SovereignLife/FreedomShift Announcement - 11 December 2007
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I'm not an American. I haven't voted for 10 years.
I don't believe the political process, as its served
up to us, works. We "think" we can control the outcome,
but mostly we can't.
So why would a guy like me still root for a guy in the
USA who thinks he can turn America around?
I'm talking about Ron Paul - US presidential candidate.
Just one reason. He represents ideas, and he is talking
about important ideas regarding freedom. And no matter
what happens, the the ideas he is gaining traction for
will have a life of their own.
And what's making the Paul campaign different is that
these ideas are being taken up by a true revolution -
a mass grassroots movement that started on the internet.
A mass movement that is dazzing all observers with its
innovation, tenacity and sheer entrepreneurial drive.
I applaud them! And I know deep down, that if only
enough people were to rise up - we'd discover that
the criminals who "lead" us are mere ghosts - weak
and pathetic humans not worthy of the role we have
cast them in.
Freedom, as always, is just one decision away.
So when I came across this personal and impassioned
plea from a Ron Paul supporter this morning - I was
so moved that I just HAD to share it with you.
It's written by the guy who recently paid for a full
page advert in USA Today - in support of Ron Paul -
Lawrence Leppard, a venture capitalist and investment
manager from Boston.
If you didn't see that advert, you can get it here:
http://mysite.verizon.net/nathanielyao/USA_Today_final.pdf
I've copied his statement below and urge all or our
US readers (and freedom lovers everywhere) to read it.
Yours in freedom
David MacGregor
Why I Support Ron Paul
by Lawrence W. Lepard
I recently spent a significant sum of money
running a full-page advertisement in USA Today
supporting the candidacy of Ron Paul for
President of the United States. Several people
have asked me why I did it, so I have decided
to explain my reasoning.
I believe that as American citizens we stand
at an important crossroads in history. We are
faced with a very important decision that will
have repercussions for many, many years. We
need to make a decision as to what we want
America to represent, and to become. History
will record the outcome of our decision. If we
blow it, many more innocent people will die,
and history will not be kind. As I say to my
closest friends, I do not want to have to
explain to my grandchildren that I was one of
the "good Germans."
Let me state it clearly. The America that I
grew up in believed in the rule of law, not men.
The America that I grew up in believed in telling
the truth. The America that I grew up in believed
in following Judeo/Christian values, and yet made
room for those of different faiths and backgrounds.
The America I grew up in had a religious flavor,
but we were wary of those who wore their religion
on their sleeves. The America that I grew up in
believed in the golden rule: treat people the
way we would like them to treat us. The America
that I grew up in believed that you did not lie,
cheat or steal. The America that I grew up in
believed in the inherent goodness of most men,
but recognized that evil exists. Nevertheless,
the America that I grew up in did not believe
in an eye for an eye. It believed in protecting
oneself from evil, but in the process of doing
so we were cautioned not to become what we were
protecting against. In short, the America that
I grew up in was a place where one could be
proud of one's country, and thankful to the
men and women who had sacrificed so much in
the past to give us this heritage.
I wake up today as a 50-year-old husband and
father of three, and I wonder where that America
has gone. I see a President who called the U.S.
Constitution "just a goddamned piece of paper."
He replaced a President who blatantly lied to
the American public. Admittedly the lie was
about something that was none of the Public's
business. However, when a country is led by a
liar, it lowers that country's level of
discourse and makes lying seem acceptable.
It is not. Are these the best leaders this
Country can produce? I see that the prior
President's wife running for President with
the attitude that because her husband was
elected, she too deserves to be President.
Says who? Do Americans really believe she
will act in our best interest given all the
money she has received from the military
industrial complex? I see the U.S. involved
in an aggressive undeclared war against a
country that did not represent a threat to
us in any way. Deliberate lies were told to
get this war started. To date the outcome of
this war is that between 100,000 and 1.0
million innocent people have died. These
figures are between 30 and 300 times the
number of people killed in 911. Do two wrongs
make a right? Furthermore, the majority of
the 911 hijackers were Saudis. Not Iraqis.
