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In
This Issue:
Americans tell pollsters that government doesn't
work.... The "Iceland Miracle" has lessons for the world....
Court denies dying woman right to medical marijuana.... More
than 1,000 U.S. foreign military bases?.... The problem of
pornography in a free society.... and much more!
xxx
The Liberator Online
Vol. 12, No. 6 | March 22, 2007
Circulation: 69,687 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 makes invaluable
contributions to the freedom cause. For twenty years the
Advocates has worked tirelessly to help libertarians better
communicate the ideas of liberty. I continue to be impressed
by the Advocates' work."
-- U.S. Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas)
|
Contents
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
*
Pessimism and Optimism: Twin traps for libertarianism
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
* April 21: Sharon Harris at "Women In Liberty" Minnesota LP
convention
* Quiz
ads in Rutgers University libertarian publication
* New "Libertarian Celebrity and VIPs" profiles
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
*
Liberal Poll: Americans Say Government Doesn't Work
* One Thousand U.S. Foreign Military Bases?
* The Iceland Miracle * Federal Court Denies Dying Woman Medical
Marijuana
QUICK SHOTS: The shocking growth of local and state
government...
PERSUASION POWER POINT
#220
*
Are You Taking Advantage of Your Greatest Persuasive Strength? by Michael Cloud
ASK DR. RUWART
* How would a free society handle the problem
of pornography?
* Private police -- a follow-up
ONE-MINUTE
LIBERTY TIP
*
Instead of an Argument by Sharon Harris
...
PRODUCT REVIEW
**
Extended: THE
BEST OF BERGLAND: Save $12 (including FREE SHIPPING) on book and
CD set!
...
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 |
President's
Corner |
Dear
friends,
"The world will never change. The libertarian
cause is doomed. People will never understand liberty; even those
who do understand it don't want it. So why should I waste my time in
such a futile cause?"
"Libertarianism is certain to succeed. The state
cannot out-compete the marketplace. Given time, the superiority of
the market will inevitably lead to a libertarian society. So why
should I spend my efforts working on what will come about inevitably
anyway?"
I've heard both these arguments for years. As
writer Brian Doherty recently noted on the Cato Institute's blog,
both lead many people to stop working for liberty, to stop
supporting libertarian causes, to turn their back on the freedom
movement.
I think they're both wrong. Liberty is winning --
in fact, our ideas are spreading at an incredible pace in America
and around the world. I speak from experience. I've been in the
libertarian movement since the early 1970s, when almost no one
believed these ideas -- when the joke used to be: "How many
libertarians can fit into a phone booth? Answer: all of them."
Sure, I wish things were moving even faster. I get
frustrated, too. But the logic of our ideas is winning us converts
daily, while the Big Government left and right are increasingly seen
as bankrupt.
But liberty is NOT inevitable. The reason we have
seen such great success is because untold thousands of people have
worked so hard, and contributed so much, to bring us to this point.
You yourself learned about liberty from someone.
Maybe someone gave you a copy of the World's Smallest Political
Quiz.
Maybe you heard a libertarian candidate on
television or radio.
Maybe you read a book written by a libertarian
writer.
However you learned, it was because someone
reached out to you. And that person, too, learned from someone else.
And it was backed up by libertarian organizations,
libertarian writers, and libertarian activists, who have worked for
decades to create a powerful movement ready with persuasive answers
for people who want to learn more about freedom.
Those organizations didn't spring up out of the
ground by magic. They were only possible because someone -- someone
like you -- years ago decided that this cause was important enough
to support them. So that people like you could learn about liberty
and the liberty movement.
For over twenty years, the Advocates has been part
of that movement. We occupy a special, vital niche: we help people
learn about the ideas of liberty -- and we provide them with the
best methods and tools to communicate those ideas to the public.
The Internet has allowed us to expand our work
tremendously. The World's Smallest Political Quiz is now available
24 hours a day, to the entire world. The result: thousands of people
take it daily, and explore the great libertarian resources we've
made available at that site.
Our old print magazine The Liberator used to come
out quarterly, and go to several thousand people. Now the Liberator
Online goes out every two weeks to almost 70,000 readers.
The Web has allowed us to greatly amplify our
efforts in many other ways, too.
But it still comes down to you and people like
you. You -- your activism, your donations, your outreach to friends,
neighbors, families and others -- makes the work of the Advocates,
and the growth of the liberty movement, possible.
Your participation is vital. The future of liberty
-- for yourself, your family, the world -- will be shaped by the
actions of the libertarians of today.
