidates repeat ad-nauseum. It is a big plus that he is now running for president, because the media are pretty much forced to air his speeches and report on him, and more people around this country ARE waking up after hearing this man speak on their TVs and radios - not to mention on the Internet.
I seriously doubt that he will 'win,' no matter how popular he becomes. There's already some evidence that his Iowa straw poll results may have been manipulated (they used the Diebold machines), so of course when the 'real' voting comes around (which will also most likely use the machines), it will be quite easy for the PTB to make him lose. The establishment is too strong for any real change VIA this 'imaginary system' (as Shane pointed out).
That being said, to DO
nothing would be defeatist, wouldn't it?
And there ARE people in this country who are DOing something - and more everyday. There are currently 37,000+ registered volunteers (in 865 Groups from 700+ cities) on
meetUP.com that spontaneously organize en-masse to spread Ron Paul's message of freedom in their communities - 550+ in Chicago alone. This kind of thing hasn't happened before, as far as I know, and the energy of these folks to do this in their own time and with their own money is really 'surprising' to witness in today's mostly apathetic America.
The media don't know what to make of it - they're stunned that so many people would organize in real life (not just on the Internet) for a presidential candidate. No other candidate comes close to the type of support Ron Paul gets from the every-day PEOPLE, i.e. the 'outsiders,' (and none from corporations or special-interest groups, i.e. the 'insiders') of this country. So, whatever THIS is, this movement to spread a particular message - it's growing fast. I can only 'hope' that as the numbers grow even more, more and more politically ignorant people will 'wake up' from their slumber.
The principle of non-linearity appears to be at work here - NO one would have predicted this sort of thing to happen all by itself - and whatever the future holds is truly un-predictable for me at this point (as in, bad things will most probably happen but
what they will lead to now has a greater probability of going the 'better' way) - I was MUCH more pessimistic of the future after I found SOTT (and 'saw' the 'terror of the our situation' here on the BBM) and before I came to be involved in the Ron Paul movement. Therefore, I am DOing all that I can (as much as I '
can' DO given my current state of BEing and awareness) to raise the probability of things going a 'better' way on this planet by helping spread the message of Ron Paul and opening up people to a more objective reality - by using this movement as a vehicle for something potentially much greater, what Laura's
HOPE article explains so well.
Or so I
hope. ;)
