-Caveat Lector-
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
THE LIBERATOR ONLINE
October 20, 1999
Vol. 4, No. 20
Circulation: 32,533 in 81 countries
Mailing list of the Advocates for Self-Government.
Created and edited by Paul Schmidt, mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Co-edited by James W. Harris, mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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_________________________________________________________________
"At a time when society demands ever more meat and substance from us
all, we must learn to defend all our personal resources with reason,
clarity and the kind of effective persuasion that wins friends,
rather than alienating them. For this, no group is more helpful than
the Advocates, who teach independent thinking coupled with empathy
and tolerance for others."
-- Tonie Nathan, first Libertarian Party candidate for vice
president (1972), and first woman in American history to ever win an
electoral college vote.
_________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
* Celebrity Libertarian: Parenting Guru John Rosemond
* Colt Holsters It
* FBI: Build Wiretapping Into the Internet
ON THE WEB
* Editor's Choices: michellemalkin.com
* Is Big Brother Reading Your E-Mail?
ASK DR. RUWART
* Safety Questions in the Classroom
* Minimum Wage in the Classroom
* The Bleeding Stranger: Offenses of Default
PERSUASION POWER POINT
* The Great Libertarian Answer
by Michael Cloud
* THE GREAT LIBERTARIAN ANSWER Contest
PRODUCT REVIEW
* Advocates 15th Anniversary Tapes
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PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Dear friends,
"What is a libertarian?"
"What is libertarianism?"
As Michael Cloud points out in his "Persuasion Power Points" column
this issue, these are two of the first questions any libertarian is
likely to be asked.
And it's vitally important that you have a good, persuasive answer
ready.
Michael has some great suggestions to help you craft such answers.
He's also suggested a contest -- with prizes to the best answers we
receive to those questions.
I think that's a great idea. Details are in his column. Check it out,
come up with your responses, and send them in.
We'll run the best ones in an upcoming issue. And in this contest
we're *all* winners - you'll have better answers if you follow
Michael's advice, and by sending your answers in you may help
thousands of fellow libertarians come up with better answers, too.
* * *
On October 8, Joseph Farah, editor of http://WorldNetDaily.com, wrote
an editorial called "Redefining the Political Spectrum."
Many Liberator Online readers wrote letters to Farah in response,
pointing out the fallacy of the old "left vs. right" political line
(which, among other shortcomings, leaves out libertarians entirely) and
suggesting the World's Smallest Political Quiz as a better model. Some
of you forwarded your letters to me.
Quite a few of those letters were printed at WorldNetDaily.com, and
continue to be printed. Many of them gave the Quiz's URL. In fact,
we've been receiving several hundred visits to the Quiz site *per day*
from WorldNetDaily.com readers since those letters started appearing.
Congratulations to all of you!
By the way, even letters that don't get printed have an impact.
Editors read them. And the sheer numbers of letters received on a
topic play a big part in whether or not more letters on that subject
are printed - and whether the subject itself receives future coverage.
WorldNetDaily.com says it's been ranked for 25 weeks as "The World's
Most Popular Web Site" by WorldCharts.com. The number of visits we've
received thanks to these letters indicates that the site is indeed a
popular one. A single letter there reaches a lot of people.
We'll be harnessing the power of email in the future to help change the
political map. See "What's Happening" below for info about our new,
ongoing "Action Alerts" effort.
And thanks, letter-writers, for showing - again -- that it can be
done.
Enjoy this issue of the Liberator Online.
Sharon Harris, President
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
PS: They're now available! Audio and video tapes of the entire
Advocates 15th Anniversary Celebration. You can buy individual tapes,
or get the whole set at a special low price. This event featured top
libertarian leaders and some of the very finest libertarian speakers at
their very best. In alphabetical order: David Bergland, Ken Bisson,
Walter Block, Harry Browne, Doug Casey, Michael Cloud, Marshall Fritz,
Karl Hess Jr., Jacob Hornberger, Vince Miller, Charles Murray, David
Nolan, Congressman Ron Paul, Carole Ann Rand, and Mary Ruwart. See our
"Product Review" section below for more info - or click here
http://www.reliablehost.com/self-gov/adv15.html for a list of speakers,
topics, and prices. Thank you!
_________________________________________________________________
WANTED: Copies of Ed Clark's book, A New Beginning
If you have a copy (or copies), please call the Advocates
at 800-932-1776. We'll buy, trade for merchandise, or
gladly accept as tax-deductible donation. THANKS!
