Here
is the issue of the Liberator Online that you requested.
Please
note: If this is an older issue, some of the hyperlinks may
not be active.
Enjoy!
And please tell your friends about the Liberator Online.
To be sure you get each new issue via email, subscribe
today.
|
In
This Issue:
Your
unalienable right to be crazy.... "Honey, we shrunk the U.S.
government -- to nothing," wails top Democrat... Any software
you use must be approved by the FBI, FCC declares.... Mary Ruwart
is asked about income inequality and if libertarian free-market
ideals can really work in the government-dominated global marketplace...
"Are you trying to persuade -- or just showing off?" Michael
Cloud tells you the difference -- and why it matters... Harry Browne
offers great soundbites on the connection between freedom and responsibility,
and other vital topics... LAST CHANCE!!! Get your tickets now --
and save $75! In just EIGHT DAYS join HUGH DOWNS, ROBERT RINGER,
and more than a dozen great libertarian speakers at the Advocates'
spectacular 20th Anniversary Celebration...
All this and *much much more* in the world's largest-circulation
libertarian publication...
...
The
Liberator Online
Vol. 10, No. 18 | October 6, 2005
Circulation: 66,255 subscribers in over 100 countries
Published by the Advocates for Self-Government
Edited by James W. Harris | Email:
james(a)TheAdvocates.org
Created by Paul Schmidt and James W. Harris
...
"I
am honored to have been involved with the Advocates from its
beginnings and to have seen it grow. Today, the Advocates
leads the way in thinking, methods, and materials for communicating
libertarianism to a world that most definitely needs it. Every
libertarian activist has benefited from, and owes a debt of
gratitude to, the Advocates." -- David Bergland,
1984 Libertarian Party presidential candidate & author,
Libertarianism in One Lesson
|
Contents
PRESIDENT'S
CORNER
*
"Fastforwarding Our Libertarian Future" -- just EIGHT
DAYS left until this libertarian event-of-a-lifetime! SAVE $75 if
you buy tickets now!
WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
*
Exciting opportunities for libertarians!
GOOD
NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
*
U.S. Congressman: "Honey, We Shrunk the U.S. Government --
to Nothing"
* FCC: FBI Must Approve All the Software You Use
* Your Unalienable Right to Be Crazy
* "The pursuit of happiness…"
PERSUASION
POWER POINT #189
*
"Are You Trying to Persuade -- or Showing Off?" by Michael
Cloud
ASK
DR. RUWART
*
Can free-market policies work in a government-dominated global marketplace?
* What about the problem of income inequality?
HARRY
BROWNE'S SOUNDBITES FOR LIBERTY
*
Serving a "greater cause"
* Freedom and virtue
* Social Security
...
PRODUCT
REVIEW
*
FREE Harry Browne tape when you buy Sharon Harris's acclaimed CD
"The Invisible Hand Is a Gentle Hand"
...
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
 |
President's
Corner |
Dear
friends,
It's just a week away!
We're down to the wire for THE libertarian event of a lifetime!
And we've extended a major discount on tickets -- you'll
save $75 if you buy your ticket now.
 Our
upcoming Advocates 20th Anniversary spectacular celebration, "Fastforwarding
Our Libertarian Future," takes place October 14-16, 2005 in
Atlanta.
Here's a rundown of what's in store for you:
Let's start with one of the most famous people on the planet --
HUGH DOWNS. He has said that "libertarians
have all the good ideas" and this will be his first time ever
to speak at a libertarian event. He will also sign autographs and
be available for extensive Q&A and photo ops.
Meet the legendary ROBERT RINGER, author of the
best-selling book, Restoring the American Dream. He has
a brand-new book about ACTION, and his presentation will
help you make things happen -- not only in your libertarian work,
but in all other aspects of your life.
Hear what it's like to be the only libertarian in Congress. The
heroic RON PAUL -- the greatest U.S. Congressman
since the Founding Fathers -- will give you a first-hand report
on what it takes to fight for liberty in the belly of the Beast.
HARRY BROWNE: He's one of the world's most acclaimed
libertarian speakers, twice Libertarian Party presidential candidate,
bestselling author, and a master of effective, powerful libertarian
communication -- and this is one of the very few public appearances
Harry will be making this year. In fact, Harry will be giving TWO
presentations: He will speak on "The Delusion of Force,"
covering why the use of force is wrong and why it never works. He
will also give our parting keynote, "The Future Is NOT Hopeless."
