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I’m a vegan who turned Republican. Here’s an article from a Republican who turned vegan. OK, well, almost vegan. He’ll get there.

Read the article: Rise Up, Vegan Republicans!

Yes, I know what you’re thinking – you’re either vegan or you’re not. But he is going vegan the same way I initially went vegetarian. I said I would eat vegetarian unless my dad was making me dinner. It’s called a transition period. So give the guy a break, and the benefit of the doubt, and read the article for the interesting points that he raises.

Here’s an excerpt:

Cultural anecdote two: “You can be a Republican who eats a vegan diet, but you can’t be a vegan and a Republican. Vegans value the sanctity of life, which is in conflict with Republican values.” So said a poster named Bart on vegsource.com. Bart was adding to his thread called “vegan ideas and info are a threat to corporations, hence a threat to the GOP, hence Bush allows spying on vegans.”

I hadn’t noticed spy cams at my local Whole Foods in Los Altos, Calif., so I will be sure to glance up next time I’m inspecting the arugula. President Bush’s successor, we know, is both pro-arugula and pro-Patriot act. Surely that conflict is cleaving President Obama’s very soul. Bart could be right; the spy cams might still be up there.

Our land in Panama

Several years ago, in response to insane real estate prices and ever-decreasing civil liberties, my partner and I decided to do something drastic: leave the United States. I found an online resource called Escape from America magazine, which offered information on other countries across the globe to which Americans were relocating. We chose Boquete, a beautiful town in the mountains of Panama. Perhaps a bit impulsively, we bought some land there. 4 years later, we’re still here in the U.S., albeit in the mountain city of Asheville which suits us much better than Seattle.

I often hear friends talk about leaving the country “if the shit hits the fan”. And I admit, it is nice to know that I could escape to Panama and pitch a tent on my land if I really needed to. But when I really think it through, I have to conclude that if things did go crazy (and maybe they already have?) that the U.S. is exactly where I want to be.

If you read survivalist or self-sufficiency books and websites, most of them will tell you that the most important thing to get you through a long-term crisis is a community of trusted neighbors and friends. Who is the first to be targeted when times get tough? Foreigners, outsiders. That is not a unique feature of Americans. That is a common human trait throughout the world. Move to another country and when the chaos spreads there, you will then be the outsider.

And you can’t just show up in a new country, bags in hand, and expect to be allowed to stay. Panama, for instance, only allows you to stay for 90 days at a time. Most expats get around this by taking their passport to Costa Rica every 90 days, getting it stamped, and coming back into Panama. But unless you have a job skill that is rare, you had better have an income stream. Panama will not allow you to work without a work visa, in order to protect jobs for their own citizens.

There are plenty of great reasons to move abroad and plenty of places that welcome Americans, including Panama. It would be a wonderful place to live and we may still end up there one day. And I am sure that at this point, there are other countries which have far better economic opportunities than we now have here in the U.S. I am only suggesting that moving abroad because it is safer from an unknown future difficulty is not necessarily the smart move.

Instead, we changed our focus to where/how could we best enjoy a good quality of life here in the United States. Asheville has a mild climate in summer and winter, which means you can grow food just about all year long. It is protected by the mountains from most natural disasters. And the people here are absolutely wonderful. In 4 years of living in Seattle (13 years for John), we were not able to build the strong community of friends that we gained here in just our first year.

We’re building our little homestead in Asheville and building up an invaluable community of people. We have no intention of going anywhere any time soon.

Bacevich is a breath of fresh air. Wouldn’t it be nice if people like this guy were on the ballot? Go to the Bill Moyers Journal website to watch part 1 and part 2 of this interview with Andrew Bacevich.

Bacevich suggests that, as a country, we keep looking outward for the causes of our problems when we should instead be looking inward. Just goes to show that we really do get the government we deserve. As individuals, we tend to do the very same thing. Our government is a direct reflection of who we are.

I have not been involved with Republican politics for very long, so take this report for what it’s worth.

When I first started meeting Republicans in this area, Ron Paul was regarded as something of an absurd anomaly. If they didn’t come right out and laugh at him or insult him, it was only because they knew there were Ron Paul supporters in the room and they were trying to be polite.

In the last couple of weeks, that attitude has changed somewhat. It still seems to be a widely held opinion that Ron Paul’s foreign policy is either “crazy” or “scary”. But now, when people say Ron Paul’s name (which they do surprisingly often) they follow it up with, “there are a lot of things I like about Ron Paul.” Or “He really seems to understand our economic problems.” Or, even more interestingly (and I’ve heard this sentiment multiple times), “I may even have to vote for Ron Paul.”

