Ron Paul, Ralph Nader agree on ‘progressive-libertarian alliance’

More encouraging news regarding what should be (and will, hopefully..) the political direction for 21st Century America. From RawStory. Excerpts:

In this corner, a libertarian, tea party hero who ran several campaigns as a candidate for US president on the Republican ticket. And in that corner, a progressive icon of the left who also ran several campaigns for the US presidency but on the Green Party ticket. One might think the two men, seemingly ideologically opposed to one another, would rather argue than help one another.

However, on Wednesday's broadcast of Freedom Watch on the Fox Business channel, Judge Napolitano sat down for an amiable interview with Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and Ralph Nader to discuss a progressive-libertarian alliance in the 112th session of respective chambers in Congress.(Video courtesy Mox News from Fox News)
And:
"I believe in coalitions," Rep. Paul echoed. "They talk about we need more bipartisanship, and I say we have too much bipartisanship because the bipartisanship we have here in Washington endorses corporatism."

Paul added that he agreed with Nader on a host of issues, such as cutting the US military's budget, ending undeclared US wars overseas, restoring civil liberties and civil rights by dumping from the Patriot Act, and withdrawing from the NAFTA and World Trade Organization agreements.

"I think we should come together and work together, and I think we can," he said, noting that the coalition had previously worked on deficit financing solutions.

This needs to grow and become cohesive, and quick. I hope they understand(and I think they do) that time is of the essence, and the time is now. Now.

The Ends Meet; The Circle Is Complete

Awesome political news: Nader: Progressive-libertarian alliance ‘the most exciting new political dynamic’ in US Hell yeah! Excerpts in italics:

Prepare for the rise of libertarian progressives.

That was the message earlier in the week from trends analyst Gerald Celente, who predicted that the rapid acceleration of wealth into the coffers of the ultra-rich would drive a global youth resistance movement in 2011 and reformat long-held political boundaries.

Longtime American politics gadfly Ralph Nader, a man of many ideas almost diametrically opposed by most libertarian conservatives, said Wednesday that he sees a coming convergence of liberals, progressives and libertarian conservatives in the wake of a worsening financial crisis and dogged partisanship that's put the government into gridlock.

Speaking to Fox Business's libertarian host Judge Napolitano, Nader called these shifting alliances "the most exciting new political dynamic" in the US today.
And:
So how will this left-right alliance begin?

Nader suggested that it already has, thanks to the unity of Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the most conservative and most liberal members of their respective chambers. They've teamed up to propose cuts to the US defense budget, which has long been by far the largest sector of America's annual budget, and to push a more thorough audit of the Federal Reserve, the private central bank which controls America's currency.

And:

"The authentic tea partiers hail from the conservative libertarian wing of the Republican party that has been so disrespected and corporatized by the likes of Bush and Cheney," Nader said. "So here they come into town and they're going to go after a lot of things the Republican establishment is opposed to."

He added that a coming "liberal-conservative connection" will ultimately "draw that distinction between the corporatist and the genuine libertarian conservatives."

And:

"The key thing is when they go after all the bloated corporate welfare subsidies, handouts, give-aways, bailouts -- they're going to alienate all these corporate Republicans, but they don't care," he said. "The one's I'm talking about, in the House and Senate, they operate on principle. They don't care if they're overruled, if they don't get the monuments or the freebies. They operate on principle and they're going to make an alliance with the liberal progressives."

So.. When can you guys start work?

This could be an amazing development. I'm thrilled it's happening. Politicians standing on principle? This is the most hopeful, optimistic story we've had in 2011, and maybe all year. Maybe we can turn this catastrophe around, averting disaster at the last second. Not likely. More likely? We can prepare for this upcoming crash, navigate the simultaneous insanity(s) resulting from such a crash, successfully rebound from said insanity(s), and we can become a stronger nation, and a more perfect union. To paraphrase Clif over at halfpasthuman; Learning to fall can save our lives.

This can be achieved if our best thinkers from the far ends of our spectrum, come together, think objectively, synthesize their best thoughts, and genuinely plan for the welfare of all Americans. And these men and women can do so with equal parts passion and civility. We can achieve much when we work together, without infighting. We are capable; but will we, really? And are we too late?