_________________________________________________________________
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
* McGraw-Hill using Advocates article: "The Ugly Truth About The
Minimum Wage" is an excellent article by Professor Jim Cox, Advocates
supporter and author of the acclaimed book "The Concise Guide to
Economics." The minimum wage is a controversial subject in classrooms,
and Cox's unswervingly free-market article has been used by many high
school and college students as a reference. (You can see it at:
http://www.self-gov.org/cox02.html.) Now we're pleased to announce that
McGraw-Hill, one of America's leading textbook publishers, has asked us
for permission to mirror that site for student use in their educational
product, "WebQuester: Economics." Here's how McGraw Hill describes that
product to us: "WebQuester is a series of online exercises in the
social sciences based on carefully selected sites on the World Wide
Web. It consists of approximately twenty topics pertaining to a
particular subject matter. Each module has ten multiple-choice
questions relating to the information in the three or four links
referenced. There are also short answer and essay questions based on
the material in the site." We are delighted by this further example of
how Advocates material is reaching classrooms across America.
* StudyWeb Honors Advocates: The Advocates Web page has been selected
as "one of the best educational resources on the Web" by StudyWeb.
StudyWeb describes itself as one of the Internet's premier sites for
educational resources for students and teachers. StudyWeb reviewers
select sites they consider to be the finest educational Web sites for
inclusion in their listing of educational links. Each site chosen for
StudyWeb is given a detailed review describing its editorial and visual
merits. StudyWeb reviews have been featured on Webcrawler Select, The
Lycos Top 5%, Education World and many other places, and StudyWeb
updates are provided to media and educational resources around the
world. We are pleased to be included in this important educational
resource, and to receive StudyWeb's "Excellence Award."
* Advocates in the News: "City Pages" newspaper - subtitled "The News
and Arts Weekly of the Twin Cities" (Minneapolis and St. Paul,
Minnesota) -- ran a lengthy article about the Libertarian Party's
"Success '99" training program. The article prominently featured
Advocates President Sharon Harris and her role in the training, and
included information about the Ransberger Pivot, temperament types, and
other communication concepts the Advocates has introduced into the
libertarian movement.
* OPH in "LP News": An excellent photo of an Operation Politically
Homeless booth in action is featured in the current issue of
"Libertarian Party News," the monthly newspaper of that party. The
photo shows LP members Lee Cross and Thane Plummer using OPH to take
the libertarian message to attendees at the Orange County (California)
Fair.
* Thanks and welcome aboard to Pam Racette, who is now editing
"Libertarian Clips," our free daily email libertarian clipping
service. For info on how to subscribe, see below.
-------ONGOING PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES-------
* Free "Libertarian Clips": "Libertarian Clips" is a daily (or weekly,
if you prefer) clipping service that brings you news stories from
around the world that use the words "libertarian" or "libertarianism."
See what libertarians are doing, and see how the media is using those
words. It's FREE, and subscribing is a snap. Just click here:
http://www.self-gov.org/clips/
* Latest "Liberator" still available: The summer issue of "The
Liberator," our print magazine, is crammed full of good news about
liberty. Topics include: growing acceptance of the World's Smallest
Political Quiz; the Quiz in Academia and on national television; Lights
of Liberty winners; OPH success in California; Operation Persuasion
update; and much more. We'll send you a FREE sample copy of this
magazine. Just click here: http://www.self-gov.org/request.html
* LP's "Success '99" workshops: The Libertarian Party is presenting its
acclaimed "Success '99" libertarian leadership training workshops in
two dozen cities across America this year. Join libertarian
communication experts including Advocates President Sharon Harris, Dr.
Mary Ruwart, David Bergland, Michael Cloud, Bill Winter, Ron
Crickenberger, Steve Dasbach, Jim Lark, Barbara Goushaw, and others.
There are four remaining "Success '99" events: Nashville, Tennessee
October 23-24; Augusta, Maine, November 6-7; Denver, Colorado Nov.
13-14; and St. Louis, Missouri Nov. 20-21. more details, registration
information, and a complete listing of the cities, dates, and speakers
for "Success '99," see: http://www.self-gov.org/success99.html
* Advocates "Action Alert" Email: Too many journalists and other
opinion-shapers are still using the old "left vs. right" political map
- a map that leaves out libertarians. Now, using email, we can let them
know -- immediately -- that there's an alternative to the left-right
myth: the World's Smallest Political Quiz. Here's how.
If you read or hear of a journalist or other public figure using the
old left-right spectrum, please let us know immediately. If it's in
print, fax us a copy or email it. (Use the address at the end of this
issue). If it's on the Web, send us the URL. If it's on TV and you've
taped it, a transcript would be great, but if you don't have that, just
tell us what you remember was said.
When appropriate, we'll send an "Action Alert" email bulletin out to
our email list. That bulletin will include email contact information
for the journalist. This will generate hundreds or thousands of
responses - and that in turn can mean a huge step forward in public
consciousness of the Quiz and libertarianism.
