Volume 13, Number 18 | October 31, 2008
In This Issue:
The Liberator Online
Contents
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
PERSUASION POWER POINT
#257
ASK DR. RUWART
PRODUCT REVIEW
Dear friend, Boo! It's that *scary* time of year again. That time when... * Frightening creatures knock on your door, demanding treats and
threatening nasty tricks
* Blood-sucking monsters roam the streets and haunt the airwaves, making strange and disturbing noises. * People don masks and costumes to fool their neighbors. I'm talking, of course, about Election Day. Next week, for most people, it will be over. The costumes will come off, and soon Americans will again discover that the Emperor is indeed naked under his gaudy and deceptive outfit. For those interested in liberty, however, the days and weeks after Election Day won't be times for ignoring politics. We'll keep on working hard to further advance our great cause and spread the ideas of freedom. We will celebrate our triumphs, learn from our setbacks, and continue to take the message of liberty to the world. I want to thank all the people who have worked so hard to advance libertarian ideas during this campaign season. Regardless of the election results, rest assured, your work has been of enormous value. Every person you reached with the ideas of liberty, every mind you opened, is a victory. You have planted seeds that will pay off, now and in the future. It has been an incredible year for libertarianism. There has been an explosion of interest in our ideas and our movement. And it is just the beginning. The Advocates has great things planned for the coming year. So stick around -- it's going to be fun! * * *
Marshall has now entered an at-home hospice program. He is facing this challenge with his characteristic courage and good spirits. You can learn more, and send Marshall a message, at: www.MarshallFritz.com
* * * THE CURRENT CRISIS: Enemies of economic liberty are using the current economic crisis to attack the very idea of free markets. The market desperately needs defenders right now. The Advocates work has never been more important. Unfortunately, the crisis is hitting the Advocates hard. At the very time our services are so badly needed, the economic downturn is cutting into our donations. If you can help with a donation now, it would be greatly appreciated. We have some outstanding thank-you gifts for your help during a time when some of our longtime supporters are having difficulty giving as they would like. To find out more about our work, please see: Please make your secure donation here: * * * Welcome to 108 new Liberator Online subscribers this issue. Thanks for joining our subscription "family" of almost 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!
PLUS: Order now, and we'll give you 100 FREE World's Smallest Political Quiz cards -- so you can have *the greatest libertarian outreach tool ever created* ready to use during this election season. For more details or to place your order, click here: Or see the Product Review at the end of this issue. Your purchase supports the great work of the Advocates. Thank you!
What's Happening With The Advocates * ADVOCATES IN LIBERTARIAN PARTY NEWS: The October 2008 LP News,
newspaper of the national Libertarian Party, featured two excellent
stories of how LPers are successfully using Advocates products. One told
how Texas Libertarians conducted highly successful outreach at a fair,
using the Advocates' renowned OPH (Operation Politically Homeless) booth
kit. The same issue told how Wes Benedict, Executive Director of the
Texas LP, uses the World's Smallest Political Quiz to bring libertarian
ideas alive when speaking to high school audiences. Both stories had
very nice color photos of activists using these Advocates tools. Great
work, Texans! Thanks, LP News! * THE TWELFTH ANNUAL FREEDOM CRUISE: Imagine awakening to a warm sun
reflecting off a turquoise ocean on a spectacular cruise ship, heading
to a beach paradise! Yes, Advocates Board Member Dr. Ken Bisson is
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
by James W. Harris Are you living in the "Constitution-Free Zone?" Probably so. "Constitution-Free Zone" is a term the ACLU has created to dramatize yet another massive new federal assault on your Bill of Rights freedoms. Under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the American people are not subject to random and arbitrary stops and searches. The border, however, has always been an exception to this. The Supreme Court has long upheld the government's right to conduct a "routine search" of people entering and exiting the country, without a warrant or probable cause. This is known as the "border search exception" of the Fourth Amendment. But what is "the border"? Ah, there's the problem. You're probably thinking it's a small strip of land where the U.S. coast meets the ocean, or where U.S. territory bumps up against Mexico or Canada. Wrong. The federal government defines the "border" as a 100-mile wide strip that circles the United States. Nearly two-thirds of the entire U.S. population -- almost 200 million people -- live within this strip. I And needless to say, many millions of Americans who don't live