Category Archives: Transhuman News

The steadfast libertarian captain, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, is bidding farewell to Congress and has a call-to-arms for his legions of tech-savvy followers: The Internet is the savior of liberty. The internet will provide the alternative to the government/media complex that controls the news and most political propaganda. This is why its essential that the internet remains free of government regulation, he said, in his farewell address. After 23 years in Americas most esteemed body [Pointless editorializing], Paul is leaving his work to a vocal minority of small government digital warriors.

I have thought a lot about why those of us who believe in liberty, as a solution, have done so poorly in convincing others of its benefits, he admitted. History has shown that the masses have been quite receptive to the promises of authoritarians which are rarely if ever fulfilled.

More importantly, he says, reversing a downward spiral depends on accepting a new approach.

The solution, he implies in the sober note, are digital tools that can substitute for government services. Perhaps in a strange irony, Pauls Republican colleagues have embraced the philosophy. Because technology has the potential of making government more efficient, less expensive to run, and more accountable, its not surprising that the Republicans are ahead of the Democrats in the use of technology in governing, said Andrew Rasiej, publisher of Tech President.

Republican oversight Chairman, Darrell Issa, for instance, has proposed a bill to make federal spending transparent and traceable, through the DATA act. Majority Leader Eric Cantor has experimented with a direct democracy online tool for reducing government programs, YouCut, which allows citizens to vote down programs through SMS voting.

On a more local level, governments have begun cooperating with volunteer civil programmers, or hacktivists, to design cheaper and more efficient solutions. In San Francisco, hackers solved the citys ongoing need for a public transportation software infrastructure.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has every intention of spending a few years and untold dollars creating its own, more robust version of the tool. But the team hacked together the basic parameters of the SMART Muni app in a 48-hour stretch in late July, fueled by pizza and beer, wrote the San Francisco Chronicle.

Technology substitution still exists as a relatively fringe idea by the geekier members of government, but is steadily growing support in high places.

Thus, in the-ever optimistic style that is Ron Paul, he concluded, If you find this to be a worthwhile message, spread it throughout the land.

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Ron Paul ’s Farewell Address: The Internet Can Stop Big Government

Libertarian icon and three-time presidential hopeful Ron Paul delivered his final address on the House floor Wednesday, admitting that while he sees little progress in favor of his defined cause of freedom, he sees a chance the tide can turn as he steps away from Congress.

Paul, a Republican who leans heavily toward libertarianism and has served Texas 22nd District intermittently since 1976, admitted that according to conventional wisdom, his tenure on Capitol Hill has accomplished very little.

No named legislation, no named federal buildings or highways thank goodness. In spite of my efforts, the government has grown exponentially, taxes remain excessive and the prolific increase of incomprehensible regulations continues, Paul said. Wars are constant and pursued without congressional declaration, deficits rise to the sky, poverty is rampant and dependency on the federal government is now worse than any time in our history.

PHOTOS: 2016 presidential possibilities

Paul painted a portrait of a country with no loot left to divvy up, approaching a fiscal cliff much bigger than the one looming Jan. 1 and impending authoritarianism. Doom accompanied gloom in spades, with Pauls frustration with his inability to stem what he sees as the constriction of freedom evident as he spoke.

Its rare to find a member of Congress speaking from the floor and condemning the nations trajectory over the last century, accusing the populace of becoming beguiled by endless wealth, but there Paul was.

As long as most people believed the material abundance would last forever, worrying about protecting a competitive productive economy and individual liberty seemed unnecessary, he said.

The only solution Paul sees, as he makes a transition from lawmaker to figurehead, is an intellectual awakening, one that hearkens back to the founders views on civil liberties and eschews what Paul sees as the collusion between Democrats and Republicans.

Everyone claims support for freedom. But too often its for ones own freedom and not for others. Too many believe that there must be limits to freedom, Paul said. They argue that freedom must be directed and managed to achieve fairness and equality, thus making it acceptable to curtail, through force, certain liberties.

PHOTOS: Reactions to Obama's victory

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Ron Paul calls for 'love,' 'free market economics' in final address

In this Aug. 28, 2012, file photo, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, arrives on the floor at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.

Ron Paul is leaving the House of Representatives with a roar.

"Our Constitution, which was intended to limit government power and abuse, has failed," the Texas Republican said in what he described as probably his last speech on the House floor before he retires this year. "The founders warned that a free society depends on a virtuous and moral people. The current crisis reflects that their concerns were justified."

Paul's libertarian views captured the imagination of many voters, especially young people, in his unsuccessful bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. He returned to some of his favorite campaign themes in his House speech Wednesday and summarized much of his political philosophy.

[READ: Ron Paul Won't Go Quietly]

"All branches of our government today are controlled by individuals who use their power to undermine liberty and enhance the welfare/warfare state, and frequently their own wealth and power," Paul said.

He added: "If it's not accepted that big government, fiat money, ignoring liberty, central economic planning, welfarism, and warfarism caused our crisis, we can expect a continuous and dangerous march toward corporatism and even fascism with even more loss of our liberties."

Paul, 77, says he will continue spreading his message in a series of speeches on college campuses after he leaves Congress.

[PHOTOS: Republican Candidate Ron Paul]

His son, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, is expected to pick up where his father left off and possibly run for president in 2016.

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Ron Paul Rips Government in Last House Speech

Rep. Ron Paul's farewell to Congress, which took place a short time ago, is worth seeking out online to watch.

We have, for the past five years, occasionally devoted this space to issues regarding the Texas Republican, most of the time arguing that he has been unfairly marginalized because much of what he says isn't comfortable to hear - even if we happen to think it's true.

He was marginalized by his own party because he was always his own man. He was marginalized by the media because he was marginalized by his party and because he wasn't hesitant to use new media to drive his message and his fundraising. The salt in the wound was that the approach was effective.

The problem is that Paul cleaves closer to the ideals upon which the nation was founded - that the individual, not the government, is paramount. There are many who understand that to be the truth, but they are helpless against a government that has long overstepped its bounds and for whom individual rights are inconveniences to be shaved whenever possible in order to expand that government's power.

And we Americans have long let government get away with it, because the lockstep assurance from those sitting in the political chairs is that such actions are in our best and the nation's best interests.

But Ron Paul has repeatedly stood up and said, "not necessarily so," which has for long years been our stance as well.

We'll let him say a few things now:

"Many are now acknowledging that a financial crisis looms, but few understand it is, in reality, a moral crisis. It's the moral crisis that has allowed our liberties to be undermined and permits the exponential growth of illegal government power," Rep. Paul declared on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

"If it's not accepted that big government, fiat money, ignoring liberty, central economic planning, welfarism, and warfarism caused our crisis we can expect a continuous and dangerous march toward corporatism and even fascism with even more loss of our liberties."

Paul never much worried about rankling his fellows in Congress, but this is gloves-off, riding-into-the-sunset artillery fire.

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Ron Paul makes last call for freedom in farewell to Congress