— W E L C O M E   T O —
The Liberator Online

Volume 11, Number 21 | October 19, 2006


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In This Issue:

Marijuana arrests hit all-time high... Iraq civilian death toll shocker... Will making drugs legal result in more deaths?... Spread libertarianism by asking the right questions... 40% off "The Best of Harry Browne"...and much more!

xxx

The Liberator Online

Vol. 11, No. 21 | October 19, 2006
Circulation: 68,235 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 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, author of Libertarianism In One Lesson, 1984 Presidential candidate

 

Contents

 

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

* Will you take the Lights of Liberty challenge?


WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES

* February 22-25, 2007: Sharon Harris speaks at the FSP's Liberty Forum

* Special price on an acclaimed libertarian communication course


GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS

* Libertarians: The Swing Vote in 2006 and 2008?
* Marijuana Shocker: Arrests Hit All-Time High
* Iraq Civilian Death Total: Far Worse Than Expected
* QUICK SHOTS: The retarded giant
, and more...

PERSUASION POWER POINT #213

* "Do You Know How to Fill the Bucket?" by Michael Cloud


ASK DR. RUWART

* Who will fund national monuments in a libertarian country?
* Why would we want to legalize drugs more dangerous than alcohol?
 

ONE-MINUTE LIBERTY TIP

* The Power of Questions, by Sharon Harris 

...

PRODUCT REVIEW

* The Best of Harry Browne (You save over 40%!)

...

Sharon Harris  

President's

Corner

Dear friends,

Congratulations to Liberator Online editor Jimmy Harris!

Jimmy just had his third libertarian-oriented letter-to-the editor published.

This, of course, puts him in the elite group of winners of the Advocates' 2006 Lights of Liberty Awards, given to libertarians who publish three or more letters to the editor in a calendar year.

Jimmy's three letters took libertarian ideas to well over one million readers.

Here's a friendly challenge to you: can you join Jimmy and our other winners and become a Lights of Liberty Award winner this year?

Three letters to the editor. Sounds easy, doesn't it? And in a sense it is, especially with email and the Web making it easier than ever before to write and send letters.

Yet, out of hundreds of thousands of libertarian activists, only a hundred or so per year qualify for our Lights of Liberty letter-writing award. What a tragedy of missed opportunities!
Lights of Liberty
Just think: right now, as the elections approach, people are far more focused on politics than usual. So this is a great time to meet the Lights of Liberty goal of getting three libertarian letters published -- and to encourage others in your local libertarian organization to do the same.

Your letters can promote a libertarian candidate or organization, a libertarian policy proposal, or anything else libertarian. Be sure to use the words "libertarian" or "libertarianism."

I guarantee your letter will have an effect. It will be read. It will get people thinking. It will inspire.

As I've mentioned in previous issues, the average letter to the editor is roughly equal to a thousand dollars worth of advertising for the libertarian movement.

And what better time than this campaign season?

Do something important for liberty today. Take the Lights of Liberty challenge. Take a few minutes and write a letter to your local paper. Get three of them published before the end of the year. Be a Lights of Liberty Award winner.

One more thing: When you win a Lights of Liberty award, it encourages others to try, too. Your example inspires others -- and that's a win-win for everyone. So let us know as soon as you've met the Lights of Liberty challenge.

You can learn more about Lights of Liberty by clicking here.

As I've said before, letter writers are the Paul Reveres and Thomas Paines of the libertarian renaissance. They take the ideas of liberty directly to the public. They provide the libertarian coverage that newspapers often neglect. They let people know there is an alternative to the Big Government ideas that too often dominate the political debate. They inspire. They lift spirits. They inform.

So take a few minutes today -- and join them!


* * *

 

Welcome to 349 new Liberator Online subscribers this issue. Thanks for joining our subscription "family" of over 68,000 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: We have a special, limited-time offer for you: Save 40% on "The Best of Harry Browne"!

Take advantage of this, and you'll get...
Harry Browne
Harry Browne's last published book, Liberty A-Z. (A $13.95 value.)
Harry Browne's uplifting speech, "The Future is Not Hopeless," on CD. (A $10 value.)
Harry Browne's insightful speech, "The Seduction of Force," on CD. (A $10 value.)

