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Liberator Online, Volume 9, Number 3
February 13, 2004
In This Issue:
Will the Bush administration ban The Liberator
Online?; cable TV addict drops lawsuit
against his cable company; U.S. senator named "Porker of the Year";
World's Smallest
Political Quiz now available for your PDA; Bob Barr quoting Ayn Rand?; Ron
Crickenberger
Memorial Service set for March; "The Art of Libertarian Persuasion"
seminar coming to
Orlando; Mary Ruwart is asked the difference between campaign contributions and
bribes, and
how free markets would work in broadcasting; "You gotta know when to fold `em"
in poker --
and in libertarian communication, says Michael Cloud...
All this and *much much more* in the world's
largest-circulation libertarian publication...
THE LIBERATOR ONLINE
February 13, 2004
Vol. 9, No. 3
Circulation: 62,084 subscribers in over 100 countries
Published by the Advocates for Self-Government
Edited by James W. Harris, mailto:james@TheAdvocates.org
Created by Paul Schmidt and James W. Harris
___________________________________________
"I LOVE IT!!! Keep up the good work."
-- World Wrestling Federation superstar Sean
Morley (a.k.a. Val Venis), talking about The
Liberator Online.
___________________________________________
CONTENTS
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
* Get the Quiz for your PDA
* New "The Art of Libertarian Persuasion" Seminar, presented by the
Advocates for
Self-Government with Michael Cloud and Harry Browne.
* Ron Crickenberger Memorial Service set for March
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
* Quiz milestone named a "Top Libertarian
Story of 2003"
* Advocates at national Libertarian Party presidential convention
...and more news and exciting opportunities for libertarians!
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
* Cable TV Addict Drops Lawsuit Plans
* Bob Barr and Ayn Rand
* U.S. Senator Named "Porker of the Year"
* Will the Bush Administration Ban the Liberator Online?
* Freedom of the Press...
ASK DR. RUWART
* What's the difference between bribing officials
and supporting their campaigns?
* How would libertarians handle disputes between broadcasters about frequency
overlaps?
PERSUASION POWER POINT #157
* "...Know When to Fold `Em"
by Michael Cloud
PRODUCT REVIEW
* Mary Ruwart's HEALING OUR WORLD IN AN AGE OF
AGGRESSION -- with bonus FREE gift!
______________________________________________________
ANNOUNCEMENT
+++ ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 27TH & 28TH -
HARRY BROWNE AND
MICHAEL CLOUD'S SPECIAL $100 SUPER-SAVINGS OFFER for YOU +++
Remember how you felt when you discovered
libertarianism? What if you
could make person after person feel the same way about libertarianism?
Michael Cloud & Harry Browne will show you
how -- step-by-step. "The
Art of Libertarian Persuasion" Seminar, presented by the Advocates for
Self-Government.
$100 Super-Savings for you -- if you click this
link -- and take advantage now:
http://www.theadvocates.org/orlando-seminar.htm
This discount offer expires at midnight, Monday
February 16. Thank you!
______________________________________________________
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Dear friends,
Do you have a PDA?
If so, you'll be happy to know that our
world-famous World's Smallest Political Quiz is now
available for your PDA!
I've been using it for a while, and believe me,
it's fun to "beam" the Quiz to other PDA
users -- and then watch their eyes light up as they discover their position on
the Quiz's New
Political Map!
We have two versions of the PDA Quiz, created by
ace programmers Hardy Macia and Greg
Dirasian. Thanks, guys!
See which version you like best. You can download
them for free here:
http://www.theadvocates.org/palm-quiz.html
Make your PDA a libertarian raygun! (Well, sort
of.) Have fun beaming the eye-opening,
mind-changing and fun Quiz!
* * *
As I recently reported, we received rave reviews
for the world premiere of our "The
Art of Libertarian Persuasion" seminar in January.
The Advocates is presenting that seminar again in
Orlando, Florida, March 27 and 28 -- led
again by the stellar team of Michael Cloud & Harry Browne. I'll be
assisting.
And if you sign up before midnight Monday,
February 16, you can save a whopping $100 off the
regular price!
To learn more about this great seminar -- and to
get the $100 super-savings - see:
http://www.theadvocates.org/orlando-seminar.htm
Seats are limited. I hope to see you there!
* * *
Ron Crickenberger Memorial Service Set for March
10
Last issue I told you about the death of renowned
libertarian activist, former Libertarian
Party political director, and my good friend, Ron Crickenberger.
