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Liberator Online, Volume 9, Number 04
March 1 , 2004
In This Issue:
Senator Hillary Clinton hints it's time for a
military draft; Pentagon
launches its own news service; the creepy Total Information Awareness
program rises from the grave; Jay Leno on Bush, Kerry, WMDs, and
Ground Hog Day; is Christianity compatible with libertarianism (and
vice-versa)?; Mary Ruwart is asked if theater and the arts could
survive without government funding, and what small-town residents can
do to protect the character of their communities; Michael Cloud tells
us that "No One Is Coming to the Rescue" - so is there GOOD news to go
with that?
All this and *much much more* in the world's
largest-circulation
libertarian publication...
THE LIBERATOR ONLINE
March 1, 2004
Vol. 9, No. 4
Circulation: 62,272 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
___________________________________________
"The World's Smallest Political Quiz is the
single best outreach tool
we libertarians have!"
-- George Getz, Libertarian Party press secretary
___________________________________________
CONTENTS
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
* Final call for "Lights of Liberty"
awards!
* "The Art of Libertarian Persuasion"
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
* Advocates President to speak in TN April 3
* Advocates at national Libertarian Party presidential convention
* "The Art of Libertarian Persuasion" seminar: March 27 & 28
...and more news and exciting opportunities for
libertarians!
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
* Hillary Raises Specter of Military Draft
* Pentagon Launches Propaganda "News" Service
* Police-State "Total Information Awareness" Program Lives On
* "The price of liberty…"
ASK DR. RUWART
* How could theater and the arts survive without
government funding?
* What can I do to preserve the rural character of my neighborhood?
PERSUASION POWER POINT #158
* No One is Coming to the Rescue
by Michael Cloud
PRODUCT REVIEW
* Are Christianity and libertarianism compatible?
"Libertarianism: A
Bible-Based Study Guide" says yes. Now get it for only 5 cents with
this special offer.
_____________________________________
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Dear friends,
Here's a last-minute reminder about our 2003
Lights of Liberty Awards,
in case you missed my recent email:
If you haven't yet, please take just a moment to
let us know of any
libertarians you know who have qualified for our Lights of Liberty
Awards in 2003. Including yourself, if you qualified.
They are people who did ONE OR MORE of the
following in calendar year
2003:
*** 1) Letters to the editor: Had 3 letters to
the editor published
(in a non-libertarian newspaper or other publication) that used the
words "libertarian" or "libertarianism" in a positive light.
(This can
include the words "Libertarian Party.")
OR:
*** 2) Operation Politically Homeless (OPH):
Participated in three OPH
booths, for two hours or more per day at each. (Every day at a
multi-day event, such as a state fair, counts as one day.)
OR:
***3) Public speaking: Delivered three speeches
to non-libertarian
groups such as service clubs, classrooms, Toastmasters, political
rallies, etc.
This is important for several reasons:
1) They (or you) will get recognition and neat
stuff, including a
great-looking Lights of Liberty certificate, suitable for framing; a
discount coupon on Advocates products; entry in a drawing for some
great prizes -- books, tapes, T-shirts, etc.
AND: their name will be placed in a drawing for a
FABULOUS Grand
Prize: our "Libertarian Library" autographed copies of every book
written by LP presidential candidates since John Hospers in 1972! This
is a collection we normally only give to people who donate $250 or
more -- a real treasure.
2) Most important of all, our winners serve as an
inspiration to other
libertarians, challenging them by example to do the kind of essential
grassroots activism that is necessary for any political movement to
triumph. Every Lights of Liberty winner encourages others to do more.
We are preparing the awards and drawings this
month, so I need to hear
from you right away.
In fact, we MUST get the nominations in by the
end of the day
Wednesday, March 3.
If there is anyone you THINK may have qualified,
please nominate them
by filling out the quick and easy form at:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/lights-nominate.html
Or email us at mailto:light@TheAdvocates.org
Or call us at 800-932-1776.
If there is someone you think would know people
who have qualified
(your party's outreach director, perhaps, or someone who conducted OPH
booths in 2003), please send us their email address or forward this
letter to them, or both.
If YOU have met these qualifications, don't be
modest! Let us know.
