Ron Paul And Anarchism: Conclusion

In the first post of this series I discussed the anarchist/minarchist divide in libertarianism. In the second post I made my argument that Ron Paul is a voluntarist (or at the very least a minarchist on the anarchist fringe). In my third post I discussed Lew Rockwell and his counter-productive, anarcho-capitalist influence on Ron Paul's campaign. In this post I will explain why I am voting for Ron Paul despite these anarchist tendencies and influences. My explanation will be short and sweet.

People who oppose Ron Paul  fall into one of several categories:

1. Money Grubbers -- These people are apolitical or military or Washington insiders of virtually all political stripes and parties. What unites them is their dependency on big government for their pot of gold. They work in government as bureaucrats, politicians and staff. They work for government as contractors or consultants. They work through government as lobbyists or academic grant-seekers and subsidy receivers. They work by the grace of government as toadies and cronies who enjoy government largesse.  They are extremely happy with the status quo and, if they think at all about Ron Paul, they scratch their heads and wonder why anyone would choose not to ride on the gravy train too.
2. Snobs -- These people have a category all their own because they are mainly in the political game for status and power. Some may double as Money Grubbers, but would never, ever see themselves so. These people feel lording over others is their birthright. They feel they deserve power because they've earned it through a costly education at Harvard or Yale and through generations of blue-blood breeding. They've probably never heard of Ron Paul and, if they do, they turn up their noses or snicker.
3. Crusaders -- Commonly known as the religious right, these people rule their lives by their religious beliefs and they want to rule other people's lives by those same beliefs. Some agree with Ron Paul's economic agenda, but they consider his laissez faire attitude to personal liberty as evil and licentious. They think Ron Paul's foreign policy is the work of the devil.
4. Saber Rattlers -- These people agree with many of Ron Paul's economic proposals. The detest big government except for the military. Not only do they want the US to be second to none militarily, they want the military to project US power to end disputes throughout the world. They see foreign relations as a continuous war and they don't want the US to lose it. They're often mercantilists who see trade as a continuous war, and they don't want the US to lose that battle either. They think that at worst Ron Paul is anti-American and at best he is an isolationist whose policies would allow this country to be overrun by hoards of Islamist fundamentalists, Euro terrorists, Chinese peasant capitalists and God knows what else.
5. Poll Watchers -- These people oppose anyone they don't think can win enough votes to be elected to the Presidency. They think Ron Paul is a loser.
6. Loyal Democrats -- No explanation needed.
7. All-in Anarchists -- These people are not only against government, they are against anyone who participates in the process of government, which includes voting. They regard Ron Paul as naive because he thinks the system can be changed from within. They advise simply dropping out.

People who support Ron Paul fall into these categories:

1. Stupid Racists, Homophobes and Anti-Semites -- These are people like David Duke who actually believe Ron Paul is a racist, homophobic anti-Semite, groundless slurs propagated by the main stream press and Ron Paul baiters.
2. Anarcho-capitalist and Voluntarist Libertarians -- These people are willing to participate in politics if it means one of their own could get elected to lead the process of dismantling government.
3. Pacifists -- These people are single issue voters and their single issue is pacifism. They mistakenly interpret Ron Paul's foreign policy as pacifism.
4. Shock Troopers -- These people are patriotic, liberty-loving Libertarians, Republicans and Democrats (yes, there actually might be one or two!) who want to see profound change for the better in this country sooner rather than later. A great deal of these people consider themselves members of the Tea Party. They believe fervently that the United States is on the verge of social and economic collapse. They see our economic and personal freedoms being taken away from us by the proliferation of progressivism in our culture and in our governments (federal, state and local). They believe the only cure is an immediate and potent shock to the root system of the power elite. Some agree completely with Ron Paul's political philosophy and recommended policies. Some have major disagreements with one or two of his policies but feel the need for the shock treatment outweighs their disagreements. They know that, if by some miracle Ron Paul is elected and allowed by the power elite to serve, that -- contrary to mainstream opinion -- the sky will not fall on America or the world. They know Ron Paul loves the principles upon which our founders built this country. They know he will abide by the Constitution he has faithfully and literally served and defended in Congress, and that he will do what is required to defend this great nation from actual foreign attack. But these people know more than anything else that if the entrenched ruling elite is going to be defeated, the man leading the charge must not be and must not have been a member of that ruling elite. He must not be wishy-washy or tentative or palsy-walsy with Wall Street and its cronies. His must not have the faux courage the comes with pragmatic opportunism or political advantage. He must have the true, steely-eyed courage that comes from within, from principles etched in his heart by a lifetime of believing in property, freedom and peace. He must be a Doctor No!

I am a Shock Trooper and proud of it.

Vote for Ron Paul!