Volume 13, Number 1 | January 10, 2008
The Liberator Online
Contents
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
PERSUASION POWER POINT
#241
ASK DR. RUWART
PRODUCT REVIEW
Dear friends, Happy New Year! Did you make any New Year's Resolutions? Several years ago, Harry Browne -- 1996 and 2000 Libertarian Party presidential candidate, world-renowned libertarian speaker and writer, and very good friend of the Advocates -- did. The result was a compact how-to of effective libertarian communication, by one of history's most persuasive advocates of the ideas of liberty. I thought I'd share it once more with you. I hope you find it as informative and inspiring as I do. This year, as I've watched Ron Paul bring libertarian ideas to millions of Americans, I've often thought of Harry's advice below. Congressman Paul is using many of these same techniques -- with wonderful results. * * * A Libertarian's New Year's Resolutions by Harry Browne 1. I resolve to *sell* liberty by appealing to the
self-interest of each prospect, rather than *preaching*
2. I resolve to keep from being drawn into arguments or debates. My purpose is to inspire people to want liberty -- not to prove that they're wrong. 3. I resolve to *listen* when people tell me of their wants and needs, so I can help them see how a free society will satisfy those needs. 4. I resolve to identify myself, when appropriate, with the social goals someone may seek -- a cleaner environment, more help for the poor, a less divisive society -- and try to show him that those goals can never be achieved by government, but will be well served in a free society. 5. I resolve to be compassionate and respectful of the beliefs and needs that lead people to seek government help. I don't have to approve of their subsidies or policies -- but if I don't acknowledge their needs, I have no hope of helping them find a better way to solve their problems. 6. No matter what the issue, I resolve to keep returning to the central point: how much better off the individual will be in a free society. 7. I resolve to acknowledge my good fortune in having been born an American. Any plan for improvement must begin with a recognition of the good things we have. To speak only of America's defects will make me a tiresome crank. 8. I resolve to focus on the ways America could be so much better with a very small government -- not to dwell on all the wrongs that exist today. 9. I resolve to cleanse myself of hate, resentment, and bitterness. Such things steal time and attention from the work that must be done. 10. I resolve to speak, dress, and act in a respectable manner. I may be the first libertarian someone has encountered, and it's important that he get a good first impression. No one will hear the message if the messenger is unattractive. 11. I resolve to remind myself that someone's "stupid" opinion may be an opinion I once held. If *I* can grow, why can't I help *him* grow? 12. I resolve not to raise my voice in any discussion. In a shouting match, no one wins, no one changes his mind, and no one will be inspired to join our quest for a free society. 13. I resolve not to adopt the tactics of Republicans and Democrats. They use character assassination, evasions, and intimidation because they have no real benefits to offer Americans. We, on the other hand, are offering to set people free -- and so we can win simply by focusing on the better life our proposals will bring. 14. I resolve to be civil to my opponents and treat them with respect. However anyone chooses to treat me, it's important that I be a better person than my enemies. -- Harry Browne * * * Harry passed away March 1, 2006, and we greatly miss him. If enough of us follow Harry's advice, we can make 2008 the best year yet for the libertarian movement -- and that's the best possible tribute we can pay Harry. * * * Welcome to 358 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: Don't forget to check out our Product Review
special. This issue: Order See details at the end of this issue, or visit: Your purchase supports the great work of the Advocates. Thank you! Your order helps support the vital work of the Advocates. Thank you! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
What's Happening With The Advocates * 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: * QUIZ ON FACEBOOK: The Advocates has brought the World's Smallest Political Quiz to Facebook, the world's fastest-growing social networking site! Over 1,000 people per day are already using it! FACEBOOK USERS: See how you can use our new Quiz Facebook app to spread the ideas of liberty throughout the Facebook community: www.TheAdvocates.org/facebook-members.html NOT FAMILIAR WITH FACEBOOK? Learm more about it, why you might want to join and how easy it is, and how you can begin to network for liberty: www.TheAdvocates.org/facebook.html ******
by James W. Harris Polls indicate a majority of Americans want the U.S. to withdraw from Iraq as soon as possible.
Yes, he actually said "a million years." Talk about long-term planning! And that wasn't just a campaign glitch. On CBS's Face the Nation, McCain claimed Americans would not be "concerned" if the U.S. stayed 10,000 years -- yes, 10,000 years -- in Iraq: "The point is, it's American casualties. We've got to get Americans off the frontlines, have the Iraqis as part of the strategy, take over more and more of the responsibilities, and then I don't think Americans are concerned if we're there for one hundred years or a thousand years or 10,000 years." Perhaps 10,000 years isn't technically "forever," but it sure sounds pretty close. Justin Logan of the libertarian Cato Institute wryly notes: "And we wonder where these conspiracy theories in the Islamic world about the U.S. trying to dominate the region come from..." (Sources: Think Progress: * * * Top British Cop: Legalize Drugs "Why are heroin and cocaine illegal and not lighter fluid? It is demonstrable that tobacco and alcohol are more addictive and more dangerous than cannabis, yet they are not illegal."
