The Flow of Consciousness

I had an interesting dream last night. I dream most nights–in full color and sound, like a movie– but most dreams aren’t worthy of blog posts. This one is.

Obviously, I’ve embellished a little in my written account of it, but the scene and events would tell everything themselves if I could pull the images from my head and put them on YouTube like something out of the first Final Fantasy movie.

The setting was St. Patrick’s Day, sometime in the future by several years. Some friends, Brigette, and I walked into a bar. By the looks of it, it was probably Villa or the Crane Room, but that doesn’t matter. The door was tiny, like it was a ’20s speakeasy trying to be discreet.

The bouncer asked for our ID and our “(something)s”. It sounded like “privates” or “privies” or something like that. “Priv” something. Everybody produced not only their drivers licenses, but another card, as well. We showed them to the bouncer as we passed him, continuing in to enjoy the evening.

Finding no room to sit near the back like we prefer, we found a table very close to the front and within earshot and sight of the bouncer. We got our drinks and carried on.

Every now and then, someone would come in, show their ID to the bouncer, look really pissed off when the bouncer said something, turn around, and walk out of the bar. Sometimes a really drunk, attractive woman would plead with him, or a dude bigger than he would flex and he’d let them in.

I tuned in and listened once to what he was saying to one of the people he turned away.

“Honey, I can’t let you in. Federal law prevents us from serving alcohol to anyone on public insurance. We can’t serve you, and you’re not even supposed to drink. You could go to jail and we could get fined. Sorry, we can’t let you in here without proof that you’re not on public insurance.”

I shook my head and turned back to the conversation. The dream got worse, though.

A few minutes or hours later–it was immediately after in the dream, but who knows how long in the story, a guy in a trenchcoat walked into the bar. The bouncer stood up in front of him, but then the trenchcoat man produced something from his pocket. The bouncer tensed, perhaps thinking it was a gun, but I don’t understand why he didn’t react accordingly. Little did I know that he could see what I couldn’t.

The bouncer stepped aside and the trenchcoat man entered, with approximately four police officers in tow. Some people got quiet, and some people started to get really loud as they quickly tried to disburse.

Trenchcoat man cleared his throat. “Under the authority of the US government, we are federal agents enforcing the Healthy America Act,” he said. “We have evidence that a crime is being committed in this establishment and we have a warrant for search.”

He took of his hat and waved a badge in the air, as if the posse of cops behind him was insufficient proof of his authority and intent.

“We are acting lawfully. Each person must show proof of private health insurance or submit to a sobriety test as the law allows, in order to ensure compliance with the Act. You may recall that it’s illegal to consume alcohol if you rely on Uncle Sam to keep you healthy.”

The bartender made some gestures and left the bar, retreating into a back room with another bartender and a waitress in tow.

The cops started toward the crowd unassumingly. They each pulled out some kind of PDA.

Apparently accustomed to such searches, folks produced their “privies” — a private insurance card — so as not to be subjected to a breathalyzer test and subsequent herding into a paddy wagon. One of the cops and scanned a barcode on each. He walked away after a grunt.

The guys at the table next to us roused the rabble, though and refused to show anything. One screamed loudly about the civil rights and how he should be able to drink in peace without the government asking to see his “license to drink.” He and the others made some gestures and the cop started getting angry. He whipped out a Taser and a bunch of girls not far away screamed.

A mass of people stampeded toward the door. A tiny little door at the front of the bar.

It all went to hell in a handbasket after that. Details unnecessary.

Call my dreaming brain creative. Call it deceptively oversimplified. Call it needlessly worried and say that the government would never do something like that. Call it whatever you like.

I reflect on this dream and wonder if it’s a vision of the future. I make no warrant of clairvoyance. I’m not that type. This is merely a report of a dream I had.

Ron Paul was on KDKA AM 1020 this evening. I took notes as I listened.

The beginning topic was monetary policy, mostly the rampant inflation caused by the Federal Reserve printing more money, thus devaluing the money already in circulation. He clarified that most people think of printing more money as literally printing more money, but the process is actually handled more by computers and the processes by which our economy handles the creation of wealth. An example of this is when the Federal Reserve issues bonds to the government for money which doesn’t exist. This essentially creates money, driving us more into debt, devaluing the dollar, and causing prices to rise.

“We are more likely to destroy the dollar than do the right thing.”

On the new, sweeping changes which give the Federal Reserve oversight of a lot of the mortgage market: “The Federal Reserve is an unconstitutional organization…and we want to give them more power?…We’re moving closer to socialism…actually fascism…” Note: I know very little about the new legislation, so I didn’t understand some of what they were discussing.

“There’s a large number of people who are…now aware, but not fully understanding.” Young people are becoming more aware of the debt the current government is creating. They may not understand it entirely, but they are concerned and they don’t like what they hear.

“This notion that conservatives should always support war is wrong…that Republicans should always support war.” He acknowledges that Republicans who do that often get labeled as the “Blame America First” crowd and made out to be like Jane Fonda.

“I’m in medicine. If we make a mistake, and keep killing people, we acknowledge it and change. I think we’re using the wrong medicine in Iraq, and we need to acknowledge it and change, by pulling out.” [heavily paraphrased]

“Our troops follow the oil wells. 8 years ago…Colombia…made out to be drug war…oil lobby pushed harder…oil wells in Colombia.”

Domestic drilling? “I think that’s a good idea.” “When Texas came into the union, there was almost no government ownership of lands.” The people owned the lands, and they drilled. “Private property solves these problems…In Alaska, everyone owns it; no one owns it.” Nothing gets done.

Host: “In order to accomplish this, you’d have to reverse everything done in the past 40-50 years.” RP: Basically. “My supporters call it the Ron Paul Revolution, but really it’s the revolution started by our forefathers.”

Universal healthcare. “Get the government out of the way; it’s destroyed the private practice of medicine.” “Rules laws and taxes on it.” “Best thing to do is to let people choose, let them take medical expenses out of taxes.” “Idea that government can deliver better healthcare than the private sector is wrong.”

“Have to have priorities….cut back what we do overseas….hundreds of millions of dollars to help AIDs in Africa, and no one actually every sees the money.” Stop all overseas spending, pull the troops home, and take care of our own.

Host: “Congressman, you’re making too much sense.”

Race issue. Racial divide. “Government hasn’t done a very good job…grandest solutions came out of private sector…sports. Government designates people as groups.” How can you have laws which help groups? Libertarians see the individual, and don’t categorize. Affirmative action.

Education. “I don’t like nationalizing anything like education.” It’s something that could be amended into the Constitution. “No authority for federal government to be involved in education.”

Environment. “Local people with property rights, with local regulations, are far more effective…at dealing with pollution…than federal regulations.” ”

Plans for convention. “I have no plans, no intentions [to run third-party]….supporters active in PA…stickin’ by supporters and the chance to really change the country. No reason in the world why Pennsylvanians shouldn’t be able to vote for a true conservative with a constitutional background.

“Changing the course of the country is far more important than winning the election.” [paraphrased]

Host: “What he’s proposing would involve changing the minds of way too many people.” People interpret his distaste for federal control to be a distaste for the topic, e.g. he wants to get rid of the department of Education, so he doesn’t think education is important. This is incorrect thinking. Ron Paul thinks it is of high importance, and that the government can’t possibly know what’s best for everyone.

Callers highlighted the Freedom March on Tax Day and that his honesty is tip-top.

If you can find a recording of it, send it to me and I’ll update the quotes.