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Liberator Online, Volume 2, Number 21
November 20, 1997
THE LIBERATOR ONLINE
November 20, 1997
Vol. 2, No. 21
Circulation: 6,999 in 54 countries
Mailing list of the Advocates for Self-Government.
Created and edited by Paul Schmidt, paul@self-gov.org.
Co-edited by James W. Harris, james@self-gov.org.
The Advocates for Self-Government is a non-profit
educational
organization. Our purpose is to present the freedom philosophy
honestly and persuasively to opinion-makers so that they can
encounter, evaluate, and when ready, embrace the ideals of
self-government. Contributions are tax deductible under Section
501(c)(3) of the IRS code. See
http://www.reliablehost.com/self-gov/donate.html
_________________________________________________________________
"The Advocates is one of liberty's strongest
networks."
-- the late Karl Hess, libertarian leader, author, speaker
_________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
* Clint Says It Again
* Let's Hope It's Catching
* "Payday" Gets It Right
* Property Taxes Skyrocket
ON THE WEB
* Libertarian Celebrities & VIPs
ASK DR. RUWART
COMMUNICATION POWER TIP #32
* Building Bridges, Not Burning Them
PRODUCT REVIEW
* Outstanding Communication Tape Set
_________________________________________________________________
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Dear friends,
Last issue I said I'd wrap up our 4-part look at TWO COWS
and how
they've been used to define the world's major political and economic
systems.
However, with Thanksgiving coming up, I decided to re-run
a column
from last year giving some little-known background about this holiday.
I know many of you are new subscribers and didn't see it. If you find
this interesting, please share it with your friends.
We'll finish TWO COWS next issue. Happy Thanksgiving!
Sharon Harris, President
sharon@self-gov.org
The Real Story Behind Thanksgiving
Did you know that the first Thanksgiving was a celebration
of the
triumph of private property and individual initiative?
William Bradford was the governor of the original Pilgrim
colony,
founded at Plymouth in 1621. The colony was first organized on a
communal basis, as their financiers required. Land was owned in
common. The Pilgrims farmed communally, too, following the "from each
according to his abilities, to each according to his needs" precept.
The results were disastrous. Communism didn't work any
better 400
years ago than it does today. By 1623, the colony had suffered serious
losses. Starvation was imminent.
Bradford realized that the communal system encouraged and
rewarded
waste and laziness and inefficiency, and destroyed individual
initiative. Desperate, he abolished it. He distributed private plots
of land among the surviving Pilgrims, encouraging them to plant early
and farm as individuals, not collectively.
The results: a bountiful early harvest that saved the
colonies. After
the harvest, the Pilgrims celebrated with a day of Thanksgiving -- on
August 9th.
Unfortunately, William Bradford's diaries -- in which he
recorded the
failure of the collectivist system and the triumph of private
enterprise -- were lost for many years. When Thanksgiving was later
made a national holiday, the present November date was chosen. And the
lesson the Pilgrims so painfully learned was, alas, not made a part of
the holiday.
Happily, Bradford's diaries were later rediscovered.
They're available
today in paperback. They tell the real story of Thanksgiving -- how
private property and individual initiative saved the Pilgrims.
This Thanksgiving season, one of the many things I'm
thankful for is
our free market system (imperfectly realized as it is). And I'm also
grateful that there are increasing numbers of Americans who are
learning the importance of free markets, and who are working to
replace government coercion with marketplace cooperation here in
America and around the world.
I also give thanks for all of you who help spread the
ideas of liberty
by using Advocates products and by giving your financial support to
the Advocates. Thank you!
PS: A special thanks to long-time Advocate volunteer Cris
Everett, who
told us about this neglected bit of history several years ago, and who
celebrates Thanksgiving on -- you guessed it -- August 9th.
_________________________________________________________________
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE
ADVOCATES
* Libertarian Celebrity and VIPs Page Now Open: The newest
addition to
our Web page is up and running. Our "Libertarian Celebrities &
VIPs"
page features photos, biographical information, and liberty-oriented
quotes from libertarian celebrities, including
internationally-renowned figures like Clint Eastwood, Russell Means,
Kurt Russell, Congressman Ron Paul, Penn Jillette, Milton Friedman,
and many many more. The site is still under construction -- there are
a LOT of prominent libertarians out there! -- but we've got enough
info posted to keep visitors entertained and occupied. We're hoping
this will grow to become a major resource for libertarians. Check it
out at http://www.self-gov.org.
* Fall Liberator Now Available: The Fall 1997 issue of The
Liberator,
our quarterly magazine, is hot off the presses. Among the highlights:
A preview of our "Libertarian Celebrities and VIPs" Web page; famed
libertarian feminist and scholar Wendy McElroy on "How To Argue For
Liberty;" journalist, publisher and novelist E.G. Ross with a simple
but powerful communication tip; the World's Smallest Political Quiz
attacked -- and defended -- on the Internet; a profile of 1996
Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. vice president Jo Jorgensen; a
brief look at the major work of the Advocates; new milestones reached
and surpassed in our Internet/Web outreach; news and humor; and more.