I’m not trying to suggest that the whole GOP is singing Ron Paul’s praises. It isn’t. But his message is starting to get through. Progress is being made. And in a race where most Republicans dislike all of their options and can’t settle on a candidate, there may just be hope for Ron Paul after all.

I’m leaving for New Hampshire tomorrow, as part of Operation Live Free or Die, to help win the first presidential primary for Ron Paul. Staying healthy while traveling for 9 days is a challenge under any circumstances. A vegan health nut staying healthy in the midst of republicans and libertarians is near impossible. I’ve only ever done this successfully for a couple of days, but I’m convinced it can be done longer term with a little preparation.

I will need to bring snacks and supplements that require no preparation, pack up small, and can make it through airport security. Here is what I have come up with for my trip.

Raw energy bars: I made these myself and dumped in whatever I had around that looked nourishing. They contain sprouted buckwheat, sprouted quinoa, apple, pear, ground flax seeds, barley grass powder, and a hint of vanilla. I also made a second batch with shredded coconut, cacao (raw chocolate) powder, and maca powder, for some extra energy in the morning. These taste absolutely horrible, by the way, but I can eat just about anything if I know it’s good for me.

Manna bread: This sprouted grain bread is very nutritious and very dense. I can break off a chunk for a satisfying snack.

Greens+ Chocolate Energy Bars: I am very addicted to these and have never been able to stop myself from eating them when I buy more than one. I bought 9 for my trip and will attempt to limit myself to 1 bar per day. It will be an interesting experiment. I know it’s really just another candy bar, but it’s very healthy as candy bars go: no sugar, no gluten, high fiber, high protein, and alkaline.

Also included in my travel stash are some supplements: Probiotics, MSM, B12 tablets, and noni pills, to keep my immune system working at full capacity. I’m also bringing along some digestive enzymes for those times when I have to eat some less than ideal food.

Some extra good news is that I will be staying with another vegan Ron Paul supporter, which is amazing luck, and there will be plenty of good produce and snacks in town. But I won’t be able to eat the same healthy meals I normally make at home, like my daily green smoothies, and I’m sure to be stuck without many food options at some point during my trip. I am hopeful that this nutrient-packed foods will keep me healthy and energized on the Ron Paul 2008 campaign trail.

If you haven’t been a Republican for the past decade or so, there is a good chance that you regard the GOP as the root of all evil; forever on the side of corporate greed, marching the country into perpetual war based on lies, and cramming Jesus down every last heathen’s throat. But if you look at the history of the Republican Party it is supposed to stand for smaller government, lower taxes, and personal responsibility. That may or may not be your idea of good government, but it certainly is not an evil point of view.

At least in the time that I’ve been old enough to vote, the Republican Party has been hijacked by big spender, big government, social conservatives. We have a party that says it is OK to borrow billions of dollars from China in order to finance the “War on Terror” but America is doomed if homosexuals get married or if cancer patients smoke a little marijuana. Not a great set of priorities. What to do?

One possibility is to flock to the Democratic Party. We can vote them into office, en masse, and they will get us out of the war and stop the tyranny of the Bush administration. Oh, wait, we did that already, and the Democrats didn’t do jack squat. They voted to renew the Patriot Act (that means you, Obama, Clinton, and Edwards), they continue to fund the war, and they won’t even discuss impeachment. OK, so now what?

Take back the Republican Party. Get involved. In many counties, the GOP is in a sorry state. They desperately need volunteers. They need precinct chairmen, they need help at the polling stations, and they need members to just show up at events and meetings. Become a delegate. If you’re a “Ron Paul Republican,” don’t feel like you aren’t welcome in the GOP. If you believe that the federal government should be fiscally conservative and limited in its authority over local governments and individuals, then you are a Republican.

Complaining about how the GOP has been hijacked doesn’t help. Just like any organization, the GOP is only as good as its active members. So get active. Go in with a genuine interest in rebuilding a strong, honest party that truly represents what the people want.

If the Republican Party is not for you, get involved with the Democratic Party. They are going down like a sinking ship too, now that they’ve proven themselves to be such a disappointment. They could use some help getting back on the right track. No matter what your political bent, I think we can all agree that it’s about time we have a choice between the greater of two goods, rather than the lesser of two evils.

Does anything compare to the ingenuity, enthusiasm, and hard work that Ron Paul has inspired in his supporters? Every time I think the grassroots has had its grandest hour, they go and do something even more crazy and awe-inspiring. Initially, it was mostly a whole lot of clever videos, songs, and blog posts about Ron Paul. Supporters, including myself, couldn’t stop seeking out online media to learn more about the candidate and his chances of winning. Lately, the effort has shifted into massive real world projects that would never be remotely possible for supporters of any other candidate to achieve (although they do occasionally try). Here is a list, in no particular order, of efforts that have made my jaw drop. In many cases, I believed the goal was set too high and failure was certain, but I have been proven wrong every time.