This is incredibly important. The lives and
well-being of millions of people are at stake.
Just look at the stories in this issue's "Good
News, Bad News, Unbelievable News."
One story tells how libertarian free-market ideas
have brought incredible abundance to the people of Iceland in just a
few years.
Another story tells how savage federal drug laws
are bringing misery to thousands of sick people in America.
Yes, liberty matters. And your efforts make a
difference. And your participation in the struggle is essential.
For, as the great libertarian economist Ludwig von
Mises once stated:
"No one can find a safe way out for himself if
society is sweeping towards destruction. Therefore everyone, in his
own interests, must thrust himself vigorously into the intellectual
battle. None can stand aside with unconcern; the interests of
everyone hang on the result."
Victory is NOT inevitable. But our ideas are
moving forward, and there is great reason for optimism.
When you contribute to the work of the Advocates
-- or other worthy libertarian organizations -- you are helping move
the world in the right direction. You are making a difference.
Thank you.
* * *
Welcome to 210 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:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org
To learn more about libertarianism:
http://www.Libertarianism.com
-- Sharon Harris, President | Email:
sharon @ TheAdvocates.org
PS: Ugh! April 15 is approaching. Tax season!
Expect highly-publicized IRS raids and
confiscations -- to scare us into paying income taxes. And the
inevitable infuriating newspaper articles telling you how well spent
your tax dollars are, and how lucky you are to pay them.
Want some relief? How about some laughter and good
music?
My friend Carla Howell is a highly-regarded
libertarian activist.
 She's also a very talented singer-songwriter.
And her song "How Could I Live Without Filing Taxes?" might just be
the relief you and your friends and co-workers need.
It's been played on hundreds of radio stations. I
think it's great! Hear it free here:
http://www.centerforsmallgovernment.com/taxsong.html
Also, why not send this link to a few radio
stations in your area and ask them to play it on the air? Many
stations love timely material, and this could hardly be more timely.
PPS: Don't forget to check out our Product Review
special. This issue: great savings on "The Best of Bergland"
libertarian book and CD set -- a $27 value now only $15 (including
shipping).! See details below, or visit:
http://www.theadvocates.org/liberator-online-special.html
Thank you!
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What's
Happening With The Advocates
* April 21, 2007:
Advocates President
Sharon Harris will join other leading libertarian speakers including
author Wendy McElroy, at the 2007 Libertarian Party of Minnesota
state convention. The convention theme is "Women in Liberty." Enjoy
a dinner buffet, bid on auctions, purchase pro-liberty gear, browse
exhibits, meet candidates, party officials and more! Location: the
Hilton Garden Inn in Bloomington, MN.
http://www.lpmn.org/convention_2007.php
* Rutgers Libertarians Use Quiz Ads: The current issue of The
Invisible Hand -- the excellent college libertarian newsletter
published by Rutgers University libertarians -- features one of the
eye-catching Quiz ads the Advocates makes available for free. You
can see the issue, and read some fine libertarian articles, here:
http://rlibertarians.tripod.com/ih/InvisibleHandIssue3.pdf
And you can get free high-quality PDFs of similar ads for your own
publication here:
http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz-ads.html
Let us know if you use them -- so we can share the good news!
* New "Libertarian Celebrity and VIPs" profiles:
We've been updating and revamping the world-famous "Libertarian
Celebrity and VIPs" section of our Web page. New profiles,
and newly updated ones, are prominently highlighted on the title
page. Check out what's new!
...
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 |
Good News,
Bad
News,
Unbelievable News |
By
James W. Harris
Liberal poll: Americans
say government doesn't work
There's great news for libertarians in a new poll commissioned by
the liberal organization Democracy Corps.
The poll questioned a representative group of
1,014 likely U.S. voters, all of whom voted in 2004. And Democracy
Corps was stunned by these results:
* Respondees were asked: "If the federal
government were to receive additional money, do you think the
additional money is more likely to be spent well or is it more
likely to be wasted?"
Only 13% thought the federal government would
spend any additional money well. A whopping 83% answered, "wasted."
* Only 30% agreed with this statement: "Government
does more to help people get ahead in life."
* However, fully 57% agreed with this: "Government
mostly gets in the way of the economy and job growth."
* Only 34% agreed that: "Government mostly
stimulates the economy and job growth."
But a majority -- 54% -- agreed that: "Government
mostly gets in the way of the economy and job growth."
