Volume 12, Number 23 | December 14, 2007
The Liberator Online
Contents
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
PERSUASION POWER POINT
#240
ASK DR. RUWART
PRODUCT REVIEW
Dear friends, Libertarianism is in the news every day now. People are more curious about our ideas than ever before -- and more receptive. So: how do you reach people in your community with libertarian ideas? How do you excite them into wanting to learn more? Bob Odden tried one way a few weeks ago -- with great success. Bob knows about taking the ideas of liberty to the
public. He's Chair of the Libertarian Party of Minnesota.
A few weeks ago Bob led an Operation Politically Homeless (OPH) outreach booth at a weekend gun show in St. Paul, Minnesota. OPH, of course, is the Advocates' famous "event in a kit," which uses the World's Smallest Political Quiz and other tools to transform an ordinary dull outreach booth (ho hum) into a crowd-drawing, fun *event*. Bob reports that OPH worked its usual magic among the gun show attendees. "Sometimes there were so many people, they were blocking the aisle," he said, echoing the experience of many other OPHers. "Some people even hung around the table kind of like groupies. "The guy in the booth next to me got so excited about the Quiz, he manned the booth when I needed a break. He had such high energy, that he sold a high percentage of the public on taking the Quiz. He even donated money. "He plans to be at our pot luck this Saturday at the Liberty Center in St. Paul. {Until he took the Quiz] he thought he was on the Left. "We need him and others like him -- people who think positively and who sell people on the benefits of Liberty." All in all, about 200 people stopped at the OPH booth. And some were so enthusiastic they showed their appreciation -- with cash. "We collected about $200 in donations," Bob reports. Bob was also impressed by the large number of people who scored in the Libertarian portion of the Quiz chart. His results broke down this way: Statist 3% Indeed, more people than ever are aware of, and
interested in, libertarian ideas. We need to reach them now! The Ron
Paul campaign, and the efforts of other libertarian groups (including
the Advocates -- our online Quiz gets thousands of hits every day) are
paying off. Libertarians frequently tell us that not only does OPH work amazingly well -- it's actually FUN! The perfect outreach activity for newcomers and veteran activists alike. And new improvements make OPH more effective than ever! Learn more about OPH -- and how to start putting it to
work for liberty in YOUR community -- here: * * * 10% OFF FREE-STATE LIBERTARIAN CONFERENCE! As noted in our "What's Happening With The Advocates"
section below, I'll be joining a group of outstanding speakers at the
2008 New Hampshire Liberty Forum: sponsored by the world-famous Free
State Project,
During the convention, libertarian activists will hear about the political action methods already being effectively employed in New Hampshire. There will be multiple program "tracks" from which attendees can choose from, based on their interest. Interactive panel discussions include Broadcast, Print and Web Media, Education, 2nd Amendment, and Taxpayer Activism. The conference sponsors have generously offered Liberator Online readers a special 10% discount! To get 10% off, just use
promotional code "2008AD" when signing up at the conference
here: Hope to see you there! * * * Welcome to 180 new Liberator Online subscribers this issue. Thanks for joining our subscription "family" of over 70,000 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: Holiday special! 15% off ALL MERCHANDISE in our online catalog! Books, 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 from
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 This is a great chance to get gifts for your
libertarian friends -- or for your well-deserving libertarian self! Offer good through December 31, 2007. 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. SPECIAL TEN PERCENT DISCOUNT FOR LIBERATOR ONLINE
READERS: To get 10% off the regular conference cost, just enter
promotional code "2008AD" when signing up at the conference here: * 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 Kansas Libertarian Party, the Missouri Libertarian Party, and the Cass County 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 Poor Warren Buffett! Despite being the second-richest man on the planet, in the richest society in the history of the world, the renowned investor still has a big problem.
That's what he told the Senate Finance Committee last month. Congress needs to "take a little more out of the hides of guys like me," the billionaire told the panel. Buffett has made similar complaints numerous times in the past, calling for higher taxes on the well-off. So have other zillionaires, including George Soros and Bill Gates. We at the Advocates certainly feel the pain of these and all other Americans who feel they are undertaxed. So in the spirit of self-help and volunteerism, we are pleased to offer this easy solution. There is an actual official U.S. government department that accepts donations from citizens who are grateful to the State for the senseless wars, infringements of civil liberties, torture, secret prisons, inflation, victimless crime laws, failing government schools and other vital and necessary services it provides. Here is the address: Gifts to the United States There you have it. No one who feels undertaxed need endure that awful situation a moment longer. Indeed, each year a small number of citizens do in fact send in donations. Since 1982, the Treasury has received 16,074 contributions for a cumulative $9.8 million, according to Americans for Tax Reform. (That figure a lot closer to our view of the proper funding for government than today's monstrous budgets. But call us radical.) So, Mr. Buffett, send as many billions as you wish to the above address. And then, please, leave the rest of us alone. (Source: Austin-American Statesman: * * * Toad Away: New Highs in the War on Drugs Just mark it down as yet another glorious victory in the War on Drugs. A Kansas City, Missouri man has been arrested and
charged with... possessing a toad.
