Witness Protection Libertarians
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You’ve seen it featured in crime, courtroom, and police dramas on television.
A powerful and dangerous individual or group has gotten away with force and fraud for years. Finally, the police and prosecutors find a witness whose testimony can put the thugs behind bars.
But the criminals will threaten or kill the witness or his family if he takes the stand.
The only way the authorities can get the witness to testify is to protect him and his family.
So the prosecutors and law enforcement offer secret relocation, new identities, and a new life to the person and his family — in exchange for his truthful testimony in court.
Witness Protection.
In our legal system, in certain cases, this makes sense.
But it makes no sense for libertarians to act as if they were in the political equivalent of this program.
Some libertarians blend in with mainstream or nonpolitical neighbors and coworkers.
They rarely join in on political or economic conversations at home or at work. And, if they do, they keep their comments mild and bland.
If they get libertarian email newsletters or social media, they keep it to themselves
`Why stir up trouble?’ they think. `Why start an argument?’
The don’t put Libertarian campaign signs on their front lawns. They don’t put Libertarian bumper stickers on their cars. And they keep their libertarian books and DVD’s in the private areas of their homes.
If they donate to Libertarian campaigns or vote for Libertarian candidates, they tell no one.
Secrecy. Silence. Invisibility.
Witness Protection Libertarians.
But this does NOT make them safer. It makes Big Government safer.
It delays the growth of the Libertarian movement. It hinders support for the cause of liberty.
It keeps your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers from having warm and thoughtful conversations about liberty with someone they know and like and trust: YOU!
Opt out of Witness Protection Libertarian policies.
Opt into persuasive libertarian communication with The Advocates for Self-Government.
Michael Cloud is a master of libertarian communication. He is author of Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion and Unlocking More Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion. The latter can be purchased by subscribers of the Liberator Online for merely $5.01 and FREE SHIPPING with the code “LIBERATOR14” at the link.
But the criminals will threaten or kill the witness or his family if he takes the stand.
The only way the authorities can get the witness to testify is to protect him and his family.
So the prosecutors and law enforcement offer secret relocation, new identities, and a new life to the person and his family — in exchange for his truthful testimony in court.
Witness Protection.
In our legal system, in certain cases, this makes sense.
But it makes no sense for libertarians to act as if they were in the political equivalent of this program.
Some libertarians blend in with mainstream or nonpolitical neighbors and coworkers.
They rarely join in on political or economic conversations at home or at work. And, if they do, they keep their comments mild and bland.
If they get libertarian email newsletters or social media, they keep it to themselves
`Why stir up trouble?’ they think. `Why start an argument?’
The don’t put Libertarian campaign signs on their front lawns. They don’t put Libertarian bumper stickers on their cars. And they keep their libertarian books and DVD’s in the private areas of their homes.
If they donate to Libertarian campaigns or vote for Libertarian candidates, they tell no one.
Secrecy. Silence. Invisibility.
Witness Protection Libertarians.
But this does NOT make them safer. It makes Big Government safer.
It delays the growth of the Libertarian movement. It hinders support for the cause of liberty.
It keeps your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers from having warm and thoughtful conversations about liberty with someone they know and like and trust: YOU!
Opt out of Witness Protection Libertarian policies.
Opt into persuasive libertarian communication with The Advocates for Self-Government.
Michael Cloud is a master of libertarian communication. He is author of Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion and Unlocking More Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion. The latter can be purchased by subscribers of the Liberator Online for merely $5.01 and FREE SHIPPING with the code “LIBERATOR14” at the link.
“Really?” I asked. “Would you like to find out why?”
“Yes,” he said.
“What are 3 fascinating things about freedom?” I asked.
“Well, there are lots of interesting things,” he said.
“Could you give me 3 exciting examples?” I asked.
He hemmed and hawed. But he couldn’t come up with even 3 “Wow!!!” things that liberty gives us.
Why? Because he’d never asked himself questions like these:
* “What are 3 or 4 or 5 huge, immediate, direct benefits that liberty would give us in this area?”
