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In
This Issue:
Millions
of libertarian supporters!... Americans know The Simpsons
far better than the First Amendment... Stupid federal drug ads may
actually encourage kids to smoke marijuana... Why are we
libertarians?... And much more!
xxx
The
Liberator Online
Vol. 11, No. 11 | May 25, 2006
Circulation: 67,432 subscribers in over 100 countries.
The world's largest-circulation libertarian publication!
Published by the Advocates for Self-Government
Edited by James W. Harris | Email: james(a)TheAdvocates.org
...
"The
Advocates...is tilling the soil, sowing the seeds that other
organizations in the libertarian movement are reaping the
benefits from."
-- David
Nolan, Libertarian Party co-founder, Nolan Chart creator |
Contents
PRESIDENT'S
CORNER
*
Good news for
libertarians!
WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATE
* World's Smallest Political Quiz in two major newspapers
* The perfect time for OPH!
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
* Study:
Federal Anti-Drug Ads May Encourage Teen Pot Use
* Americans Know The Simpsons Better Than First Amendment
* The Difference Between Conservatism and Libertarianism
* QUICK SHOTS: Majority of Americans want a major third party...
PERSUASION
POWER POINT #203
*
"Why Are We Libertarians?" by Michael Cloud
ASK
DR. RUWART
*
The thorny
question of abortion -- can technology solve it?
SOUNDBITES
FOR LIBERTY
*
Harry Browne, Walter Williams, and Thomas Sowell
...
PRODUCT
REVIEW
* HUGE savings on the "Best
of Bergland"!
...
 |
President's
Corner |
Dear friends,
There's
good news in this issue for friends of liberty!
We report that two major U.S. newspapers have discussed the World's
Smallest Political Quiz -- with one printing the Quiz in its entirety
and linking to it at its Web site.
Those same newspapers also ran articles arguing that the old "left
versus right" view of politics is obsolete, that millions of
Americans are libertarians or libertarian sympathizers, and that
libertarianism is a major ideology in American politics.
Also reported in this issue is a new poll that indicates that, for
the first time, a majority of Americans -- 53% -- want to see a
major, viable third party emerge in America -- another sure sign
of dissatisfaction with the left-right statist quo.
All this comes on the heels of other surveys and newspaper articles
we've mentioned in the past few issues that make similar points.
These millions of libertarian-leaning Americans are what we've called
for years "the politically homeless" -- largely or completely
libertarian in their beliefs, but not aware there is a *name* for
what they believe. And not aware there is a vast, fast-growing movement
of organizations, publications, and activists working to put their
beliefs into effect.
Our job as lovers of liberty is to reach them -- and bring them
the good news that they're not alone!
The Advocates can help you do that. In fact, that's our specialty!
We supply you with proven, tested tools to find these people --
like the Quiz, like Operation Politically Homeless (OPH). We can
help you explain libertarianism to them in the most persuasive,
effective ways possible -- through this newsletter and through our
books, tapes, cds and videos on communication and outreach. We offer
resources to help them learn more about liberty: the links at our
Web page, and books and tapes like Libertarianism In One Lesson.
And we offer opportunities for them in turn to get involved in the
liberty movement and reach others with the gospel of liberty.
Many of our tools and services are free, like this newsletter and
the online Quiz (currently being taken 25,000 times each day!).
Others are low-cost. Check our Liberty
Store and see some of the products we have for you.
Reports like those in this issue make me excited about the future
of liberty! I truly believe the libertarian movement will see major
growth in the coming months and years.
Together we can play a major role in making that happen.
*
* *
Welcome
to 461 new Liberator Online subscribers this issue. Thanks
for joining our subscription "family" of over 67,000 liberty-loving
readers in more than 100 countries!
-- Sharon Harris, President | Email: sharon(a)TheAdvocates.org
PS: To learn more about the Advocates and our
work for liberty visit: www.TheAdvocates.org.
To learn more about libertarianism visit: www.Libertarianism.com.
PPS:
David Bergland is a master libertarian communicator and writer.
Now, for a short time only, you can get a copy of the newly-revised
edition of his acclaimed book, Libertarianism In One Lesson
-- AND a CD recording of his wonderful speech, "Libertarianism
101" -- at HUGE SAVINGS!
