Educating our fellow Americans - how do YOU do it?

[ronpaul4pres]

Many of us flocked to Ron Paul after hearing his message, but we see that many people just didn't catch on. Education must be our goal. How do you attempt to describe these themes with your extremely liberal and/or conservative friends?

1) Foreign Policy.
2) Monetary Policy.
3) Liberty vs. Collectivism.

Let me take #2 as an example. The savings rate in America went negative in the past couple years. Most Americans appear to love to go into debt and rack up huge credit card and mortgage bills. This is exactly what we're doing as a nation. So, how do you explain the dangers of our current monetary policy to the average American when that same person thinks that behavior is OK on a personal level? How do you explain this before it's too late?

 

[Thomas Paine]

...and England just had to take over one of its largest banks today because it was about to drown in this subprime mess. The whole international financial house of cards is about to start toppling.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/sto...x?guid={B54FB0C9-FD45-4796-9FB0-DD042DA18612}

 

[Bold As Love]

I teach Government and Economics in a high-school.

sorry, but I couldn't resist.

 

[WilliamC]

Simple answer, one person at a time.

Most really aren't interested, but if you can catch someone who is there's your chance.

It's getting them tuned out of entertainment mode that's the problem.

 

[ronpaul4pres]

...and England just had to take over one of its largest banks today because it was about to drown in this subprime mess. The whole international financial house of cards is about to start toppling.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/sto...x?guid={B54FB0C9-FD45-4796-9FB0-DD042DA18612}

So? How do you educate people before the collapse?

Most likely, a collapse would cause people to move even more in the direction opposite of liberty. The Depression brought about today's major social programs. Another could bring about even more. How do you open up people to see this for what it is before it happens?

 

[wgadget]

When you're out there talking to people, keep a stash of Ron Paul DVDs and Freedom to Fascism documentaries in your back pocket.

Or they COULD just download it and watch it on their computer...

 

[LEK]

The Depression brought about today's major social programs.

It also brought war...

 

[ronpaul4pres]

It's getting them tuned out of entertainment mode that's the problem.

And how do you do that?

 

[Bold As Love]

On a serious note, I get a lot of negativity when I promote abolishing the income tax and replacing it with nothing. The standard response is something like "that sounds nice, but you sure would be disappointed with the results" or something like "government does a lot more for you than you realize/appreciate".

I have had the most success in approaching it from the monetary point of view. Most people are receptive to the falling value of the dollar. They seem to be quite interested in the role of the Federal Reserve and where all of that money is going.

To me, that is an issue that goes to everything else...interest groups, foreign policy, the nanny state, etc.

 

[hawks4ronpaul]

Start by listening BEFORE you talk. Learn what THEY value (help the poor, etc.) and explain how X accomplishes THEIR goal for THEM.

Stop using the opponent’s frame and stop trying the losing battle of defending why RP is less.

RP provides more of everything good; more defense, more security, more intelligence.

• RP provides the best military. All the others weaken our military.
• RP provides the best national security. All the others weaken our security.
• RP provides the best intelligence. All the others weaken our intelligence.
• RP provides the best foreign policy. All the others weaken our foreign policy.
• RP provides the best internationalist foreign policy. All others isolate America with blowback.

Ron Paul’s strong foreign policy:

• Keep an unbeatable military.
• Uphold the Constitution and US sovereignty: Declare the war, fight it, win it, and come home.
• Fight terrorists with intelligence and special units to stop overstretching our troops and to keep our conventional forces free and ready for major conventional threats.
• Secure our borders and enforce our visa laws to stop terrorists.
• Maintain financial security through sound money, fiscal conservatism, and non-intervention (the smart way to be globally active)—You can’t win a war when you’re bankrupt.

Full articles at http://hawks4ronpaul.blogspot.com/

 

[skeryl]

this has been floating through my brain for a while now..

I was thinking that if the adult masses follow and believe everything the media tells them.. just like children believe everything their parents tell them - Santa, Tooth fairy.. etc.. then we ought to treat them like children!!

I say start the ABCs for Adults.
example:

A For America (Definition of America with the constitution)
B for Brainwashed (How americans are brainwashed)
C for Collateral Damage (definition of what it is)

just a thought.

 

[Bold As Love]

Of course, thats kind of a hard conversation to start-up all of the time with people. You kind of have to pick you spots. A lot of time, casual conversation can turn to the election/politics in general...there's your opportunity.