A Memorial Service will be held for Ron on
Wednesday, March 10, 2004, at 6:00 pm. It will be
held in the "Governor's Room" at the Quality Inn Governor, 6650
Arlington Blvd. (at the
intersection of Annandale Rd), Falls Church, Virginia. The hotel's phone number
is
703-532-8900.
Though not required, it would be very helpful if
you would RSVP if you plan to attend, so
the planners will have an idea of how many people to prepare for. To RSVP,
please write:
mailto:ron@TheAdvocates.org
To learn more about Ron (and to see some great
new photos we've posted there), please check
the tribute page we've created for him:
http://www.theadvocates.org/Ron.html
Thank you.
* * *
I am pleased to welcome 452 new Liberator Online
subscribers this issue. Thanks for joining
our subscription "family" of over 60,000 liberty-loving readers in
over 100 countries!
Enjoy this issue of the Liberator Online.
-- Sharon Harris, President mailto:sharon@TheAdvocates.org
* * *
PS: If you're a fan of Dr. Mary Ruwart's
Liberator Online column -- or if you want to have
at your fingertips some of the most persuasive arguments for liberty ever
assembled in one
place -- you will want a copy of her acclaimed book HEALING OUR WORLD IN AN AGE
OF AGGRESSION.
Order now, and we'll include a great FREE bonus
gift!
You can learn more in our Product Review section
at the end of this issue. Or you can place
your order now here:
http://www.theadvocates.org/liberator-online-special.html
Thank you!
_____________________________________
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE
ADVOCATES
* Quiz milestone is declared a "Top
Libertarian Story": "The Top Ten Libertarian Stories of
2003" was the title of a front-page feature article in the February 2004
issue of Libertarian
Party News. One of those ten stories was this: "On August 31, the number of
cybersurfers who
have taken the interactive online version of the World's Smallest Political Quiz
hit the
2-million mark." The article went on to describe the Quiz, and noted this
milestone was
important for two reasons. "First, it shows the ongoing importance of the
Internet in the
libertarian movement...Second, it illustrates the continuing importance of the
Quiz. The Quiz
is given at fairs, at political events, and on the campaign trail tens of
thousands of times
a year. As a method of filtering libertarian "maybes" from the
"never-gonna-happens," it
remains one of the most important tools in libertarians' outreach toolbox. By
passing the
2-million mark, the Quiz proved it is winning over the Internet, too."
Thanks, LP News! You
can read the full article at:
http://www.lp.org/lpnews/0402/top10_stories.html
* Orlando, Florida, March 27 and 28: The
Advocates will again present the acclaimed seminar
"The Art of Libertarian Persuasion." Led by two renowned masters of
libertarian
communication: Michael Cloud and two-time Libertarian presidential candidate
Harry Browne,
with Advocates President Sharon Harris. This incredible seminar is guaranteed to
dramatically
improve your ability to convince family, friends and the public to understand
and embrace
libertarian ideas. Space is limited. Learn all about it -- and for a VERY
limited time, save
$100 -- here:
http://www.theadvocates.org/orlando-seminar.htm
* Advocates at Libertarian Party National
Convention, May 27-31: Advocates President Sharon
Harris will join an outstanding line-up of speakers at the presidential
nominating convention
of the Libertarian Party. Liberator Online columnist Dr. Mary Ruwart will
deliver the keynote
address. And the Advocates will have a booth there, too -- come by and say
hello! It will be
held in Atlanta, Georgia, on Memorial Day weekend, May 27-31. For more
information, see:
http://www.lp.org
ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES
* Want to quickly learn the basics of
libertarianism -- from some of the best minds in the
liberty movement? Want to help a friend quickly learn about libertarianism?