Our
"Best of Bergland" package gives you Libertarianism
In One Lesson, widely considered the best short-and-sweet introduction
to libertarianism ever written. You also get the "Libertarianism
101" CD -- David's brilliant speech that draws on 20+ years
of outreach to explain how to persuade others about the benefits
of liberty.
The
book usually costs $12.50. The CD usually costs $10.00. That's a
$22.50 value. Shipping adds another $4.50. Total: $27.00. But
for this limited-time offer, we'll send you both the book and CD
for only $15.00 -- and we'll also throw in FREE SHIPPING.
You save
a whopping $12.00!
For
more details or to place your order, click here: http://www.theadvocates.org/liberator-online-special.html
Or see the Product Review at the end of this issue.
[Offer
good until June 7, 2006.]
What's
Happening With The Advocates
* Quiz in Cleveland Plain Dealer: The Sunday Cleveland
Plain Dealer, with over one million readers, mentioned the
Advocates' World's Smallest Political Quiz in a fascinating article
that claimed millions of Americans fall outside the traditional
liberal and conservative ideologies. "They simply don't fit
into the baggage that is 'liberal' or 'conservative,'" the
article said. "Many are a hybrid of both: socially liberal,
yet fiscally conservative. They are across-the-aisle love-children,
inheriting Orrin Hatch's love of shriveled taxes and Ted Kennedy's
bloated tolerance. If motivated, these moderate-thinking folks would
make an impressive bloc (their numbers are about the same as each
party's loyalists), yet they are virtually unrepresented in Washington."
In addition to citing the Quiz, the article also quoted one political
scientist who divided American voters into 5 rough categories --
one of which was libertarian -- and said they were roughly equal
in size. http://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?/base/living/1146386426269970.xml?lqfea&coll=2
* Quiz in Raleigh News and Observer: This prominent
North Carolina newspaper, recognized as one of the nation's best
regional newspapers, printed the World's Smallest Political Quiz
(and linked to us in the online edition) in their recent article,
"When did liberal become a bad word? And just what is a conservative?"
The article points out how the old "liberal vs. conservative"
view of politics is obsolete, and how those labels are inaccurate
and misleading and don't represent the views of millions of Americans
-- a point the Advocates has been making for many years with our
Quiz and in other ways. Accompanying the article was an excellent
article by libertarian Michael Munger, chairman of the Political
Science Department at Duke University, exploring how the word "liberal"
-- once used to describe a belief in limited government, peace,
civil liberties and free markets -- came to mean something dramatically
different during the twentieth century.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/q/archive
* It's
summer -- the perfect time for Operation Politically Homeless
(OPH) libertarian outreach! Learn how this acclaimed "event
in a kit" can help you discover dozens or even hundreds of
libertarian-leaning folks in your community. Details here: http://www.theadvocates.org/oph.html.
 |
Good
News,
Bad
News,
Unbelievable News |
By
James W. Harris
Study: Federal Anti-Drug Ads May Encourage Teen Pot Use
Leave
it to the federal government.
Since 1998, the Drug Czar's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign
has spent more than $2 billion in taxpayers' money and matching
funds to produce and air anti-marijuana advertisements.
Now studies indicate that not only do these ads not work, they may
actually backfire and make some teenagers more open to
using marijuana.
The latest is a study by two researchers at Texas State University-San
Marcos. It finds that 18- to 19-year-old college students who see
the federal government's anti-marijuana public service announcements
are more likely to come away with positive attitudes about marijuana
-- and are also more likely to say they will use marijuana.
"It appears that...anti-marijuana public statement announcements
used in national anti-drug campaigns in the U.S. produce immediate
effects [that are the] opposite [of those] intended by the creators
of this campaign," the authors of the study concluded.
"Students viewing anti-marijuana advertising declared significantly
higher intention to use this substance than students exposed to
anti-tobacco ads, while controlling for pre-existing differences
in attitudes to marijuana.... [This] would suggest that exposure
to anti-marijuana advertising might not only change young viewers
attitudes to [become] more positive toward this substance, but also
might directly increase [their] risk of using marijuana."