* Respondees were asked to pick which of these two
statements they most identified with:
A. "I want Congress to first invest in areas like
health care, education, and energy, even if it means spending
additional money."
OR:
B. "I want Congress to first focus on cutting
wasteful spending and making government more accountable."
Only 36% chose the bigger-government answer A.
58% chose the smaller-government answer B.
Here are some excerpts from an analysis by
Democracy Corps of their poll results:
"The findings are stunning in the depth and
breadth of ... distrust [of] government and its leadership."
"[Voters have] a fundamental belief that
government, and the politicians who lead it, refuse to be held
accountable for the way they conduct business -- how they spend
money, whom they listen to when setting their priorities, and how
they conduct themselves."
"Americans now view government as more of a
barrier than a helping hand, and its failure to be accountable in a
way that produces results is central to these doubts."
"Voters perceive government as slow, cumbersome
and unable to move at a fast pace and keep up with the rest of the
world."
"[T]he public has virtually no confidence in
Washington to spend money in a way that gets results. Perhaps the
most stunning finding in the survey is that just 13 percent believe
the federal government would spend additional money well while 83
percent say it would be wasted."
"Frankly, voters see little, if anything good
coming out of Washington from either party..."
"Along with the lack of confidence in government,
voters broadly believe that government is more of a barrier than a
helping hand for people. [V]oters overwhelmingly believe that
government makes it harder for people to get ahead in life rather
than helps people. ... Democrats, Independents and Republicans all
believe government is a barrier to success by double digit margins."
"Similarly, voters tend to believe government
stands in the way of the economy and job growth, rather than acting
as an engine of growth and jobs."
Looking at these strongly anti-government results,
Mike Lux, president of the leftist organization American Family
Voices, was so distraught that he wrote an article with this
glorious title: "Big Challenge for Progressives: People Don't
Believe That Government Works."
Yes, it's a challenge indeed to build a
"progressive" movement for bigger, more intrusive government -- when
vast numbers of people clearly don't believe government works.
And that's good news for those who believe in less
government and more liberty.
(Sources:
"Big Challenge for Progressives: People Don't Believe That
Government Works"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-lux/big-challenge-for-progres_b_42695.html?view=print
Democracy Corps analysis of their survey:
http://www.democracycorps.com/reports/analyses/Democracy_Corps_February_28_2007_Memo.pdf
)
* * *
The Iceland miracle
Hey, look at Iceland!
Stuck in the economic doldrums just a few years
ago, Iceland today is enjoying an explosion of prosperity.
In fact, Iceland is now one of the world's richest
nations, according to the World Bank. And it's arguably the
wealthiest European country.
The economy is growing rapidly. The GDP (Gross
Domestic Product) has grown about 50% since 1995. And the benefits
are being felt throughout Icelandic society. Unemployment has almost
disappeared -- dropping below 2 percent.
As a writer for the UK Spectator bluntly put it:
"Today, Icelanders are absolutely rolling in it."
So what happened? Lots of lucky lottery ticket
winners? Nope. Beginning around 1990, Icelandic leaders -- inspired
by visits from libertarian free-market thinkers like Friedrich
Hayek, Milton Friedman and James Buchanan -- instituted bold,
fundamental free-market reforms.
Taxes were slashed, for both individuals and
businesses. Personal income tax rates were cut from 33 percent in
1995 to 22.75 percent. The corporate tax rate was cut from 55
percent to 18 percent -- and a further cut to 10 percent is under
consideration. A cumbersome income tax was replaced with a flat tax.
Wealth and estate taxes were slashed. Major segments of the economy
were deregulated. Numerous government services were privatized.
Monetary policy was stabilized; inflation, which hit 100% in 1983,
is down to 2-3% today. Government debt was hacked away. Private
property rights were created for fisheries, a major Icelandic
industry. And so forth.
Due to such market-oriented reforms, between 1990
and today Iceland rose from 26th to 9th in the Economic Freedom of
the World rankings (a respected annual ranking of countries by the
amount of economic freedom they permit).
The result: Iceland is enjoying the same
remarkable progress that other countries around the world which have
adopted similar policies have also seen.
Lesson, anyone?
(Sources:
Cato Institute:
http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb_0207-43.pdf
NCPA:
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?page=article&Article_ID=14288
Wall Street Journal:
http://www.mps-iceland.org/img/WSJ-HHG.pdf
Thanks to Larry Alexander)
* * *
.
One thousand U.S. foreign
military bases?
