Volume 12, Number 21 | November 15, 2007
The Liberator Online
Contents
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
PERSUASION POWER POINT
#238
ASK DR. RUWART
PRODUCT REVIEW
Dear friends, Have fun, meet friendly folks, enjoy outrageously wonderful food -- while doing high-powered effective libertarian outreach! How's *that* for a combination! Jim Lark, longtime libertarian
activist, former Libertarian Party national chairman member, and
Jim is, among his many other talents, a marvelous cook. (My mouth still waters when I think of his gazpacho soup!) Jim has managed to combine his passions for liberty and great food -- by using the Advocates' acclaimed Operation Politically Homeless (OPH) to take highly successful libertarian outreach to events that feature and celebrate food and beverages. I asked Jim to write up his experiences
with OPH at these events. I've posted his article -- along with photos
-- for you to enjoy, and to inspire you to cook up something great for
liberty: Please note: the lessons Jim has learned *don't* just apply to food festivals! They are relevant to anyone who wants to take libertarian ideas to the public -- and have fun while doing so. But what about those food festivals? Jim says there are literally thousands of food and beverage festivals around the country each year. And they draw MILLIONS of people -- a great cross-section of the public. "From the Arkansas Apple Festival (Lincoln, Arkansas) to the Zucchini Festival (Obetz, Ohio), these events draw (in aggregate) millions of people each year. For towns such as Gilroy, California (the Garlic Festival) and Hatch, New Mexico (the Hatch Chile Fest), the annual food festival is the town's main claim to fame." At such festivals, Jim notes, those who attend "tend to be pleasant people who are willing to visit a Libertarian booth. Perhaps this is due to the fact that attendees are having a good time, especially when they have consumed goodly amounts of food and drink." And OPH is the perfect tool to reach them. OPH is the Advocates' renowned "event in a kit" that transforms an ordinary outreach booth into an exciting, crowd-drawing *event*. And, if you haven't realized it yet, Jim and his fellow OPH outreachers have a LOT of fun! As he likes to say, they do well while doing good! "Outreach team members usually have a good time at such events, both because they can consume goodly amounts of food and drink, and because the attendees who visit the booth are usually pleasant people." Libertarian outreach -- fun? Yes! That's what we hear, over and over again, from OPH booth users. If food isn't your passion... don't worry. There are THOUSANDS of opportunities to reach people with OPH. OPH works its magic wherever a few people are gathered. State fairs. Political rallies. Science fiction conventions. Campus events. Flea markets. Block parties. Gun shows. Rock concerts. Take your pick. Whatever you're interested in, wherever you live, there's an upcoming event that would be great for OPH outreach. Where you could encounter dozens or even hundreds of people who are eager and excited to learn about libertarianism. Let's not let these great opportunities pass us by! Learn about OPH here: And check out our great new addition to OPH outreach: our new Discovery Liberty tabloid -- only 3 cents apiece! It's reviewed in our Product Review section this issue. * * * Welcome to 261 new Liberator Online subscribers this issue. Thanks for joining our subscription "family" of over 69,000 liberty-loving readers in more than 100 countries! To learn more about the Advocates and our work for
liberty: To learn more about libertarianism: -- Sharon Harris, President | Email: sharon@TheAdvocates.org
PS: FEATURED PRODUCT THIS ISSUE: NEW DISCOVER LIBERTY OUTREACH TABLOID! "Discover Liberty" is a full-color,
eye-catching 8-page tabloid. It's a high quality, attractive and
friendly, designed for OPH booth volunteers to hand out to the public.
It's amazingly affordable -- as low as 2.9 cents each. AND we pay
shipping! Learn more, and order yours today: More details are in PRODUCT REVIEW, at the end of this issue. Your order helps support the vital work of the Advocates. Thank you! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
What's Happening With The Advocates * 2008 New Hampshire Liberty Forum: "Moving Liberty Forward" is the theme of this event, sponsored by the world-famous Free State Project. Advocates President Sharon Harris will be speaking Friday January 3rd as kickoff speaker. Featured: a bevy of outstanding freedom movement speakers and activists, including Advocates Board Vice Chair Jim Lark and leading drug law reformer Ethan Nadelman. Thursday January 3 to Sunday January 6, 2008 in Nashua, New Hampshire. http://www.freestateproject.org/libertyforum * Heartland Libertarian Conference: Sharon Harris will be the dinner speaker, and joins a great list of speakers at this Kansas City, Missouri event, including former U.S. Congressman Bob Barr; Libertarian Party Executive Director Shane Cory; and 2004 Libertarian Party presidential candidate Michael Badnarik. Also featured: a debate between 2008 Libertarian Presidential candidates. Co-sponsored by the Cass County Libertarian Party, the Kansas Libertarian Party, and the Missouri Libertarian Party. April 4-5, 2008. http://www.lpmo.org/heartland2008/ * Freedom Cruise: Announcing the
Eleventh Annual "Freedom Cruise" -- a glorious 12 day cruise through
the Mediterranean, focused on Italy and the Greek islands: Venice;
Dubrovnic; Corfu; Argostoli; Santorini; Catania; Naples; Rome; Florence;
and Barcelona. The event is organized by Ken Bisson of Freedom Cruises.
