Ron Paul at USC

First let me say that it was a lovely day, warm but with a breeze. I had never seen the USC campus before, and it's nice in a socal way, with lots of open space. Two quads later I and two Silverlake rockers find Tommy Trojan. I took pictures, but have yet to find the cable for the camera. (what, me cellphone?)

Also, pretty girls in the sunshine is always nice, more on that later.

I called the core crowd at about 200, with maybe 1-200 more surrounding. Many signs, but there can never be enough, folks. For me one big surprise was G. Edward Griffin on the scene to give the 4 minute intro, coining his 11 word soundbite (IIRC) "there is only one hope for America, that is Ron Paul." I was pleased to see that many knew who Griffin was, which leads me to believe that Jekyll Island is penetrating some diverse demographies. More on THAT in a later post.

The crowd was loud in a good way. We chanted and cheered when he arrived, and then shut right up, because we're polite and knew he only had a short time. Very un-mob-like, which largely explains my presence there: to check up on your asses. Ron, of course, ad libbed the whole thing, covering his platform in a very stream of consciousness manner. Good thing he knows what he's talking about, and good thing we do too, because sometimes you take the scenic route to your point, Sir. I think I want to write speeches for you, but I don't really want you "making speeches" per se. That too will be a later post.

Considering USC, I wasn't surprised that civil liberties vis a vis state's rights was a big cheer. Troops home was too, and I ask: do we forget how old the grunts really are? No wonder college campuses are antiwar, right? But I was impressed with how well the crowd understood economics and law, or at least civics. He segued from general "keep the government out of your lives" to "and out of your bodies," and I was pleased to see the smart and presumably liberated girls get the message -- it's YOUR rights, not the states and not the feds. You own your body, it is your property, it is your right to use it as you please, and no-one may infringe that right, under penalty of law. Got it? Good. Yours. I ALSO happen to think a viable fetus has rights to ITS property, as does Dr. Paul, but we'll leave that aside.

Now, as Paul's positions are unwavering, his shorter speeches are highly, ahem, consistent. Let's switch to broader ideas.

Back to the girls. Females made about 30-40% of the crowd, many were college to grad school aged, but the 30-45 age group was representing too. And of course there were plenty of activist elders from Reagan's California. But it's you ladies who can make or break this election. We need to excise the institutional socialism, and frankly girls, they've got you by the proverbial balls. Shit, you're PLENTY liberated to learn Austrian economics and critical thinking. And you're as screwed as I am if we don't get the crazy alpha MALES out of power. I have no problem with a woman president, if her name is Ronita Paul -- that is, if she's a strict constitutionalist. NO problem, ladies. That females who are not college students made a healthy showing is a very good sign. Females who ARE college students, what the hell are they teaching you there, that you show up at a Ron Paul rally? Libertarianism? I presume you learned stuff like that out of the classroom.

The crowd dispersed quickly because we'll just meetup online. On the way out one girl was talking to what I imagined to be a parent about Paul being a classic republican in person. My gosh are there a lot of cellphones on campus. The guy at the gate asked us how it went. A cohort noted that the crowd was "very informed on the issues". Despite the sun, Paul pointed to some dark clouds on the horizon, and the crowd took it on the chin as truth, as something we will need to work very hard to accomplish. He said, "the dollar almost collapsed completely in 79-80, which is why I got into politics in the first place; the situation is much worse now [emphasis his]". Predicting bad things for your presidency is usually not a good way to get elected, but our situation is anything but "usual", by the standard of historical America. I do not think that Dr. Paul will lose too much from stressing the enormity of these issues. Just makes me want to work all the harder.

Paul mentioned that they had expected 50 to show, and I conservatively say 250 heard the whole speech. Ron Paul Radio was broadcasting on location, but unfortunately I had no chance to talk to them. Ron looks healthy and happy, "in the zone" if you will. We're the nicest people in the world and he is too and we recognize it in each other. He and we are the message of hope and individual freedom to create change, moreso than any since Kennedy's rhetoric. Of course my dream ticket is Jefferson/Henry, and Reagan was a wimp.

The "remnant" is in fact the backbone, I said the other day. I question whether all the liars and cheaters and slackers in the world could ever dislodge us from this continent. Whether the minarchist proof could ever be denied.

In the face of the onslaught that is the future of technology, anything but a free market of ideas is impossible. Statism is dying, and must die, for us to evolve. We were born truly free they say, we should live and die truly free.