RE: "I wouldn't worry too much about libertarians being ridiculed.
Remember the old saying, "He who laughs last, laughs best."
That's fine if your goal is for YOU to be prepared to crawl into YOUR
bunker and protect YOUR relatively insignificant backside. If, on the
other hand, one's goal is to try to educate and convince others of the
wisdom of the noble and just cause (in this case, Ron Paul's candidacy
and principles), and by doing so to advance the cause in a peaceful
(gasp!) and non-threatening (gasp!) manner for the benefit of all,
then such an attitude is particularly selfish, juvenile, and
counterproductive. It's the sort of rationale the preachers use on
their subjects: "If you don't do what I tell you you ought to do
(including sending me your money), then you're going to burn, baby,
burn! And, I'll have the last laugh.
___________________________________________________________________
That is simply a ridiculous mischaracterization of what I wrote. But, not only will I suggest that individuals arm themselves and prepare to defend their life, liberty and property, but I will stand up and loudly say a lot of other libertarian sounding things which you would probably consider "selfish, juvenile and counterproductive". Things like: legalize all drugs, legalize prostitution, legalize polygamy - including gay polygamy!, eliminate laws against drunk driving, eliminate public schools. I can think of a lot more things which we need to educate and convince others are wise and noble an just.
I have threatened no-one and have no intention of doing anything which is other than peaceful. As far as your "preacher" analogy, I have no problem telling people that if they don't do things in a certain way, certain consequences will follow. For instance, I told a lot of people that if they didn't vote for Ron Paul, their lives would soon be going to hell in a handbasket; they didn't and the handbasket is on the delivery truck.
___________________________________
It is quite striking to me how many "Christian" folk, particularly in
this buckle of the bible belt, are so (1) quick to take up arms
against fellow humans and (2) so focused on preserving their own
little pitiful kingdoms and progratives, at the expense of the common
good, when the two are in apparent conflict. These traits remind me
of those I associate with the criminals who use up oxygen in public
buildings in Washington DC.
______________________________________________________________________
1) I, for one, am not "quick to take up arms against fellow humans" and I always urge everyone to use considerable restaint before doing so. I went out Friday and shot over 300 rounds of ammunition; I never pointed a gun in the direction of any fellow human (and one guy really, really pissed me off), I never even used "silhouette" targets. But I am quick to remind everyone that it is their responsibility to protect their life, liberty and property and that of their families. As an anarchist, I am continually urging people not to turn this fundamental responsiblity over to a government monopoly.
2) There can be no "conflict" between personal "kingdoms and perogatives" and "the common good" because "the common good" doesn't exist. Libertarians do not believe in socialist notions such as "the common good". It is such notions as "the common good", not individual liberty, private property and self protection, which breed those criminals in Washington DC that you profess to have so much disdain for. The only "common good" that exists is the maximization of personal liberty, private property and personal responsibility.
Rocky