A must!
What is the "final barrier" to liberty? Get the answer
from dynamo MICHAEL CLOUD, author of Secrets
of Libertarian Persuasion. He'll also tell you how to *shatter*
that barrier. Ground-breaking new material, presented here for the
first time ever!
Learn about the incredible possibilities your future may hold, from
futurist/journalist RONALD BAILEY, author of the
brand-new hot book Liberation Biology. A centuries-long
lifespan? Rejuvenation? Genetically engineered children? Prepare
to be amazed by Bailey on "Liberation Biology, or Why You Should
Relax and Enjoy the Brave New World of Immortality, Stem Cells and
Designer Babies."
Learn the truth about one of today's most controversial and misunderstood
issues, globalization, and the best ways to persuade others that
"globalization is grrreat!" from leading expert TOM
PALMER, director of Cato University.
What is the lynch-pin of liberty? Advocates founder MARSHALL
FRITZ has a devastating case for separating SCHOOL and
state -- why we MUST do it, and what we need to do to accomplish
it. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of this subject
to the libertarian movement. Provocative, informative, inspiring.
MARY RUWART, author of the international bestseller
Healing Our World in an Age of Aggression, a leading expert
in libertarian communication, and columnist for the Advocates' Liberator
Online and The Libertarian Communicator, will present "Healing
Our World: How Liberty Can Bring About a Safer, Cleaner, More Abundant
World for All." Hear why liberty offers the best and only hope
for peace and prosperity -- and learn how to convince good people
on both the left and the right that this is so.
DAVID BERGLAND will make the definitive case for
libertarianism in "Libertarianism 101." You may know the
fundamentals of libertarianism -- but do you know how to present
them in a clear, concise, persuasive way? Learn how by watching
this masterful presentation.
CARLA HOWELL, one of the country's most successful
libertarian political activists and president of the Center for
Small Government will present "Changing the Frame: How to Detect
and Correct Big Government Bias in Everyday Conversation."
Even the best, most astute, well-trained, long-time libertarians
can -- and regularly do -- get caught in the trap of using Big Government
words, phrases, and framing. Learn how to get out! Eye-opening.
Co-founder of the Libertarian Party (1971); inventor of the renowned
"Nolan Chart," a new map of politics that became the basis
of the World's Smallest Political Quiz; DAVID NOLAN
will share his insights during the panel discussion "What Does
the Future Hold for the Libertarian Movement?"
Nationally-known expert on campus organizing (and Advocates Board
member) JAMES W. LARK, III will share nuts-and-bolts
techniques on successfully setting up and running campus libertarian
organizations on a panel "How You Can Reach the Leaders of
Tomorrow with the Ideas of Liberty."
Experts will share their insights with you on two other exciting
panels: "The Very Best Ways You Can Communicate Libertarian
Ideas" and "What Is the Relationship between Liberty and
Religion?"
And this last-minute news: We've just added the brilliant libertarian
scholar RODERICK LONG, editor of the Journal
of Libertarian Studies, Senior Scholar of the Ludwig von Mises
Institute, and philosophy professor at Auburn University, to our
line-up!
Add to that the fact that you'll meet fellow libertarians who are
as eager as you are to see our movement grow. There will be ample
time to get to know them -- to make new friends and get re-acquainted
with old ones.
Book signings. Photo ops. Receptions. Delicious meals. Gorgeous
surroundings. Camaraderie.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime event that you will always remember
as a highlight of your libertarian life.
The Advocates 20th Anniversary event will be a small, intimate gathering.
Attendance is strictly limited. This means that you have a unique
opportunity to meet and talk one-on-one with people you've admired
for years:
You won't be lost in the crowd. You won't be one face among a thousand
people, exiled to the back of a cavernous hall. You will have the
opportunity to have meaningful, friendly conversations with the
leaders of the libertarian movement. You'll be able to chat with
them over lunch, dinner, or during breaks.
You'll be able to ask them the questions you've wanted to ask for
years, and get personalized advice directly from some of the movement's
most successful and influential activists.
This is your ONE opportunity to get up close and personal with the
libertarian leaders you've admired for years.
Register now and get $75 off every ticket you buy! Your ticket includes
three exciting days of events, all speakers, all panels, two luncheons,
a dessert reception, gourmet snacks, all book signings, and the
gala banquet.