Check out
Libertarianism.com, from the Advocates:
http://www.Libertarianism.com
* FREE Year 2004 Lights of Liberty Awards: You
can win certificates, public recognition,
prizes and more for your vital activism for liberty. Awards are given for: 3
libertarian
letters to the editor; OR 3 sessions working at an OPH booth; OR 3
libertarian-oriented
public speeches. Click here to learn more:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/lights.html
* The Advocates offers you libertarian sources
for breaking news and commentary on the
situation in Iraq and related matters:
www.theAdvocates.org/foreign-policy-resources.html
* Communication Bargain of the Century: You can
get the great 3-tape audio course "The
Essence of Political Persuasion" from us at the GIVE-AWAY price of only
$7.50 - that price
includes handling and First Class mail so you'll get it right away! Former
Libertarian Party
Political Director Ron Crickenberger says this Advocates offer is "... the
greatest gift the
libertarian movement has received in years." We've put over 6,000 sets into
the hands of
libertarian activists in the past few years! To order, call us or see:
http://www.theadvocates.org/epp-redirect.html
* Quiz FAQ: Who created the World's Smallest
Political Quiz? When and where? What does your
Quiz score mean? The Advocates has created a huge FAQ ("Frequently Answered
Questions") to
answer many of the most common questions about the history and theory of the
Quiz. You can
get to the FAQ by clicking here:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/quiz-faq-contents.html
_____________________________________
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS,
UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
by James W. Harris
Cable TV Addict Drops Lawsuit Plans
Alas, Tim Dumouchel won't sue after all,
depriving us of a potentially hilarious and
insightful legal spectacle.
The 48-year-old Wisconsin man made national
headlines a few weeks ago when he threatened to
sue his cable TV company for fostering his "cable TV addiction."
Dumouchel says he called to cancel his cable TV
service four years ago, but the cable
company never cancelled it, thus leaving him and his family helplessly under the
control of
the TV for the following four years. Dumouchel says he spent all his non-working
time
watching cable TV and was unable to resist doing so.
The irresistible power of cable TV, Dumouchel
further charges, turned him into a cigarette
addict and alcoholic, made his wife put on fifty extra pounds, and transformed
his kids --
ages 16, 22 and 30 -- into zomboid couch potatoes.
Asked why he didn't just disconnect the cable
himself, Dumouchel says he feared that was
illegal.
Asked why he didn't simply turn off his TV, he
says his addiction made him powerless to do
so.
''I believe the reason I smoke and drink every
day and my wife is overweight is because we
watched TV every day for the last four years,'' he stated in a written complaint
to local
police.
Four years of free cable TV, he said, had
deprived him of "freedom of choice."
"Freedom of choice is my No. 1 issue, and
they didn't give that to me," Dumouchel said.
"It's all about them depriving you of choice."
Dumouchel's cable was finally disconnected in
December. But immediately afterwards, he
bought a $40 antenna so he and his wife could watch the Green Bay Packers.
We hope the Packers have a good lawyer.
(Sources: Fon Du Lac Reporter:
http://www.wisinfo.com/thereporter/news/archive/local_14086913.shtml
Larry Elder:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36617 )
* * *
Bob Barr and Ayn Rand on Privacy
"To my thinking, and I'm sort of in the Ayn
Rand school on this, privacy is one of the key
elements of civilization. If we don't get a handle on government's power to
invade privacy,
we're not going to have any left."
-- Former Georgia Republican Congressman Bob
Barr, quoted in Details
magazine, January/February 2004.
* * *
U.S. Senator Named "Porker of the Year"
Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) has been
"honored" by being named Porker of the Year for 2003.
The highly undesirable award is given by Citizens
Against Government Waste, a nonpartisan,
nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and
abuse in
government.
Award winners are chosen for outrageous misuse of
tax dollars in the form of "pork" --
unjustifiable government grants for local projects awarded directly by members
of Congress.
Senator Specter received an appropriately porky
51 percent of the vote, outdistancing
runners-up by a 2 to 1 margin.
Senator Specter earned the organization's ire in
October, for stuffing the fiscal 2003
Emergency Supplemental portion of the fiscal 2004 Legislative Branch
Appropriations Act with
unjustifiable, non-emergency pork-barrel projects to benefit his home state.
Specter compounded his pork sins by taking
advantage of concern over terrorism to boost his
own reelection efforts. He added language to last April's War Supplemental
Appropriations
bill to remove limitations on the number of mailings senators can send to their
constituents.
While he claimed that this was somehow vital to anti-terrorism, it was clearly a
huge benefit
to incumbent senators -- like him.
Far from being ashamed of his award, Sen. Specter
seemed actually proud. "It's really nice
to be able to help the home town," he said.
Especially, one presumes, with other people's
money.
Pork barrel spending has become epidemic in
Washington. Last year Congress spent $22.5
billion on pork -- the highest-ever total. And that record will likely be broken
again this
year, thanks to porkers like Specter.