Your example will encourage other people to engage in these important
outreach activities. Every time someone wins a Lights of Liberty
award, it helps us publicize the program, it encourages others, and it
helps convinces our sponsors that this is a worthwhile program to
continue.
Last year Lights of Liberty winners took
libertarian ideas to
literally millions of people. Many were encouraged by this program to
do extra outreach activities to win the prize. The cumulative effect
is awesome.
Activists who are out there doing the hard work
for liberty *deserve*
recognition! Please help us give it to them.
Thank you!
* * *
Don't forget that our "The Art of
Libertarian Persuasion" seminar will
be held in Orlando, Florida, March 27 and 28 -- led again by the
stellar team of Michael Cloud & Harry Browne. I'll be assisting.
We've secured an especially low rate of only $59
per night for
participants to stay at the hotel - the Holiday Inn Maingate West,
which is right at the gate to Disney World. So bring the whole family
with you for some fun in the Sunshine State.
To learn more about this great seminar -- and to
save $55 by
registering early-- see:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/orlando-seminar.htm
Seats are limited. I hope to see you there!
* * *
I am pleased to welcome 488 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: Have you ever wondered if libertarianism and
Christianity are
compatible?
Have you -- or a Christian friend or family
member -- ever wondered if
you can be a libertarian and a Christian? Do libertarian positions
make some Christians you know uncomfortable?
Please check out this issue's "Product
Review" section. You'll find an
exclusive Advocates tool that can help you, or your friends and family
members, discover the answers to these very important questions. And
we're offering it to Liberator Online readers for a limited time for
only 5 cents!
Thank you!
_____________________________________
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE
ADVOCATES
* Orlando, Florida, March 27 and 28: The
Advocates' "Art of
Libertarian Persuasion" seminar. 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 --
including how to get an early-bird discount -- here:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/orlando-seminar.htm
* Chattanooga, TN, April 3, 2004: Advocates
President Sharon Harris
will deliver the Keynote Address, "Reasons for Optimism" at the
Libertarian Party of Tennessee's state convention. For more
information, see: http://www.lptn.net/news/articles/53/
* 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.lpconvention.org/index.shtml
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:
http://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! 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.html
_____________________________________
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS,
UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
by James W. Harris
Hillary Raises Specter of Military Draft
There have been ominous signs lately that a
military draft may be on
the horizon.
The latest comes from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
(D-NY). On February
25, she said that the current volunteer military "raises serious
questions in a democracy, both (about) how we define ourselves (and)
what the real risks politically and militarily of taking action might
be."
Further, the volunteer military may make it
"easy for decision-makers
just to try to keep it out of sight and out of mind."
She made the remarks in a speech to the
Washington-based foreign
policy think-tank the Brookings Institution. She stopped short of
actually calling for a draft, but the implication was clear.
Clinton, a member of the Senate Armed Service
Committee, also urged an
increase in the size of the Army. She called for a national debate on
both the size of U.S. military and its socio-economic composition.
Her remarks came as legislation to reinstate a
draft has been
introduced by Democrats in both the House and the Senate. Sen. Fritz
Hollings (D-SC), a longtime advocate of draft slavery, has introduced
Senate Bill S.89, the Universal National Service Act, which calls for
a compulsory two-year military term for young Americans men and women.
Also noteworthy: Congress has increased Selective
Service's budget in
Fiscal Year 2005 to $28 million, an increase from FY 2004's $26.1
million.
(Sources: MSNBC:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4372246
NewsMax:
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/2/17/170803.shtml )
* * *
Pentagon Launches Propaganda "News"
Service
U.S. government officials and the Pentagon have
long complained that
U.S. media coverage of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is biased and
unbalanced.
So they've decided to fix the problem -- by
launching the Pentagon's
own news service, to bypass the civilian media (also known as "the
free press") entirely.
The American public "currently gets a pretty
slanted picture," Army
Capt. Randall Baucom, a spokesman for the Kuwait-based U.S.-led
Coalition Land Forces Command, told Associated Press (presumably one
of those biased U.S. news services). "We want them to get an
opportunity to see the facts as they exist, instead of getting
information from people who aren't on the scene."