After raiding a home on suspicions that drugs were being manufactured there, police arrested David S. Theiss and his toad. To be precise, his Sonoran Desert toad. When this breed of toad gets angry or scared, it
secrets a venom containing bufotenin. Bufotenin, when ingested, is a
hallucinogen. Thus the federal government, ever vigilant of what we do
with our bodies and minds, has outlawed it. But possession with the intent to use its venom to get high *is* illegal. And, since Theiss was charged with several drug offenses -- among them possessing mescaline, a controlled substance extracted from a cactus -- he surely must have owned the toad for sinister reasons. In such cases, prosecutor White says, the toad is considered "drug paraphernalia" and owners must face the consequences. Naturally, the Internet is part of the menace. Prosecutor White warns that some Web sites feature instructional videos on how to extract the venom and smoke it. Theiss was released on bond. However, the toad was kept in custody at a police crime lab. (Somehow, that doesn't seem fair.) United Press International reports that Theiss "is believed to be the first (person) in the Kansas City area to be charged with toad-licking."
But... is it any less absurd and tyrannical than arresting people for, say, growing and smoking a common plant, something we have heard from reliable sources happens quite often in the US of A? Once America was hailed as "the land of the free," but now we can be hauled off by the cops for owning a toad for non-government-sanctioned purposes. What would Thomas Jefferson say? (Source: Associated Press /Kansas City Star * * * Education: Too Important to Be Left to the Government Jeff Jacoby, award-winning columnist for the Boston Globe, has written another wonderfully devastating column calling for the separation of school and state. And, as previously, he cuts through to the essence of the issue. Here are some excerpts: "Americans differ on same-sex marriage and evolution,
on the importance of sports and the value of phonics,
"Americans hold disparate opinions on everything from the truth of the Bible to the meaning of the First Amendment, from the usefulness of rote memorization to the importance of teaching music and art. With parents so often in loud disagreement, why should children be locked into a one-size-fits-all, government-knows-best model of education? "Nobody would want the government to run 90 percent of the nation's entertainment industry. Nobody thinks that 90 percent of all housing should be owned by the state. Yet the government's control of 90 percent of the nation's schools leaves most Americans strangely unconcerned. ... "In a society founded on political and economic liberty, government schools have no place. Free men and women do not entrust to the state the molding of their children's minds and character. As we wouldn't trust the state to feed our kids, or to clothe them, or to get them to bed on time, neither should we trust the state to teach them. ... "Education is too important to be left to the government." Jacoby, it should be noted, is one of the most influential columnists in America. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe is the largest newspaper in the New England area, and the 15th largest-circulation newspaper in America, with over 600,000 readers. His column is carried by other publications as well, and widely disseminated on the Web. (Source: "Big Brother at School," by Jeff Jacoby
* * * "End Eminent Domain Abuse."
