Smug Walter Block, EPJ outwitted by Rand Paul

[A Son of Liberty]

Its starting to really tick me off when you say crap like this. You are just exiting puberty, and have no influence whatsoever, while rand paul is busy leading this torn nation back to freedom.

What gives you the audacity to think you can sit here on the interwebz and talk like RAND makes YOU cringe just blows my mind and is starting to show that you don't know shit about anything, YOU just want everyone here to think that YOU are the more pure person, and that my friend is a big lie.

Get off your high horse and loose the fantasy that YOU matter.

Yes. Winning elections IS all that matters at this point. Breaking the grip of tyrants on the executive branch, and subsequently over the minds of politically apathetic Americans should be the first and foremost goal of any liberty loving American.

FF is entitled to his opinions, and though they may be the opinion of a young person without a lot of experience, there's really no reason for you to say this to him.

Winning elections is important, but you're patently WRONG when you say that it is all that matters. I'll grant you that there is the potential for some good to come about with a Rand Paul presidency, but UNLESS THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY START TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES OF LIBERTY, IT WILL ALL BE FOR NAUGHT AS THEY WILL EITHER OUTRIGHT REJECT WHAT PAUL TRIES TO DO AS PRESIDENT, OR COMPLETELY OVERTURN ALL OF IT WHEN HE LEAVES OFFICE. Thus, an educational effort is of CRITICAL importance... and in my OPINION, much MORE IMPORTANT than winning elections.

 

[cajuncocoa]

It's not "all that matters", but it's pretty damn significant, don't you think? Our system does not reward political losers. Just ask Gore: what did he get for losing, despite receiving more votes nationally than Bush in 2000? Absolutely nothing.

He got everybody wetting their panties over man-made global warming.

The system may not reward political losers, but they can use their platform to teach people about pet issues (e.g., Gore's global warming hoax or Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty) I tend to think that's even more important than what can be gained by winning...political victories are fleeting; things won can be lost in the next generation.

 

[matt0611]

In EPJ world

Alan Grayson, Ralph Nader, 9-11 Truthers, JFK conspiracy theorists, and Jesse Ventura are great friends to libertarians.

Rand Paul and Milton Friedman equal Satan's little statist helpers. Their pollution of the libertarian message is the only thing standing between the status quo and anarcho bliss.

Pretty much how I feel about EPJ. I read it but they are so biased against Rand its laughable.

I respect Walter Block though.

 

[Christian Liberty]

FF is entitled to his opinions, and though they may be the opinion of a young person without a lot of experience, there's really no reason for you to say this to him.

Winning elections is important, but you're patently WRONG when you say that it is all that matters. I'll grant you that there is the potential for some good to come about with a Rand Paul presidency, but UNLESS THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY START TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES OF LIBERTY, IT WILL ALL BE FOR NAUGHT AS THEY WILL EITHER OUTRIGHT REJECT WHAT PAUL TRIES TO DO AS PRESIDENT, OR COMPLETELY OVERTURN ALL OF IT WHEN HE LEAVES OFFICE. Thus, an educational effort is of CRITICAL importance... and in my OPINION, much MORE IMPORTANT than winning elections.

+rep.

Yeah,Murray Rothbard endorsed GB #41 AFTER gulf war one.Remember that one?Making the World safe for Serfdom.
But maybe that is the reason you like Murray,maybe you get a tingle up your leg every time you think about the highway of death.

I like Rothbard, but I don't agree with him on everything. He acted in an unprincipled manner on that occasion.

Its starting to really tick me off when you say crap like this. You are just exiting puberty, and have no influence whatsoever, while rand paul is busy leading this torn nation back to freedom.

What gives you the audacity to think you can sit here on the interwebz and talk like RAND makes YOU cringe just blows my mind and is starting to show that you don't know shit about anything, YOU just want everyone here to think that YOU are the more pure person, and that my friend is a big lie.

Get off your high horse and loose the fantasy that YOU matter.

Yes. Winning elections IS all that matters at this point. Breaking the grip of tyrants on the executive branch, and subsequently over the minds of politically apathetic Americans should be the first and foremost goal of any liberty loving American.

I never said that I "mattered" or that I would even care if I do or not. I'm here to tell the truth, and that's it.

 

[jbauer]

Lots of people are finally realizing Rand is just like his dad.

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Don't tell the locals. Rand seems to be doing exactly what his father did but he's winning the "normal" people. We need those normal people if Rand is to be successful.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

Yes. Winning elections IS all that matters at this point.