Prior to this study, five evaluations by the National Institute
on Drug Abuse found that the ads have not reduced drug use. And
two of them concluded, like this new study, that the ads might actually
encourage some teenagers to start using drugs.
The more paranoid among us might conclude that this is a diabolical
government plot to deliberately create new drug users, in order
to continue to justify the billions of tax dollars wasted on the
Drug War (including billions that flow to the prison industry and
to private corporations) and the government's destruction of our
civil liberties.
A more reasonable assumption, however, is that this is just one
more example of the utter incompetence of government.
Sources:
http://talbot.mrp.txstate.edu/currents/fullstory.jsp?sid=93
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/051705stupid.cfm
xxx
Americans
Know The Simpsons Better Than First Amendment
Americans
know far more about The Simpsons cartoon family than they
do about the First Amendment.
That's the depressing finding of a study by Chicago's McCormick
Tribune Freedom Museum. The new museum is dedicated to building
public understanding of the First Amendment.
Their survey shows they've taken on a big task. Among its findings:
* Only 1 in 4 Americans can name more than one of the five freedoms
guaranteed by the First Amendment (freedom of speech, religion,
press, assembly and petition for redress of grievances).
* More than half, however, can name at least two members of the
Simpson cartoon family.
* More than 1 in 5 of Americans could name all five Simpson family
members -- Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. But only 1 in 1,000
can name all five First Amendment freedoms.
And it goes on. More people could name the three American Idol
judges than could name 3 of the 5 First Amendment rights. They were
also far more familiar with various popular ad slogans than with
the First Amendment.
Finally, large numbers had Simpson-esque misunderstandings of the
First Amendment. For example, about 20% thought the First Amendment
protects the right to...own a pet. Another 20% believed
the First guarantees the right to drive a car.
Source:
http://www.mccormicktribune.org/mtf/pressroom/2006/pr030106.htm
xxx
The
Difference Between Conservatism and Libertarianism
What's
the difference between conservatism and libertarianism? Jacob Hornberger,
president of the libertarian Future of Freedom Foundation, recently
gave his own take on that question in this provocative and controversial
piece, entitled "Conservatism vs. Libertarianism":
The Conservative: I'm a conservative. I believe
in individual liberty, free markets, private property, and limited
government, except for:
1. Social Security;
2. Medicare;
3. Medicaid;
4. Welfare;
5. Drug laws;
6. Public schooling;
7. Federal grants;
8. Economic regulations;
9. Minimum-wage laws and price controls;
10. Federal Reserve System;
11. Paper money;
12. Income taxation and the IRS;
13. Trade restrictions;
14. Immigration controls;
15. Foreign aid;
16. Foreign wars of aggression;
17. Foreign occupations;
18. An overseas military empire;
19. A standing army and a military industrial complex;
20. Infringements on civil liberties;
21. Military detentions and denial of due process and jury trials
for citizens and non-citizens accused of crimes;
22. Torture and sex abuse of prisoners;
23. Secret kidnappings and "renditions" to brutal foreign
regimes for purposes of torture;
24. Secret torture centers around the world;
25. Secret courts and secret judicial proceedings;
26. Warrantless wiretapping of citizens and non-citizens;
27. Violations of the Constitution and Bill of Rights for purposes
of "national security";
28. Out-of-control federal spending to pay for all this.
The Libertarian: I'm a libertarian. I believe in
individual liberty, free markets, private property, and limited
government. Period. No exceptions.
Sources:
"Conservatism vs. Libertarianism" by Jacob G. Hornberger
http://www.fff.org/comment/com0604c.asp
xxx
QUICK SHOTS...
* Americans want a
major third party: 53%
of adults want a viable political alternative to the two older U.S.
parties, according to a poll commissioned by the Pew Research Center
for the People and the Press. That's an increase of 3% since June
2004.
http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/11673
* No warrant needed for seizing phone records: "Attorney
General Alberto R. Gonzales said yesterday that the government can
obtain domestic telephone records without court approval under a
1979 Supreme Court ruling that authorized the collection of business
records. Gonzales would not confirm the details of a May 11 story
in USA Today, which said the National Security Agency had
collected phone records of millions of Americans and analyzed them
to search for terrorism plots. But Gonzales told reporters that,
under the Smith v. Maryland ruling, 'those kinds of records
do not enjoy Fourth Amendment protection. There is no reasonable
expectation of privacy in those kinds of records.'" -- Washington
Post, May 24, 2006.