If you reserve by October 11, your price is only $284 per ticket.
Ready to sign up now? You can do so online at: https://www.fbs.net/advocates/register.cfm.
OR, call toll-free 800-932-1776.
Need more information? Here it is: http://www.TheAdvocates.org/20th.html.
Again: we're down to the wire now. The Celebration is just over
a week away. Don't miss this incredible opportunity!
* * *
Welcome to 247 new Liberator Online subscribers this issue.
Thanks for joining our subscription "family" of over 66,000
liberty-loving readers in over 100 countries!
* * *
To learn more about the Advocates and our work for liberty: http://www.theadvocates.org.
To
learn more about libertarianism: http://www.Libertarianism.com.
Enjoy
this issue of the Liberator Online.
--
Sharon Harris, President | Email: sharon(a)TheAdvocates.org
PS: What would a libertarian society look like,
feel like? Would it be a world of ruthless, dog-eat-dog competition,
where only the fittest survive? Or... would it be something far
different?
A few years ago I set out to explore that question in a speech.
Entitled" The Invisible Hand Is a Gentle Hand," it proved
extremely popular. Many people have told me it opened their minds
to a side of libertarianism they'd never before considered -- the
warm, compassionate side of liberty.
I've recorded an updated version of that speech on CD. It's reviewed
in our Product Review department at the end of this issue. I hope
you'll check it out.
Order now, and we'll include a great FREE bonus -- a wonderful tape
by Harry Browne, "Why Liberty Must Be Sold, Not Preached."
You can learn more about this limited-time special 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.
[Offer
good through October 19, 2005.]
Thank you!
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
What's
Happening With The Advocates
*
Libertarian Activism Awards: Can you meet the Lights
of Liberty Awards challenge? Three libertarian letters to the editor,
three libertarian speeches, OR three turns at working an OPH booth
done before January 1, 2006 qualifies you to receive a handsome
certificate suitable for framing -- and also qualifies you for drawings
on some great prizes, including the incredible Libertarian Presidential
Library, an AUTOGRAPHED collector's set of every campaign book written
by every Libertarian Party presidential candidate from 1972's John
Hospers to 2004's Michael Badnarik! Most importantly, every person
who qualifies encourages others by their example to engage in these
vital outreach activities. See details here: http://theadvocates.org/lights.html.
* Most Acclaimed Libertarian Communication Course EVER:
Learn the very best ways to persuade others of the benefits of liberty.
You can get Michael Cloud's classic 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 7,000 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.
*
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.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Good
News, Bad News, Unbelievable News
By
James W. Harris
U.S.
Congressman: "Honey, We Shrunk the U.S. Government -- to Nothing"
"Government
and the private sector have to coexist, but [Republicans have] shrunk
the government, until now it's not there at all."
That stunning quote comes from powerful liberal U.S. Congressman
Barney Frank (D-MA), in a profile published last weekend in the
Boston Globe [Sunday] Magazine.
What? The Republicans have abolished the U.S. government? Hold on.
Before you call the missing governments department -- or break out
the champagne -- check the U.S. budget. The Republican-controlled
Congress has given us record budget increases and the biggest social
spending increases since the New Deal. Not to mention a trillion
dollar deficit.
So yes, the government is still there. Bigger than ever and growing
like kudzu, thanks to the free-spending GOP majority.
Rep. Frank's outlandish quote follows on the heels of eerily similar
-- and equally ludicrous -- remarks by Republican House Majority
Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), which we wrote about last issue. DeLay
said that Republicans have done such a stellar job of slashing federal
spending during the past decade that there simply is no place left
in the federal budget where further cuts are possible. (The arch-conservative
New Hampshire Union-Leader newspaper called that "the
lie of the year.")
So what's going on here? Why are leading Republican and Democratic
politicians alike ballyhooing such an obviously falsehood?
Here's one guess. The truth is, for all practical purposes, there
are little or no differences between the two older parties, especially
at the national level. In daily practice, both are the parties of
mega-government. Both favor massive government control over the
economy and our personal lives. Both favor worldwide U.S. military
and political involvement in the internal affairs of other nations.
And both tend to view the U.S. Constitution as little more than
a museum piece, with some historical significance but little relevance
to the day-to-day process of modern government.
These parties are, in practice, essentially two wings of a single
party, which might be called the Establishment Party or the Big
Government Party. The choice between them is a Hobson's Choice.