Top cop Brunstrom made United Kingdom headlines when he argued publicly that the War on Drugs was irrational and unwinnable. "It is not possible to run a democratic country and stop drugs getting in," Brunstrom told the Sunday Times (London). "We reckon, on the best evidence we've got, that we stop between 10 and 12% at best of the drugs imported into the UK." Brunstrom further argues that prescribing heroin to addicts has been proven to reduce their criminal activities: "Because most of their criminal behavior is driven by the need to gain cash and buy more drugs." His bluntness has outraged some citizens. But he says he speaks out "because it matters. I think I have a public duty to speak out." Brunstrom is far from alone. As we have written in past issues, there is a growing relegalization movement in Britain. And in America, anti-Drug War police officers have formed LEAP -- Law Enforcement Against Prohibition -- to "reduce the multitude of unintended harmful consequences resulting from fighting the war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime, and addiction by ultimately ending drug prohibition." (Sources: UK Times Online: * * * Six Years Later: "No Child Left Behind" A Disaster It's the six-year anniversary of the Bush administration's landmark No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. So far NCLB has cost tens of billions of dollars and brought record levels of federal involvement in education -- with, predictably, little or nothing worthwhile from it all. The law is facing reauthorization. But many commentators are condemning it as a costly failure -- and unconstitutional, to boot. The law's stated goal is to have 100 percent of kids achieving government-defined "proficiency" in math and writing by 2014. Yes, just six years from now. Yes, 100 percent. Needless to say, there remains a good bit of catching up to do. (This reminds us of the demented 1998 goal of Newt Gingrich and numerous GOP House members of "a drug-free America by 2002," which was also introduced with loud trumpets and straight faces.)
"Six years of No Child Left Behind, and what do we have to show for it? Stagnant reading achievement, slowed math improvements, declining academic performance versus competitor nations, and narrowed curricula, all for the bargain price of about $24 billion per year, or a 40 percent increase over fiscal year 2001. "This pathetic return on our investment, of course, would be shocking were it not for another inconvenient truth: The federal government has been spending billions of dollars on education every year for over four decades, and it's never produced anything but academic stagnation and lighter taxpayer wallets. "Why? Because federal policy is primarily designed to do little more than let politicians show that they 'care,' and let the education establishment and its powerful lobbyists get as much money -- and as little accountability -- as possible. "This year, Washington ought to give the entire country a present to celebrate NCLB's sixth birthday: the law's elimination, and the end of 40-plus years of expensive failure." Cato education expert Andrew Coulson adds: "It's the NCLB's birthday, and you can cry if you want
to. And if you have kids in school, or about to enter school "[W]hat do you get for the law that's done nothing? Barely a month ago, two separate sets of international test results were released, allowing us to see how U.S. academic performance has changed since NCLB was enacted. ... The tests were PIRLS (Program on International Reading Literacy Survey) and PISA (Program on International Student Assessment). "Across grades and across subjects, student achievement has either stagnated or declined -- and that's despite the infusion of tens of billions of dollars of new spending in each of the past six years." Mainstream lawmakers outside D.C. acknowledge the unconstitutionality of NCLB, pointing out the Constitution does not authorize federal involvement in education. In 2005, a task force of the bi-partisan National Conference of State Legislatures declared: "The task force does not believe that NCLB is constitutional." But as we know, in the Alice In Wonderland world of DC, failure is rewarded with... more money and more power. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers are proposing "reforms" for NCLB that would increase federal power and lavish even more money on this failed, doomed, unconstitutional and idiotic boondoggle. (Sources: Cato Institute:
* * * ON FIRE FOR LIBERTY: "Libertarianism is hot,
especially among free-market Republicans and 20-somethings." --
world-renowned pollster John Zogby, December 21, 2007. NO CUSSING IN BARS: "A St. Louis-area town is
considering a bill that would ban swearing in bars, along with
table-dancing, drinking contests and profane music. ... The proposal
would ban indecent, profane or obscene language, songs, entertainment
and literature at bars." Why don't they go on and ban drinking alcohol
in bars, too? -- Associated Press CARS VERSUS TERRORISTS: "The truth is, we're in far more danger from our own cars than we are from terrorism. Nearly 800,000 people have died in car accidents in the last twenty years. During that time there have been exactly two Islamic terrorist attacks on U.S. soil, with less than 3,000 total fatalities. That's more than 200 TIMES as many Americans dying in their cars as at the hands of Islamic terrorism. And yet . . . "We've turned the whole world upside down in response
to the two terrorist attacks. We've launched invasions, created vast new
bureaucracies, shredded the Bill of Rights, compounded regulations,
spent hundreds of billions of dollars, and disrupted travel and
commerce. But no one is suggesting that we do 200 times as much to
address the driving risk, which is 200 times greater." * * * * * * * *