* “What are 2 or 4 exciting things that will happen when we abolish the federal income tax — and return every dollar every year to the men and women it was taken from?”
* “What are 3 or 5 terrific things that will happen when we end the War on Drugs and free every peaceful drug offender in prison?”
* “What are a few of the most thrilling things about giving people dramatically more freedom than we have today?”
Showcase, celebrate, sing the praises of, beat the drum for, and shout out the most exciting, engaging, jazzy things that freedom will bring the person you’re talking with — and his family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers, too.
If you repeatedly and relentlessly do this in all your libertarian conversations you’ll find that people are indeed interested in liberty — and you’ll bring in dozens and dozens of new, excited libertarians.
If you’re not getting the sales or speaking or persuasion results you want, watch YouTube videos by those performers who ARE getting it done.
Or read how-to books by those who regularly get 2 or 3 or 10 times the results you do:
Or 
And unless you’ve re-read the books… or reviewed the crucial parts… chances are that you remember only a small fraction of what your favorite writer explained. And you may misremember a number of the author’s key points.
This is why we need to re-read, review, and even write out — in our own words — the evidence and arguments the author made.
Want to make sure that you remember the insights, analyses, and explanations of your favorite writer?
Yellow highlight, bracket, and underline the key sections of each book as you read it.
Makes notes and write questions in the margins of each key section.
Inside the front page of each book, write the date you finished reading it. (After several years, you may think you read a book in 2015 — and discover from your date that you read it in 2011.)
Often, just a sixty-minute review of your underlined and bracketed sections, your notes and your comments will yield you a motherlode of refreshed, renewed knowledge.
And you will become far better at explaining and winning others to liberty.
A 30-second Super Bowl TV ad costs $4 million.
A 60-second spot costs $8 million.
Suppose a billionaire challenged you to write a 30-second or 60-second TV ad for libertarianism that gets 10,000 or 100,000 or 1,000,000 or more people to POSITIVELY RESPOND — to give us their names and contact information?
What would you say during that TV ad?
You can speak roughly 50 to 60 words in 30 seconds and 100 to 120 words in a minute.
What would you say?
What would you ask — to get 10,000 or 100,000 or 1,000,000 or more people to respond? To get them to text, email, telephone, or write to learn more about libertarianism?
How would you absolutely, positively guarantee that the billionaire would get his money’s worth for your Super Bowl TV ad?
You may want to privately explore and experiment with this challenge. And try out different versions of it on family and friends.
You will get better. More persuasive.
And closer and closer to Super Bowl-level communication.
libertarian movement is growing faster and moving forward faster than ever before.
They cite the growing and snowballing numbers of libertarians in the Millennial Generation.
Seventy-four million Millennials — ranging from 10 to 33 years old — are becoming more and more libertarian.
They point out the large number of 18- to 35-year-old voters who supported and voted for Ron Paul for President in 2008. And the larger and growing number of Millennials who campaigned and voted for Ron Paul in 2012.
And they note the increasing percentages of these young voters who voted for Libertarian Party candidates in 2012 and 2014.
The momentum is increasing each election.
And, just as importantly, it’s increasing between elections. In high schools. On college campuses across America. On talk radio. On TV talk shows. And online.
If these numbers are right, if these trends are happening… what can YOU do to speed up the process? To get us nearer to the Great Libertarian Tipping Point?
“Let’s see. I ought to lose 10 pounds. And I probably ought to stop smoking. Oh yeah, I need to spend more time with my spouse,” you might say.
So you write down these items. New Year’s is a good time to improve yourself. And this time you’ll really keep your resolutions. Uh-huh.
Why did you pick these resolutions?
They’re hard. They’re important. They’re uplifting. And you’d feel really proud of yourself if you actually accomplished them.
So you start out with the best of intentions. The highest of hopes. And a grim determination.
Then you break one of them. You forget another. Before you know it, your resolutions have you on your back, all four feet in the air, another victim of resolution road kill.
You feel guilty. You get a funny-looking grin on your face when your friends ask you, “How are your resolutions going?”