Vote for either, and you will most likely get the same Big Government
policies, with perhaps some minor variations.
Because of this, the parties must greatly exaggerate the trivial
differences between them, or manufacture differences out of the
air, in order to attract and keep their base voters. Thus Republicans
such as DeLay appeal to conservatives by claiming they are taking
a meat cleaver to the federal budget, though the exact opposite
is true. And Democrats like Frank similarly prey on the fears of
liberals by crying that the Republicans are anti-government anarchists
intent on abolishing the State altogether. Such statements are palpably
absurd -- any smart schoolchild would laugh at them. Yet too many
voters and media apparently lack the savvy of clever school inmates,
and so the politicians get away with it.
The lie that Republicans are dramatically cutting the federal government
-- or that they even seriously want to -- enormously benefits both
Democrats and Republicans. And so it is repeated, over and over,
by both sides. This loud, ludicrous, blatantly phony debate has
the great additional benefit of allowing the two older parties to
avoid telling the truth about what they are actually doing.
Whatever the reasons, Frank's and DeLay's statements are just plain
malarkey. The government is still here, and it's getting bigger
and bigger. You'll foot the bill and suffer the consequences. And
the absurd charade will go on -- until enough people begin to listen
to those few (but growing) voices pointing out that today's Democratic
and Republican emperors are naked as jaybirds.
Source: "To Be Frank," Boston Globe
[Sunday] Magazine, October 2, 2005:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/10/02/to_be_frank/.
FCC:
Federal Government Must Approve Your Software
"The Federal Communications Commission thinks you have the
right to use software on your computer only if the FBI approves."
This amazing and appalling statement comes from Declan McCullagh,
the chief political correspondent for CNET Networks' News.com and
a highly respected journalist on issues of technology and privacy.
He bases it on a document just released by the FCC, and he backs
it up with off-the-record quotes from reputable sources within the
FCC.
The FCC made their remarkable pronouncement -- the kind of thing
you'd expect from North Korea, not the U.S. -- quietly, in an obscure
policy document released discreetly around 9 p.m. ET Friday, September
23.
McCullagh writes: "According to the three-page document, to
preserve the openness that characterizes today's Internet, "...consumers
are entitled to run applications and use services of their choice,
subject to the needs of law enforcement." Read the last seven
words again.
"The FCC didn't offer much in the way of clarification. But
the clearest reading of the pronouncement is that some unelected
bureaucrats at the commission have decreed that Americans don't
have the right to use software such as Skype or PGPfone [free software
that allows you to have secure telephone conversations on the Internet]
if it doesn't support mandatory backdoors for wiretapping. (That
interpretation was confirmed by an FCC spokesman on Monday, who
asked not to be identified by name.)
"Nowhere does the commission say how it jibes this official
pronouncement with, say, the First Amendment's right to speak freely,
not to mention the limited powers granted the federal government
by the U.S. Constitution.
"What's also worth noting is that the FCC's pronunciamento
almost tracks the language of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Almost.
"But where federal law states that it is the policy of the
United States to preserve a free market for Internet services "unfettered
by federal or state regulation," the bureaucrats have adroitly
interpreted that to mean precisely the opposite of [what] Congress
said. Ain't that clever?"
Sources: CNET's VOIP Blog: http://news.com.com/2061-10804_3-5884130.html?tag=nefd.aon.
FCC document: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-151A1.pdf.
...
The
Right to be Crazy
"The day before hurricane Rita hit Texas, last Friday, I saw
on TV something that disturbed me. It was not the usual scene of
crashing waves and hardy reporters being blown sideways by wind
gusts. It was a fat Texas guy swimming in the waves off Galveston.
He'd apparently decided the high surf was a good thing to jump into,
so he went for a pre-hurricane swim. Two cops saw him, waded into
the surf and arrested him. When I saw it the guy was standing there
in orange trunks being astonished as the cops put handcuffs on him
and hauled him away. I thought: Oh no, this isn't good. This is
authority, not responsibility.
"You'd have to be crazy, in my judgment, to decide you were
going to go swim in the ocean as a hurricane comes. But in the America
where I grew up, you were allowed to be crazy. You had the right.
Sometimes you were crazy and survived whatever you did. Sometimes
you didn't, and afterwards everyone said, 'He was crazy.'
"Last week I quoted Gerald Ford: "The government big enough
to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything
you have." I was talking about money. But it applies also to
personal freedom, to the rights of the individual, including his
right to do something stupid as long as it's legal, like swimming.
