Rand Paul To Run For US Senate In Kentucky

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

More importantly, the process of politics – like warfare – is a combined-arms process. Even if you choose to remain a moderate, you still need radicals to do certain things. Moderates are less likely to protest or donate money politically than radicals. There's a reason that Heller involved a Free State Project member and a libertarian attorney – because moderates 'have jobs'. There's also a reason Goldwater's fundraising mailing lists included so many Birchers, YAF members and so forth – and why the Reagan campaign later took over the Goldwater campaign's mailing lists and used them to build its organization.

There's a nugget of wisdom in there.  A Free Stater succeeded at increasing liberty (in his lifetime, even), but he didn't do it by wearing a Wookie suit in New Hampshire.  Birchers and YAFers were involved in the biggest greatest positive political change in recent memory, but it wasn't radicalism that carried the day.

[MicroBalrog]

A Free Stater succeeded at increasing liberty (in his lifetime, even), but he didn't do it by wearing a Wookie suit in New Hampshire

Arguably we can use a variety of tools. Context is our friend here. If you're staging a political protest then wearing a Wookie suit or burning a social security card is the thing to do.

Birchers and YAFers were involved in the biggest greatest positive political change in recent memory, but it wasn't radicalism that carried the day.

I would disagree here. Radicalism isn't inherently opposed to an incrementalism.

[drewtam]

Looking at this guys website, I like his stance better than Ron's. He takes a much more aggressive stance against attacks based from foreign lands and seems to support action in Iraq and Afghanistan. These are things I supported, and still support.

He also mentions requiring declarations of war. Although I understand where he is coming from, I feel the legislative action taken by Congress in both conflicts created the official and public tacit support that follows the spirit of the Constitution, as well as the letter. But that is a pretty minor nit picky point.

I agree with Makattak, kill the terrorists, put them in military prisons, and deal with them by tribunal. Foreigners have no constitutional rights except those created by mutual treaty (see Geneva Convention). War is not a game, or a sport with fair play. Especially against an enemy against which we have no agreement about the conduct of war.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Arguably we can use a variety of tools. Context is our friend here. If you're staging a political protest then wearing a Wookie suit or burning a social security card is the thing to do.

I would disagree here. Radicalism isn't inherently opposed to an incrementalism.

I'm jis sayin' that they all achieved their successes by working within the system, not by railing against it. 

[MicroBalrog]

See, but this is my point. 

Repealing the graduated income tax (for example) will cause all sort of long-term social change. It's the textbook definition of a radical change.

There's an inherent contradiction between pursuing radical social change and simultaneously believing in a philosophy that states that radical social change is bad. It's going to come back and bite you, one way or another.

[Harold Tuttle]

strange names

One summer night, going to the pier I ran into two young girls,
The blonde one was called Freedom, The dark one, Enterprise

[Rudy Kohn]

strange names

One summer night, going to the pier I ran into two young girls,
The blonde one was called Freedom, The dark one, Enterprise

I think it means he's against drug prohibition? 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

See, but this is my point. 

Repealing the graduated income tax (for example) will cause all sort of long-term social change. It's the textbook definition of a radical change.

There's an inherent contradiction between pursuing radical social change and simultaneously believing in a philosophy that states that radical social change is bad. It's going to come back and bite you, one way or another.

Then it seems that we have different understandings of the word "radical".

[MicroBalrog]

By the way, Rand Paul has a website right here: http://www.randpaul2010.com/

Today is his Money Bomb event, it seems. He's raised $300,000 or so since morning.