Finishing second was Senator Ted Stevens
(R-Alaska), who has a long-standing reputation for
bringing home the bacon. Senator Stevens' powerful position as Chairman of the
Senate
Appropriations Committee has allowed Alaska to lead the nation in pork per
capita year after
year. In fiscal 2003, Alaska received an incredible $610.99 in pork per person,
compared to a
national average of $34.33.
Finishing third was Senator Tom Harkin -- another
politician using the War on Terror to
feather his own nest. Harkin put $98 million for an agriculture research station
in Ames,
Iowa in the War Supplemental Appropriations bill. He defended this by claiming
the funds were
crucial to combat bioterrorism in the form of animal disease. The facility had
already
received $88 million in pork in the past two years, thanks to Porker Harkin.
More information on all the finalists and their
sins against taxpayers can be found at "The
Porker of the Month Hall of Shame" at CAGW's Web site.
(Source: Citizens Against Government Waste:
http://www.cagw.org )
* * *
Will the Bush Administration Ban the Liberator
Online?
Two Bush administration agencies are considering
new rules that the ACLU says amount to
nothing less than "one of the most fundamental attacks on the freedom of
speech and freedom
of association of American citizens ever contemplated by a governmental
agency."
The proposed rules could prevent non-profit
organizations from giving their members,
supporters and readers vital information about the political actions of federal
officials who
are up for re-election.
The proposals are vague, but they suggest that
even sending email stories criticizing the
actions of such officials -- like the story in this issue about big-spending
senators --
could be banned.
The proposals, by the Federal Elections
Commission (FEC) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS),
could also make it against the law for some non-profit groups to run
advertisements in a
newspaper or send out email alerts to try and stop what they perceive as harmful
policies.
The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), a non-profit drug
reform organization, says: "Together,
these proposals represent one of the worst assaults on the freedom of speech and
association
ever proposed in the United States."
Much of the wording and information in the rest
of this article is from the Drug Policy
Alliance.
DPA notes that the proposed rulings are vague, in
that they do not clearly state exactly
which communications would be illegal. This vagueness is part of the danger --
it could give
the federal government the ability to selectively enforce the rules to clamp
down on any
speech or advertising it does not approve of or considers politically
threatening.
The IRS ruling (Revenue Ruling 2004-6) could
penalize nonprofit organizations that are
publicly critical of any elected official who is running for re-election. Under
current law,
non-profit educational organizations cannot work to defeat or support federal
candidates --
but they can educate voters on where politicians stand on certain issues, as
long as the
organizations do not explicitly call for the defeat or re-election of a
politician. However,
Revenue Ruling 2004-6 -- which makes these regulations more vague -- could
change this,
making it illegal for advocacy group to do anything the IRS determines to be an
attempt at
defeat or support of a candidate for federal office.
The FEC ruling (Advisory Opinion 2003-37) could
prohibit non-profit organizations from
communicating any message -- through emails, newspaper ads, television
commercials or
brochures -- that "promotes, supports, attacks, or opposes" any
candidate for federal office.
It does this by re-defining the definition of a "campaign expenditure"
to include
communications that promote or attack federal candidates. Because advocacy
non-profits are
prohibited under existing law from making campaign expenditures, this ruling
could make it
illegal for such an organization to simply send you email that criticize the
actions of a
member of Congress if he or she also happens to be running for re-election.
Again, this could make it illegal for the
Advocates to send a story like the one above,
criticizing politicians who waste your tax dollars.
As the ACLU says: "Making it unlawful to
criticize the policies and actions of a sitting
President or Members of Congress except under the auspices of a registered
political
committee is one of the most fundamental attacks on the freedom of speech and
freedom of
association of American citizens ever contemplated by a governmental
agency."
The Drug Policy Alliance has more information --
and a way you can send a message to your
congressional representatives protesting the ruling. Check it out, while it's
still legal:
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/02_05_04bush.cfm
(Sources: Drug Policy Alliance:
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/02_05_04bush.cfm
ACLU:
http://www.aclu.org/FreeSpeech/FreeSpeech.cfm?ID=14877&c=42 )
* * *
Freedom of the Press...
"Congress shall make no law... abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press."
-- First Amendment to the Constitution of the
United States
"Our liberty depends on freedom of the
press, and that cannot be limited without being lost."