Your self-esteem plummets. Until time lets you forget all about the resolutions.
Frankly, this isn’t good for you.
It isn’t good for the people you spend time with.
But I have a solution.
It’s bold, breathtaking, and BIG.
It feeds your need to be uplifted. It gives you a steely look and the calm confidence of a poker player holding four Aces.
THE BIG TRUTH: Most of your problems are caused by other people.
Your life would be a whole lot smoother if other people were way more considerate of your wants and needs. Of your hopes and expectations.
Your life would be a whole lot better if other people would stop being so selfish.
Always putting themselves first. Always thinking about their problems. Always wanting things their way.
Most religions teach that it is better to give than to receive.
So what is the greatest gift you can give to others?
The opportunity for them to give.
THE MODEST PROPOSAL: Write New Year’s Resolutions for other people. Tell them exactly how they can make your life better, and nicer, and happier.
Why should you lose 10 pounds? After all, how many times do you look in the mirror each day? They should lose 10 pounds. You look at them more often than you look at yourself.
And they should learn to say, “You’re not fat. You’re snuggly.”
Why should you stop smoking? They should learn to appreciate the fragrant smell of burning tobacco. And enjoy the process of scooping up ashes that have fallen in the wrong place. And cleaning out ashtrays.
Why should you spend more time with your spouse?
She should appreciate the spare moments you ration out. After all, the rare is the precious. If diamonds were commonplace, who would value them? If your time were commonplace, would your wife really appreciate you?
Remember, most of your problems are caused by other people.
That means that most of your solutions can be provided by other people. Unless they insist on selfishness.
Maybe your friends don’t call you often enough. Or invite you to dinner regularly. Or listen in rapt attention when you repeat your story for the 11th time.
It is better to give than to receive. Help them give. Write their resolutions so that they can learn to give and give and give.
Write their resolutions so they can grow and grow and grow.
So they can be more worthy of being your friend.
So make up a list of your friends. Write out their New Year’s Resolutions. The resolutions that put you first. The resolutions that make them better friends. Resolutions that let them live to give.
If they keep those resolutions, they’ll become stronger and better.
If they fail to keep the New Year’s Resolutions you wrote for them, they will feel frustrated. Guilty. They will suffer plummeting self-esteem.
Help your friends become better people. Write their New Year’s Resolutions today.
Some day they’ll thank you.
Choose one that’s appropriate for where they are in their interest in liberty. Some suggestions: 
Carefully listen to theirs.
Want others to make every effort to see things from your perspective?
Diligently and intently make every effort to see things from their point of view.
Want others to listen attentively when you speak?
Receptively and responsively listen when they speak.
We usually reap what we sow. We get what we give.
It pays off. For them. For us.
For liberty.
what people have written and posted in response.
A handful of comments will provide new insights or outlooks. A few will fill in new information.
But most will show you what you should not do or say — IF you want to influence or persuade the writer or readers.
All too many insult the writer, other readers, and anyone else who doesn’t agree with them.
Many make rude and sarcastic comments.
Some condemn and denounce people who have a different point of view.
Others are dripping with hate and bitterness.
Some try to taunt or antagonize those who disagree with the commenter.
Too many exhibit basic errors of logic.
Each time you read a comment or posting that irritates or annoys you, write it down.
Every time you find one that pushes your buttons or tees you off, write it down.
When you read a remark that makes you mad enough to swear, write it down.
Do this with 10 or 15 comments sections. Then look at your list. Even if your list has 20 or 30 examples, it’ll have only 5 or 10 different landmines.
Write your 5 or 10 communications landmines on a filing card, tape it in plain view of your computer keyboard — and do not do them. Do not plant these landmines — and do not step on them.
The very things that irritate or anger you will usually have the same effect on others. If you stop saying and doing things that provoke or frustrate others, you will find that others are far more receptive and responsive to your libertarian ideas.
And far more friendly and open-minded toward you.
Sometimes it’s the things we don’t do, the things we don’t say, that make the biggest difference.