The mural is the work of Jim Roos, owner of the building. Roos, a seminary student, offers desperately-needed low-cost housing through Neighborhood Enterprises, Inc., and the non-profit Sanctuary in the Ordinary. But three times he's seen property he owns or manages stolen by the government to give to private developers. Now the city is acquiring property in this neighborhood. And Roos is fighting back the best way he can -- by taking his case to the public via his sign. But in a twin assault on both free speech and property rights, St. Louis bureaucrats not only are threatening to take the entire neighborhood for private development -- they want to censor Roos's sign. City bureaucrats first told Roos he had to apply for a sign permit. Then, of course, they rejected his application -- and demanded his mural be taken down as a violation of local "sign codes." Libertarians to the rescue! The libertarian litigators at the Institute for Justice (IJ) have filed papers in federal court, defending Roos's First Amendment right to protest government abuse. (The libertarian IJ recently achieved national fame for its heroic battles in the infamous Kelo eminent domain case, which gave local governments a green light to steal private property for private developers.) "St. Louis' censorship is a case study in how so-called 'sign codes' give local bureaucrats across the country license to stifle speech," said Bill Maurer of IJ. "When the government has the ability to regulate speech, it also has the power to censor speech it does not like." Roos claims the city is censoring his sign because of its message. "I think if it said, 'Go Cardinals,' we wouldn't have any problems," Roos said. Indeed, the St. Lous Post-Dispatch notes that, "The city routinely approves exemptions for large signs. On the same day a city panel rejected Roos's claim, it granted an appeal by Laclede Gas to display a sign of over 1,000 square feet on the utility's downtown headquarters." The newspaper also notes that the city's sign code has no size restrictions on flags, "civic symbols or crests," "time and temperature devices" or "works of art." "If Jim had put up a painting of dogs playing poker, that would be OK," IJ's Maurer laughs. "Jim's mural is a powerful, unique and low-cost protest to the city of St. Louis' repeated abuse of eminent domain," added IJ's Nick Dranias. "The city wants to take away the most effective means he has of protesting the city's own abuse and raising awareness of the need for statewide eminent domain reform." "People are delighted that someone has stood up to the abuse," said Jim Roos. "One supporter said we could chain him to the building, if necessary, to block the city from removing the mural. Another supporter insisted on donating his time and materials to light the mural at night." The case shows how intimately private property is linked to free speech. Obviously, the mural is working. No wonder the St. Louis tyrants want to shut it down. "If the First Amendment means anything, it must mean that citizens like Jim Roos have the right to effectively protest government abuse and build support for meaningful reform -- without having to get government approval," said IJ's Maurer. (Sources: St. Louis Post-Dispatch: * * * THAT'S NOT SHARING: "I practice charity
regularly. I believe in sharing. But when government takes our money by
force and gives it to others, that's not sharing." -- libertarian
journalist John Stossel WHOOPIE! "I'd like somebody to get rid of the
death tax. That's what I want. I * * * * * * * *
Make Your Christmas Joyous -- and Libertarian by Michael Cloud Would it take a miracle to win your family or friends to libertarianism? Christmas is the season of miracles. And you just might cause one by giving your loved one stimulating and fun libertarian gifts this Christmas. Does your family member or friend like movies? Why not
buy him a DVD of: "The Americanization of Emily" or "The Day the Earth
Stood Still" or -- if Unsure of which movie to select? Buy yourself "Miss Liberty's Guide to Film and Video" from the Advocates: Does your sister or brother like fiction? Buy them Give Me Liberty edited by Martin Greenberg and Mark Tier. This collection of libertarian short stories might jump-start a lifetime love affair with liberty. Have them read "And Then There Were None" by Eric Frank Russell first. You haven't read it? The paperback is only $7.99. Get yourself a copy, too. Or * The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein. Do they prefer non-fiction books? * How I Found Freedom In an Unfree World by Harry Browne can shatter their prejudices and open their minds. It's available by e-book at http://www.harrybrowne.org/ * Why Government Doesn't Work and The Great Libertarian Offer by Harry Browne are simple and direct, engaging and readable books. They make great presents -- and you CAN give YOURSELF a Christmas present, too. Also available at the Harry Browne link above. * Libertarianism in One Lesson by David Bergland. A
short and elegant read. Available from the Advocates: *
Healing Our World by Dr. Mary Ruwart. Do you have Progressives or
New Agers in your life? This book really connects with a number of them.
Available from the Advocates: * One suggested CD set:
"Personal Responsibility is the Price of Liberty," a 2-CD set that
makes a powerful case for the libertarian concept of individual
responsibility. Many people who are NOT receptive and responsive to our
message of individual liberty open theirs hearts and minds to personal
responsibility. Available from the Advocates: Make this season one of glad tidings and hope for your loved ones. Make their Christmas joyous -- and libertarian! [EDITOR'S NOTE: Please note, all of the Advocates products that Michael mentions in this column are available until the end of the year at 15% off! For details on this end-of-year sale, see PRODUCT REVIEW at the end of this issue.] * * * * * * * * In 2000, Michael was honored with the Thomas Paine Award as the Most
Persuasive Libertarian Communicator in America.