All of this is yours for only $20 (plus shipping and handling).

This is a $33.95 value -- so you save $13.95. That's more than a 40% savings on two great speeches and an extraordinary book by one of America's greatest libertarian communicators.

 

Act today! This offer expires November 1, 2006.

For more details, see the Product Review at the end of this issue.
Or you can order here.



What's Happening With The Advocates


* February 22-25, 2007: Advocates President Sharon Harris will join a group of outstanding speakers at the Free State Project's "New Hampshire Liberty Forum: Attaining Personal and Economic Freedom in America's Freest State" in Concord. Also speaking will be John Stossel from ABC's 20/20 and Jack Cole from Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). For more information, click here.

 

* 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.

* Most Acclaimed Libertarian Communication Course Ever: Learn the very best ways to persuade others of the benefits of liberty. 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 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 click here.
               

   

James W. Harris

 

Good News,

Bad News,

Unbelievable News

By James W. Harris

Libertarians: The Swing Vote in 2006 and 2008?

xxx

How many libertarian voters are in America? And are their numbers significant enough to affect the upcoming elections?

A new study by the libertarian Cato Institute concludes that roughly 13 percent of U.S. voters are libertarian or strongly libertarian-leaning in their beliefs.

This is more than enough to swing the upcoming elections. And there are indications that this libertarian vote may do exactly that.

Writes Cato Vice President David Boaz: "Not all Americans can be classified as liberal or conservative. In particular, polls find that some 10 to 20 percent of voting-age Americans are libertarian, tending to agree with conservatives on economic issues and with liberals on personal freedom. The Gallup Governance Survey consistently finds about 20 percent of respondents giving libertarian answers to a two-question screen."

However, Boaz notes, most political commentators are still trapped in the old left vs. right model of politics, or, in more recent jargon, red state versus blue state. Yet this model is demonstrably flawed. It ignores the many millions of Americans whose political views do not fit comfortably within this model -- including millions of libertarians or libertarian-leaning voters.

Further, these libertarian and libertarian-leaning voters are a particularly powerful demographic. They are, on average, younger, more affluent, and better-educated than other groups. A higher percentage of them vote, too.

And this year, libertarian voters are particularly dissatisfied.

Cato notes that most libertarian-leaning voters, like most other Americans, vote for candidates in the two older, larger parties. A few elections ago, Republicans received the majority of that vote.

But libertarian support for Republicans began changing sharply in 2004, according to Cato's analysis:

"Libertarians preferred George W. Bush over Al Gore by 72 to 20 percent, but Bush's margin dropped in 2004 to 59-38 over John Kerry. Congressional voting showed a similar swing from 2002 to 2004. Libertarians apparently became disillusioned with Republican overspending, social intolerance, civil liberties infringements, and the floundering war in Iraq. If that trend continues into 2006 and 2008, Republicans will lose elections they would otherwise win.

"The libertarian vote is in play. At some 13 percent of the electorate, it is sizable enough to swing elections. Pollsters, political strategists, candidates, and the media should take note of it."

Cato's study supports the Advocates' own years of experience with our World's Smallest Political Quiz, which offers a political "map" that includes libertarians and others. Indeed, the Cato study cites, among other studies, Rasmussen Research's use of the World's Smallest Political Quiz in August 2000. In that survey, Rasmussen Research gave our Quiz to just under 1,000 representative likely American voters. Sixteen percent scored in the libertarian sector -- a figure virtually identical to the Cato estimate.

The libertarian vote is large, influential, and growing. As Advocates President Sharon Harris noted a few issues back, this should give all lovers of liberty a sense of optimism and excitement about the future.

Sources: Cato Institute Policy Analysis, "The Libertarian Vote": Executive Summary

Full Study (Note: Downloadable PDF)

xxx

Marijuana Shocker: Arrests Hit All-Time High


U.S. governments are embroiled in a deadly war abroad and battling the threat of terrorism at home.

But they still found the time and resources last year to arrest an all-time record number of marijuana smokers.