The U.S. officially had 737 military
bases in 130 foreign countries in 2005.
However, even that number, staggering though it
is, is far too low, according to historian Chalmers Johnson.
Johnson is author of three recent books on U.S.
foreign policy: Blowback (2000), The Sorrows of Empire (2004), and
Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic (2006). Johnson is a
former Navy lieutenant and was a consultant for the CIA from 1967 to
1973.
Johnson notes that number omits bases in
Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, and Uzbekistan, and
other countries and provinces. It also omits foreign bases in other
countries that host U.S. troops.
"If there were an honest count, the actual size of
our military empire would probably top 1,000 different bases
overseas, but no one -- possibly not even the Pentagon -- knows the
exact number for sure."
The Pentagon calculates those 737 overseas bases
-- which cover an estimated 687,347 acres -- are worth at least $127
billion, an estimate Johnson says is "surely far too low a figure
but still larger than the gross domestic products of most
countries."
(Sources:
History News Network
http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/35955.html )
* * *
Federal court denies dying
woman medical marijuana
Angel Raich has been using medical marijuana daily
since 1997 to cope with the severe pain caused by an inoperable
brain tumor, scoliosis, endometriosis, seizures, a serious wasting
disease, nausea and other chronic conditions. She says marijuana is
the only thing that relieves her agony and makes life possible.
Her doctor not only approves -- he says she would
"probably be dead without marijuana."
But she also knows every time she smokes she is
committing a federal crime. She lives in terror of the federal
government arresting her and seizing her medicine.
So she went to court, arguing that the medical use
of marijuana should be legal for terminal and chronically ill
patients.
 She
took her case all the way to the Supreme Court. But two years ago
the Supreme Court ruled against her, saying medical marijuana users
and their suppliers could be prosecuted under federal drug laws --
even if, like Raich, they lived in a state like California which had
legalized medical marijuana.
Last week she exhausted her last constitutional
challenge. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against
her.
"The court has just sentenced me to death," she
said after the ruling. "My doctors agree that medical cannabis is
essential to my very survival, and the government did not even
contest the medical evidence ... If we don't have a right to live,
what do we have left?"
Yet the Court's decision, though despicable, was
surprisingly sympathetic and left some room for hope. Wrote the
Court:
"For now, federal law is blind to the wisdom of a
future day when the right to use medical marijuana to alleviate
excruciating pain may be deemed fundamental. Although that day has
not yet dawned, considering that during the last ten years eleven
states have legalized the use of medical marijuana, that day may be
upon us sooner than expected."
Until that day arrives, though, perhaps no one has
summed up the current state of affairs better than San Francisco
Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll, commenting on this case:
"I think the federal government, in this case, is
no better than a thug. I think that prosecutors who go after medical
marijuana cases are criminals, morally if not actually. I think all
the people who have participated in giving people ridiculous
three-strike prison sentences for marijuana-related crimes are
hypocrites and fools. It's an obvious and complete injustice. They
all know it. They should all be ashamed of themselves."
On a more hopeful note, this week New Mexico
became the 12th state to rebel against the federal government by
legalizing medical marijuana. Governor Bill Richardson -- a
Democratic presidential candidate and a strong supporter of the
measure - thus becomes the first presidential candidate to have
signed into law a bill legalizing medical marijuana.
(Sources: Associated Press:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070314/ap_on_re_us/medical_marijuana_7;_ylt=Av_sO2DJDBqSIEZ9KoTz5Wla24cA
SF Chronicle:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/19/DDGRJN7GIF1.DTL
)
Ethan Nadelmann:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ethan-nadelmann/governor-richardson-poise_b_43533.html
)
QUICK
SHOTS...
EXPLODING STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: "State
and local governments spend $1.06 trillion annually, which
constitutes 11.5 percent of GDP. In constant dollars this spending
quadrupled from $638 per capita in 1961 to $2,983 per capita today.
While the Federal civilian workforce decreased between 1980 and 2000
from 2.9 million workers to 2.7 million, state and local employees
increased from 13.3 million to 17.5 million. This means that almost
one in five of all Americans is either directly employed by state or
local government or completely dependent on someone who is. That
makes for a very potent special interest."
-- Clint Bolick of the Institute for Justice, from
a speech entitled "Leviathan: The Growth of Local Government and the
Erosion of Liberty," delivered to the Foundation for Economic
Education in April 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."
...
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 |
Persuasion Power
Point
#223 |
Are you
Taking Advantage of Your Greatest Persuasive Strength?