• November 5th Money Bomb – This legendary fundraiser changed the corporate media’s attitude toward Ron Paul overnight, raising well over $4 million dollars in one day. The official campaign didn’t need to do a thing.
• Operation Live Free or Die – Hundreds of people are taking time off of work to go to freeze their butts off in New Hampshire, so that every voter in the state knows who Ron Paul is, and what he’s about. It’s hard to get people to leave their homes for a couple of hours even to attend a potluck. But for Ron Paul, they are willing to leave home for days or weeks at a time to get him elected. The organizer quit his cushy job at Google to coordinate the effort. Others have quit their jobs to participate.
• Tea Party – Not only does it look like the December 16th money bomb will be significantly bigger than the first one, it has also turned into a massive publicity event in Boston, where volunteers are expected to travel from all around to reinact a modern version of the Boston Tea Party, this time dumping the IRS, the Fed, the Iraq War, and any number of other unconstitutional federal programs into the harbor.
• Ron Paul Blimp – I’m sorry, the what??? A blimp! Awesome. Ron Paul supporters must agree because they have already given $135,000 to pay for this effort. They need to collect $200,000 by midnight on Friday so make sure you send in your money ASAP.
• Granny Warriors – These dedicated ladies painted their RV up with Ron Paul messages and have taken it all over the country to campaign for Ron Paul over the last year. They barely see their homes because they travel so much. They have virtually given a year of their lives in support of Ron Paul.
• Ron Paul Love Bug – A supporter in Asheville, NC decorated his beautiful new VW bug with Ron Paul bumper stickers and message decals to help spread Ron Paul’s message wherever he goes. Word has it that he gets a lot of attention, and reactions have generally evolved from curiosity to support.
• Ron Paul Yacht? – I can’t find any pictures, but I hear there was a Ron Paul yacht outside the recent Florida debate. Huckabee is reported to have asked Ron Paul if he arrived on the boat. There was a huge show of support in Florida. Guiliani commented on the large numbers of supporters for Ron Paul.

These are a few examples that spring to mind, but equally inventive efforts are happening all over the country, and in fact, all over the world. Can you imagine groups of Giuliani, Clinton, Romney, Huckabee, or Obama supporters pulling off even one of these endeavors? Several have tried to at least mimic the “money bomb” success, but none have come close. Because, while other candidate may have supporters who think they’d do a good job, Ron Paul has supporters who believe there is nothing more important right now than to get this man elected. The only thing more amazing than what grassroots supporters have done for Ron Paul’s campaign is the slew of imaginative efforts that are bound to follow.

Did I leave off your favorite Ron Paul grassroots effort? Let everyone know about it in the comments section.

Journalists and political pundits have been pulling groundless election predictions out of their butts left and right. I want in on the game. Bear with me while I give some background up to my prediction. If you are impatient, you can skip right to the point, bolded for your convenience, at the end of this article.

Ron Paul’s November 5th money bomb made big headlines, and started a wave of positive reporting as well as some incredibly negative smears stemming from recognition that he is now a serious contender with a lot of enthusiastic support. Judging from the numbers reported on teaparty07.com, it looks like Ron Paul’s December 16th fundraiser will be significantly bigger, possibly breaking all one-day fundraising records.

If the current trend continues, I have no doubt that many media outlets will become even more respectful of Ron Paul’s candidacy, and the conversations will evolve from whether or not Ron Paul will effect the race for the “first tier” candidates to whether or not he can win primaries. It’s already starting to shift in that direction, and it will have to continue if Ron Paul brings in another $5 million or more in one day.

But the important point of my prediction is about how the mainstream media will handle the “money bomb” attempts by supporters of other presidential candidates. In case you missed it, supporters of several other candidates have tried to outdo Ron Paul’s $4.38 million fundraising day, believing that if Ron Paul’s tiny band of lunatics can raise that kind of cash, then certainly their candidates, with such high percentages in the polls, can do even better.

Obama’s supporters had Barack’s Friday. 132 people pledged to contribute $100 on November 16th. When the day came, 72 people contributed a total of $4650. November 20th is Mike Huckabee’s big fundraising day. He has done significantly better with over 200 pledges and has raised over $110,000 as of this posting. Not bad. Perhaps the most embarrassing “money bomb” is Fred’s Giving Day, organized for Fred Thompson. So far, he has the smallest number of pledges, just 76, and the big day is tomorrow.