U.S. police arrested an estimated 786,545 persons for marijuana violations in 2005, according to the latest FBI annual Uniform Crime Report

That total is the highest ever recorded. It amounts to one arrest every 40 seconds. Annual marijuana arrests have more than doubled since the early 1990s.

Further, the total number of marijuana arrests in the U.S. for 2005 far exceeded the total number of arrests in the U.S. for all violent crimes combined -- including murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

The target of almost all of these arrests are mere users. Approximately 88 percent -- some 696,074 Americans -- were charged with possession only.

And the remaining 90,471 individuals were charged with "sale/manufacture," a category that includes all cultivation offenses -- even those where the marijuana was being grown for personal or medical use.

These figures indicate that the War on Drugs is in substantial part a "War on Marijuana Smokers." Indeed, marijuana arrests comprise 42.6 percent of all drug arrests in the United States.

"These numbers belie the myth that police do not target and arrest minor marijuana offenders," said NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre. "This effort is a tremendous waste of criminal justice resources that diverts law enforcement personnel away from focusing on serious and violent crime, including the war on terrorism."

An arrest, even without imprisonment, can be a devastating and life-wrecking experience.

"Arresting hundreds of thousands of Americans who smoke marijuana responsibly needlessly destroys the lives of otherwise law abiding citizens," St. Pierre said, adding that over 8 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges in the past decade.

"Some 94 million Americans acknowledge having used marijuana during their lives," St. Pierre noted. (Among them: presidents, congressmen, and Supreme Court justices.) "It makes no sense to continue to treat nearly half of all Americans as criminals for their use of a substance that poses no greater -- and arguably far fewer -- health risks than alcohol or tobacco."

 

Source: NORML press release

xxx

Iraq Civilian Death Total: Far Worse Than Expected

xxx

A prominent new study estimates that more than 650,0000 Iraqi civilians may have died as a result of the Iraq war -- a shockingly higher number than the 30,000-50,000 estimate claimed by the Bush administration.

The study was conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and was carefully peer-reviewed and published in the esteemed British medical journal The Lancet. The Lancet is arguably the world's most respected medical journal, and is particularly renowned for its commitment to the integrity and credibility of the work it publishes.

The study claims a wide margin of error that could put the actual figure between 392,979 to 942,636 deaths, with 654,965 being the best estimate.

If the 650,000-plus figure is accurate, this means that nearly 1 in 40 Iraqis has died as a result of the war. Even if the lowest estimate is off by half or more, that number and percentage is still devastating. For comparison, if 1 in 40 Americans were killed, that would be 7.5 million deaths.

The study says about one-third of the deaths are due directly to coalition forces. The cause of the remaining two-thirds of deaths either cannot be determined or is due to sectarian violence unleashed by the post-invasion chaos.

Some critics, especially supporters of the war, have argued the total is unrealistically high. However, polling experts, scientists and statisticians support the study's methodology.

"The sampling is solid. The methodology is as good as it gets," said John Zogby, of the famed polling organization Zogby International.

Sources: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Lancet editorial (Note: Downloadable PDF)

Critics and responses

Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com

xxx

QUICK SHOTS...


* The Retarded Giant: "Many Americans have too much faith in government and in laws. Government is like a retarded giant -- very powerful but stupid. Almost nothing government tries to do succeeds. Just looking back at the past few decades, it has -- despite enormous expenditures -- failed to find a cure for cancer, failed to stop illegal drugs, failed to stop illegal immigrants, failed to protect the American people from terrorists, failed to improve public education, failed to keep up with repairing the infrastructure, failed to eliminate the deficit, failed to eliminate the trade deficits, failed to curb inflation, etc., etc., and so forth. I could go on and on, because virtually every program started by government has failed in its objectives or sputtered along in the most ineffective and expensive manner." -- Conservative syndicated columnist Charlie Reese, October 16, 2006

* FEMA Arrives Early ""A strong 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit Hawaii yesterday morning. Pretty scary. ... Of course, FEMA was there immediately. Actually, some FEMA had arrived a day earlier to assess the damage from the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor." -- Jay Leno, The Tonight Show, October 16, 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."