By
Michael Cloud
"Every person can do one thing better than any
other 10,000 people," wrote strengths researchers Donald Clifton and
Paula Nelson.
If this is so -- and it *is* so -- then how can
you use this to win more people to the cause of freedom?
What if -- in certain circumstances, with certain
people, at certain times -- you are more persuasive than any other
10,000 libertarians?
If this were true, would you want to know?
Would like to learn and take advantage of your
greatest persuasive strength?
First, realize that almost all strengths are
narrow and specific. Who's the fastest runner? The answer is
different for 100 yards, the quarter mile, the mile, and the
marathon. The answer may change at different altitudes, different
humidities, and different temperatures. Who's the best athlete? In
which sport? What position? Under what conditions? Who's the best
business person? Who's the best investor? Who's the best libertarian
communicator? There are a number of right answers - each for a
narrow and specific area.
Every libertarian is more persuasive than 10,000
other libertarians - in one narrow and specific niche.
In the last six months, whose mind have you
changed about liberty or a libertarian position? Who else? And who
else? Write down their names, the issue, and the highlights of your
encounter.
* Spoken Word or Written Word?
If Spoken Word:
* Was it one-on-one? With a small group? With a
crowd? * Was it in person or over the phone? * Were you giving a
speech? Debating? Having a conversation? * Was it give and take,
with you and the other person speaking and listening equally? Or was
it one sided? * What was the style of the conversation? Light?
Intense? Humorous? Serious? Academic? Popular? * What else stood out
in the conversation?
If Written Word:
* Was it a personal one-to-one email? Or a broader
email essay -- to a group? * Was there give and take, with exchanges
of points and opinions? Or was it one-sided? * Was it academic or
popular? * What was the tone of your email messages? Sarcastic?
Respectful? Solemn? Light? Harsh? Gentle? Conciliatory? Accusatory?
What was the other person's? * Were your messages short bursts or
marathons? * What else sticks in your mind?
Do you see a pattern? Do your persuasion successes
cluster around one specific kind of communication?
Do you need more information?
Call or email the people you succeeded with. Ask
each of them what they noticed that changed the way they saw and
felt about the issue. What excited them? What really hooked them?
Ask each person to replay the part of the communication that really
got him.
Thank them for helping you.
Are your persuasive conversations gravitating
toward one specific and narrow area?
That may be your strength.
Suppose your persuasive strength is one-on-one
phone conversations. Experiment with this likely strength. Phone
five or ten friends, family members, or cordial co-workers that you
have NOT discussed a political issue with. Ask them to hear you out
on the issue. Ask for their reactions and thoughts. Thank them for
talking it over with you.
After each phone call, write down each person's
response. Was he unmoved? Did the person move toward your opinion?
How far did his opinion move? Did he come all the way to agreement?
Suppose you discover that two of your phone
buddies came all the way to your libertarian position, that three
moved a lot closer to it, and the other five were unmoved.
You may have identified your persuasion strength.
Experiment with more people. Test it with others.
Suppose that one-on-one telephone persuasion is
your strength. When something is important to you, phone the person.
Don't send a letter. Don't email. Don't talk in person. Telephone.
Play to your persuasive strength.
That's what the most effective libertarians did.
Patrick Henry was an ordinary writer. But he was
an astonishing speaker. So he spoke.
Thomas Paine was a poor speaker. But his writing
launched the American Revolution. So he wrote.
Ayn Rand was a good non-fiction writer. But she
was a great fiction writer. Ayn Rand's novels - NOT her non-fiction
- won individuals to her philosophy of reason and freedom.
Frederic Bastiat was an ordinary academic writer.
But he was a powerfully persuasive essayist and pamphleteer. He was
a master of humorously and logically demolishing economic fallacies.
Harry Browne's greatest strength was his
mind-opening non-fiction writing. In economics, investing, politics,
and self- liberation.
My greatest strength is public speaking to
NON-libertarians.
What's yours?
Every libertarian is more persuasive than 10,000
other libertarians - in one narrow and specific arena.
Once you identify your strength, hone it, and use
it more often -- once you take advantage of your greatest persuasive
strength - you will win more and more individuals to the cause of
small government and liberty.
And you will move us closer to freedom in our
time.
* * *
Michael Cloud is author of the acclaimed book
Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion
available exclusively from the Advocates. In 2000, Michael was
honored with the Thomas Paine
Award as the Most Persuasive Libertarian Communicator in America.
