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

Volume 11, Number 25 | December 19, 2006


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In This Issue:

Former U.S. Congressman joins the Libertarian Party... Does marijuana prohibition help or harm young people?.... The wit and wisdom of Milton Friedman... Gandhi's simple lesson... World poker champ is a libertarian... Final chance: Holiday Sale on EVERY ITEM in our online store... and much more!

xxx

The Liberator Online

Vol. 11, No. 25 | December 19, 2006
Circulation: 69,103 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 for Self-Government Web site is home of the famous and ever-popular World's Smallest Political Quiz, as well as activism-related information and merchandise. This is a good jumping-off point for political activists of all kinds."

-- Libertarian Action Network

 

Contents

 

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

* State legislators request copies of the Quiz
* Lights of Liberty: There's still time!
* Libertarian survey
* Our annual Christmas poem


WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES

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


GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS

* World Poker Champ is a Libertarian
* Does Marijuana Prohibition Protect Teens -- or Endanger Them?
* The Wit and Wisdom of Milton Friedman
* QUICK SHOTS: Bob Barr joins the Libertarian Party; Exit date for Iraq?...

PERSUASION POWER POINT #217

* "Gandhi's Simple Lesson" by Michael Cloud


ASK DR. RUWART

* Should organ sales be legal?
 

ONE-MINUTE LIBERTY TIP

* "You" Instead of "I," by Sharon Harris 

...

PRODUCT REVIEW

* LAST CHANCE for our Holiday Sale: 15% off EVERYTHING!

...

Sharon Harris  

President's

Corner

Dear friends,

Imagine state legislators eagerly handing out copies of the Advocates' World's Smallest Political Quiz to their fellow legislators!

Well, it's happening -- thanks to an exciting new advertising campaign theAdvocates is conducting.
Wold's Smallest Political Quiz Cards
One of our biggest goals is to reach the most influential opinion leaders in America and the world with libertarian ideas -- and to persuade them to support our cause.

And we're doing that!

This year the Advocates started running gorgeous, eye-catching full-color advertisements featuring the Quiz in two magazines -- School Reform News and Budget & Tax News -- published by the highly respected free-market Heartland Institute.

These magazines are read by people who dominate American politics, journalism, and education. Opinion leaders and opinion shapers.

It's an INCREDIBLE audience -- just the kind of people you'd LOVE to personally hand a copy of the Quiz!

School Reform News is mailed every month to:

* 13,900 public school board presidents.
* 3,604 charter school principals.
* 22,700 private school principals and teachers.


These are the people who decide what is taught in American schools -- and what is NOT.

Budget & Tax News is mailed each month to:


* 8,500 state and national elected officials -- including every U.S. Senator, every U.S. Representative, every governor, and every state legislator.
* 8,440 municipal officials.


These officials have their hands on the levers of government power. Their decisions effect your life -- every day.

Plus, Budget & Tax News is delivered to 598 elite political reporters -- journalists who help decide what is news -- and what is NOT.

In all, Budget & Tax News is mailed to 19,128 of America's most powerful people.

And, yes: they read these publications!

According to research:


* An amazing 84% of elected state officials said they read at least one Heartland magazine "sometimes" or "always."

* Even better: 47% said a Heartland publication influenced their opinions or LED TO A CHANGE IN PUBLIC POLICY!


In other words, these magazines have the power to affect and change political decisions.

Combine that with the Quiz's proven power to open minds... and you can see why I'm excited.

We're already seeing early signs of success.


* Over 100 teachers and principals have requested over 7,000 Quizzes to use in their classrooms! That's THOUSANDS more students who will be exposed to the Quiz.

* Three state legislators have asked for copies of the Quiz. One requested 200 Quizzes to "hand out to my fellow legislators." That's 200 more politicians who will be exposed to the eye-opening power of the Quiz -- handed to them personally by a respected fellow legislator!


Another legislator asked for copies to pass out to legislators, pages, and to students in classrooms while speaking.