So starting in April, the Pentagon plans to send
military video,
photos and text from war sites directly to the Internet and to news
outlets.
At $6.3 million, the project, called Digital
Video and Imagery
Distribution System (DVIDS) is one of the largest military "public
affairs" (i.e., propaganda) projects of recent years.
U.S. officials charge that the non-government
media focus unduly on
catastrophic events like car bombs and soldiers' deaths, while not
paying sufficient attention to the military's efforts to rebuild the
countries it bombed and invaded. DVIDS is intended to "balance" that.
DVIDS will also let the Pentagon provide
hand-picked photos, footage
and stories to the media concerning events from which the military has
barred the civilian media from covering -- thus giving the government
virtually total control over coverage of such events.
"We have an unfair advantage," Baucom
said. "We're going to be able to
get closer to the incident and provide better spokespeople to give the
right information. The important thing is that we provide the public
with accurate information."
Critics, however, note that the Pentagon is not
renowned for providing
"accurate information" about controversial military events. Many view
this as simply the latest move in an increasing effort by the military
to censor and control civilian press coverage.
"The Army wants to get their view across and
they are using a
technique as old as any public relations maneuver ever devised," Aly
Colon of the Poynter Institute, a journalism research and education
center, told Associated Press.
"I would view the Army's decision, in the
same way that I would view
OPEC creating a communications system to help the American public
understand what it means when prices go up," Colon said.
"This is the kind of news that people get in
countries where the
government controls the media. Why would anybody here want to buy into
it?" Mac McKerral, president of the Society of Professional
Journalists, told Associated Press.
DVIDS will put a lot of their effort into
providing locally focused
stories to small and medium-sized newspapers and TV stations in the
U.S. The local angle -- and the zero cost -- are intended to make the
stories attractive to such media, and the result is expected to be a
vast increase in positive coverage of war-related matters -- a major
propaganda coup.
"There are numerous good news stories that
aren't told that do provide
a better balance on the overall successes we achieved in Iraq," he
said. "We'll be able to provide the option for those types of stories.
They're not going to lead in a major daily newspaper, but they'll play
well in smaller daily papers and especially weekly papers."
(Source: Associated Press
http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=1675781 )
* * *
Jay Leno: Bush, Kerry, WMDs, and Ground Hog Day
"The Oscar nominations are out. Up for best
actor, Sean Penn for
"Mystic River." Jude Law for "Cold Mountain." And George W.
Bush for
"Iraq Had Weapons of Mass Destruction." "
…
"Supposedly we can predict if we'll have an
early spring or six more
weeks of winter by whether or not a groundhog sees his shadow. Or as
President Bush calls it, "reliable intelligence."
…
"John Kerry said he wants to get rid of tax
cuts for the rich. And
today his wife said, "Hey, shut up! What's the matter with you?! Are
you nuts?!"
-- Jay Leno, from recent monologues on The
Tonight Show. Special
thanks to the Future of Freedom Foundation (http://www.fff.org ).
* * *
Police-State "Total Information
Awareness" Program Lives On
Privacy-minded citizens cheered last fall when
Congress, in response
to huge public protest, eliminated the creepy "Terrorist Information
Awareness" (TIA) scheme for high-tech spying on citizens.
However, they celebrated too soon. For all
practical purposes, the
police-state TIA program (originally known as "Total Information
Awareness") is alive, well, and growing.
"Despite an outcry over privacy
implications, the government is
pressing ahead with research to create powerful tools to mine millions
of public and private records for information about terrorists,"
reported Associated Press in late February.
Some TIA projects were simply transferred to U.S.
intelligence
offices, where work on them continues. Furthermore, Congress quietly
left alone what Associated Press describes as "a separate but similar
$64 million research program run by a little-known office called the
Advanced Research and Development Activity, or ARDA, that has used
some of the same researchers as [TIA]."
Some of TIA's most controversial programs are
among those still being
researched and developed, AP further states.
"The whole congressional action [defunding
TIA] looks like a shell
game," said Steve Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists,
which tracks work by U.S. intelligence agencies. "There may be enough
of a difference for them to claim TIA was terminated -- while for all
practical purposes the identical work is continuing."
