How do we convert people?

[mrsat_98]

Sit back and watch which ever id10t wins this next election and let the opposition do the convert.

 

[BSU kid]

Sit back and watch which ever id10t wins this next election and let the opposition do the convert.

If that were the case, congress would be full of liberty candidates by now. Nope, idiots will keep getting re-elected over and over and over if the American people keep up the ever persistent cycle of destroying our country.

 

[JK/SEA]

i've used condensed soundbites in conversations. It goes something like this: ''16 trillion in debt, borrowing from China to fight undelared un-constitutional wars, 30 million un-employed', a growing police state..TSA etc, no knock raids for bullshit, killing dogs and kids in the process and you want more of the same.......you better wake up....then i walk away.

 

[Paul4Prez]

Don't worry. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are converting people to love liberty and limited government more every day.

 

[acptulsa]

Read this forum. A lot. Keep your head on the logical track, get your Constitution down, and see why Constitutional principles work. Mention private solutions. For example, the FDA is supposed to keep us safe from unsafe drugs, yet you see those 1-800-BAD DRUG commercials every day. Yet when it comes to appliance safety, the completely non-government Underwriters' Laboratories works like a charm. Look for the UL seal and you can bet your life that this iron, coffee pot, or whatever won't burst into flame on you.

The more you learn, and the more you listen to people before you launch into your spiel, the more you can tailor the message to them. Show them how the federal government is screwing up their field, then gently point out to them that this happens in every business, but you don't see the effects personally.

I like to say, if everything is run out of Washington, D.C., and you have a problem with your local fire department, you have to convince about twenty million voters that your local fire department is more important than abortion, gay marriage, and their own local fire departments combined. If it is run locally, you only have to vote out the mayor and city council. Then, when they agree with this, point out that Homeland Security is now paying your local fire department to jump through their hoops, and it has probably hired half a dozen federal grant proposal writers in recent years. This introduces them to the concept of incrementalization.

I also like to point out that corporations love going to a powerful Washington to do one stop shopping with their bribes--er, I mean campaign contributions. If things are run locally, those corporations have to buy influence in fifty state legislatures, which is more expensive and more difficult. Why make it easy on them?

Those are two I have considerable luck with.

Like I say, hang around. The things you learn here can be very useful.

If that were the case, congress would be full of liberty candidates by now. Nope, idiots will keep getting re-elected over and over and over if the American people keep up the ever persistent cycle of destroying our country.

Point out that, in 2008, Congress had an approval rating of 19%, yet 81% were reelected. Ask them if that makes sense to them, or sounds just a bit backward.

 

[ShaneEnochs]

You don't "convert" people. It's not a religion. You can attempt to educate them, but they should make their own choice.

 

[Anti Federalist]

Note that this is a JOKE ^^^

Yes, it was, in a tongue and cheek way.

I mean, government uses those methods.

Can't we?

"Once something is declared legal by government, it's no longer immoral." - Rev. Lovejoy.

 

[bunklocoempire]

How do you guys get through to mainstream repubs and dems?

Planting seeds as others have said, or spending more time as events allow.

Planting seeds-wise it's great to be ready with an answer in reply to a question or inevitable grumbling. When standing in lines or while pumping gas you will eventually hear someone complain about the price of something -spring into action and give 'em a liberty surprise.

 

[TCE]

Sit back and watch which ever id10t wins this next election and let the opposition do the convert.

I disagree with statements like this one.

Don't worry. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are converting people to love liberty and limited government more every day.

And this one. People aren't being converted, they are just giving in to the pendulum swing. Roughly 98% of all votes cast will be for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. That is not "conversion." If Obama wins, in four years, people will vote for whatever Republican is thrown up there. BSU Kid is absolutely right. If there are only two options, people will pick one, then when that fails, select the other four or eight years later. It's happened for the past few hundred years.

 

[GeorgiaAvenger]

I've been editing wikipedia the last 30 minutes, not with anything false, but establishing links between more mainstream economists with the Austrian school and their ideas.

Thanks to me, now all the Rush Limbaugh listeners who google Walter Williams wikipedia can find out that he is opposed to the Fed

 

[TCE]

I've been editing wikipedia the least 30 minutes, not with anything false, but establishing links between more mainstream economists with the Austrian school and their ideas.

Thanks to me, now all the Rush Limbaugh listeners who google Walter Williams wikipedia can find out that he is opposed to the Fed

Now this is a very, very good idea. +Rep.

 

[GeorgiaAvenger]

Now this is a very, very good idea. +Rep.

Here is what I did with James Buchanan, Nobel Prize winner. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_M._Buchanan

And Thomas Sowell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Sowell

 

[Ivash]

I mean seriously... I've talked to so many people who just don't want to believe Ron Paul and the liberty movement's message. It's like people actually think that a belief in Mitt Romney or Barack Obama is rational. They will then go on to justify their belief by pitting their positions against their said opponent candidate, without even considering the real issues like the federal reserve, the ceaseless warmongering, and the statist country we are becoming.

How do you guys get through to mainstream repubs and dems?

You know what the funniest part is?

They think the exact same thing about you.

Edit: This isn't so much of a 'gotcha', but, seriously, most people think that they have the answer when it omes to politics. In reality its unlikely that 'one size fits all'. Just remember humility. You think they're wrong. They think you're wrong.

 

[Shane Harris]

This was my aha moment. I hadn't payed any attention to the primaries and saw this video about a month after the election. This was the spark. Then I saw all the other videos, then I bought Revolution. The rest is a 4 year conversion from full blown Neocon to borderline Ancap.

Previous to Ron Paul my only other libertarian encounters were in reading (and loving) The Fountainhead, and Milton Friedman. They started a ball rolling but it didn't all come together until Ron.