within this vast area frequently travel there. In 1976, the Supreme Court ruled that the government could set up roadblock checkpoints in this wide area to make brief, very limited stops and checks for illegal immigrants and smuggling. (U.S. v. Martinez-Fuerte.) But in recent years, reports the ACLU, the federal government has been exploiting that 1976 Supreme Court ruling to assume extraordinary powers to stop and invasively search individuals within this zone -- searches that stretch or arguably go way beyond the Court's narrow intent. The Department of Homeland Security and the Border Patrol have set up at least 33 internal checkpoints where they stop people, interrogate them, search them, and ask them to prove citizenship, according to the ACLU. Some are on highways in states such as California, Texas and Arizona, and at ferry terminals in Washington State -- many miles away from anything any sensible person would define as a border. U.S. citizens who are under absolutely no suspicion of wrongdoing are being routinely stopped, questioned, and subjected to arbitrary searches without a warrant. "Constitution-Free Zone" is a pretty accurate description of this nasty practice. Even worse, notes the ACLU, this is part of a disturbing trend -- an ever-tightening security leash around our necks. "It coincides with the development of numerous border technologies, including watch list and database systems such as the Automated Targeting System (ATS) traveler risk assessment program, identity and tracking systems such as electronic (RFID) passports, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), and intrusive technological schemes such as the Secure Border Initiative Network (SBINet) or 'virtual border fence' and unmanned aerial vehicles (aka 'drone aircraft')." You can see a downright creepy map showing the size and scope of the Constitution-Free Zone at the ACLU link below. (Sources: ACLU * * * Sugar Tariffs Not So Sweet
U.S. price of sugar: About 22 cents per pound. World price of sugar: About 12 cents per pound. (Source: Carpe Diem blog * * * Socialism and Hypocrisy "When you support the government taking $700 billion from taxpayers and redistributing it to Wall Street, that's socialism. When the government nationalizes the banking industry, that's socialism. When you say you want the government to take $300 billion from taxpayers to 'prop up' home values, that's socialism. "So not only does John McCain not have the moral authority to criticize Barack Obama for being the socialist he is, John McCain comes off looking like a hypocrite for criticizing Barack Obama for being the socialist he is. And in the minds of many voters, it's worse to be a political hypocrite than a left-wing socialist." -- Chuck Muth, President of Citizen Outreach. (Source: http://conservablogs.com/muthstruths/2008/10/23/playing-the-socialist-and-gender-cards/ ) * * * Steve Forbes Endorses Massachusetts Income Tax Repeal The controversial initiative to abolish the state income tax in Massachusetts has received a huge election eve boost -- a strong and enthusiastic endorsement from no less than Steve Forbes. Forbes, a former Republican Party presidential
Forbes made his endorsement in an article entitled "Boston Tea Party II." Said Forbes: "The Massachusetts political establishment is horrified -- voters might actually pass a proposition abolishing the state income tax. The personal income tax rate is 5.3%, and the state capital gains levy peaks at 12%. Under the proposition the tax would be cut 50% on Jan. 1, 2009 and eradicated on Jan. 1, 2010. These exactions currently raise about 40% of the state's budget revenue -- 27% if you count all of the Bay State's off-budget spending. "A similar measure was on the ballot six years ago. With almost no promotion it garnered a 45% yes vote, stunning politicians. The measure got a majority in a third of Massachusetts towns. ... "Naturally, opponents predict the direst of circumstances if the measure passes, even though the state legislature will probably treat the referendum the same way it did the previous tax cut initiative. "The reason the measure stands even a chance of passing is not that Bay State citizens are selfish (even though each would enjoy on average an additional $3,700 of income) but that they are angry. This is an attack on political establishments there and throughout the U.S. that routinely put their own interests above those of their constituents: lavish government pensions with payouts that would bankrupt private companies; resistance to genuine reform in Medicaid spending, which has become the biggest item on virtually every state's budget; ever more pork-barrel spending; and ever more obsequiousness to rapacious special interests. "It's telling when one of the most liberal states in the Union, with two extremely liberal U.S. senators and a House delegation with nary a Republican, is on the verge of a tax rebellion. "Bay State voters -- go for your proposition. Your pols didn't enact your polite initiative of a small income tax reduction [in 2000]. Maybe they'll wake up when you whack them with a 2-by-4." Wow! The End the Income Tax proposition is sponsored by the Committee for Small Government -- led by our good friends Carla Howell and Liberator Online columnist Michael Cloud. Like other libertarians and small government advocates, we'll be watching on election night with crossed fingers. Because if this initiative succeeds in big-government Massachusetts... then it will surely spread to many other states as well. (Sources: Committee for Small Government * * * * * QUICK SHOTS... * IMPEACH THE NEXT PRESIDENT NOW! "Since I've been alive, almost
