My name is Bill and I live in New Mexico. I have a BA in Economics and an MBA. I am probably one of the few here who has actually voted for Dr. Paul for president already, in 1988.
I was taught straight line Keynesianism during my undergrad days, but this was also during the first Reagan administration, so supply-side economics occupied the news. I always thought there was something horribly wrong with the Keyensian world view, and his policy recommendations with regard to government manipulation of the economy. The supply-siders were good, but in practice they showed no desire to reign in the mounting deficits and national debt.
While Keynes advocated deficit spending during recession, it was readily apparent to me that there was nothing in the real world to prevent government from running at a deficit all the time, which was in fact the situation we were faced with in the early 80’s. I was introduced to monetarism and Milton Friedman through one class in my senior year in 1985, and through that I came to realize that Keynes had failed to recognize one major, major factor in his theory - and that was the psychology of people and how they act in their self-interest.
At some point I found Ayn Rand’s book Atlas Shrugged and was fascinated that there we indeed other people out there that thought like me.
I don’t remember how, but at some point I joined the Future of Freedom Foundation. Does anyone remember the little monthly books they would mail out in the days before the internet? This was my introduction to Austrian Economics. Once introduced, I gobbled it up.
Enter the internet - access to Mises.org, LRC, FFF, and tons of other articles and information on economics. The internet has the potential to change the world as information can be vetted through numerous sources and no longer do we have to depend on the talking heads and corporate newspapers to supply us with their truths. The crap is sniffed out pretty quickly these days.
I have been a long time Libertarian, but I will support Ron as I view this as one of our last shots to fix the stupidity of this country (and the world) before a crash becomes inevitable. I am heartened to see so many young people here, as in the past this movement has been dominated by older, disenfranchised citizens and academics. Do not get hung up on small differences you have with him as we can argue about those after we fix the major problems.
Change or not, I will likely make it through my life without too many problems. Later generations will have a serious crisis to deal with that we have left at your feet. For that I am truly sorry, but know that there have been people out here fighting for us to take responsibility for our actions, our foreign policy, and our welfare state instead of leaving it for the children to deal with.
From FDR on, the manipulation of public opinion in this country by political creatures concerned only with their own good fortune is a horrible plague that has been wrought on the American public. My hope is that the free flow of information through the internet is finally turning the tide away from the powerful and back to the people. Do not ever let them control that or take that away from you, and believe me they are going to seriously push for that over the next few years.
It is my sincerest hope that we can get Dr. Paul to the While House and if that were to happen, I think I would begin to weep uncontrollably knowing that at least this country would be safe from the ravages of world government, and that the people would once again start to become free. I've been waiting all my adult life, 25 years, for this opportunity.