Which elections?

Breaking the grip of tyrants on the executive branch, and subsequently over the minds of politically apathetic Americans should be the first and foremost goal of any liberty loving American.

Oh, national elections, specifically Presidential elections.

I will have to disagree. That is not all that matters to me.

I do not, in fact, think that it will be a particularly effective strategy to be exclusively tilting at winning the Presidency, when we have no Governorships, no County Commissions, in fact no Mayors. I do not think this is a sensible "first and foremost goal." Perhaps it would be good to first hold a single hill before setting off with elaborate and detailed plans to conquer all of Europe.

But then, I am just a simple peon like FreedomFanatic, so who cares what I think? My thoughts don't matter.

 

[cajuncocoa]

Lots of people are finally realizing Rand is just like his dad.

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Don't tell the locals. Rand seems to be doing exactly what his father did but he's winning the "normal" people. We need those normal people if Rand is to be successful.

To win elections, yes. To really change the course, we need to educate them; not pander to them.

That's where Rand is NOT like his Dad....however, I'm willing to let that go for the next 3 years to see just what Rand can accomplish. It would be stupid not to try.

 

[asurfaholic]

We are all simple peons. I know winning isn't EVERYTHING but I have to laugh at the thought of some kid "wincing" when Rand does what is necessary to win a election in a nation full of morons who care more about sports and pop celebrities.

FF - i know I am coming across as harsh but this is the result of watching your posts over a period of time. I do not really mean to single you out but I think you are on the right track, but it bugs me the way you post sometimes like you somehow think you know better than Rand. Why? How? He has done more in the way of promoting liberty to the masses than anyone has in recent years, AND he is poised to be a very strong contender to win a major election. You should be doing anything BUT wincing... U know? What exactly is it that you think he is doing wrong?

 

[ctiger2]

I like Walter Block but EPJ represents the hipster libertarians that always want to be the oppressed minority. It's not that libertarians aren't that but they actually want it to be that way.

I guess I look at them more as trying to keep the principles honest. There's nothing wrong with constructive criticisms or a bit of nudging.

 

[KingNothing]

We all expect a prompt apology from smug Walter Block and the EPJ.

HAHAHHAA

 

[KingNothing]

It's not "all that matters", but it's pretty damn significant, don't you think? Our system does not reward political losers. Just ask Gore: what did he get for losing, despite receiving more votes nationally than Bush in 2000? Absolutely nothing.

In politics, winning political elections and enacted the political agenda that you desire is absolutely, unequivocally, all that matters.

To make that happen, to win consistently, you need to change minds and win voters to your philosophy. But that is only a means to an end.

 

[Galileo Galilei]

HAHAHHAA

Walter Blockhead is a special kind of stupid. He actually wanted McConnell to vote for the war.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

Walter Blockhead is a special kind of stupid. He actually wanted McConnell to vote for the war.

Dr. Walter Block has never stated that he wanted this. Indeed everything that everyone knows about him would seem to scream that the opposite must be true.

Perhaps you are a mind-reader? If so, and you wish to make a career out of it, you should learn some tricks of the trade. Rule number one is to make your reading plausible. Some good examples: "Ohm... Walter Block is up late right now co-authoring a paper about privatizing roads. Ohm... tomorrow he is going to eat some breakfast. Ohm...."

 

[specsaregood]

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Don't tell the locals. Rand seems to be doing exactly what his father did but he's winning the "normal" people. We need those normal people if Rand is to be successful.

I saw the 90+year old foxnews watching GMIL today. Just after she poured my tea for me she said, "did that Rand Paul stop us from getting into another war?" edit: I smiled and said, "so far he has"

 

[Galileo Galilei]

Dr. Walter Block has never stated that he wanted this. Indeed everything that everyone knows about him would seem to scream that the opposite must be true.

Perhaps you are a mind-reader? If so, and you wish to make a career out of it, you should learn some tricks of the trade. Rule number one is to make your reading plausible. Some good examples: "Ohm... Walter Block is up late right now co-authoring a paper about privatizing roads. Ohm... tomorrow he is going to eat some breakfast. Ohm...."

Wrong. Block opposes liberty. He wants a big state so he has something to belly ache about.

Example: Block is upset that Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell both opposed the war upon Syria.

 

[Christian Liberty]

We are all simple peons. I know winning isn't EVERYTHING but I have to laugh at the thought of some kid "wincing" when Rand does what is necessary to win a election in a nation full of morons who care more about sports and pop celebrities.