Great food, an amazing itinerary, and fine company! (This isn't an
Advocates event, but Ken is on our Board of Directors, and libertarians
who have been on past cruises rave about them.) For more details, visit: ******
by James W. Harris Newspapers and TV shows have been buzzing
with reports that libertarian Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul
raised over 4 million dollars in just 24 hours, on November 5. * * * Government Schools: Not Just Bad for Poor Kids "Proponents of educational choice tend to focus on the underprivileged, which is understandable given that low-income kids are overrepresented in failing inner-city public schools. "But an emphasis on the plight of the poor can leave the impression that middle-class public school students are doing fine. And that would be a false impression, according to a new book-length study by the Pacific Research Institute, 'Not as Good as You Think: Why the Middle-Class Needs School Choice.'
"Many of these schools were located in the Golden State's toniest zip codes, places like Orange County, Silicon Valley and the beach communities of Los Angeles. In areas such as Newport Beach, Capistrano and Huntington Beach, where million-dollar houses are commonplace, researchers found more than a dozen schools where 50% to 80% of students weren't proficient in math at their grade level. In one Silicon Valley community where the median home goes for $1.6 million, less than half of 10th and 11th graders scored at or above proficiency on the state English exam. "Schools serving middle-income kids are also doing a poor job of preparing them for higher education. Some 60% of freshmen in the California State University system need remedial courses." (Source: Wall Street Journal editorial,
"worse Than You Think," 10/24/07 Expert: U.S. out of Iraq in Fifty Years -- Maybe A leading military expert says the U.S. military will achieve its goals in Iraq -- and then leave. How soon? At least half a century from now. And maybe a lot longer. That's the prediction of retired Gen. John Abizaid, former commander of the U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations for much of the Middle East. "Over time, we will have to shift the burden of the military fight from our forces directly to regional forces, and we will have to play an indirect role, but we shouldn't assume for even a minute that in the next 25 to 50 years the American military might be able to come home, relax and take it easy, because the strategic situation in the region doesn't seem to show that as being possible," Abizaid said at a military conference last month. Abizaid said four things would keep U.S. troops in the region for half a century or more: "The rise of Sunni Islamic extremism as exemplified by [Osama] Bin Laden; and the ideology of revolutionary Shia; Iran and the corrosive effect of the Arab-Israeli conflict; [and] the requirement of the U.S. and the industrial world to keep the global economy going by exporting oil from the region." But take heart. Abizaid, who now serves as a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, said he is "tremendously optimistic" about the U.S. adventure in the Middle East. "We can stabilize Iraq. We can stabilize Afghanistan. We can maintain our power in the region in a way that contains Iranian ambitions. We can over time degrade the military capability of al Qaeda [so] that its ability to attract recruits, keep them in the field, and throw them against our interests will ultimately diminish," Abizaid proclaimed. And then in half a century or so, when all this is done, the troops can come back. Unless, of course, something else happens in the meantime. (Sources: http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3792081&page=1 )
* * * "The United States Postal Service is an
anachronism. Yale's law and
"It employs 30 percent of the nonmilitary federal workforce; pays wages and benefits 30 percent above competitive levels; and operates more than 60 percent of its offices at a loss. "The Postal Service has survived -- despite high costs, bland offerings, and comparatively middling service -- by exploiting its two statutory monopolies: the carriage of First Class mail, and exclusive access to customer-owned mail boxes. "Congress must be encouraged to abjure postal monopolies, and to privatize the Postal Service." -- "Privatize the U.S. Postal Service" by
James A. Montanye
* * * LIBERTARIAN JOHN STOSSEL ON EDUCATION: "Of course, to us libertarians, the best idea is to separate school and state altogether. "Education is too important to be left to government. The freer parents and entrepreneurs are, the more innovative American schooling will be -- and the more kids will learn." -- "With Government Money Come Strings"
by John Stossel GAMBLING IS FINE -- BUT ONLY FOR
GOVERNMENT: Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is backing a bill
to license three resort casinos in the state. Buried deep in the bill is
a provision that would make it a crime -- punishable by jail terms of up
to two years and a $25,000 fine -- for state residents to gamble online.