Subscriptions are free to Advocates contributors and customers. We'll
send a sample copy FREE to Liberator Online readers, along with a copy
of our Catalog. Just email, fax, write, or call us with your mailing
address. See contact info at end of this issue.
* Advocates President Speaking Engagements: You can hear
Sharon Harris
speak on powerful libertarian communication, and related topics, at
these upcoming conventions:
1998 Libertarian Party of California State Convention,
February 13-16,
Los Angeles Hyatt-Regency. Other speakers include LP National Chair
Steve Dasbach, 1980 LP presidential candidate Ed Clark, and radio
legend Gene Burns. For more info call 562-428-8113, or email
LauraMcf@aol.com . 1998 Libertarian Party of Michigan State
Convention, April 4-5. (More details available soon.)
* THIS WEEKEND: SepCon '97 : The Third Annual Conference
of the
Separation of School & State Alliance will be held Fri. & Sat., Nov.
21-22, at the DoubleTree Hotel, Arlington, Va. Theme: "Is 'public'
schooling beyond repair? Do Americans need to separate *school* and
state?" There's a stellar line-up of speakers and panelists, including
(to name a few) John Taylor Gatto; Barry Lynn; Howard Phillips;
Sheldon Richman; RJ Rushdoony; Joseph Sobran; Herb Titus; Ron
Trowbridge; and many more
Full package (including 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, banquet,
all events,
workbook): $295 until Oct. 21, then $350.
"SepCon is the best issues convention I attend all
year. The level of
discussion skips the pabulum and stabs directly at the heart of tough
questions." -- Cathy Duffy, author, Government Nannies
More information:
email: Sepschool@psnw.com
webpage: http://www.sepschool.org
The Separation of School and State Alliance is a project
of the
Advocates.
_________________________________________________________________
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS,
UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
compiled by James W. Harris
Clint Says It Again
In a lengthy interview/profile in the Atlanta
Journal/Constitution
this week about his new film "Midnight In the Garden of Good and
Evil," Clint Eastwood once again affirms his beliefs in tolerance and
liberty.
"I've never found myself intolerant of anyone,"
Eastwood says. "I
figure I've been portrayed in different ways, but I've always taken
the libertarian point of view. Quit messing with everyone. That goes
from the government to individuals. Why not just leave everyone be?"
The article continues: "That respect for
individuality, Eastwood
points out, is something that's always been present in his work..."
And the caption under a photo of Eastwood begins, "A
self-described
'libertarian'....."
(Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nov. 17.)
Let's Hope It's Catching
Some interesting results from the November elections:
Citizens of Castlewood, Va., fed up with local taxes, fees
and traffic
tickets, voted to just dissolve the town government outright.
And in the small Georgia town of Baconton (pop.880), folks
simply
forgot they were supposed to hold an election. A sitting councilman
says it didn't matter: "Nobody wants to run." Says a former council
member, "I don't think anybody thought it was too big a deal." Summing
it up best was resident Greg Johnson: "It's a big joke. What the hell
do we need a city government for anyway?"
It's too early to call it a trend, but maybe it's a
harbinger of
things to come?
(Sources: Associated Press, The Baltimore Sun -- thanks to
Harvey
Morrell)
"Payday" Gets It Right
Have you seen the new TV commercial for "Payday"
candy bars? It opens
with a picture of a Payday bar. In the background you hear an adding
machine clicking away. Then a voice: "This is a Payday." Then suddenly
a hatchet comes down and chops the bar in half. "This is a Payday
after taxes," the voice informs us.
Property Taxes Skyrocket
Governments are making it harder for you to hold onto your
house. The
most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic's Consumer Expenditure
Survey notes that the average homeowner spent 34% more on property
taxes in 1995 than in 1990.
Posterity
"Posterity -- you will never know how much it has
cost my generation
to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it."
-- John Quincy Adams (thanks to Mary lou Seymour)
_________________________________________________________________
ON THE WEB
Thanks to all the work by James W. Harris, we proudly
announce our
Libertarian Celebrities web page. Visit it and you'll find a long list
of famous people and prominent opinion leaders from all walks of life
who have declared themselves libertarians. You can get to it from our
home page: http://www.self-gov.org
_________________________________________________________________
ASK DR. RUWART
Dr. Mary Ruwart, a leading expert in libertarian
communication and
author of the international bestseller Healing Our World, will be
providing Liberator Online readers with "Short Answers to the Tough
Questions" in this column for the next several issues. These are
examples of short, positive, and soundbite-sized responses to
questions libertarians are frequently asked.
