CAnnoneer,
The sudden dismantling of the welfare state should not be as catastrophic as you imply. There is plenty of work in this country, and plenty of people that were they not spoon fed public money would have to go out and work - or NOT EAT. Period.
There is also plenty of private wealth in this country; all we need is a national leader who can open his or her mouth and challenge the Bill Gates, the Warren Buffets et all, and ask them to start rendering charity to their fellow citizens as opposed to sending it overseas. It is about time someone who can actually lead this country challenged these people and asked them to which country they have allegiance to. Which people.
The first step would be to boot out of this country every single illegal migrant identified. And that subject is as relevent and as good an example of the process as any.
In late 2001 when people like myself - and plenty of others - were stating it was absolutely necessary to do this and to secure our border, some responded much as you are doing now to the effect that it would be "an impossible task" and "take too long" etc. It's been six years now; and instead of moving towards better security of our nation in this way, including economically, these people have been allowed to stay here, more flood in, and we are being steered into a political union with Mexico and Canada.
Do you want your country or not? Is Rudy or Hillary going to put a stop to this? Obama? Any of the others?
Ultimately to say that Ron Paul is "out of touch", is some kook, or whatever other silly injective conjured up, is to embrace with open arms a North American Union. To becoming just another province in the global village, and to kiss your constitution and rights goodbye. To give them away.
Anyone who thinks we are going to continue to participate in the global village, run by a global criminal cartel, it's manipulated monetary system and "economics", and somehow thinks we are going to keep our constitution and rights is really dreaming.