We are allies with Saudi Arabia and yet Saudi
Arabia is far from being a democracy. Yet we
went to war to create a democracy in Iraq and
set an example for the Middle East. The
hypocrisy is staggering. The mistakes that
were made are criminal. Why anyone believes
one thing that is said by the people who lied
us into this war is a mystery to me. We would
be greeted as liberators. No. Oil revenues
will pay the cost. No. A secular democracy
will emerge and be an inspiration for other
countries. No. The list of misjudgments goes
on an on. If they were a baseball team one would
be forced to wonder "can anyone here play this
game?"
The civilian Iraqis killed by our preemptive war:
were they collateral damage or is that just a
euphemism for murder? Has anyone taken the time
to look at their pictures on the web? I wonder
how their relatives and friends feel about the
United States? I wonder if they are more or
less likely to become terrorists as a result of
the actions of the United States. I see a Country
that has violated the Geneva Conventions. I see
a Country that has violated the Christian doctrine
of "just war". I see a Country that has started
a war that is illegal under international law.
As President Eisenhower said, "Preventive war was
an invention of Hitler. Frankly, I would not
listen to anyone who seriously talked about such
a thing." I see a flock of Presidential candidates,
most of whom voted for this war and many of whom
believe "all options should be on the table" in
dealing with Iran. For those who are not current
on this subject, that language is code for: we
should be prepared to attack Iran with conventional
or nuclear weapons.
Think about that for a moment. Leaders in this
Country are actually talking about using a nuclear
weapon against a country that has not attacked us.
Are they insane? I hear Neocon pundits calling for
the beginning of World War III. I see a Country
that has suspended habeas corpus. I see a Country
that has stripped its citizens of the Constitutional
protections against an overreaching government. I
see a Country that has sanctioned "rendition" which
is just another term for the kidnapping of anyone,
anywhere, throughout the world, and then spiriting
them off to a remote location where they can be
subject to "enhanced interrogation techniques".
Which we are told are not torture. Another lie.
I see a Country that has engaged in torture. Hell,
one leading Presidential candidate wants to "double
Guantanamo" and thinks his son's campaigning for
him is equivalent to serving in the military. Of
course, he got a deferment to avoid serving in
Vietnam. I see a Country where the top advocates
of war have never fought in one. Worse yet, they
sought and obtained deferments when others were
fighting. You cannot make this stuff up. The
irony is incredible. If there is karma in the
world, we are surely screwed.
I see a Country that thinks that it owns and
controls the world. I believe this is ethically
wrong. Furthermore, we cannot afford it, so even
attempting to run the world is pointless. I see
a Country that thinks it should have bases in the
Middle East for the next fifty years. I see a
Country where the dominant political party, the
Neocons, believe the world is a dark and evil
place. I believe the people who feel this way
are projecting their own views onto the rest of
the world. They need therapy. I see a Country that
has adopted the Old Testament view of an eye for
an eye. If we adopt this view we are on the road
to becoming a modern day Pottersville. In short,
I see a Country that has lost its soul. Out of
malfeasance, fear, ignorance, or incompetence we
have implemented the wrong policies and taken the
wrong course. Since this is true, then effectively
the terrorists are winning. God surely has a great
sense of humor. Irony abounds.
Is it possible that America has lost its soul? As
citizens each and every one of us is somewhat
responsible for the acts of our government. All
it takes for evil to flourish is for good people
to do nothing. So, has America lost it soul: yes
or no? I would submit that while the current U.S.
Administration and the vast majority of the Senate
and Congress have lost their souls, the American
people have not. We were lied to. Nearly 70% of
the American population is against this war, and
yet the war goes on. The vast majority of the
American people want peace. People know what is
right, yet the government does the wrong thing.
How can this be? We are supposed to be a government
OF, FOR and BY the People. Are we? What do you think?