* * *
"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
#203 |
Why Are
We Libertarians?
By Michael Cloud
"Why
are you libertarians?" a newspaper reporter asked me at a state
Libertarian Party convention.
"I'm not sure that I can answer your question the way it's
phrased," I said. "Are you asking: 'What's the reason
that we are libertarians?'"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm asking," he said.
"Let me respond to your question by analogy," I said.
"Then I'll come back to your exact question.
"Suppose you went to a vegetarian restaurant. And suppose you
asked, 'What's the reason that these people are vegetarians?' As
a diligent reporter, you asked several diners, 'Why are you a vegetarian?'
"But their answers surprised you. You didn't get only one answer
or only one reason. Some were vegetarian for ethical reasons. They
did not want to cause animals suffering. Some were there because
they liked the taste of vegetarian dishes. Others were eating vegetarian
to lose weight. Fewer calories and less fat. Others to reduce their
risks of heart attack and other diseases. A few came because their
friends did. But there were many reasons for being vegetarian or
dining vegetarian.
"Does this make sense?" I asked the reporter.
"Okay, I get it," the reporter responded. "Different
people have different reasons for being vegetarian. Same thing with
libertarians. Right?"
"Yes," I said. "Would you like to hear some of the
many reasons that individuals here are libertarians?"
"Sure," he said.
What are the reasons we are libertarians? Here are a few of the
many different reasons I shared with the reporter.
1. Moral: because we believe no person or group
has the right to initiate force against another.
2. Pragmatic: Freedom works.
3. Utilitarian: Freedom produces the greatest good
for the greatest number.
4. Self-Interest: Freedom benefits you. It's in
your self-interest.
5. Altruistic: Freedom benefits others.
6. Big Government Doesn't Work. Freedom does.
7. Personal Responsibility: Freedom rewards personal
responsibility and punishes irresponsibility.
8. Choice: freedom maximizes choice. In fact, freedom
is choice.
9. Prosperity: Economic freedom creates prosperity.
10. Tolerance: the free, competitive marketplace
makes bigotry and prejudice very expensive. And very widely known.
There's a persuasion lesson here.
When you talk with family, friends, and co-workers, how many different
kinds of reasons for being libertarian are you offering them? How
many different approaches to libertarianism do you put in front
of them?
* Why Government Doesn't Work by Harry Browne is one approach.
* Libertarianism in One Lesson by David Bergland is quite
different.
* Healing Our World by Mary Ruwart is another way to present
liberty.
* The Libertarian Idea by Jan Narveson is yet another.
Buy them. Read them. They will stimulate your thinking. Trigger
ideas. And provide you with new ways to present libertarianism.
Different paths to winning the hearts and minds of those you care
for.
Different individuals want different things.
Different approaches to liberty reach different people.
Different reasons for liberty convince different individuals.
There are many paths to libertarianism. Many reasons for becoming
a libertarian.
Don't be trapped by the fallacy that there's only one reason, one
case, or one justification for liberty.
Will you learn a few of the many different cases for liberty? And
will you try them out in your political conversations?
* * *
Michael Cloud is author of the acclaimed book Secrets
of Libertarian Persuasion available exclusively from the Advocates:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/secrets.html.
In 2000, Michael was honored
with the Thomas Paine Award as the Most Persuasive Libertarian Communicator
in America.
 |
Ask
Dr.
Ruwart |
Dr.
Mary Ruwart is a leading expert in libertarian communication. In
this column she offers short answers to real questions about libertarianism.
To submit questions to Dr. Ruwart, see end of column.
Isn't
an embryo a person, with unique DNA?
QUESTION:
You've stated in answering other questions that a beginning
embryo, being incapable of life outside the mother, is part of its
mother and not a separate being. But I ask: who's DNA does it have?