Michael Cloud  

Persuasion Power

Point #213

   
"Do You Know How to Fill the Bucket?"

By Michael Cloud

One day, a Business Management professor walked into his class with a bucket.

"Do you know how to fill the bucket?" he asked his students.

Some rolled their eyes. Others thought, "What a stupid question." A few leaned forward.

The professor put six large stones into the bucket. They came up to the top edge.

"Is the bucket full?" asked the professor.

"Of course," said several students.

"Are you sure?"

The professor took out a bag of gravel and emptied it into the bucket until the gravel spilled over.

"Is the bucket full now?" he asked.

The class seemed unsure.

The professor shook the bucket to let the stones and gravel settle, took out a bag of sand and poured it in between the gravel and stones.

"Is the bucket full now?"

"No," shout the students.

The professor took out a pitcher of water and poured it into the bucket until it overflowed.

"What have you learned from this demonstration?" he asked.

"That we can always find room for more in our workdays," said one student.

"Not to be so quick to judge what is or is not possible," answered another.

"To be cautious when someone asks us an obvious question," said a third.

"Good answers," said the professor. "But here's the big lesson: unless you put in the Big Stones first, you'll never be able to put them in later."

A simple and important lesson for libertarian communicators.

Do you know how to fill the bucket in your political conversations?

Do you start with the Big Stones: Big Government vs. small government? Or do you let the other person fill the conversation with gravel and sand -- issues that do not shrink government or expand liberty?

Do you focus the conversation on Big Stones: government spending, size, and power? Or do you let current events drive the discussion into sand and water political trivia?

Do you bring the discussion back to Big Stones: the costly and destructive nature of Big Government programs? Or do you let the other person fill the bucket with the gravel, sand, and water of incompetence, corruption or why the other guys are even worse?

You fill the bucket every day. Every conversation.

When you fill the bucket, what will you start with? What will you concentrate on? Big Stones -- or gravel, sand, or water?

The vital -- or the less important, the unimportant, or the downright trivial?

Knowing how to fill the bucket is important.

But doing it is the Biggest Stone.

* * *

Michael Cloud is author of the acclaimed book Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion available exclusively from the Advocates. In 2000, Michael was honore
d 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.


Who will fund national monuments in a libertarian country?

QUESTION: "National landmarks such as the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial are symbols of national unity, strength, and sources of inspiration. They are monuments of a national republic. How would these monuments be constructed for the entire nation in a libertarian society?"

MY SHORT ANSWER: They would be constructed through private donations rather than taxes. Donations are given freely; taxes are forced.

We honor Jefferson, Washington, and Lincoln because they each believed in the importance of individual freedom, even though they may not have practiced it perfectly (e.g., Jefferson had slaves). We dishonor their memory and the values they cherished by forcing our fellow Americans to pay for their memorials.

Without tax funding, the edifices of these great men might be less grandiose than they are today. (Of course, they might just as well be even grander, and better funded.) However, they would be a truer symbol of the freedom that made our nation great. The drive to collect the funding for them could unite and inspire the nation every bit as much as the actual monuments themselves.

 

Why would we want to legalize drugs more dangerous than alcohol?

QUESTION: "Libertarians want to legalize drugs. Alcohol is legal. It is a drug, it is addictive, it is the most widely abused drug in America. Why would we want more drugs, including some more dangerous than alcohol, legal?"

MY SHORT ANSWER: We once had a "War on Alcohol" called Prohibition, which was an abject failure. People who had supported Prohibition soon realized it was a cure that was worse than the disease.

Pauline Sabin, the first woman to serve on the Republican National Committee, was one of them. She first supported Prohibition, believing it would "remove temptation from the path of my boys." Later, however, she realized that the crime, lawlessness, and corruption that Prohibition created endangered her family more than alcohol did. So she started fighting for Prohibition's repeal.

After Prohibition ended, professional producers brought quality control back into brewing and distilling. As a result, people stopped dying from bathtub gin. The turf fighting ended, because there was no turf to fight about. The murder and assault rate that had skyrocketed during Prohibition fell steadily after its repeal -- and did not rise again until drug prohibition began in the 1960s.