Is the government the American people? Does it really
represent the American people? Do you think the U.S.
government should kill innocent Iraqis to make us
safer? Would you advocate killing a man who lives
down the street because you think he might do you
harm in the future, even though he has done nothing
to you yet? Do you think the 2 million dead Vietnamese
citizens died in a cause that was just for either
side? That is what we are about to find out.
I will say it right now, clearly and loud: THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WE HAVE TODAY DOES NOT REPRESENT
ME. I FURTHER BELIEVE THAT IT DOES NOT REPRESENT A
MAJORITY OF AMERICANS. The huge disconnect between
what a majority of this country wants and what our
government is doing is the elephant in the room
that no one will discuss. I cannot in good conscience
condone or support the policies of the Neocons, the
military industrial complex, or the oil industry. I
do not believe in "Full Spectrum Dominance". I do
not believe "We Are The Indispensable Nation". I do
not believe we are "History's Actors." I do not
believe we can "Make Our Own Reality". I do not
believe we should be an Empire. I think we have
great power and military superiority, and that with
these come enormous responsibility. We are a
Constitutional Republic. I do not believe we need
to have strategic influence all over the world. I
believe there is a power higher than my government
and that the Founders drew upon this power when
they drafted the Declaration of Independence and
the U.S. Constitution. We hold these truths to be
self evident, that all men are created equal. That
reads "all men." Not "all Americans." All men have
god given rights. Governments are made to protect
these rights, not destroy them. Until recently, I
believe the American government did a good job of
protecting these rights if you were an American.
For many years now I believe the American government
has used a different standard or play book when
dealing with foreign countries and foreign citizens.
But that is a story for a different essay.
If it sounds like I am mad, then that is right. I
am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore.
(Source: Howard Beale: Network) I am mad that my
money becomes worth less every year because the
Federal Reserve can print money out of thin air. I
am mad that the U.S. Government inflation statistics
are a lie, thanks to Bill Clinton's changing of the
CPI calculation. I am mad that this change and the
Federal Reserve have put the economy on a roller
coaster leading to a boom and bust cycles that
benefit financiers at the expense of the middle
class, retirees and the poor. I am mad that Wall
Street titans and speculators have been rewarded
while savers and honest labor have been punished.
I am mad that honesty is considered quaint and
naïve by the political classes. I am mad at the
arrogance of those who hold power in Washington,
DC. I am mad that the actions of some men in my
Country have taken away the moral high ground
that the U.S. used to occupy. I am mad that my
tax dollars are used for weapons rather than for
peaceful purposes. I do not want the blood of
innocents on my hands. I do not agree with many
of Michael Moore's positions, but his statement
"dude, I want my country back" resonates with me.
I believe that it resonates with a large portion
of the American voter base.
Individual Americans are great people. If 70%
of this country is opposed to the war then there
is still hope. Of course the mainstream media,
the press and the vested industrial and political
interests would have us all believe that we cannot
make a difference. They say we need to listen to
them as they tell us who the next President will
be. We have to choose between the two candidates
they will serve up to us. We are told who the two
front runners are, and we are discouraged from
looking elsewhere. Why bother, they say? No one
else even stands a chance. Maybe so, maybe not.
This time I think they have gone too far. I would
submit that the outcome of this election it is not
so clear. The establishment dam has sprung a leak.
The leak may be small now, but it is growing. It
is growing exponentially. The word is spreading.
The candidates who represent change are moving up.
The candidates who represent the status quo are
moving down (Rudy Guiliani and Hillary Clinton).
Even Rudy is being forced to talk about what a
great religion Islam is in order to soften his
"kill'em all, and let god sort them out message."
The lines could not be more clearly drawn.
Ron Paul's message is clear and beautiful and
true. It resonates with people. You hear it and
you say, "that's right, that's what I believe".
This is why his poll numbers are rising faster
than any other candidate. Yet, the media still
ignores him or treats him poorly. It is beautiful
irony that every attack on him only brings him more
attention as intelligent Americans wonder, "who is
this guy that everyone keeps attacking……I wonder
if there is a reason". They say he cannot win.