every president who has been in office has abused their power in such a
way as to warrant impeachment. ... You've seen that bumper sticker that
reads, 'I'm already against the NEXT war?' Well, I'm already in favor of
impeaching the NEXT PRESIDENT! Until we do, and continue doing it with
every president that abuses their power, they won't stop." -- ImpeachForPeace.org cofounder
Jodin Morey. * THERE'S NO TOOTH FAIRY: "To alleviate the obvious hardships to both homeowners and banks, the government commits to buy mortgages and inject capital into banks, which on the face of it seems like a very nice thing to do. But unfortunately in this world there is no tooth fairy. And the government doesn't create anything; it just redistributes. Whenever the government bails someone out of trouble, they always put someone into trouble, plus of course a toll for the troll. Every $100 billion in bailout requires at least $130 billion in taxes, where the $30 billion extra is the cost of getting government involved. "If you don't believe me, just watch how Congress and Barney Frank run the banks. If you thought they did a bad job running the post office, Amtrak, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the military, just wait till you see what they'll do with Wall Street." -- economist Arthur B. Laffer (of "Laffer Curve" fame), Wall Street
Journal * BOB BARR ON THE SOCIALIST "DECIDERS": "Sen. John McCain accuses Sen. Barack Obama of being a 'socialist,' but it is President George W. Bush, supported by Sen. McCain, who has done the most to socialize the U.S. economy. Courtesy of the Republican Party, the federal government is set to own a sizeable chunk of the housing, auto, banking and insurance industries, as well as pieces of individual companies lining up to sell securities to Washington. Even individual homes, with Uncle Sam preparing to become the mortgage guarantor of last resort, are the targets of nationalization. "What will be left for the next president to socialize?" -- Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr * * * * * * * * ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
by Michael Cloud The Toughest Prospects: Family and Friends (EDITOR'S NOTE: Michael Cloud is working furiously in these final few days of the historic campaign to abolish the Massachusetts income tax, as described elsewhere in this issue. So we're reprinting a classic Cloud column from a past issue. Michael will be back with a new column next issue.) "I don't know why my dad supports single-payer health care,"
"How many times have you discussed health care policy with your father?" I asked. "Several times," she said. "How many libertarian policy proposals, white papers, articles, and books on the subject have you asked your father to read?" I asked. "Maybe 10 or 20 articles and books," she answered. "When did you start trying to convince your father about free market health care?" I asked. "Four or five years ago," she said. "Is he any closer to agreement than he was when you started?" I asked. "No, he hasn't budged an inch," she admitted. "Since he's not buying, why are you trying to sell?" I asked. "He's my dad. He's seen the evidence. He ought to agree," she said. "But he doesn't agree. He's no closer to agreeing. He doesn't want to agree. And, much as you love your father, he may never agree. If he never agrees, if he never becomes a libertarian, will you still love him?" I asked. "Of course. I love my father. I'll keep loving my father whether we agree or disagree," she said. "May I make a suggestion? Accept that your dad doesn't see health care the way you do, that he doesn't want to change his mind, that he probably will never change his mind. Drop the health care issue. And cherish the relationship you have with him," I suggested. Often, the toughest prospects for liberty are our family and friends. If you've given your family and friends books and articles about libertarianism, if you've have many discussions and arguments with them, and if they are no closer to libertarianism... drop the subject. If they're resisting, stop pushing. If they're not buying, stop selling. Maybe they don't like the ideas. Maybe you're pressuring them. Maybe you are the wrong person to convince them. Relax. Savor the moment. Enjoy your relationships. Stop demanding that family or friends absolutely must agree with you. Talk to people who are interested in libertarian ideas and solutions. Talk to high-probability prospects. Maybe someday your family and friends will come to libertarianism. Maybe they won't. Accept them as they are. Love them. And let them love you. Love and let love. It will set you free. * * * * * * * * In 2000, Michael was honored with the Thomas Paine Award as the Most
Persuasive Libertarian Communicator in America.