For years, libertarians dreamed about being able to reach America's most influential people.

With these ads, the World's Smallest Political Quiz is working its wondrous, paradigm-shifting magic on TENS OF THOUSANDS of governors, members of Congress and other office-holders, staffers, principals, school board members, teachers, students and influential journalists!

It's just one more way the Advocates is taking the message of liberty to millions of people in America and around the world.


* * *

Liberty Awards for outstanding libertarian activism! Three libertarian letters to the editor, three libertarian speeches, OR three turns at working an OPH booth done before January 1, 2007 qualifies you for a handsome certificate suitable for framing -- and 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 by clicking here.

YOUR HELP IS REQUESTED: If you, or anyone you know, has qualified for Lights of Liberty as described above, please let us know by going to the URL above and giving us their name. PLEASE HELP US insure that ALL who have done these outstanding outreach activities receive the recognition due them! Thank you.

* * *

THANKS TO SURVEY RESPONDERS! Thanks to all of you who took part in the libertarian survey we told you about last week. In case you missed it and would like to take part (it only takes a few minutes and your privacy is respected) please give your opinion HERE.

* * *

ADVOCATES HOLIDAY POEM: Love it or hate it, it's been an Advocates tradition since the very first year of the Liberator Online! I invite you to read this year's version of "A Liberty Christmas" -- complete with the traditional awkward meter and bad rhymes. Merry Christmas!

* * *

W
elcome to 448 new Liberator Online subscribers this issue. Thanks for joining our subscription "family" of over 69,000 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 libertari
anism visit: www.Libertarianism.com.

.

PPS: LAST CHANCE for our Holiday special! 15% off ALL MERCHANDISE in our online catalog!

15% Off SpecialBooks, CDs, DVDs, T-shirts, Quiz cards, OPH kits... EVERYTHING! (The only exceptions are shipping, applicable taxes, seminars, and magazine subscriptions, whose price we do not control.)

You can browse the catalog and place your order by clicking here.


(PLEASE NOTE: The prices you'll see at our catalog are our regular prices. Before we charge your credit card, we will subtract 15% off your total.)

If you prefer to order by phone or mail, please see "Product Review" at the end of this issue.

It's a great chance to get gifts for your libertarian friends -- or for your well-deserving libertarian self!

Offer good through January 3, 2007. Thank you!

 

 

--- ADVERTISEMENT ---

Staying in Chicago? Why not stay in luxurious surroundings while getting a SPECIAL DISCOUNT?

PLUS: The Advocates will get a donation AND YOU will get a tax deduction!

Find out more 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.

...

   

James W. Harris

 

Good News,

Bad News,

Unbelievable News

By James W. Harris

World Champ Poker Player a Libertarian

xxxGreg Raymer

Greg Raymer is one of the world's greatest poker players. Millions of Americans watched him on ESPN as he won the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event, beating 2,576 other competitors. Poker experts say his 25th place finish the following year -- out of a field of 5,619 -- is almost as amazing a feat.

Nicknamed "Fossilman" because he uses fossils as card protectors while playing, Greg Raymer
is one of the most liked and admired of poker professionals, because of his friendly, open, and gracious demeanor. According to Poker News, "Raymer is magnanimous in victory, and gracious in defeat -- traits which our society seemingly has all but condemned nowadays. On camera, he is never seen bragging or putting others down. He possesses a quiet, honorable dignity that novices would do well to emulate."

Raymer is also a devoted libertarian -- and he is seriously considering a run for vice president on the Libertarian Party ticket.

Raymer made this clear during an early December interview with Poker News.

"My mindset is very libertarian," Raymer said. "I believe in individual freedom, and that you should be allowed to do anything you wish that does not directly harm another person. I also believe that you are responsible for yourself, and that the government has no duty to help you (except to protect you from others). That does not mean I am against all government programs that help people, but such programs should not be undertaken merely because they help people, but only if they are economically beneficial to the majority."