FF - i know I am coming across as harsh but this is the result of watching your posts over a period of time. I do not really mean to single you out but I think you are on the right track, but it bugs me the way you post sometimes like you somehow think you know better than Rand. Why? How? He has done more in the way of promoting liberty to the masses than anyone has in recent years, AND he is poised to be a very strong contender to win a major election. You should be doing anything BUT wincing... U know? What exactly is it that you think he is doing wrong?

Don't misunderstanding. I'm not ONLY wincining. I think Rand is doing a lot of good, and that excites me. But I still have to wince when he says something stupid, and something he should know full well is stupid, in order to win over the very same morons you're talking about.

I'm pretty much a political nihilist at this point. I don't see the process as really being worth my time. Its very likely that I'll devote myself to theology, because honestly, I see the political process as pointless. And wait for the day that enough people have the guts to revolt, if that ever comes.

I don't trust Rand Paul. I'm sorry, but I don't. I'm not confident that he won't go haywire once he gets into the White House. Reagan betrayed conservative principles, why won't Rand?

Also, when he gives in to people like AIPAC in order not to look racist, I wince.

When he makes "Keeping our military strong, supporting the troops, national defense" type comments, I wince.

Now, do I understand why he does those things? Yes. Do I think its POSSIBLE that he'll stick to his dad's principles? Absolutely. Would I vote for him if the election, or the primary, was now? Yes. Will I do so in 2016? Barring unforeseen circumstances, yes. And why not? At the absolute worst, we're where we already were, hopefully we'll be a little bit better off, maybe a lot better.

But I'm not pretending Rand can actually fix this nonsense either. And ultimately, the only way you're ever going to fix it is education. Which in and of itself is doomed, because most people won't learn.

I know its stupid of me to basically come on a thread and say "I don't really care anymore" so let me explain myself. I'm not here to attack Rand. I'm not here to disparage those who support Rand. Heck, I would have to attack myself if that was the case, because I support Rand. Mind you, I don't unconditionally support Rand. I don't support every action of Rand's. But I do support Rand, overall. He has my vote, and if I ever talk to a Republican about who they should support in the primary, I'll tell them to vote for Rand Paul.

With all that said, everyone has their chosen method of spreading liberty. Some people will compromise more than others. Some may resist government violently, others with peaceful civil disobedience, others will educate, others will participate in the political process, others may do two or more of those things. Rand Paul is primarily, from what I know, trying to spread liberty by winning the Presidency. Walter Block primarily does so by talking about libertarianism and educating. Neither is wrong.

But the bottom line is, for better or worse, Walter Block is the more principled of the two. "Some will compromise more than others." With the exception of what candidates he supports, Walter Block does not compromise on the liberty message at all. I don't always agree with him, but he does rationalize all the way to a logical, anarcho-capitalist conclusion on every issue. Heck, I can't even say I've done that on every issue yet. Block is a heck of a lot more principled than I am.

Rand Paul is playing the game, and as such, what he's doing is more pragmatic than philosophical. He's inconsistent, sometimes laughably so. His reason for doing that is in order to win the Presidential election. As long as he has his principles in mind, and doesn't betray them, I don't have an issue with this either. The political process is a means, albeit a less principled one (And IMO not the most effective) to spread liberty.

All that said, I still cringe at some of the things he has to say while doing that. What can I say?

 

[Christian Liberty]

Wrong. Block opposes liberty. He wants a big state so he has something to belly ache about.

Example: Block is upset that Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell both opposed the war upon Syria.

LOL! No.

 

[heavenlyboy34]

Wrong. Block opposes liberty. He wants a big state so he has something to belly ache about.

lolz

 

[idiom]

How hipster do you have to be to vote third party against Rand?

Libertarians, three years out plotting to protest vote libertarians.

Try, maybe moving the country a little towards being libertarian. In theory the economy and everything else should improve a little. This will cause a rinse and repeat.

If not then the theory is all bollocks and should never be implemented in a pure form anyway.

How hard is it to see that we are on the same team? We need the puritans and we need people who can get their hands dirty.

 

[Christian Liberty]

How hipster do you have to be to vote third party against Rand?

Libertarians, three years out plotting to protest vote libertarians.

Try, maybe moving the country a little towards being libertarian. In theory the economy and everything else should improve a little. This will cause a rinse and repeat.

If not then the theory is all bollocks and should never be implemented in a pure form anyway.

How hard is it to see that we are on the same team? We need the puritans and we need people who can get their hands dirty.

I'm pretty sure Walter Block said he'd vote for Rand. So what's the issue?