 

[deadfish]

I mean seriously... I've talked to so many people who just don't want to believe Ron Paul and the liberty movement's message. It's like people actually think that a belief in Mitt Romney or Barack Obama is rational. They will then go on to justify their belief by pitting their positions against their said opponent candidate, without even considering the real issues like the federal reserve, the ceaseless warmongering, and the statist country we are becoming.

How do you guys get through to mainstream repubs and dems?

Very Slowly... and with great effort.

For Republicans, I find Rand Paul to be the expert. Below are links to Rand's two speeches during his filibuster in September (I think) for his amendment to place restrictions on foreign aid. 1.5 hours in all, but again, might as well learn from the best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtdY9SGPq5E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5Y6KObJEIw

For Dems, Gleen Greenwald is great because of his quality journalism and liberal-cred. The important thing is to read and re-read in order to really know your facts. I just picked a story out of my bookmarks on Obama's Executive Order on Indefinite Detention. (Remember that one?) Here's one by Conor Friedersdorf: Why I Refuse to Vote for Barack Obama

Problem is, most people don't sit down at their computer and watch political stuff on youtube or read political articles. If you can email an article to someone, then that's great and you could do that. But for those random encounters with people you maybe don't know that well, you have to be able to present a concise and convincing argument.

 

[NoOneButPaul]

I've determined the time to preach the gospel of liberty is in the downtimes...

During the political downtimes (think 2013) people are more inclined to listen to someone who is still talking about politics 6 months after the election ended. It's like you're a fucking loon or something and not actually being paid to blurb talking points...

At that point it seems a lot more authentic to the others imo...

Also... we all know the worst hasn't hit us... we all know the future is bleak. The worse it gets the louder we have to preach... there will be various points of choas when people demand answers and that's when we have to give them, and HARD. That's the most important time to step up... when all hell is breaking loose and people are looking for answers.

In a way that's how Ron caught on...

He even implied this is the proper strategy in his Mises' speech from a few days ago.

While i'm sure he wouldn't word it this way... we need to take advantage of financial crisis every time they present themselves. We have to be able to explain to people why they're happening and what the path out is. That's the time they'll listen... when they're desperate.

 

[sailingaway]

bump for more discussion

 

[W_BRANDON]

I mean seriously... I've talked to so many people who just don't want to believe Ron Paul and the liberty movement's message. It's like people actually think that a belief in Mitt Romney or Barack Obama is rational. They will then go on to justify their belief by pitting their positions against their said opponent candidate, without even considering the real issues like the federal reserve, the ceaseless warmongering, and the statist country we are becoming.

How do you guys get through to mainstream repubs and dems?

These (mainstream dems/gop) people are hopeless (not all but most). It's the apathetic, the uncaring people, we're after. Those who have yet to become engaged should be our target. Changing the minds of those who have asked the important questions and arrived at the wrong answer with unwavering conviction is near impossible.

 

[Vic1985]

Republicans:-
1.Fiscal conservatism, lower taxes, lower regulations, point out that the Repubs have actually INCREASED state socialism, No child left behind, etc.
2.Convince them that allowing abortions would depopulate the left wing votebank.
3.Getting rid of the department of education that teaches only Bolshevik propaganda.
4.Point out to them that the GOP did NOT get rid of special privileges for special interest groups even though, they were in power for 20 out 32 yrs in office.
5.Convert as many vets as possible, Republicans listen to veterans.
6.Last but certainly not the least, the Feds monopoly on issuing currency.

Democrats:-
1.Foreign policy:- The NYTimes was the most obnoxious war drummer for the Libyan war, even though Gaddafi was the most progressive of the Arab leaders, and it's just a gate guardian on most issues.
2.Legalizing marijuana, abortions, gay marriages, decriminalizing drug abuse.
3.Point out that a private corporation is issuing out America's ONLY currency.
4.NDAA, Patriot Act.
5.Explain the differences between libertarian socialism(Menshevism) and state capitalism(Stalinism), I think most people would agree that Menshevism is the only way to get manufacturing back into the country.

It's not easy converting Democrats to libertarianism, though, but we can still turn them into Jill Stein supporters, she's anti NDAA, Patriot act, etc.

Advertise opposition to the two party system
Wave 1
Distribute pamphlets containing links to alternative media outlets, this is to build up numbers.

Wave 2
Once we build numbers up to 10%, we can then start a DVD distribution, videos can be pretty powerful.

 

[mczerone]

You don't "convert" people. It's not a religion. You can attempt to educate them, but they should make their own choice.

But statism is a religion. It requires faith that a far-away entity will provide for the devout those thing that they can't, won't or don't provide for themselves. It has two orthodox branches that disagree only on what should be prayed for.

We are the metaphorical Bhuddists and atheists who, respectively, say that you cannot ask god to improve your life, you must improve your own life to be more god like, and that there is no power of god so we must each do what we wish to see.

Now, growing our ranks might not be everyone's goal. More appropriately our goals are to be free to practice our chosen faith and to let others be free to live thier own. So first you should ask "how can I free myself?" And then do it.

Only then can you worry about evangelizing. And then you must realize that you are seeking to change people's faith. And that is done through (1) leading by example, (2) missionary work, and (3) out breeding.

Singular conversions are a small percentage of the makeup of religions. And then it is usually for social reasons: marriage, rehabilitation, or immigration.

So how do you convert people? By living free and well, by being generous, by earning respect socially, and by convincing people that your faith is better than their current faith to appeal to thier emotions and pocketbook. Logical arguments are lost on non-believers, they only serve to strengthen the resolve of those already in the flock.