"...It is the government's job to warn and inform. That's what
we have the National Weather Service for. It is not government's
job to command and control and make micro-decisions about the lives
of people who want to do it their own way."
From "The Scofflaw Swimmer," a column by Peggy Noonan
in The Wall Street Journal, September 29, 2005.
Source: http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/.
"The
pursuit of happiness..."
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of Happiness." -- Declaration of Independence,
July 4, 1776
* * *
"Good News, Bad News, Unbelievable News"
is written by Liberator Online editor James W. Harris.
His articles have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers,
and he has been a Finalist for the Mencken Award, given by the Free
Press Association for "Outstanding Journalism in Support of
Liberty."
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
 |
Persuasion
Power
Point
#189 |
Are You Trying to Persuade
-- or Showing Off?
By Michael Cloud
He was asking for it. He repeatedly needled me and ridiculed libertarianism.
I'd had enough.
For the next 12 minutes, I folded, spindled, and mutilated every
comment he made, every argument he mustered, every belief he expressed.
My weapons and ammunition? Every fact, insight, and argument I had
learned from Murray Rothbard, Ayn Rand, Ludwig von Mises, Henry
Hazlitt, and the great libertarian thinkers. All delivered with
devastating force and biting wit.
The results? Total destruction of his beliefs and arguments. Embarrassment
and humiliation for him.
The consequences to me and libertarianism? He hated my guts for
making him look bad. Most of the 30 people at the party felt sorry
for him -- and angry with me. Not for what I said, but for how I
said it. I turned off and burned off a lot of people -- who might
well have been receptive and responsive to libertarianism.
This happened 25 years ago. I remember it like it happened yesterday.
What went wrong?
I showed off. "Look how much I know. Listen to how many books
I've read. Look how bad I make you look. Listen how idiotic I make
your beliefs sound. And, look around, all your friends are watching
you get put in your place."
I showed off -- at his expense.
Maybe you've never done this. Perhaps you haven't unloaded on someone
like I did. Or haven't done it as harshly as I did. Or maybe you
haven't done it as publicly -- in front of the other guy's family,
friends, or co-workers.
Maybe I was imitating or emulating Francisco d'Anconia's behavior
at social events and parties in Atlas Shrugged.
I'm not sure.
Showing off at someone else's expense creates bad first impressions.
And they linger and last.
Showing off at someone's expense can be exhilarating, exciting,
and a rush. Some users find it attractive. Some find it addictive.
But it harms the users -- and the used. The perpetrators -- and
the victims. And it creates needless opposition to liberty.
Showing off at another person's expense will cost you dearly.
Profit from my embarrassing blunder.
Ask yourself: Do you want to show that you know more than other
people? Do you want to prove you have read more than other people?
Do you want to show that you are smarter than other people? Do you
want to show off -- at someone else's expense?
Or do you want to persuade?
If you choose persuasion, please click: http://www.theadvocates.org/secrets.html.
* * *
Michael Cloud is the author of the acclaimed book,
Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion, available exclusively
from the Advocates. Order at: http://www.TheAdvocates.org/secrets.html.
Michael was voted the Most Persuasive Libertarian Communicator
in America and honored with the Thomas Paine Award at the Libertarian
Party national convention in July 2000.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
 |
Ask
Dr.
Ruwart |
Dr.
Mary Ruwart is a leading expert in libertarian communication. In
this column she gives readers "short answers to the tough questions"
that libertarians are frequently asked.
Dr. Ruwart's past Liberator Online answers are archived
in searchable form at: http://www.TheAdvocates.org/ruwart/categories_list.php
"Can free-market policies
work in a government-dominated global marketplace?"
QUESTION:
"Libertarians argue that owners of companies should
be free to sell their products, or even their entire companies,
to whomever they like. But doing so might damage or destroy our
country/economy. China is a striking example of a government that
would happily buy all of our energy, software, defense, etc. companies,
if our government would let them. How would libertarianism answer
the dilemma between the right to private property (the privately-owned
companies) and security for the citizenry from predatory foreign
powers?"
MY SHORT ANSWER: "A libertarian country wouldn't
have built up the predatory government of China through foreign
aid. A libertarian country wouldn't have taxed its citizenry to
support a dictatorship. Consequently, an aggressive and statist
government like China would still be worrying about feeding its
people, just as it was doing 20 years ago when the Berlin Wall came
down.
