Why are so many Southerners so pro-militarism and anti-liberty?

Shooting ourselves in the foot...an RP supporter who opens with "I know you don't have the internet down here" or "you people are blinded by your stupid religion" in a small town in the South. :rolleyes:

Lots of Southerners will pick up on that attitude without the RP supporter saying a word.

Agreed.

My point was that WE are not Ron Paul. Nor, do most of us share his low-key way of going about describing issues simply. He doesn't scare people off. So, yes, I think we need to be attuned to how we go about discussing issues. You betcha. Most people don't like things crammed down their throat and treated like idiots if they don't agree.
 
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This amuses me

See, I think that the North is the pro-militarization, anti-liberty half of the nation....


rmore nosey, uptight yankees any day of the week).

You can always recognize these folks by:

1) The insanely large metal gate with cut out cowboy on the trail, the name "rancho blah blah blah," made to look written in rope, and the enormous Lone Star right in the middle.

2) Their vehicles' [brand name] logo replaced with a Texas Flag and/or the texas flag in the towing hitch of their truck they never use to tow anything (ok, maybe the rv sometimes, but only during the summer when it gets too hot).

3) Their nasally, rapid and often rude speech, attitude, and tone of voice.

4) The general aura that I assume is caused by the realization that you were born in some other little, wimpy state.


Most native Texans I know are extremely liberal (in a social sense) and accepting of anyone who likes to party, shoot firearms, damn the eyes of all authority, raise a fuss in jest over just about anything, talk shit and hear it in return, and respect everyone's right to just be left the hell alone if that's what they so desire... anyone and everyone regardless of color, age, sexual orientation, all those things the institions try to legislate significance into.

This amuses me, where do you think Ron Paul is from? He is born and raised in Pennsylvania, only resettled in TX. Any more broad generalizations to throw in with the rest?
btw I'm from PA and live in SWLA
 
I think this thread boils down to one very good point that we all need to take to heart. Know your audience. I've said it elsewhere, and I'll say it again. There are some words that many people have kneejerk reactions to. The worst way to start a conversation about Ron Paul with someone who you know is a lifelong Democrat is to say, "Ron Paul is a Republican running for President." You have to realize the prejudices and perceptions of the person you are trying to convince and change tactics accordingly. Ron Paul has mass appeal, but many of the "labels" ascribed to him can set off alarms in potential converts. Know when to use which labels, and you can convince just about anybody that Ron Paul is the answer to their question.
 
In general, is there any difference between the Black Churches and the White Churches in regards to blindly following their preachers? Are Black Southerners also gung-ho on Israel?

I will admit I don't know anything about the Southern black churches when it comes to Israel, but good question. Depends I would guess on what they have been told and preached about throughout their life, and even if they are part of a large national church (such as Southern Baptist Convention) that is funded and influenced by certain people that push pro-Israel support. The biggest Southern Baptist church where I live in FL is major gung-ho Israel and pro 'chosen people.' Mostly white folk attend there.

It's not limited to the Bible belt, that's for sure, just know it's very prevalent there at least in the predominantly white churches.
 
Just vote for Clinton or McCain and spare us your stupid rationalization for why you wouldn't vote for Dr. Paul. You want bedside manner? That's exactly what you've received from every main-stream-media politician! If you want the truth, you need to stick to Ron Paul.

Ron Paul doesn't care to coddle the masses(your "sick patient"), that's what every other candidate does. He means what he says and he says what he means. You can either accept it or ignore it. But you CAN NOT change it! That is Dr. Paul's true principle!

-- Moneychanger, New Member


"He said true things, but called them by wrong names."

- Robert Browning, Poet


With respect, let us know when you've been elected to Congress 10 times and have been invited to speak to a packed house at one of the biggest companies in the country. Dr. Paul doesn't campaign, he speaks what he sees as truth and hopes he can get people to listen. He never expected to win once and doesn't care if he wins now or not, he's not going to compromise.

Of course it bucks conventional wisdom but this time at least people are responding to it.

--jblosser, Senior Member


“I shall argue that strong men, conversely, know when to compromise and that all principles can be compromised to serve a greater principle.”
- Andrew Carnegie, founder of Pittsburgh's Carnegie Steel Company, sold to JP Morgan, devoting the remainder of his life to philanthropy.

Ease up, hoss!
Where did the man say he wouldn't vote for Dr. Paul?
There's nothing wrong with carefully considering the words one chooses when presenting 'radical' concepts. It seems to me that's all he was saying.