They say he is a fringe candidate. They say he
will lose big. I disagree. First, I think there
is a very good chance he will be our next President.
Second, I think he has won, even if he does not win.
Why? Because he has put the Freedom message out
there. It is like a virus. It is spreading. It
cannot be stopped. I believe history will record
the Ron Paul Freedom Movement as a seminal
political event in the history of U.S. politics.
It is an honor to support this man. We should be
so lucky as to have him for our President.
Having said that, we could all help history along
a little bit by supporting the Ron Paul campaign.
My favorite movie is "It's A Wonderful Life." To
me, the message of that movie is that we all make
a difference. Individually, none of us have the
power of the Neocons and the political classes,
but collectively they are supposed to work for us.
If we self -organize and unite, we have them badly
out numbered. They are terrified, believe me on
this. And it is happening. The growth in this
movement is exponential. We can and will win this
struggle. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a
defeatist or is working for the other side. I
ran the USA Today Advertisement because I wanted
to plant a seed and make a difference. WE ALL
MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Every conversation, every person
converted, every e-mail , every effort, it all
counts. The internet is what has made it possible.
What a beautiful thing. The trend is really
changing and it is fun to watch the old guard
struggle as their fortress crumbles.
So what can you do?
Coming up this December 16th we are holding a one
day Fund Raiser for Ron Paul. The last time we did
this over 37,000 people donated $4.3 million
dollars, or an average of $116 per person. That
made this event the largest one day political fund
raiser in history. On December 16th we will raise
even more money. Every contribution counts. Ten
dollars is not too little. Each contribution
represents another American who has said, enough
is enough. I am mad as hell and I am not going to
take it anymore. Think about it, what is freedom
worth? I would submit that it is priceless. If you
care about the future of this Country, I know that
Ron Paul will not let you down. If you care about
our troops, then you must vote for Ron Paul. They
will come home and defend America, not someone
else's country. Ron Paul has more donations from
active military personnel than all the other
candidates combined. Why do you think that is?
Have you heard about it from the Mainstream Media?
I think not.
This is it folks. Once in a lifetime. You will
never see another politician with more integrity,
and a better message or track record. Rarely has
our Country been so far off track. Our Founding
Fathers pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred
honors in order to establish this Nation. Perhaps
we have taken for granted the risk they took and
the sacrifices they made. But we are being called.
We are being tested. How will we answer? Will we
meet the test or will we fail? Each of us makes a
difference.
So what are you going to do? Are you going to be
a Loyalist or a Patriot? Are you going to storm
the ramparts or huddle with the bourgeoisie? Are
you going to stick your neck out or be a turtle.
Americans are brave people. I believe we can set
this country back on the right track and that we
will all be better off for doing so. We can show
the evil men who call themselves Neocons that this
great country will not be hijacked by people who
call themselves Christians but are anything but.
In short, we can say to the two entrenched political
parties: we will not be governed by liars and fools.
You can no longer piss on our leg and tell us it is
raining. The criminal gang which includes Dick
Cheney and the Neocons will be reviled in history
for the actions they have taken and America will
experience a renaissance of Peace, Freedom and
Prosperity.
The danger to our Republic is real-we must act now!
Remember, each one of us makes a difference.
If you agree please support Ron Paul by pledging
to donate to his campaign on December 16th at
http://www.teaparty07.com . Also, please vote for
Ron Paul in your State Republican Primary and
encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.
You can also learn more at http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/index.php
about Ron Paul's positions on the issues that concern
you.
Lawrence Leppard
SovereignLife Enterprises
250/421 Brunswick St
Brisbane, 4006
Australia
--
"Man did not make the earth, and though he had a natural right to occupy it,
he had no right to locate as his property in perpetuity any part of it;
neither did the Creator of the earth open a land-office,
from whence the first title-deeds should issue."
Thomas Paine (Agrarian Justice, 1797)