As reported in past issues of The Liberator
Online, the stated goal of
TIA was to predict terrorist attacks by giving the federal government
vast new powers and technology to assemble and comb massive databases
of deeply private and personal data, including such things as passport
applications, visas, work permits, Internet use, driver's licenses,
car rentals, airline ticket purchases, credit transactions, and
education, medical and housing records.
The ACLU said TIA "may be the closest thing
to a true "Big Brother"
program that has ever been seriously contemplated in the United
States."
The organization's almost absurdly sinister logo
-- a giant eye atop a
pyramid surveying the entire earth with a sci-fi blast of light,
accompanied by the Latin phrase "knowledge is power" -- perfectly
symbolized the 1984-ish nature of the scheme. (You can check it out at
the link at the end of this article.)
In addition to privacy concerns, TIA raised fears
that many innocent
Americans would face accusations due to research errors. Even TIA's
researchers admitted that TIA's massive and invasive research could
put huge numbers of utterly innocent American under suspicion and
surveillance.
Congress has said that the fruits of current TIA-related
research can
only be used overseas or against non-U.S. citizens in this country --
for now, anyway. However, given the expansive nature of government
programs, and the secrecy surrounding this kind of research, no one
can really be sure how long -- if at all -- such a restriction will be
obeyed.
Privacy advocates also fear that, once these
kinds of high-powered spy
tools are developed, they will quickly and eagerly be used by other
government agencies for non-terrorist-related matters, further eroding
privacy and liberty.
(Source: Associated Press / The Daily Herald:
http://www.harktheherald.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=14894
See the amazing original TIA logo here:
http://reason.com/0210/artifact.shtml )
* * *
The price of liberty…
"Eternal vigilance is the price of
liberty."
-- anti-slavery activist Wendell Phillips, in a
speech before the
Massachusetts Antislavery Society, 1852.
* * *
"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
* * *
How could theater and the arts survive without
government funding?
Question:
"I consider myself ideally a philosophical
(and political) libertarian
already, even though I'm only 15 years old. However, I have a passion
for theater and the arts. What would happen if we eliminated funding
for the arts? How would theater and the arts survive if it weren't
funded and supported by the government?"
My short answer:
"In a libertarian society, the theater and
the arts would be supported
through private patronage. However, such a society would be much
wealthier than we are today (see my book, Healing Our World, available
from the Advocates (2003 edition) or as a free download (1992 edition)
at http://www.ruwart.com/ for details). The wealthier the society, the
more it spends on the arts. Consequently, the arts should flourish in
a libertarian society."
* * *
What can I do to preserve the rural character of
my neighborhood?
Question:
"As a property owner I don't want others
telling me what I may or may
not do with my property; but I also love the rural nature of my
neighborhood, I don't want my little area of the state to become like
other nearby cities -- ugly, crowded, huge traffic problems, with too
many people, too many laws, and too high taxes. I find myself wanting
to hang up the "Campground Full" sign. Where's the balance between
those conflicting desires?"
My short answer:
"Covenants are an effective free market
alternative to forcible
zoning, taxes, and building restrictions. Residents who want to limit
development, usually of property at the outskirts of small towns, are
asked to put restrictions on their deeds so that new buyers have
limitations on what they can do with the property.
"For some owners, such restrictions will
lower the market value of the
property. Other residents might raise money through "Keep our small
town small" fairs, bake sales, raffles, etc., to compensate them for
the covenants. If permanent covenants are too costly, restrictions
that last for a couple of decades might be used instead. They can be
renewed if the desire to limit growth continues.
"A few people might still chose development,
but its impact will be
limited. Unlike zoning laws and building restrictions, which impose
the cost of limiting development on a few, covenants spread the cost
and eliminate conflict. Isn't this more neighborly atmosphere what
you're actually trying to preserve?"
* * *
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 book 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 #158
"No One Is Coming to the Rescue"
by Michael Cloud
No one is coming to set you free.
No one is on the way to restore your liberty.
No one is coming to rescue your life, liberty,
and property.
That's great news, says psychologist Nathaniel
Branden.
Dr. Branden was intensely interested in what
triggered the stunning
progress he saw in successful psychotherapy clients.
"Radical transformation and extraordinary
personal growth begin,"
observed Nathaniel Branden, "after they realize that no one is coming
to the rescue."