Call It the Government Sector, NOT the Public Sector by Michael Cloud Words matter. That's why defenders of Big Government choose the words they do. Words make a difference in what we think and how we think about it. They affect our attitudes toward the subject. Take the word "public." It has several different meanings. It can mean "open to all." Or a group of people -- as in "the public." But "public" is also used as a synonym for "government." And this meaning and use of the word "public" is designed to make us feel better toward government and its actions. Private sector businesses are funded by private investments. They are not funded by taxes or run by government. If private sector businesses go belly-up, the investors lose their money. And workers lose their jobs. If they make a profit, their investors make money -- and workers keep their jobs. Public sector institutions and activities are different. They are owned and operated by government. Given government privileges and protections against private competitors. They are funded by taxes. Walmart stores, 7/11 stores, and other retail businesses are open to the public. Anyone can come in and buy stuff. But they're privately owned and operated. They're not owned or operated by government. Not funded by taxes. Public schools are different. They are open to the public. But they are tax-funded and government-run. Regulated and managed by government. Books, curriculum, teachers, and rules are all decided by governmental bodies. "Public" does not correctly describe government institutions and activities. Does not accurately portray the government-run, government-franchised, or tax-funded nature of these institutions and activities. Does not fairly present institutions not funded and supported by voluntary choice and free exchange. The exact word, the correct word is "government." Let's call a rose a rose. And a thorn a thorn. Call it "the government sector," NOT "the public sector." Correctly define the alternatives: government sector or private sector. Call them "government employees," NOT "public service employees." Call it "government service," NOT "public service." Call it "a government-held business," NOT a "publicly-held business." Some well-worn, common phrases are harder to shift from "public" to "government." It's very hard to change "public schools" to "government schools." I've tried and tested a number of different ways to shift from "public" to "government" and I've found one way that works pretty well. The most effective phrasing is "government-run public schools." The second best is "government-run, tax-funded public schools." It's also hard to change "public utilities" to "government utilities." Try "government-run public utilities." But don't just change the word from "public" to "government." Tell your listeners why. Tell them the difference between private sector businesses that are open to the public and government sector institutions that are open to the public. Contrast "privately-held" and "government-held." Contrast "privately-funded" and "government-funded, i.e., tax-funded." Ask if your distinctions make sense to those you talk with. Then ask them why. Over time, many of the people you talk with will adopt your terminology. They will substitute "government" for "public" in their conversations. They will explain why. And they will open their listeners' minds to an accurate understanding of Big Government. Big Government has earned its reputation of waste, wreck, and ruin. Help them reap what they've sowed. That's one way to help the public grasp the true costs and consequences of the government sector. * * * * * * * * 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: Would a libertarian society have fire departments provided by local government? If not, how would libertarians handle the problem of fires? MY SHORT ANSWER: Fire departments would probably be private -- just as many already are today. In my neighborhood, we have a volunteer fire department, which is supported, in part, by volunteer community activities such as bake sales and barbecues. I Our local fire department does receive some tax money, which wouldn't happen in a libertarian society. Instead of taxes, subscriptions to fire protection might be part of our property owners' association (POA) dues. Most insurance companies would probably require a subscription to a fire service for homeowners without a POA. Of course, other creative ways of funding would emerge as well. In a libertarian society, the subscription fee, whether paid directly to a fire department or indirectly through a POA, would be much less than the taxes we pay today. Private firms generally provide service at half the cost of government ones because they pay more attention to the bottom line. LEARN MORE: Further information about private
provision of fire services is available from the Reason Foundation: * * * * * * * * 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: "Government Schools," Not "Public Schools" by Sharon Harris, Advocates President I still remember the first time I heard someone use the term "government schools" instead of "public schools." It stunned me. Wow! What an immediate and powerful insight! And how true it is. So-called "public schools" are
actually government schools.
With government ownership comes, inevitably, a host of evils: repeated failures, lack of innovation, coercion, lack of accountability, political manipulation, indoctrination, hostility to many deeply-help personal or religious convictions... and much more. Most people know this to some degree nowadays. The increasing failure of government schools has opened them to more criticism in recent years than ever before. However, we have grown up in a society where state-controlled schools are the norm, are known by the misleading label "public schools," and are constantly praised (usually even when criticized). Using the term "government schools" blasts through this, and can open your listeners' minds and leave them wanting to learn more. Once people wake up to the fact that "public" schools
are actually *government* schools, and understand the full consequences
of that, they will be far more open to considering alternatives. A great source for such information is the Alliance
for the Separation of School and State, which was founded by Advocates
Founder Marshall Fritz: See more One-Minute Liberty Tips! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
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to people and
expecting them to suddenly adopt my ideas of right and wrong.
But not Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). Responding to a
protestor at a campaign appearance, McCain said it "would be fine with"
him if the U.S. military stayed in Iraq for "a hundred years" or even a
"million years." 
This eminently sensible -- but still controversial --
question was asked recently by North Wales's chief constable, Richard
Brunstrom. 
Says Neal McCluskey of the libertarian Cato
Institute's Center for Educational Freedom: 
, you might
want to." 
n fact, according to the Reason Foundation, a think
tank specializing in privatization: "About 90 percent of all fire
departments in the United States are composed either entirely or mostly
of volunteers. These departments protect 42 percent of the population."
They are owned and operated by government.
Every employee is a government employee. The textbooks and lesson plans
are dictated by the government. 
Do
you sincerely want to convince others to become libertarians?