-- Thomas Jefferson
* * *
"Good News, Bad News, Unbelievable
News" writer James W. Harris is editor of the Liberator
Online. His articles have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers,
including The
Nation, Reason, The Freeman, the National Taxpayers Union's Dollars and Sense,
the Atlanta
Constitution, and many more. He has been a Finalist in the Mencken Awards, given
by the Free
Press Association for "Outstanding Journalism in Support of Liberty."
_____________________________________
ASK DR. RUWART
How can you answer difficult questions about
libertarianism -- in short, positive,
persuasive soundbite-sized responses? It's a challenge every libertarian
communicator faces.
Dr. Mary Ruwart is a leading expert in
libertarian communication, and author of the
international bestseller Healing Our World. In this column she gives readers
"short answers
to the tough questions" that libertarians are frequently asked.
If you'd like Dr. Ruwart to craft effective
answers to YOUR "tough questions" on libertarian
issues, just email the questions to her at:
mailto:ruwart@TheAdvocates.org
Due to volume, Dr. Ruwart can't personally answer
or acknowledge all email queries. But
we'll run the best questions -- and Dr. Ruwart's answers -- in upcoming issues.
Dr. Ruwart's past Liberator Online answers are
archived in searchable form at:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/ruwart/categories_list.php
* * *
"What's the difference between bribing
officials and supporting their campaigns?"
Question:
"Almost all candidates for public office are
professional office seekers. They spend the
majority of their time before and after winning an election soliciting campaign
funds. The
President of the United States raises funds even when he cannot be re-elected.
How does the
average voter tell the difference between bribing a public official and
"supporting" that
official? Why are appointed officials allowed to raise money for any party or
for any reason?"
My short answer:
"I suspect that you are asking me to confirm
what you already know. People contribute to
campaigns to get legislation passed in their favor. In other words, contributors
want the
guns of government pointed at others for their benefit. People who bribe public
officials do
so for the same reasons. The only difference is that contributions are legal and
bribes are
not. Similarly, taxation (government theft) is legal, but private theft is not.
This
schizophrenic logic is responsible for much of the chaos in society today."
* * *
"How would libertarians handle disputes
between broadcasters about frequency overlaps?"
Question:
"I know libertarians believe that the
Federal Communication Commission (FCC) should be
abolished, and that existing radio and TV frequencies should be bought and sold
like other
property. Trespass on one station's frequency by other stations would then be
handled just
like trespass on land.
"But this does lead to one difficulty that I
can see. If one broadcaster owns a frequency
free and clear in one market, and another owns it in an adjacent market, then
the two signals
could still clash. This would not be actual trespass, as both would be following
the constraints of their respective deeds.
"Currently, the FCC ensures that such
stations are several markets apart. How would the free
market libertarian model handle this?"
My short answer:
"In practice, such a dispute would be rare.
The first party to broadcast in a particular
area would have "homesteading" ownership of that frequency in that
region. If a second party
began broadcasts that overlapped, that would be "trespassing" and they
might need to cut back
on the geographical range of their transmissions. Current FCC policy wastes a
great deal of
broadcast "space" by mandating large and unnecessary separations to
prevent overlap."
* * *
Hooray! The revised edition of Dr. Ruwart's book
"Healing Our World" is here! It has over
100 new pages and it presents persuasive arguments for liberty, backed with over
1,000
references all showing how liberty works.
Dr. Ruwart is also the author of "Short
Answers to the Tough Questions" -- an essential
guide for anyone wanting to become a better libertarian communicator.
Both Mary Ruwart books are available from the
Advocates:
http://www.theadvocates.org/Merchant2/merchant.mv
_____________________________________
-----SUPPORT SUCCESSFUL LIBERTARIAN PROGRAMS-----
Every year, we send out a report to Advocates
supporters, describing our achievements for
the year and our plans for the New Year.
If you're like most libertarians, you may have
gotten at least a little discouraged lately.
Government seems to be growing in leaps and bounds, and sometimes it's hard to
see that we're
making any headway. We could use some good news!
This year's report offers just that. It tells of
many Advocates successes -- and offers
reasons to be excited about 2004.
You can read it here:
http://www.theadvocates.org/message-from-sharon-dec03.html
If you're impressed with what the Advocates is
accomplishing, please consider becoming a
part of this success by making a donation to the Advocates. (You can donate at
the URL above.)
Your donation is tax-deductible. And we have some
wonderful thank-you gifts reserved for you.