Clients said, "When I finally allowed myself
to face fully my own
responsibility for my life, I began to grow and change."
Dr. Branden discovered that you empower yourself
when you say and mean
and act upon these declarations:
"I am responsible for the attainment of my
desires and goals."
"I am responsible for my choices and
actions."
Nathaniel Branden is right. You are the Prime
Mover of your choices
and actions. You are Dominant Cause of your decisions and behavior.
And even when life deals you a bad hand, how you play it - how you
respond - is up to you.
"No one is coming to the rescue," says
Dr. Branden.
This toughlove truth pulses with power and
energy.
No one is standing in your way.
No one is holding you back.
Your libertarian activism is in your hands. You
can start where you
are. You can start now. You don't have to wait for anyone.
Your libertarian conversations and discussions
are in your hands. You
can start with people you know. Or with people you don't.
Your libertarian education and skills are in your
power. You can
expand what you know about libertarian politics and free market
economics. You can self-navigate the Web and go to quality libertarian
Web sites to become more knowledgeable and better informed. You can
read Persuasion Power Points, listen to "the Essence of Political
Persuasion," or come to "the Art of Libertarian Persuasion"
Seminars
to further develop your communication skills.
You can operate alone - or co-operate with other
libertarians. It's up
to you.
You are the driver of your choices and actions.
You are the navigator
of your direction and destination. Your actions will produce your
consequences.
Have you ever said, "Someone ought to do
something about this or
that"? Well, you're someone.
If you want more libertarians, no one is coming
to the rescue. No one
is going to do it for you. It's up to you.
No one is holding you back. No one is standing in
your way. You can
initiate libertarian conversations and discussions. You can find more
libertarians. Or persuade others to become libertarians.
If you want more libertarian activism in your
community or state, no
one is coming to save you. It's up to you.
You can get active. Yes, you. You can invite and
enroll others. You
can seek out ask for advice or guidance from effective libertarian
activists. You can begin. And begin again. You can continue. Your
activism will attract supporters and more activists.
"No one is coming to the rescue."
Helplessness won't get you rescued.
Waiting won't.
Dependency won't get you bailed out.
Rescue yourself. Rescue your life, liberty, and
property.
Your life is in your hands. You control your
choices and actions. You
fuel and aim your behavior. Your make your own personal future with
what you say and do. So, too, with your libertarian future.
"No one is coming to the rescue" is NOT
the end of hope.
It is the beginning of personal responsibility.
And the sunlit
possibility of liberty.
*********************
For a short and enjoyable introduction to the
work of Nathaniel
Branden, I recommend "The Power of Self-Esteem."
**********************
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 libertarian communication course, available exclusively
from the Advocates at the give-away price of only $7.50 postpaid
(includes shipping and postage!). For more information, or to order,
click here:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/epp-redirect.html
_____________________________________
PRODUCT REVIEW
"Libertarianism: A Bible-Based Study
Guide" by Virgil Swearingen.
Is libertarianism compatible with Christianity?
Can you be both a
Christian and a libertarian?
The answer -- as many thousands of libertarians
who are also devoted
Christians would happily tell you -- is yes.
Indeed, many Christians who are also libertarians
believe
libertarianism is the political philosophy that most complements their
religious views.
However, for many people, this remains a
difficult question. Some
Christians have difficulty fully embracing libertarianism.
Some believe the libertarian opposition to
tax-funded welfare is
un-Christian.
Some believe the libertarian opposition to
victimless crime laws is
not consistent with Christianity.
Others have other objections, questions,
concerns.
If this is a difficult question for you, or if
you have a Christian
friend or family member who has trouble reconciling libertarianism
with Christianity, the Advocates has two special tools that can help.
"Discovering Self-Government: A Bible-Based
Study Guide" is a short
booklet by Virgil Swearingen. Virgil is a devout Christian, a
libertarian, and a founding member of the Advocates.
His booklet is designed to be used as a study
guide alongside David
Bergland's best-selling short introduction to libertarianism,
"Libertarianism In One Lesson."
"Discovering Self-Government: A Bible-Based
Study Guide" asks the
reader questions about how Biblical principles apply to the political
issues discussed in each chapter of Bergland's book.