 

[ronpaulbillboards]

We are using T shirts to spread these issues and to provoke conversation when worn out in public. I have had several comments or been approached when wearing my Ron Paul shirts around town. Some are supporters of course but a large number were people that never heard him before and were intrigued by the shirt and what it said. This will also help reach young people and those that are entertainment and fad junkies.

Grab their attention

Oh, the horror! Kick it oldschool with this vintage movie print.

A twist on the popular phrase

A twist on the popular phrase

 

[WilliamC]

And how do you do that?

I wish I knew.

Since I've given up watching TV (going on 6 or 7 years now) I forget how much of an influence it is on nearly EVERYONE.

I don't go so far to say television is evil, but it sure does help keep people stupid and uninformed, even while giving them the illusion of knowing what is going on in the world.

 

[ronpaul4pres]

Many excellent comments so far!

A side note: although many of us hate TV, I must say that C-SPAN is pretty good.

 

[american.swan]

Lies My Teacher Told Me!!
Great Book

 

[american.swan]

We are using T shirts to spread these issues and to provoke conversation when worn out in public. I have had several comments or been approached when wearing my Ron Paul shirts around town. Some are supporters of course but a large number were people that never heard him before and were intrigued by the shirt and what it said. This will also help reach young people and those that are entertainment and fad junkies.

I'd like a shirt that says..."Restore the Balance of Power...VOTE!"

 

[MsDoodahs]

How I have personally educated people....well....my medium has been the internet, and I've spread the word through various forum settings. Length of time I've been working to accomplish it: about 6 years.

I consider the time to have been successful, as I know that one person adopted anarchism after reading my stuff, and that particular venue has multiple Paul supporters present (and a couple of them are members here). I like to think that my keeping the message present in political discussions there for an extended time had at least SOME impact.

If you don't know the message, you can't spread the message. So job #1 for many should be learning the message. Once you understand the philosophy, you will be able to view ANY issue through the lens of freedom, and know what the answer is.

After a while, it becomes second nature. This isn't something that happens overnight, though. It takes a while.

The biggest hurdles you'll face:

1. If you don't know the message, don't try to preach it because you'll be taken apart by the opposition and be made to look the fool.

2. If you have a thin skin, don't try to preach it because when you get really good at it (when you understand it and it's become second nature to you), the opposition will call you every name under the sun.

3. If you have a short fuse and an uncontrollable temper, don't try to preach it because you'll invariably get pissed off and want to cuss someone out. Do that, and they've succeeded in taking you off your message - which is exactly what they wanted. You'll destroy your own credibility and therefore, also the credibility of the message with the audience that saw you lose it.

So basically, the steps are learn the message, don't let the namecalling hurt your feelings, and don't show anger - just plow onward and keep hitting the message.




(For clarification: I am an AN-archist. Ron Paul is a MIN-archist. If you don't know the difference...you have a lot of work to do. )

 

[thumbto]

This is my asymmetrical approach to getting millions of people to watch a collection of 30 online videos.

I'm offering shares in grassroots cinema:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2BT32Kk3uWE

 

[JimInNY]

Start by listening BEFORE you talk. Learn what THEY value (help the poor, etc.) and explain how X accomplishes THEIR goal for THEM.

Stop using the opponent’s frame and stop trying the losing battle of defending why RP is less.

RP provides more of everything good; more defense, more security, more intelligence.

• RP provides the best military. All the others weaken our military.
• RP provides the best national security. All the others weaken our security.
• RP provides the best intelligence. All the others weaken our intelligence.
• RP provides the best foreign policy. All the others weaken our foreign policy.
• RP provides the best internationalist foreign policy. All others isolate America with blowback.

Ron Paul’s strong foreign policy:

• Keep an unbeatable military.
• Uphold the Constitution and US sovereignty: Declare the war, fight it, win it, and come home.
• Fight terrorists with intelligence and special units to stop overstretching our troops and to keep our conventional forces free and ready for major conventional threats.
• Secure our borders and enforce our visa laws to stop terrorists.
• Maintain financial security through sound money, fiscal conservatism, and non-intervention (the smart way to be globally active)—You can’t win a war when you’re bankrupt.

Full articles at http://hawks4ronpaul.blogspot.com/

Great work!