Dennis Kucinich supporters are also trying to raise some cash for the Democratic candidate, who has been continuously marginalized by the mainstream media. With more than 3 weeks to go, nearly 350 pledges have already come through. That far exceeds the levels of support shown for every other candidate, with the exception of Ron Paul. It would be unfair to dismiss Kucinich’s candidacy on the basis of low fundraiser numbers without also dismissing Obama’s or Thompson’s candidacy for their even lower numbers, right?

My prediction is this: On December 16th, when the mainstream media is in a frenzy over Ron Paul’s second record-breaking fundraiser, they will take the opportunity to ridicule Kucinich for falling far short of Ron Paul’s success, while making absolutely no mention of the other candidates who fared much worse and who truly have little or no serious grassroots support. This not only gives them the opportunity to belittle Kucinich, which they love to do, but it also allows them to keep Ron Paul in the “fringe candidate” category, rather than compare him, favorably, to the “first tier” candidates. Honest candidates, such as Kucinich and Paul, are always labeled “unelectable” by the mainstream media.

I am obviously a supporter of Ron Paul. But I am also a supporter of honest reporting and fair elections, which I think go hand-in-hand. The media’s manipulation of the news and the presidential debates, would be comical in its predictability, if it were not such an important part of our democracy. If I am right on December 16th, then I can pat myself on the back and tell all my friends how smart I am. If I am wrong, I can do what all of these other political wonks do – take comfort in knowing that in this internet age, where political opinions are a dime a dozen, no one will remember or care that I ever made this prediction in the first place.

Growing up, I was proud to be an American. We were the land of the free and the home of the brave. We helped when others were in need. We were always the good guys and we protected the underdog. I don’t know if it was true, but that’s how I felt.

By the time I graduated college, I was sufficiently cynical that I no longer took particular pride in our country and certainly had little faith in our government to do anything right, but I wasn’t exactly ashamed of being an American either. It’s just that the shine had worn off for me.

When 9-11 happened, and the world came together in sorrow and prayer for our country, I was reminded of the country I loved as a child.

The Bush administration, with the continued help of the Congress, squandered all that good will by starting a war under false pretenses with a country that had nothing to do with 9-11. Traveling around the world has become dangerous or at least uncomfortable for Americans because of the arrogance of our government. After Bush’s re-election in 2004, I can honestly say I felt genuine shame about this country. I’ve thought many times about moving over seas and giving up on The United States entirely.

Today, for the first time in well over a decade, I feel genuine American pride after watching the video, The Strasbourg Tea Party – Europe for Ron Paul, embedded below. It shows nations across the Atlantic looking upon Americans as an inspiration and as an example worthy of being followed. I am not a weepy person, but my eyes actually teared up watching it. I feel so proud to be an American today because of what these freedom-loving Europeans have seen in us. I’ve got my Constitution and Declaration of Independence up on my mantle so I won’t again forget what my country stands for.

I’m not too proud to admit it – In the 2000 election, I supported Nader. In 2004, at least for the primary, I voted for Kucinich. Obviously, most others did not. Interestingly, very few people argued with me about their political platforms. The largest obstacle to getting these long shots elected was that people didn’t want to waste their vote on a candidate who couldn’t win. Even in Texas, where I lived during the 2000 election, and where Bush was guaranteed a victory, liberals would not support Nader because they didn’t want to “steal votes” from Gore. The Ron Paul presidential campaign is very different in that literally no one who supports him worries about taking votes from another candidate.

When people hear Ron Paul speak and are inspired to support him, they do so emphatically. They tend to come to the immediate conclusion that all the other candidates are entirely unacceptable because they don’t defend the most sacred of American documents, the Constitution.

It is difficult to accuse Ron Paul of stealing votes because he pulls from all political groups. Liberal hippies, gun enthusiasts, registered libertarians, brand new voters, “old guard” republicans, and the previously apathetic, are all flocking to Ron Paul. So which campaign could possibly argue that he is stealing their votes and guaranteeing the other side a victory?

Some Ron Paul supporters are sure he will win. Some are sure he has no chance. And many others believe it’s possible with a lot of hard work. But the key is that his chances of winning are completely irrelevant to the supporters’ enthusiasm and dedication to getting him elected. No one is concerned about wasting votes because Ron Paul isn’t just the best candidate in their eyes – he is the only candidate.

Whoever the powers are who “anoint” the front-runner candidates, they have made a serious miscalculation in attempting to undermine Ron Paul’s campaign and relegate him to fringe status. It has not discouraged people from supporting his candidacy. On the contrary, it has inspired tens of thousands of people to work harder than they ever have to get the word out about Ron Paul. People who have never given more than a vote to a political campaign are now giving as much time and money as they can spare, toward both official and unofficial activities. You can be that not a single one will be staying home on election day.