The booklet can be used either for individual or
group study.
"Discovering Self-Government: A Bible-Based
Study Guide" has drawn
praise from many libertarians, who see it filling a real need.
Rev. Edmund A. Opitz of the Foundation for
Economic Education --
America's oldest free market think-tank -- said this about this
booklet:
"The 18th century Puritan clergy preached
liberty, believing, as one
of them said, that the scriptures cannot rightfully be expounded
without explaining them in a manner friendly to the cause of freedom.
Virgil Swearingen's careful study guide confirms the truth of this
ancient insight. It is an excellent introduction to an understanding
of Christian liberty."
As mentioned, "Discovering Self-Government:
A Bible-Based Study Guide"
is designed to be used in conjunction with "Libertarianism In One
Lesson" by David Bergland
"Libertarianism In One Lesson" is often
called the best short
introduction to libertarian ideas available. In 16 short, easy-to-read
chapters -- 158 pages, including references and sources for further
information -- Bergland covers such crucial points as: the nature of
government; what libertarianism is, and how it differs from other
political viewpoints; common fallacies that block clear thinking about
government; libertarian ideas in American history; taxation as theft;
foreign policy, free trade, and national defense; education; the War
on Drugs; the right to self-defense; the free market and why it is
necessary for liberty; helping the poor; how libertarians would
protect the environment; and much, much more.
"Libertarianism in One Lesson" is a
clear, concise, and
information-packed introduction to the ideas of liberty. It makes
freedom make sense to people who've been brought up to believe that
big government is the only answer to social problems.
Together, "Discovering Self-Government: A
Bible-Based Study Guide" and
"Libertarianism in One Lesson" make a powerful, persuasive case that
liberty works, and libertarianism is fully compatible with
Christianity.
Together, these publications can change lives.
****SPECIAL LIBERATOR ONLINE OFFER!****
"Discovering Self-Government: A Bible-Based
Study Guide" sells for
$3.95 (plus shipping). "Libertarianism in One Lesson" sells for $10.95
(plus shipping). Our catalog offers both together for a special price
of $13.00 (plus $4.50 shipping).
However, order the pair in the next two weeks and
we'll give a
*further* discount. You can have *both* publications for only $11.00
(plus $4.50 shipping) -- a savings of over 15%. You'll be getting
"Discovering Self-Government: A Bible Based Study Guide" for only 5
cents!
As with all Advocates products, we guarantee your
satisfaction with
these items. Try them at no risk -- if you're not completely
satisfied, simply return for a full refund.
* * * ORDERING * * *
Via Web: To get this special Liberator Online
offer, you can go to
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This will take you to a special site at our
catalog where this offer
is featured. You can order via credit card from there if you wish. Our
site is credit card secure -- you can order with the same confidence
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our other libertarian products and order any you wish.
You can also, of course, order by phone, mail or
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Your order helps support the essential work of
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you!
As with all Advocates products, we guarantee your
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at no risk -- if you're not completely satisfied, simply return for a
full refund.
** This offer is good through Monday, March 16,
2004**
_____________________________________
See you in two weeks! You can contact the
Advocates at:
Snail Mail:
Advocates for Self Government
213 S Erwin St
Cartersville, GA 30120-3513
Phone: 770-386-8372; for orders, 800-932-1776
Fax: 770-386-8373
Email: mailto:info@TheAdvocates.org
Web site: http://www.TheAdvocates.org
If you wish to subscribe, unsubscribe, or change
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The Advocates for Self-Government is a non-profit
educational
organization. Our purpose is to: (1) present the freedom philosophy
honestly and persuasively to opinion-makers and the public so that
they can encounter, evaluate, and when ready, embrace the ideals of
self-government; (2) help libertarians become effective and powerful
communicators of the ideas of liberty; and (3) change the political
map from the inaccurate and exclusionary 'left-right/liberal
conservative' line to a more accurate and inclusive model (like that
on our World's Smallest Political Quiz) that includes libertarians and
others.
PLEASE NOTE: Contributions to the Advocates are
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"May it be to the world... to assume the
blessings and security of
self-government." -- Thomas Jefferson, 1821.
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