As I understand it, the embryo has its own unique DNA. In our legal
system DNA is used to identify individuals; so, a being in any state
of development with its own DNA should be considered a separate
person, shouldn't he/she?
MY
SHORT ANSWER: While the embryo is not genetically identical
to the mother, it also is not a "separate" individual
because it cannot be "separated" from the mother and live.
Obviously, as medicine advances, there will come a time when an
embryo can be separated from its mother at any stage of
development and still survive. When this happens, abortion is likely
to become obsolete, especially in a libertarian society.
Many libertarians believe that even in situations in which physical
force is justified, one is morally obligated to use the least amount
of force necessary. Consequently, if you wish to remove someone
trespassing on your lawn, you don't shoot them for their violation
of your property rights. You ask them to leave or you call the police.
After all, maybe they don't realize they are on your property; maybe
they've gotten lost looking for the home of a friend. You would
only use deadly force if they posed an immediate threat.
If you shot a trespasser who posed no immediate threat, you might
be considered an aggressor. You might be liable for that trespasser's
hospital bill and related restitution.
Similarly, if the embryo can be removed from a woman unwilling to
be a mother and maintained by someone who desires the child, killing
the embryo would likely be considered use of excessive force. Abortion,
as we know it today, would become obsolete. Doctors, for example,
would probably be unwilling to perform an abortion if the embryo
could be removed and kept alive by a modified procedure.
Abortion is a very emotional issue on which even libertarians disagree.
Even most libertarian "pro-life" individuals recognize
that banning abortion will only drive it underground and make a
bad situation worse. Perhaps we all need to work towards the advancement
of technology so that abortion is no longer necessary or desirable.
I can see no other satisfactory resolution of this difficult issue.
[Editor's note: As Dr. Ruwart notes, libertarians
disagree on this thorny issue. For "pro-choice" libertarian
arguments, a good collection of articles is at Libertarians
for Choice. The leading libertarian "pro-life" organization
is Libertarians for Life, and they
also have much thought-provoking material. Also highly recommended
are three previous answers by Dr. Ruwart on libertarianism and abortion,
especially the one entitled "Libertarians,
Abortion, Unity and Respect."]
* * *
Got questions? Dr. Ruwart has answers! If you'd
like answers to YOUR "tough questions" on libertarian
issues, email 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 previous Liberator Online answers are archived
in searchable form at: http://www.TheAdvocates.org/ruwart/categories_list.php.
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.
 |
Soundbites
for
Liberty |
Laws
and sausage: "We're
told that the making of laws by Congress is like making sausage
-- not pretty to watch but effective in its outcome. There's one
big difference, however. No one is forced to eat sausage. Everyone
is forced to obey the laws that Congress enacts in its self-interested,
overly political way." -- Harry Browne (1933-2006),
Liberty A to Z: 872 Libertarian Soundbites You Can Use Right
Now
Not free: "A caged canary is safe but not free." --
Economist Walter Williams
The oldest con: "The welfare state is the oldest con
game in the world. First you take people's money away quietly, and
then you give some of it back to them flamboyantly." --
Economist Thomas Sowell
Product
Review
Special
Offer: Get a GREAT book and a WONDERFUL CD for only $15 -- and
we'll pay the shipping!
xxx

There are two great joys for libertarians. First,
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That's why we're making a special offer -- that combines both
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PLUS, we're offering the CD of David's brilliant speech at our
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Here's the money-saving part: Libertarianism
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In this ninth edition of Libertarianism In One Lesson,
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out the central premise of libertarianism -- "You own yourself"
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He reveals exactly where libertarians stand on Social Security,
gun rights, the War on Drugs, poverty, the environment, taxes,
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*
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Are you looking for a way to explain the fundamentals of liberty
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David offers lessons he learned from explaining libertarianism
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David has spent his life mastering the art of communications.
In this speech, he distills all that he's learned down to 50 minutes
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Libertarianism In One Lesson is the theory. "Libertarianism
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"THE BEST OF BERGLAND"
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ORDERING
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!
[Offer good until June 7, 2006.]
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, 18800-932-1776
Fax: 770-386-8372
Email: info(a)TheAdvocates.org
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|