If you'd like Dr. Ruwart to provide effective answers for
YOUR "tough
questions" on libertarian issues, just email the questions to her at:
ruwart@self-gov.org. *Due to volume, Dr. Ruwart can't personally
answer or acknowledge email queries.* But we'll run the best questions
-- and Dr. Ruwart's answers -- in upcoming issues.
Extra Tip: Dr. Ruwart suggests that answers are often best
preceded by
a "Ransberger Pivot" statement, to establish common ground with the
questioner. (Example: "Like you, I too want to live in a world where
the environment is clean... Like you, I too want to see greater
abundance for all people...") For more on the Ransberger Pivot
communication technique, see previous issues, or contact the
Advocates.
Short Answers to the Tough Questions:
by Dr. Mary Ruwart
Question: What would happen if the electricity market were
deregulated? Prices would decrease and things would seem fine, but
coal would increase substantially and cleaner, efficient renewable
energies would be practically removed from the market. Some suggest a
renewable portfolio standard with renewable energy credits or a tax on
carbon emissions. While these two ideas seem to clash completely with
libertarian ideas and deregulation of electricity appears to flow
right in synch with it, what is your opinion? And how should America
try to solve this problem?
My short answer: If a power plant uses a fuel that causes
harm, the
victims could, in a libertarian society, sue the power plant for
damages. Naturally, the power plant would pass this extra cost on to
their consumers in the form of higher prices. Thus, polluting fuels
would cost more than clean ones. Power plants and their customers
would be encouraged by their pocketbooks to use non-polluting
alternatives.
The marketplace almost magically adjusts costs to
discourage pollution
when those who harm others are expected to restore them. Since
environmental "wrongs" are extremely expensive to rectify, a
libertarian society would be one of the most environmentally sound in
the world. Indeed, studies show that free countries are not only more
wealthy than highly regulated ones, but that they also enjoy a cleaner
environment.
For more detailed information, see Chapter 14 "The
Pollution Solution"
in my book, HEALING OUR WORLD.
* * *
Question: Like you, I wish to live in a nonviolent and
safe society. I
do, however, support and attend rock concerts at clubs and arenas at
which there is a large amount of slam-dancing and other reckless
behavior. How would a libertarian government deal with this, if at
all?
My short answer: Clubs and arenas would all be privately
owned in a
libertarian society. Owners would 'police' such events to maximize
customer satisfaction.
* * *
Dr. Ruwart's book Healing Our World features persuasive
arguments for
liberty, backed with *over 500 references* showing how liberty works.
You can browse the entire book online at:
http://www.cyberpop.com/ebooks.
You can order it at a special reduced price of only $12.95
(plus
shipping) from the Advocates. Check out our online catalog at
http://www.reliablehost.com/self-gov/opp.html
_________________________________________________________________
COMMUNICATION POWER TIP #31
Building Bridges, Not Burning Them
by Sharon Harris, Advocates President
Recently two people from a long-distance phone company stopped by the
Advocates office to ask me to switch our service to their company. I
asked a few questions and agreed to take their brochure and read it. A
few days later they stopped by again to see if I had decided to
change.
When I told them I was staying with our current carrier, I
was taken
aback by the response I got. One of them said, with obvious hostility,
"So you've decided to continue paying more?!?" It was clear that he
was questioning my judgment and insulting my intelligence. His
attitude and tone of voice said, "If you don't agree with me, you're
stupid." My reaction? I lost any interest I might have had in doing
business with his company in the future. His bad salesmanship cost him
a potential future customer.
If he had said instead something like, "I'm sorry we
couldn't persuade
you, but I hope you will think about these features we offer and
reconsider in the future," I would have had a positive attitude
towards his company and might have become a customer later on.
It occurs to me that the mistake he made is one that
libertarians also
sometimes make. When talking about our philosophy with
non-libertarians, we might encounter resistance and disagreement.
That's to be expected. How we *respond* to that disagreement has
long-term consequences. With a dismissive attitude or a hostile tone
of voice, we might appear to be saying, "If you disagree with me,
you're stupid."
Just as I'm not interested in doing business with the bad
salesman's
company, the non-libertarian may decide to never again consider
libertarian ideas.
Much better to try to find some area of agreement, then
say something
like, "Well, I'm glad to discover we agree on some very important
issues. I'm sure there are others, too. Maybe we can talk again in the
future and find more common ground."
A cordial and respectful approach can gain a future
"customer." With
minimal effort, we can build a bridge instead of burn one.
_________________________________________________________________
PRODUCT REVIEW
Outstanding Communication Tape Set
"The Essence of Political Persuasion." 3-tape
audio program by Michael
Cloud.
Ever wonder: "Why isn't *everybody* a
libertarian?"