Hmmmm... any connection there? * * * * * * * *
Political Taunting Has Got to Go by Michael Cloud Ann Coulter specializes in taunting liberals. Michael Moore does the same thing to conservatives. Conservative bloggers attack and antagonize liberals.
Cable TV political opinion shows promote more fights than Don King. Talk Radio? More of the same. Political disagreements have escalated from lively conversations to heated debates to public hatings. You've seen them and heard them and read them. This behavior wrecks and ruins real political conversations. It is toxic and destructive. Political taunting may be the worst element in this witches' brew. Why? Taunting is intended to provoke a response from the person it's aimed it. It's designed to trigger a rash or foolish reaction. Heckle. Jeer. Mock. Ridicule. Insult. Ad hominem attack. Push the other guy's buttons. Use fighting words. Trash talk. Get his goat. Compare an idea or action or person to Hitler or Stalin or Mussolini. Call it Fascist, Nazi, or Communist. Name call: Knucklehead, meathead, blockhead, pinhead. Stupid. Ignorant. A traitor. Coward. Evil. Political taunting is designed to avoid and evade reasoned political conversations. It is intended to sidestep discussing the virtues and values of a political idea or proposal. Political taunting is the weapon of choice for those who do NOT want open public discussions of some political ideas and proposals. Those who do not want ideas considered on their merits. Political taunting is regularly used against libertarian spokespeople and candidates. How? Call the libertarian a "fringe candidate." Call him "extremist." Assert that he's "outside the political mainstream." Accuse him of being "hopelessly out of touch." Say that his views are "simplistic" and "naive." Declare that his supporters are misfits or freaks. Assert that "some of his supporters" hold views that are offensive or shocking. Claim his supporters are "cyber-sheep" or "zombies" or "fanatics." Accuse them of cheating on straw polls or other polls. Or spamming to create the illusion of support for their "obscure" libertarian candidate who has "no chance of winning." Political taunting has got to go. What can you do to stop it? 1. Name the issue. Describe political taunting and tell how it interferes with courteous and thoughtful political conversations. Say, "This is political taunting. It's intended to pick a fight. It insults the person it's aimed at -- and it keeps listeners from considering the merits of the idea." Or, "This is political taunting. This is political trash talk. This kind of talk makes us lose our cool and start shouting. I want to hear the idea, consider its advantages and disadvantages, and calmly discuss it." 2. Raise the real question. Say, "The real question or proposal is X. Is it a good idea or a bad idea? Would it make us better off or worse off? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the proposal? What are the costs and consequences of doing it? Of NOT doing it?" Even when you redirect the conversation to reasoned discourse, serial political taunters will revert to inflammatory words or name-calling. 3. Calmly point out the button-pushing words, the insulting terms, or the inciting language. Describe what they assert or imply. Ask the person to speak to the benefits or penalties of the proposal. "The truth will set you free," says scripture. Tell the truth about taunting language. Write the truth about it. But do NOT retaliate by taunting the taunters. The facts are friendly to freedom. You want people to be calm and clearheaded when you discuss your libertarian proposals. Or your presidential candidate's. Political taunting has got to go. Help send it on its way. * * * * * * * * In 2000, Michael was honored with the Thomas Paine Award as the Most
Persuasive Libertarian Communicator in America.