Raymer said he is talking with Libertarian Party officials "about the possibility of running to be the party's official candidate for vice president of the United States. With a few exceptions, I would support the official planks of the Libertarian Party."

Needless to say, Raymer opposes the recent federal ban on online poker. He traveled to Washington to protest the law.

"The [online gambling] bill accomplishes nothing much in reality, but it gives the impression that it does. It is a further example of politicians passing a law not because they are trying to do the right thing, but because they think it will help them get re-elected."

Raymer, a devoted husband and father, travels the world playing major poker tournaments, is a paid representative for PokerStars.com, and is writing a book about tournament poker strategy -- while pondering that vice presidential run.

Source: www.PokerNews.com

www.FossilManPoker.com

xxx

MPP Report: Does Prohibition of Marijuana Protect Teens?


Keeping marijuana out of the hands of children is one of the most frequently-cited reasons for outlawing marijuana. And most responsible adults agree with that goal.

But do current U.S. marijuana laws effectively deter marijuana use by teens? Would re-legalizing marijuana lead to an increase in use by young people?

A new report by the Marijuana Policy Project indicates the answer is no. In fact, says MPP, "empirical evidence ... shows that marijuana prohibition may actually be responsible for increasing teen marijuana use."

Further, marijuana prohibition may actually encourage teens to experiment with far more dangerous drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine.

Among the report's major findings:


* Marijuana prohibition has not prevented a dramatic increase in marijuana use by teenagers. In fact, the overall rate of marijuana use in the U.S. has risen by roughly 4,000% since marijuana was first outlawed. 16.5% of eighth-graders report having tried marijuana.

* For three decades running, about 85% of U.S. high school seniors have reported that marijuana is "easy to get" -- and easier to get than beer -- despite a near-tripling of marijuana arrests since 1991.

* Independent studies by RAND Europe and the U.S. National Research Council have reported that marijuana prohibition appears to have little or no impact on rates of use.

* Since Britain ended most marijuana possession arrests in 2004, the rate of past-year marijuana use among 16-to-19-year-olds has dropped from 24.7% to 21.8%.

* In the U.S., rates of teen marijuana use in states that have decriminalized adult marijuana possession are statistically equal to rates in those that have retained criminal penalties. The latest state to decriminalize marijuana, Nevada, has seen a drop in teen marijuana use since the decriminalization law took effect in 2001.

* In the Netherlands, where adults have been allowed to possess and purchase small amounts of marijuana from legally regulated merchants since 1976, the overall rate of marijuana use remains less than half that in the U.S.

* Government surveys consistently report rates of marijuana use by U.S. teens to be as high or higher -- often much higher -- than teens in the Netherlands.

* Paradoxically, prohibition may increase the lure of marijuana for young people and diminish the effects of anti-drug education by forcing educators to make claims about marijuana that teens recognize as false.

* Prohibition may actually encourage teens to move from marijuana to hard drugs -- the so-called "gateway effect" -- by putting marijuana into the same illicit market as drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine. In the U.S., the rate of past-month cocaine use among 15-to-16-year-olds is triple that of their Dutch counterparts, and U.S. teens are nine times more likely to use amphetamines than are Dutch teens.

 

Sources: MPP Report [Note: Downloadable PDF.]

...

The Timeless Wisdom of Milton Friedman

xxx

Milton FriedmanWe noted last issue the passing of the great libertarian economist Milton Friedman. Economist Mark J. Perry posted a collection of his favorite Friedman quotes at his "Carpe Diem" blog, and they're so delicious we wanted to share them.

1. There is nothing as permanent as a temporary government program.

2. Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon.

3. Inflation is caused by too much money chasing after too few goods.

4. Sloppy writing reflects sloppy thinking.

5. All learning is ultimately self-learning.

6. I'm in favor of legalizing drugs. According to my values system, if people want to kill themselves, they have every right to do so. Most of the harm that comes from drugs is because they are illegal.