When you explain libertarianism, why aren't people
dropping to their
knees and exclaiming, "Thank you! All my life, with open arms, I've
waited for you and your message! How do I join! When's the next
meeting? What can I do? Is there a limit to how much money I can
give?....."
Is there something wrong with our ideas? No. It's *how we
present
these ideas* to the public, to our friends, families and neighbors.
This dynamic 3-tape audio learning program will show you
how to avoid
the mistakes that turn people off to libertarian ideas. And it will
teach you a wealth of easy, effective, powerful ways to make people
eager to embrace our great message of peace, freedom, and personal
responsibility.
Over 1,500 people have purchased this tape set since Cloud
-- a
professional speech writer, fund raiser, and in-demand speaker --
created it. Hundreds of unsolicited testimonial letters praise the
series. It is a communication classic.
In just three hours, you'll learn:
* How to ask "Mind-Altering Questions" that dramatically shift your
listener's perspective.
* How to effectively show people that liberty holds the answers to
their concerns.
* How you can use "Intellectual Judo" to gently win people, without
arguing.
* The extraordinary power of metaphors, parables, and teaching
tales.
* How to influence with integrity.
* Political "cross-dressing" -- an essential communication skill.
* Attributes of an effective persuader.
* Open the Door with rapport.
* From Confrontation to Conversation.
* Easy, enjoyable, effective ways to make your libertarian ideas
irresistible.
* Leverage Language for Liberty: the semantics of libertarian
persuasion.
* "The Late, Great Libertarian Macho Flash": abuses and uses of
intellectual shock therapy.
* And much more!
This tape set has been praised by numerous prominent
libertarian
leaders. It is, quite simply, one of the most effective and powerful
political communication tools we know of. It is guaranteed to improve
your communication skills significantly, or we'll refund the purchase
price.
Tape creator Michael Cloud has been studying and
practicing effective
communication techniques for many years. His workshops on effective
communication have drawn rave reviews wherever presented. A
speechwriter for business people, professionals, and politicians,
Cloud's work has been quoted by Readers Digest, Playboy, The Wall
Street Journal, Harper's, The Congressional Record, and Vital Speeches
of the Day.
* * *
Rave Reviews!
"I can't think of any tool that better prepared me
for being a
candidate than 'The Essence of Political Persuasion.' It's wonderful!"
-- Jo Jorgensen, 1996 Libertarian Party vice-presidential candidate.
"I've personally listened to 'The Essence of
Political Persuasion'
tapes several times. This program is great. It's a necessity, not a
luxury, for all libertarians." -- the late Jim Lewis, 1984 LP
vice-presidential candidate; author (with Jim Peron) of Liberty
Reclaimed.
"Michael Emerling Cloud's tapes are superb. I have
listened to them
many times. I continue to be impressed by the power and sophistication
of Michael's techniques." -- Vince Miller, President, International
Society of Individual Liberty.
"I obtained it a few weeks ago, and have listened to
it several times
over. It's the best libertarian teaching tool I've ever seen." --
J.B., Tennessee
"The Essence of Political Persuasion" is
distributed exclusively by
the Advocates.
****SPECIAL LIBERATOR ONLINE OFFER!****
Michael Cloud's "Essence of Political
Persuasion" course sells for
$27.50 in our catalog. However, for the next ten days, Liberator
Online readers can get it for just $22.50 (plus $3.50 shipping on all
orders) -- a savings of $5.00. As with all Advocates products, your
satisfaction is guaranteed. Try it at no risk -- if you're not
completely satisfied, simply return for a full refund.
ORDERING:
Via Web: To get the special Liberator Online reader
discount, you can
go to this address on the Web (or you can simply click on this address
now):
http://www.reliablehost.com/self-gov/special.html
This will take you to a special site on our catalog where
this
Liberator-Online-readers-only discount is featured. You can order the
set via credit card from there if you wish. Our site is credit card
secure -- you can order with the same confidence you'd feel at your
local department store.
You can also, of course, order this tape set by phone,
mail or fax,
from the address below. Just mention the Liberator Online with your
order to get this special discount.
***This offer is good through Wednesday, December 3,
1997.***
Thank you!
_________________________________________________________________
See you in two weeks! You can contact the Advocates at:
* Snail Mail:
Advocates for Self Government
1202 N. Tennessee St. Suite 202
Cartersville, GA 30120
* Phone: 770-386-8372; for orders, 800-932-1776
* Fax: 770-386-8373
* Email: advocates@self-gov.org
* WWW: http://www.self-gov.org
You can see back issues of the Liberator OnLine on the
Advocates' web
site: http://www.self-gov.org/liberator.
If you wish to receive the Liberator OnLine, send an email
message to
liberator-request@lists.best.com with the word 'subscribe' in the
body. Put 'unsubscribe' in the body to discontinue.
"May it be to the world... to assume the blessings
and security of
self-government." -- Thomas Jefferson
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