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 |
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.
How would a free society handle the problem of pornography?
Question: How would a libertarian society deal
with the problem of unwanted visual images on television, billboards,
and possibly on the Internet? I can't imagine what watching a football
game with my seven-year-old son would be like if there were no
regulations on sexual images on network television. I am leery of an
"anything goes" philosophy where pornography is concerned.
My short answer: A libertarian society is
regulated directly by consumers. For example, if a football game had
offensive sexual ads, parents like you would protest in the most
effective way possible: turning the show off. Fewer viewers mean that
sponsors will pay less for spots. Networks are driven by their bottom
line to stop accepting certain types of advertising content.
You can see this process working today. Premium
channels are either family-oriented or adult-oriented, so that no one is
offended. Mixed channels feature adult content only during late night
hours. Some televisions and cable services allow coded access to adult
channels so that children can't view some stations without parental
consent. Parental control programming allows adults to block Internet
access to sexual and other content in their homes.
Despite parents' best efforts, however, children will
be exposed to some pornography, violence, foul language, and
uncharitable acts. The best protection for our children is ultimately a
close relationship that encourages them to come to us for explanations
and guidance.
This is especially true for parents whose sexual
orientation or moral code is different from the society that they live
in. If we, as parents, give government the power to decide what our
children can and can't watch, one day we might find that government has
outlawed the very things we hold dear. Christians are experiencing this
today as the Ten Commandments, prayer and references to God are being
systematically banned from schools, government buildings, etc.
When we try to force society to conform to our
standards through legislation, we teach our children to deny others
freedom of choice. Ultimately, the people we try to control will react
by restricting our freedom to live, worship, and raise our children as
we think best. To keep our freedoms, we must allow others to keep
theirs.
* * *
(Follow-Up from a previous issue.)
QUESTION: In your 4/12/06 column, you stated
that the Oro Valley Police Department in Arizona is using private police
protection. While I'm favorable toward private services, I was very
suspicious of that statement. I wrote the Oro Valley Police Department
and they said they do not use private police. What is your response?
MY SHORT ANSWER: In that column I wrote:
"Oro Valley, Arizona, for example, slashed its
policing costs by 80 percent when they replaced public officers with
private ones. In addition, the burglary rate plummeted 95 percent, since
private police profit most when they prevent crime instead of fighting
it."
Please note I didn't say that Oro Valley *currently*
had private police, but rather had at one point employed private police,
with those significant benefits.
Unfortunately, the private police firm -- Rural/Metro
-- had a great deal of opposition from vested interests in Oro Valley.
The Arizona Law Enforcement Officers Association Council denied
Rural/Metro employees access to training programs and refused to grant
accreditation. A state attorney questioned the legality of using a
private firm to police the city. Rural/Metro likely decided that it
would spend too much on politics and not enough on policing. They left
Oro Valley.
Merely five years later, Oro Valley was paying a
public police budget of $241,000 instead of the $35,000 that Rural/Metro
had charged. The losers, of course, were the Oro Valley taxpayers.
You can learn more about this fascinating story at:
http://www.fee.org/publications/the-freeman/article.asp?aid=673
* * *
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.
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 |
One-Minute
Liberty
Tip |
...
Instead of an argument
By
Sharon Harris, Advocates President
Alas, some libertarians consider arguing
their favorite sport. It certainly can be fun, but often it is
self-defeating. Next time you find yourself tempted to argue, put
yourself in the other person's shoes: how many times have YOU
changed your mind about something because someone attacked your
position or told you
 your
ideas were stupid?
Libertarian humorist Dave Barry says about himself
(hopefully he's joking!): "I argue very well. Ask any of my
remaining friends. I can win an argument on any topic, against any
opponent. People know this, and steer clear of me at parties. Often
-- as a sign of their great respect -- they don't even invite me."
Ouch!
Productive alternatives to arguing include:
actually listening to the other person, developing rapport, asking
questions to discover his or her concerns, finding common ground,
and sharing stories of how free-market alternatives have solved
problems in the past.
These techniques and many more are described in
detail in past "Liberty Minute" columns, in the Liberator Online's
"Persuasion Power Points" columns, in Michael Cloud's book Secrets
of Libertarian Persuasion, in Cloud's audio program Essence of
Libertarian Persuasion, and at our Web site's Communication Center.
Arguing is the Little League of communication.
Persuasion is the World Series. It takes longer to master, but it's
a far better game and the pay-off is well worth it.
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