-- Spirit of '76, Senior Member


"Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle."
-Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801

I think what bygone is getting at here, has nothing whatsoever to do with changing Dr. Paul's principles, but instead how to make them more palatable to the general public. I agree with him on a lot of what he said too.

However, Dr. Paul is unlikely to change the way he has always chosen to speak plainly about the issues, just the way he sees them. That is, after all, one of the reasons we admire him so much.

Perhaps though, WE should take to heart what bygone is saying and think about the essence of his message. Maybe this is good advice to WE the supporters as we talk to people about Dr. Paul. There are all kinds of ways to deliver the same message and since our goal is to get them on-board the RP train, we want to deliver it in such a way, that they will listen. Otherwise, we've done nothing more than shot ourselves in the foot.

-- LibertyEagle, Senior Member

"A Spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar."
-Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1748


Dr. Paul is demonstrating to us that what people today are finding most palatable is someone speaking an uncompromised message. People are sick of politicians who play these games and "customise" the message to the audience. They are sick of it to the point that they are willing to listen to someone they don't agree with on some major things and support him anyway because they believe he will do what he says. The man sat in California at Google's headquarters and said abortion was murder and we should abolish the IRS and most government welfare programs, for pete's sake.

As much as I want Dr. Paul president, his goal so far has not been to get people on the RP train, it has been to deliver a message of liberty and allow people to respond to it. I am sticking with him on this.

-jblosser, Senior Member

I don't personally believe the people at Google can be compared to the mainstream. I think my meaning by quoting greater men than I should be making my meaning obvious.
-bygone

Do they have the Internet in the south?

--Walt, Senior Member

Some of them sir, do not. Quite a few American voters do not. And the only way you will reach them is by spending your money or getting on MSM, or both. These in fact are probably the most likely to vote against you having never heard you. We obviously have internet in the South... :)
-bygone

My point was that WE are not Ron Paul. Nor, do most of us share his low-key way of going about describing issues simply. He doesn't scare people off. So, yes, I think we need to be attuned to how we go about discussing issues. You betcha. Most people don't like things crammed down their throat and treated like idiots if they don't agree.
-Liberty Eagle, Senior Member

ITA.
-bygone


As far as voting for him, it may never get beyond the primary if something doesn't change.
 
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This has been something that has been annoying me for several years. Southerners, at least Southern politicians, are almost completely pro- Big Government. The Democrats in the South seem to be a lot like Democrats everywhere else. But the Republicans, many former Dixiecrats and others religious folks pushed out of the Democratic Party, are just as bad. In particular, they are militarists and imperialists. Yet, their ancestors were the victims of an imperial War. I am speaking, of course, of the War Between the States. And before some of you may say it, the Civil War was not fought over slavery or at least not initially. It's ironic to hear neocon radio hosts, who must have some popularity in the South, cite Abe Lincoln's suppression of civil liberties as a precedent for today's war on terror.

Are there any Southerners in the forum who can either support or criticize what I'm saying? I do what to qualify what I've said by saying that I'm speaking generally. And I'm not implying that the rest of the country is any more libertarian than the South.

They are completely brainwashed from the time they are babies by their parents, churches, schools etc. They are taught to think in a certain way and to believe the world is a certain way. As we are seeing from the Iraq war supporters, chickenhawks, the the plain ignorance we have to do our best to get the truth to them and spread the word. Its a technique that requires practice. You have to feed them small pieces at a time or you will scare them and they will ignore you. You have to have proof and references to the things you talk about from what they would consider reliable sources. I have occasionally got through to a few but its hard.
 
Southerners like to fight, it's in their blood. Many are descended from Scots-Irish borderers and they were some of the fiercest warriors in the British Isles. Scottish Highlanders too. The military is a revered institution in the South and that take command from above mindset is always present.

Throw in Dispensationalism and you'll see why RP has his work cut out for him in places like South Carolina.

I don't have a problem with that. The problem is the way the military has been abused in this war and if you get Southerners to see how badly the institution has been damaged, then maybe they will support RP.
 
penn, i stand by my statement and am fully aware of Ron Paul's state of origin...

i believe most of my statements apply to the good dr. as well, though I'm happy to welcome him and a few other yankees (interestingly enough... all of them from pennsylvania, many folks there, I know from experience to be very much those like rural s. texas).

lighten up, learn to laugh.
 
lighten up, learn to laugh.

Oh I was laughing, I did say I was amused.
It has been said of Pennsylvania:
Pittsburgh on one side, Philadelphia on the other, and Alabama in between.
:D
Rural is Rural regardless of region, its the city people who might be uptight, but with good reason, and why I live in the country.
 
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