7. Nobody spends somebody else's money as carefully as he spends his own. Nobody uses somebody else's resources as carefully as he uses his own. So if you want efficiency and effectiveness, if you want knowledge to be properly utilized, you have to do it through the means of private property.

8. The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.

9. The Great Depression, like most other periods of severe unemployment, was produced by government mismanagement rather than by any inherent instability of the private economy.

10. The high rate of unemployment among teenagers, and especially black teenagers, is both a scandal and a serious source of social unrest. Yet it is largely a result of minimum wage laws. We regard the minimum wage law as one of the most, if not the most, antiblack laws on the statute books.

11. Industrial progress, mechanical improvement, all of the great wonders of the modern era have meant relatively little to the wealthy. The rich in Ancient Greece would have benefited hardly at all from modern plumbing: running servants replaced running water. Television and radio? The Patricians of Rome could enjoy the leading musicians and actors in their home, could have the leading actors as domestic retainers. Ready-to-wear clothing, supermarkets -- all these and many other modern developments would have added little to their life. The great achievements of Western Capitalism have redounded primarily to the benefit of the ordinary person. These achievements have made available to the masses conveniences and amenities that were previously the exclusive prerogative of the rich and powerful.

12. President Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country."... Neither half of that statement expresses a relation between the citizen and his government that is worthy of the ideals of free men in a free society. "What your country can do for you" implies that the government is the patron, the citizen the ward. "What you can do for your country" assumes that the government is the master, the citizen the servant.

13. On the difference between public vs. private education: "Try talking French with someone who studied it in public school. Then with a Berlitz graduate."

-- Milton Friedman, 1912-2006.

Source: "My Favorite Milton Friedman Quotes," Carpe Diem blog

...

QUICK SHOTS...

Bob Barr
* Former Congressman Bob Barr Joins Libertarian Party: Libertarians and fiscal conservatives are fed up with the national Republican Party's massive spending and contempt for civil liberties, say many pundits. A dramatic sign of that came this week, when prominent former Republican Congressman Bob Barr of Georgia announced he's quit the Republican Party and is now a "proud, card-carrying Libertarian who is committed to helping elect leaders who will strive for smaller government, lower taxes and abundant individual freedom."

"It's something that's been bothering me for quite some time, the direction in which the [Republican] party has been going, more and more toward big government and disregard toward privacy and civil liberties," said Barr, who has been an outspoken defender of civil liberties for several years. "In terms of where the country needs to be going to get back to our Constitutional roots ... I've come to the conclusion that the only way to do that is to work with a party that practices what it preaches, and that is the Libertarian Party. I encourage other Americans from across the political spectrum to join me."

Barr is now the Libertarian Party's regional representative for several southeastern states, and says he will help promote the Libertarian Party and recruit candidates.

Barr, one of the "Contract With America" Republicans, served eight terms in the House of Representatives from 1995-2003, and rose to national prominence as the leader in the movement to impeach President Clinton. He is a member of the board of the National Rifle Association, and currently serves as an adviser to the American Conservative Union and the American Civil Liberties Union.

* Iraq Timetable: "This week a top general at the Pentagon said the War on Terror could take 100 years to fight. President Bush was furious about the 100-year prediction and said, 'Stop setting a fixed timetable!' " -- Conan O'Brien, Late Night, December 13.

 

Sources: Bob Barr: Libertarian Party

Bob Barr: UPI

Conan O'Brien
.

* * *

...
"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 #217

   
Gandhi's Simple Lesson

By Michael Cloud

Would you like people to carefully listen to every word you say about freedom?

Do you want them to be receptive and responsive to your libertarian ideas and evidence?

Would you like people to thoughtfully consider your libertarian point of view?

It may be possible -- if you learn and live Mahatma Gandhi's lesson.

"Be the change you want to see in the world," said Gandhi.

Be a careful listener -- and soon others will carefully listen to you. Be a receptive and responsive person -- and people will receive and respond to you and your ideas. Be a reflective and thoughtful conversationalist -- and you'll find your world filled with like-minded people.