BUILDING THE CASE FOR LIBERTY
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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. * * * QUESTION: Suppose I have a field with 20 cows, and one of the cows catches an infectious disease that could spread to surrounding cows (not, however, my own). Would a libertarian government exterminate the cow without my consent? If the disease spreads to my neighbor's farm and kills all his cows, would I be liable in a libertarian society? MY SHORT ANSWER: In a libertarian society, you would probably be liable if your cow infected animals owned by your neighbors. In most cases, you would have liability insurance to cover such accidental occurrences, just as you carry car insurance today. Your obligation would be to make restitution. If you knew that one of your cows was infected, you'd likely deal with it yourself. Insurance companies raise rates for drivers who have accidents. A farmer whose animals routinely infected his or her neighbor's cows would likely face large increases in insurance rates that far outweighed the cost of disposing of a sick animal. In spite of these economic disincentives, it is theoretically possible that a farmer might occasionally continue to infect other farmers' cows. In such a rare cases, a libertarian court might make inspections and forced disposal part of the negligent farmer's restitution. * * * What if the all-volunteer military isn't enough? QUESTION: What if there are insufficient military volunteers and our nation needs more help? I hope the answer isn't that we shouldn't get involved in wars that are insufficiently popular to get sufficient volunteers. MY SHORT ANSWER: Today's army "volunteers" are actually people who are accepting a soldiering job for pay. If more military personnel are needed, paying higher wages will increase enlistment. If potential volunteers believe that a war is unjustified, higher wages will be needed for recruitment. The military will be staffed with mercenaries, rather than patriots. Conversely, if a nation is attacked, as the U.S. was on 9-11, enlistments skyrocket, even without an increase in pay to compensate for the increased risks. The funding needed to keep soldiers in the field, and the public's willingness to bear that cost, are indicators that politicians can use to gauge "customer satisfaction" with the war they are waging. A very unpopular war, like Vietnam, might have ended earlier if this "market mechanism" had been in place. * * * * * * * * 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: "Re-Privatization" by Sharon Harris, Advocates President Several years ago my friend Jim Cox, author of the great book The Concise Guide to Economics, introduced me to a word I'd never heard before: "re-privatization." What a useful word! Libertarians, of course, have long advocated privatization of government services, and privatization has become a familiar notion to the public. Some listeners and audiences respond very positively to the concept of privatization. When speaking to such listeners, using the words "re-privatization" or "re-privatize" gives you the opportunity to create a mind-opening "Aha!" moment for them. Here's why. Many services that the government currently monopolizes or dominates have been provided very effectively in the past by the free market. To name just a few: public utilities, education, care for the poor and needy, currency, retirement savings, health care, many licensing and inspection services, roads, passenger trains... the list is almost endless. However, because of decades of government monopoly, many people now think these services can only be provided by government, or, at the least, have never before been provided by the market. Saying you favor the "re-privatization" of a service gives your listener an immediate and valuable insight. They are instantly made aware that, sometime in the past, the market has actually provided the particular service you're referring to. Of course, you must then be ready to back that up -- to show how and when the private sector did provide the particular service you want to "re-privatize." And you must be able to tell your listener that not only is the "re-privatization" you advocate possible, but that it is desirable -- that they will be better off. But the word "re-privatization" is a great way to get that conversation started. Thanks, Jim! See more One-Minute Liberty Tips! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
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He's
also founder of the Twin Cities chapter of the Pink Pistols, the
world-famous gay gun-rights group. 
OPH
is the most successful outreach boothing tool for libertarians. For
twenty years it's been used to take our ideas to the public -- in the
most effective way possible, face to face. Hundreds of thousands of
Americans have been introduced to liberty by OPH. [left: Congressman
Ron Paul takes the Quiz at a Republican Liberty Caucus booth at a
Texas State Republican Convention -- where the Quiz made their booth the
most popular one at the event.]
Thursday January 3 to Sunday January 6, 2008 in Nashua,
New Hampshire. 
He
feels he's not being taxed enough. 
More
specifically, possession with the intent to get high off the toad's
venom. 
But
if vigilant Kansas City Drug Warriors have their way, he will certainly
not be the last. 
on
the right to bear arms and the reverence due the Confederate flag. Some
parents are committed secularists; others are devout believers. Some
place great emphasis on math and science; others stress history and
foreign languages. 
The
message is crystal clear. And so is the sign on which it appears -- an
eye-grabbing, two-story-high mural on the side of a building in St.
Louis's Bohemian Hill neighborhood. 
don't want to get taxed just because I died. I just don't think it's
right. If I give something to my kid, I already paid the tax. Why should
I have to pay it again because I died? ... It's horrible. It doesn't
matter if you have or you don't have money. Once you paid your taxes, it
should be a done deal. You shouldn't have to pay twice. No taxation
without representation! Sorry." 