HARD EVIDENCE 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. * * * Libertarian and Stem Cell Research QUESTION: What do libertarians believe about stem cell research? MY SHORT ANSWER: Libertarians believe that activities that don't harm others through physical force, fraud, or theft should be permissible. Most libertarians, though certainly not all, feel stem cell research doesn't fall into this category, and so the government should not restrict it. However, as I've discussed in past columns, libertarians do disagree among themselves on the issue of abortion. Pro-life, anti-abortion libertarians object to abortion as unjustifiable aggression against the fetus. Many of those same libertarians would likely object to stem cell research if it utilized a fertilized ovum, for the same reasons. However, today, most stem cell research does not fall into this category. LEARN MORE: As Dr. Ruwart notes, libertarians sometimes disagree on this thorny issue. To learn more about the libertarian anti-abortion position, and how
it is applied to the stem cell research controversy, see the Web site of
Libertarians for Life: Mary Ruwart's short article on the abortion controversy among
libertarians: * * * * * * * * 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
Blame the Government for Removing Market Protections by Sharon Harris The current financial crisis is being blamed on free markets, laissez faire capitalism, and a lack of regulatory oversight. This is nonsense, as I discussed in this column last issue. But it is being widely spread and believed. And many are using this bogus claim to discredit the idea of free markets. You might counter this by pointing out that the crisis was caused by the government forcibly "removing the market's protections and safeguards for investors and consumers." This is a useful and provocative little phrase that makes two vital points at once: (1) it properly shifts the blame from the market to the true culprit, the government; and (2) it informs your listener that the market actually offers powerful protections and safeguards for investors and consumers -- something far more people need to understand. For many years, the government implicitly promised to bail out financial companies -- most notably Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the huge quasi-government mortgage companies at the center of the crisis -- if questionable loans they invested in failed. This, of course, provided a huge incentive for companies to make irresponsible loans. The promise of bailouts for bad investments removed one of the chief protections the market offers against the build-up of bad loans: the awareness of lenders that they will suffer or go out of business if they make too many of them. When Congress removed that crucial market protection, that put the entire American economy in danger. Sheldon Richman of the Future of Freedom Foundation sums it up nicely: "Free markets are free of more than regulation; they are also free of subsidies, privileges, and guarantees. Lightening up on regulation may please business, but if it is done while keeping the subsidies, privileges, and the guarantees in place, it is not a move toward the free market. "To see this point, imagine that you offer to cover someone's losses
during a gambling junket to Las Vegas and as a measure of protection,
you impose some restrictions on the size of the bets, the games played,
and the total loss during an evening. If you were to remove those
restrictions later while keeping the guarantee in place, we'd hardly
describe it as a move toward self-responsibility. Quite the opposite, in
fact." As I have discussed in other columns, markets actually offer consumer protections and safeguards much stronger than the government can provide. Not because businesses are inherently honest or caring, but because consumers demand them -- and businesses are at the mercy of consumers, who are free to take their trade to whoever best meets their demands. Friends of freedom need to make the point that the market offers strong protections for consumers -- and government intervention takes those protections away. It is government, not peaceful markets, that threaten our financial well-being. See more One-Minute Liberty Tips! •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
Home
| Library |
Publications |
Programs | Celebrities
| Quiz
| Store
| Search |
About us |
Donate |
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. |
if you don't hand them over.
MARSHALL FRITZ HEALTH UPDATE: As many of you know, Marshall Fritz --
the legendary and beloved founder of the Advocates for Self-Government,
the father of the world-famous World's Smallest Political Quiz, and
all-around amazing guy -- was diagnosed earlier with terminal pancreatic
cancer. 
We're offering David Bergland's acclaimed book
LIBERTARIANISM IN ONE
LESSON, widely considered the best short-and-sweet introduction to
libertarianism ever
written. Essential libertarian reading and a wonderful gift for family
and friends! 
announcing the 12th Annual Freedom Cruise -- February 15 - 22, 2009.
This year, it's a scuba and beach lovers delight. Check out this
itinerary: Fort Lauderdale; Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; Grand Turk, Turks &
Caicos; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico; Fort Lauderdale!
Just $853 per person (including port charges and taxes) if you reserve
now. Non-libertarians welcome! Great food, an amazing itinerary, and
fine company! (This isn't an Advocates event, but as noted, Ken is on
our Board of Directors, and libertarians who have been on past cruises
rave about them.) For photos and more details -- or to sign up for free,
no-commitment email updates -- visit:
ndeed whole states fall within this area: Connecticut, Delaware,
Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York, Rhode Island and Vermont. As do nine of the ten largest
metropolitan areas in America. 
U.S. sugar tariffs -- which protect American producers from foreign
competition -- are a sour deal for American consumers, notes economist
Mark J. Perry: 
candidate, is
editor-in-chief of Forbes, one of the world's most influential business
magazines. 
said my
friend. "He's smart. Well-educated. He was a business leader. He
understands most of our libertarian philosophy. But he insists that
single-payer health care is the only solution to our health care
problems. What can I do to change his mind?" 
The
best introductory book about libertarianism has just gotten better!
The brand-new Ninth Edition of David Bergland's acclaimed Libertarianism
In One Lesson is now available.