"We made the same mistake with Soviet Union, helping the Communists
through direct and indirect foreign aid (e.g., Hoover's Russian
famine relief, Franklin Roosevelt's Lend-Lease, loans for the 1972
famine, forgiving debt, etc.). Details can be found in Chapter 20
of my 2003 book, Healing Our World, available from the
Advocates (the 1992 edition is available as a free download on my
website at http://www.ruwart.com.
"If the U.S. had not given aid to China, the predatory government
would most likely have reformed or fallen. A more libertarian China
would be a partner, rather than a threat. A dictatorial Chinese
government would be scrambling, with difficulty, just to stay in
power without our foreign aid. Consequently, it would not be buying
many American companies today.
"Most of the foreign policy problems that we have today are
created by our own domestic government aggression rippling out into
the world. These problems would be largely absent in the libertarian
nation, since the enabling factors would not exist. Even when they
did occur, these problems would be of a much smaller magnitude and
would probably not require government intervention."
...
"What
about the problem of income inequality?"
QUESTION:
"What is the libertarian answer to the increasing income inequality
in America? Back in 1990 the top fifth made 11.9 times the amount
of the bottom fifth. But in 2001, it was 14.3 times."
MY SHORT ANSWER: "As freedom decreases, income
inequality increases. Countries with the least freedom generally
have the most income inequality, as has been documented in a number
of studies (see footnote 11 in Chapter 2 of the 2003 edition of
Healing Our World, available from the Advocates). Studies
also show that societies with a high amount of economic liberty
have a more even distribution of wealth than societies with less
economic freedom. In other words, a libertarian society would 'solve'
the problem of inequality by having less of it in the first place.
"Further, a society with greater economic liberty produces
far more wealth for all levels of the population. Even the bottom
fifth of America's economy is a far better place to be than the
highest fifth of many societies with less economic freedom.
"Ironically, any political attempts at redistribution inhibit
the entire society's wealth creation, resulting in less for everyone.
Making things even worse, a decrease in economic freedom is usually
accompanied by an increase in regulations. The rich are better able
to cope with this added cost than the poor. Consequently, the poor
are more adversely affected than the rich, and so income inequality
-- and poverty -- grows when liberty is lost.
"Unfortunately, the U.S. lost a considerable amount of liberty
between 1990 and 2001, resulting in an increase in income inequality."
* * *
Got questions? Dr. Ruwart has answers!
If you'd like answers to YOUR
"tough questions" on libertarian issues, just email to
Dr. Ruwart at: ruwart(a)theAdvocates.org. Due to volume, Dr. Ruwart
can't personally acknowledge all emails. But we'll run the best
questions and answers in upcoming issues.
Dr. Ruwart's outstanding books Healing Our World and Short
Answers to the Tough Questions are available from the Advocates:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvv.
...
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
 |
Harry
Browne's
Soundbites
for Liberty |
During
his two Libertarian Party presidential campaigns (1996 and 2000),
Harry Browne created hundreds of "soundbites" -- short,
pithy, and highly memorable answers to the questions libertarians
are most frequently asked by the media and the public. Each issue
we'll be sharing some of the best. Enjoy -- and put them to use
for liberty!
* * *
* Serving a "greater cause": "When
a politician says he wants you to serve a cause greater than your
own self-interest, the cause he has is mind is his own reelection."
* Social Security: "Social Security brings
a new dimension to such concepts as annuities, insurance, and retirement.
No long, complicated contracts. No actuarial tables to pore over.
Social Security operates on a very simple principle: the politicians
take your money from you and squander it. "
* Freedom and virtue: "If you wait on freedom
until a majority is virtuous, you will wait forever. If you establish
freedom, people will have an incentive to be virtuous -- since a
free market rewards responsibility and punishes irresponsibility,
while government does the opposite.
* * *
Harry Browne was 1996 and 2000 Libertarian Party
presidential candidate. He is the author of a dozen books that have
sold over two million copies, including three New York Times
bestsellers.
Browne's book Liberty A to Z: 872 Libertarian Soundbites You
Can Use Right Now is a treasury of soundbites like those in
this column.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Product
Review
Sharon Harris's acclaimed speech
now on CD!
PLUS
FREE Harry Browne bonus tape!