BUILDING THE CASE FOR LIBERTY
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
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. * * * MY SHORT ANSWER: A libertarian society would certainly have police to protect citizens from gangs and criminals. They just wouldn't be tax-supported. One way of providing this would be government provision, similar to today, but funded by donations, user fees, fee-based charges, or similar methods or combinations. Another option is the market provision of some or even all police services. The marketplace is quite capable of providing police services, just as it already provides other vital services far better than the government can. In fact, even today, with "free" tax-funded police protection provided by government, the great majority of police protection is provided by the private sector. A * Private security guards outnumber
public law enforcement officers by nearly three to one. So we already have a mixed public-private police system, and the private sector part is the largest, and is growing. How could a market provide all police services, which some libertarians advocate? Because no one can predict how a market might function -- because markets constantly react and adapt to new discoveries, innovations, and customer demands -- we can only speculate, based on examples already working today. Private police protection might be by subscription. Private police could patrol neighborhoods, help their customers burglar-proof their house, etc. Those who wished such a service could pay for it themselves or as a package deal with other neighbors. Some San Francisco areas, for example, do this even today, to make up for the limited protection public police provide. Police services might also be offered as part of an insurance package, since insurers have incentives to protect property from theft, arson, and damage. Of course, some people might decide to go without such protection and rely on their trusty handguns. Others might call for help when threatened, and pay premium prices because they weren't regular subscribers. Again, because the market is prolific and tends to move in mysterious ways, it can't be predicted -- but without doubt there would be constant improvement and innovation in these services, and other options would likely be available as well. * * * * * * * * 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.mv
Word Choice: Instead of "Isolationism" by Sharon Harris, Advocates President Ron Paul, like most libertarians, favors a foreign policy of peaceful non-intervention in the internal affairs of other nations. Unfortunately, this is too often described as "isolationism." Ron Paul vigorously disagrees that this term describes his views. And, although some libertarians still use that word, I believe Paul is right to reject it. "Isolationism" has many negatives. For
decades in America, "isolationism" has been a smear word. And in fact, many U.S. isolationists in the past weren't just for political non-intervention. They wanted to restrict trade and travel. To build a "wall" around America, creating a so-called "Fortress America." Some even felt America should be totally self-sufficient: trading with no one. None of that, of course, has anything to do with libertarian foreign policy views. Libertarians favor free trade, the freedom to travel, diplomacy, and lively and ongoing cultural interaction with people worldwide. A far better word for this is "non-intervention." Libertarians are "non-interventionists." That's still a clumsy word, unfortunately, and it is better understood when coupled with a short description of what it means, such as I gave two paragraphs ago. It's also sometimes helpful to describe this as "America's original foreign policy" or "the Founder's foreign policy," and to quote the classic Jefferson line: "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none." Some wit once said that the difference between "isolationists" and "non-interventionists" is that the former are hermits, while the latter are gentlemen. Ron Paul has put it very well: "Non-interventionism is not isolationism. Non-intervention simply means America does not interfere militarily, financially, or covertly in the internal affairs of other nations. It does not mean that we isolate ourselves; on the contrary, our founders advocated open trade, travel, communication, and diplomacy with other nations." (More by Ron Paul on non-intervention:
Finally, it is sometimes useful to point out that the current U.S. foreign policy of endless intervention in the affairs of other nations, U.S. troops and military bases in almost every nation, sanctions, trade barriers, travel restrictions, and aid to tyrants and dictators is increasingly isolating America from the rest of the world. In this sense, the true "isolationists" actually are the interventionists. When someone labels libertarians as isolationists, they are knowingly or unknowingly smearing us and misrepresenting our views. This should be corrected, in a friendly and persuasive way, so our true ideas can be understood and embraced. See more One-Minute Liberty Tips! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
|||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
Home
| Library |
Publications |
Programs | Celebrities
| Quiz
| Store
| Site Map |
About us |
Search |
Contact Us |
|
Contents copyrighted © The Advocates for Self-Government,, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization. Donations tax-deductible in U.S. All rights reserved. |
Internet
search term, that was obviously just more spam trickery by the miniscule
but diabolically active Paul cult. When Ron Paul's YouTube channel
reached over 30,000 subscribers last month -- far more than any other
presidential candidate, and making him his channel the 39th most popular
YouTube channel of all time -- it was just more of the same. 
"Conventional
wisdom holds that upscale communities tend to have 'good' schools, and
parents often buy homes in expensive neighborhoods so their kids have a
shot at a decent public education. But the PRI study, which focused on
California, found that in nearly 300 schools in middle-class and
affluent neighborhoods, 'less than half of the students in at least one
grade level performed at proficiency in state math and English tests.'
economics
scholar George Priest has characterized it as 'the most significant
example of socialism in the United States...[embracing] almost all the
aspects of socialism rejected in Eastern Europe and in the privatized
Western economies.' 
Progressive
bloggers needle and cattle-prod conservatives. 
ccording
to the National Center for Policy Analysis (using 1990 figures):
In many circles it is associated with hostility towards foreign nations
and cultures, nativism, and ignorance. 
In the coming months
we hope 200,000-plus people
will Discover Liberty, thanks to this great new publication -- and
thanks to grassroots libertarian activists and the wonderful people who
make this and so many other programs available by supporting the
Advocates.