"Be the change you want to see in the world," said Gandhi.

What kind of listeners do you want?

Reasonable? Empathetic? Courteous? Enthusiastic? Passionate? Curious? Tolerant?

Be what you want to see.

You can fill your life with any kind of people you want. Provided you become what you want to behold.

You can do the same with the cause of freedom. Because who you are determines what kind of people you will affect and attract into the libertarian movement. And who the new libertarians are will determine the kind of people they reach and draw in.

Gandhi's lesson is simple. But it can make a huge difference.

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

* * *

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.


Should organ sales be legal?

QUESTION: "Why is it illegal to sell a kidney when it would save someone's life and save someone from total bankruptcy? I can't understand why I can't sell part of me to help someone else. It's my body, my life, and If I only need one kidney and am facing total financial ruin, who's business should it be -- except mine?"

MY SHORT ANSWER: In a libertarian society, consensual organ sales, with both buyer and seller benefiting, would be legal.

Today, because organ sales are outlawed, thousands of people die each year waiting for an organ that never arrives. We allow doctors, nurses, and hospitals to profit from transplantation, but deny that benefit to the person (or family of the person) who provides the most important part: the organ itself.

The grieving family of an accident victim is usually asked to forfeit the last few minutes they will ever have with the body of a loved one so life-saving organs can be harvested. If we ask them to give up so much, shouldn't we be willing to give a little?

Simply paying funeral expenses could well provide enough incentive to supply everyone awaiting transplant with a life-saving organ. See, for example, this recent article in the Washington Post.

Thousands of innocent Americans die each year because it's against federal law for them to give donors or their grieving families a few thousand dollars as a monetary "thank you" for the gift of life. What another sad example of "death by regulation!"

....
* * *

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

...

"You" Instead of "I"

By Sharon Harris, Advocates President

When talking about the benefits of liberty, we frequently use the word "I". For example:

"Why should I have to give half of my income to the government?"

"Why should I have to pay for the education of other people's children?"

"I would be far better off if I could invest the money that's taken from me in Social Security taxes."

By replacing "I" with "you," we bring our listeners into the discussion. They are able to more clearly see that they -- not just you -- are victims of bad government policies. They can picture themselves benefiting from libertarian policies. And it sounds less selfish, less self-centered, as well.

"Why should you have to give half of your income to the government?"

"Why should you have to pay for the education of other people's children?

"You would be far better off if you could invest the money that's taken from you in Social Security taxes."

A simple but effective shift in perspective. Try it!

...

...

Product Review


Holiday Special! 15% off EVERYTHING in our online catalog!

...Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion - 15% Off!
LAST CHANCE! Save 15% on great tools for liberty: books, tapes, DVDs, CDs, T-shirts, Quiz cards, OPH kits... EVERYTHING! It's our end-of-the-year gift to Liberator Online readers.

Add to your library of great libertarian books. Get video and audio tapes by major libertarian thinkers and speakers -- like David Bergland, Harry Browne, Walter Block, Michael Cloud, Mary Ruwart and so many more.

The discount applies to ALL merchandise. (Not discounted: shipping, applicable taxes,
seminars, and magazine subscriptions, whose price we do not control.)

It's a great chance to get gifts for your libertarian friends -- or for your well-deserving libertarian self!

Plus, your order helps support the essential work of the Advocates -- thank you!

...

HOW TO ORDER


To learn more about this offer, and to order it, go to: http://www.theadvocates.org/liberator-online-special.html.

PLEASE NOTE: The prices you'll see at our catalog are our regular prices. Before we charge your credit card, we will subtract 15% off your total.

 

You can order via credit card with confidence. Our site is credit card secure.

You can also, of course, order by phone, mail or fax, from the address below.

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 January 3, 2007!]

.

See you in two weeks! You can contact the Advocates at:

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Phone: 770-386-8372; for orders, 1-800-932-1776
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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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