[Offer
good until October 19, 2005]
"The
Invisible Hand is a Gentle Hand," by Sharon Harris. Audio CD,
39 minutes.
Published
by the Advocates for Self-Government, 2004.
 What
would it be like to live in a libertarian world?
Would it be a world of ruthless, dog-eat-dog competition? Survival
of the fittest? Or... would it be something far different?
Sharon Harris, president of the Advocates for Self-Government, answers
those questions and more in this compelling, acclaimed speech.
Sharon explores a too-often neglected aspect of liberty -- its compassionate
and benevolent side. She firmly dispels the myth of "benevolent"
government, and gently makes the case that only freedom can give
people what they want: a tolerant, humane, and abundant society.
Along the way, she also...
* Contrasts the invisible hand of freedom with the "visible
fist" of government.
* Dispels the "dog-eat-dog" myth of ruthless free-market
competition.
* Exposes the government's war against desperately ill Americans.
* Defends the right to keep and bear arms as a way to create a
more peaceful and secure society.
* Explains why freedom fosters a more cooperative, compassionate,
generous world.
* Shows why asset forfeiture is "robbery with a badge."
* Makes the case against a military draft and senseless foreign
wars.
* Demonstrates how privatizing Social Security could make most
Americans -- even the working poor -- wealthy in a generation.
* Explains why libertarians can't be "too consistent."
* And... reveals why history is on our side.
"The Invisible Hand Is a Gentle Hand" is a wide-ranging,
persuasive look at the real-world benefits of liberty. It will show
you why the cause of liberty is the best hope for mankind.
It will encourage you to envision a better world -- and inspire
you to make that world happen. It's also a perfect speech to share
with non-libertarian friends.
"The Invisible Hand Is a Gentle Hand" is published and
distributed exclusively by the Advocates for Self-Government.
BONUS IF YOU ORDER NOW:
***
FREE $10.00 HARRY BROWNE TAPE! ***
Order "The Invisible Hand Is a Gentle Hand" now, and we'll
include a FREE AUDIO TAPE by 1996 and 2000 Libertarian Party presidential
candidate -- and master communicator -- Harry Browne!
In "Why Liberty Must Be SOLD, Not Preached," Harry Browne
shares some of the very best ways he knows to persuade others to
embrace libertarian ideas.
What is the best way to assure victory in our battle for individual
liberty? Can liberty really be SOLD? Hear how we can -- and why
we must -- differentiate ourselves from liberals and conservatives
if we are to win. And much more. 60 minutes long. Recorded live
in September 1999 at the Advocates 15th Anniversary Celebration!
This tape is Browne at his best -- a powerful guide to more effective
libertarian communication. Enlightening, delightful and inspirational.
Yours FREE with your order of "The Invisible Hand Is a Gentle
Hand"!
ORDERING INFORMATION
Via Web: To order this Liberator Online special, you can
visit: http://www.theadvocates.org/liberator-online-special.html.
This will take you to a special page at our online store 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 you'd feel at your local department store. While there,
you can browse our other libertarian products and order any you
wish.
You can also, of course, order by phone, mail or fax, from the address
below.
Your order helps support the essential work of the Advocates --
thank you!
As with all Advocates products, we guarantee your satisfaction.
Try it at no risk -- if you're not completely satisfied, simply
return for a full refund.
This offer good through October 19, 2005.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
See
you in two weeks! You can contact the Advocates at:
Regular Mail:
Advocates for Self Government
213 South Erwin Street
Cartersville, GA 30120-3513
Phone: 770-386-8372; for orders, 800-932-1776
Fax: 770-386-8373
Email: info(a)TheAdvocates.org
WWW: http://www.TheAdvocates.org/
If you wish to subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your address
for receiving the Liberator Online, visit:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/publications/liberator-online.html
We
never send the Liberator Online unsolicited. We
encourage you to forward the Liberator Online to interested
friends. And if you received this issue from a forward, please subscribe.
It's free!
To see previous issues, visit: http://www.theadvocates.org/liberator/archive.html
The Advocates for Self-Government is a non-profit educational
organization. Contributions to the Advocates are tax-deductible.
If you would like to support the world-changing work of the Advocates,
we *welcome* your donation. Please see: http://www.theadvocates.org/year-end-report-2005.html.
Or give us a call at 1-800-932-1776. Thank you!
"May it be to the world... to assume the blessings
and security of self-government." -- Thomas Jefferson, June
24, 1826.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
|