Prohibition only made things worse. The same is true of today's drug prohibition, which we call the War on Drugs.

 

* * *

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.

Dr. Ruwart's outstanding books Healing Our World and Short Answers to the Tough Questions are available from the Advocates.

xxx

xxx

 

One-Minute

Liberty Tip

     xxx

The Power of Questions

By Sharon Harris, Advocates President

Libertarians have lots of great answers to political questions.

Sometimes, however, it's better to ask questions instead of giving answers. Asking the right question, or asking a question in the right way, can stimulate mind-opening insights.

Here's one example of a great question, from Wall Street Journal editor John Fund.

Suppose someone is talking about the need for a major government role in providing for the poor. Instead of lecturing the person (which could start an argument and put the person on the defensive), try asking this question:

"Imagine you won the lottery or otherwise came into a large sum of money, and you wanted to help the poor. You could give $100,000 to a private charity of your choice. Or you could write your check to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Which would you choose -- and why?"

Virtually no one chooses government! And in answering the question, people convince themselves of the advantages of charity over government.

Questions make people think. It's amazing how often people will come up with the libertarian answer to a problem, if you give them a chance. And if they do so, they are more likely to accept that answer.

          

Product Review


The best of Harry Browne -- at amazing savings!

.

When Harry Browne passed away in 2006, the libertarian movement lost a true champion.

Widely acclaimed as one of America's most effective libertarian communicators, Harry was known for his warm style, passionate arguments, razor-sharp wit, and principled devotion to liberty. With his books and speeches, he enlightened, educated, and inspired millions of people.

Now, you can enjoy -- and learn from -- the genius of Harry Browne at a special price.

For a limited time, you can get Harry last book, Liberty A-Z, and his final two public speeches -- while saving 40% off the cover prices.

Here's what you will receive:


Liberty A-ZLiberty A-Z: 872 Libertarian Soundbites You Can Use Right Now
Trade-size paperback [192 pages]


This unique, entertaining, and useful book contains hundreds of "soundbites" -- short, powerful,
and thought-provoking remarks -- crafted by Harry Browne during his 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns. Using facts, arguments, humor, aphorisms, and metaphors, Harry makes the case for liberty -- one clever quip at a time. The book is organized alphabetically for easy reference, and covers almost every political topic, from Affirmative Action to Zero (a Flat Tax Rate of). Liberty A-Z will arm you with an arsenal of soundbites to spice up your next conversation or letter to the editor!


"The Future Is NOT Hopeless!"

Speech on CD [45 minutes]

."The Future Is NOT Hopeless!"
You'll be challenged, enlightened, and inspired as Harry Browne makes the case for why we should be hopeful about the future of liberty. You'll hear specific examples of trends and polls that are moving in our direction, delivered in Harry's warm, heartfelt style. You'll also hear Harry puncture the gloomy myths that libertarians sometimes fall for -- such as the notion that the American public is too apathetic or dumb to embrace liberty. An uplifting speech! Professionally recorded at the Advocates' 20th Anniversary celebration (October 2005). This was one of Harry's last public speeches before his death in 2006.

.

"The Seduction of Force"

Speech on CD [61 minutes]

..."The Seduction of Force"

Libertarians agree that people should not initiate force against others. However, as Harry Browne points out, even libertarians can be tempted to use government force to achieve "important" goals -- especially in the area of foreign policy. With Harry's help, you can learn how to resist this temptation. Once you hear this speech, you'll understand why the audience gave Harry a standing ovation at the end. A crisp, professional recording from the Advocates' 20th Anniversary celebration (October 2005). This was one of Harry's last public speeches before his death in 2006.


"THE BEST OF HARRY BROWNE" is a $33.95 value -- but can be yours for only $20 (plus shipping and handling)! You save $13.95.

That's more than a 40% savings on two great speeches and an extraordinary book by one of America's greatest libertarian communicators.
Order today!

 

HOW TO ORDER


To learn more about this offer, and to order it, go to: 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 expires November 1, 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, 1-800-932-1776
Fax: 770-386-8372


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"May it be to the world...to assume the blessings and security of self-government." -- Thomas Jefferson, June 24, 1826.  

 


 
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