But most of all, you'll enjoy knowing that you're
making a real difference in bringing about
a freer world.
-----THANK YOU!-----
_____________________________________
PERSUASION POWER POINT #157
"...Know When to Fold `Em"
by Michael Cloud
Most poker players lose their money because they
play too many hands. They tap out, go
broke, crash and burn because they don't fold often enough.
They don't throw in their cards when they have
marginal or bad hands.
Stu Unger, Amarillo Slim, Doyle Brunson, and Mike
Caro agree. So do the rest of the world
class poker players.
Most libertarians lose their minds because they
engage in too many marginal or bad political
conversations.
Most libertarians don't "know when to fold `em."
Why?
"They play whatever hand they have."
They engage in a political discussion with a liberal
about "robber barons," and they haven't read "The Myth of the
Robber Barons" by Burton
Folsom, "The Triumph of Conservatism" by Gabriel Kolko,
"Capitalism and the Historians" ed.
by F.A. Hayek, or even the book that launched the fallacy: "The Robber
Barons" by Matthew
Josephson.
"They play bad hands." They argue with
a high school government teacher or college history
professor about whether an "unregulated economy caused the Great
Depression," yet they
haven't read "Rethinking the Great Depression" by Gene Smiley,
"America's Great Depression"
by Murray Rothbard, or even Chapter 4 of "The Incredible Bread
Machine" by Richard Grant.
"They play marginal hands." They argue
with people they don't know well about issues they
don't know well. Sweat shops, immigration, trade policies, or protectionism. Yet
they have
only read snippets or excerpts from Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Henry
Hazlitt, Harry
Browne, Murray Rothbard, Charles Murray, Milton Friedman, F.A. Hayek, or Ludwig
von Mises.
They don't know what they don't know.
So they play their hands out. And lose the
support they might have won for liberty -- had
they played the good hands they do have. The libertarian issues they have read
and thought
through and discussed. The issues they do know well.
Do you have to be some kind of Renaissance Man to
have good conversations about liberty and
politics? Must you become a multi-disciplinary scholar to talk about the
political and
economic world we live in?
No.
You have to know what you do know.
And what you don't.
When you have a good hand, have a spirited and
engaging conversation. Win them over.
When you have a bad hand or a marginal hand --
when you do NOT know much about the facts and
history and dynamics of the issue -- tell the other person the truth.
Say, "I've studied a number of areas and
issues. In each of them, people fare far better
with freedom than with government compulsion and regulation. But I haven't
studied the area
we're discussing now. So I'm not really in a position to take this subject on.
Would you mind
walking me through your thinking? Could you recommend a book or a website on the
issue?"
Or say, "I'm not really familiar with this
area. My study in other areas tells me:
government programs don't work; government programs often make things worse for
those they're
designed to help; government programs create new problems; government programs
are obscenely
expensive; and government programs divert money and energies from productive
private uses.
You seem to believe this program is different. Could you walk me through
it?"
Or, "I'm a new libertarian. I'm not a
scholar. I've just started studying and reading about
free markets and small government. Could you tell me what you know about this
issue? And
could you tell me where I could learn more about it?"
Or, "I don't really know much about this.
Would you tell me what you believe and why? And
would you mind if I checked with some libertarians who know more about this than
I do? This
way I can be up to speed when we talk about this in the future?"
Tell the truth. Turn your hand face up. Fold.
This will surprise many of your friends and
acquaintances. And astonish those who want to
argue with you.
You will get credit for honesty and integrity.
And strength. Folding a weak hand or a marginal
hand is a powerful move.
And when you don't fold, they will know you've
got the facts, the evidence, the cards.
Want your conversation to win others to liberty?
"You've got to know when to hold `em, know
when to fold `em." *
(* "The Gambler", written by Don
Schlitz, popularized by Kenny Rogers.)
******************
Michael Cloud is Persuasion columnist for the
Liberator Online and The Libertarian
Communicator. In July 2000, at the Libertarian Party national convention, Cloud
was voted the
Most Persuasive Libertarian Communicator in America and honored with the Thomas
Paine Award.
Michael Cloud is creator of "The Essence of
Political Persuasion," the classic 3-tape
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PRODUCT REVIEW
* HEALING OUR WORLD IN AN AGE OF AGGRESSION. 2003
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REVIEWS AND PRAISE FOR HEALING OUR WORLD
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** This offer is good through Wednesday, February
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