by Michael Boldin

This entry is part of the "Who's Your Candidate" series.

A lifelong non-voter, the 2008 election campaign has compelled me to action.  I couldn't imagine our country in a worse state; two undeclared and immoral wars, a dollar that's more and more worthless every day, a government that lies to us and spies on us, habeas corpus suspended, prisoners tortured, and on, and on....and on.

But, my love of liberty has seen a glimmer of hope - and that's in the message of Ron Paul.  Initial thoughts on his campaign remind me of the words of Murray Rothbard:

...short-run optimism, being unrealistic, leads straightway to disillusion and then to long-run pessimism; just as, on the other side of the coin, long-run pessimism leads to exclusive and self-defeating concentration on immediate and short-run issues....

We've been virtually trained from birth to rely on our politicians for not only our safety, but most everything else.

And they haven't done too well, either. 

Turning this country around from the grip of the centralized two-party beast is not going to be easy, and it's not going to come fast.  

So Rothbard hit the nail on the head - we can neither expect too much too soon, nor give up hope for the future.  Both will give us the same result.  Tyranny.

In the past century, how many politicians have had the moral principle and the courage to talk about ending the income tax, shutting down our overseas military empire, and stopping the brutal drug war?  This movement that some are calling the "Ron Paul Revolution" is merely the beginning of a long struggle for our freedom. 

I don't know how long it will take, but we're definitely on our way.

John Adams clearly understood this concept when he commented on what he felt was the true meaning of the American Revolution:

The Revolution was effected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations. This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution.

What does all this mean? 

In determining our future, we have a clear choice.  Should we continue down the path we are on today?  Should we continue on this path of empire, with massive standing armies, hundreds of overseas bases, foreign wars and sanctions?  Should we continue our foreign policy which creates hatred in millions and millions of people; thus making you a target of their retaliation?  Should we continue down the path of ever-growing taxes and regulations, as well as the endless loss of liberty that always comes with empire? 

Or, should we change direction?  Should we create a society where government is strictly limited from invading our rights and other nations too?  Should we build a society where freedom and prosperity reigns?

I, for one, choose the path to liberty, and Ron Paul's campaign makes it clear that I'm not alone.

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