* Communication Bargain of the Century: You can get the great 3-tape
audio course "The Essence of Political Persuasion" from us at the
*give-away* price of only $7.50 - that price includes handling and,
now, First Class mail. (Yes, we've previously offered it for $5.00 if
mailed by bulk mail, but we found that too slow - First Class will get
your order to you right away!) Libertarian Party Political Director Ron
Crickenberger says this Advocates offer is "...the greatest gift the
libertarian movement has received in years." Thanks to "Persuasion"
creator Michael Cloud for making this offer possible.
To order, see: http://www.reliablehost.com/self-gov/persuasion.html
This is a secure site, so you can order via credit card with
confidence. You can also call us or mail $7.50 to the Advocates. Our
phone number and address are at the end of this issue.
* 1999 Lights of Liberty Awards: You can win certificates, public
recognition, prizes and more for your vital activism for liberty.
Awards are given for: 3 libertarian letters to the editor; 3 sessions
working at an OPH booth; OR 3 libertarian-oriented public speeches.
Click here http://www.self-gov.org/lights/ to learn more.
New: Every "Lights of Liberty" winner will be entered in a drawing for
the autographed "Libertarian Presidential Library" collection - a $250
value!
_________________________________________________________________
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
by James W. Harris
Celebrity Libertarian: Parenting Guru John Rosemond
Nationally-syndicated parenting columnist John Rosemond must be one of
the busiest people on the planet. His syndicated column appears in more
than 175 newspapers from coast-to-coast, reaching more than 10 million
readers. He is the author of eight best-selling books: Teen-Proofing,
Because I Said So, A Family of Value, To Spank or Not to Spank, Making
the "Terrible" Twos Terrific, Ending the Homework Hassle, John
Rosemond's Six-Point Plan for Raising Happy, Healthy Children, and
Parent Power!.
He's also an in-demand speaker. During the last five years, he has
given an average of 200 talks a year. He's a family therapist and a
51-year-old father and grandfather who says: "The major resource and
inspiration for everything I've ever written is my wonderful family."
And there's more. He is director of the Center for Affirmative
Parenting, and publishes a quarterly magazine for parents, "John
Rosemond's Affirmative Parenting." In the May/June 1999 issue,
Rosemond stated that, though the media often incorrectly defines him as
a conservative, "I'm actually a libertarian."
Rosemond's staunch rejection of "permissive" parenting techniques, and
his defense of the family from government intrusion, have made him a
controversial figure in some circles. He has praised the Separation of
School and State Alliance (a project of the Advocates, headed by
Advocates Founder Marshall Fritz) in his syndicated column, calling
Marshall "one of the most interesting men I've ever encountered" and
calling the organization's newsletter "..a valuable resource for anyone
interested in parents' rights and educational issues."
(Thanks to Brian Thomson)
Colt Holsters It
Colt's Manufacturing invented the six-shooter in the 19th century. The
company's Colt .45 - "the six-shooter that won the West" - has become
legendary in countless westerns.
Now, however, the 144-year-old company is halting virtually all of its
retail business -- because of the threat of liability lawsuits.
Colt has announced that, from now on, it will sell guns almost
exclusively to government agencies and the military. Retail sales to
civilians - formerly 30% of the company's business -- will now be
limited to special collectors' editions.
Colt is currently facing 28 lawsuits from cities, counties, and
others. The lawsuits are similar to the recent punitive lawsuits
against tobacco companies. The real, though unstated, purpose of these
lawsuits is to force gun makers out of business. In the case of Colt,
they are succeeding.
The threat posed by such lawsuits to the right to keep and bear arms is
very real. As the Augusta, Georgia "Chronicle" newspaper said of the
Colt cave-in: "If enough firms do that, handguns could become so scarce
or expensive that the Second Amendment right to own and bear them would
be meaningless."
(Sources: Associated Press / Augusta Chronicle)
FBI: Build Wiretapping Into the Internet
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), founded in 1986, is the
private international organization that sets standards for Internet
technology.
The group is now debating whether future Internet technology should be
constructed in such a way as to allow the U.S. government to easily
conduct wiretaps of online telephone communication -- in other words,
to wire government surveillance into the next generation of Internet
protocols.
IETF members are girding for an explosive debate at their meeting next
month. But the FBI has already given its opinion - and, big surprise,
they are pro-wiretap.
"We think it's a wise and prudent move," said Barry Smith, supervisory
special agent in the FBI's Digital Telephony and Encryption policy
unit. "If court-authorized wiretaps are frustrated, effective law
enforcement is jeopardized, public safety is jeopardized, and
policymakers are going to have to figure out how to rectify the
problem."
It's Smith's last point - a veiled threat, really -- that concerns some
IETF leaders. They argue that if the IETF doesn't build in Internet
telephone wiretapping capability voluntarily, the government will pass
laws mandating such changes anyway - and those laws could be more
invasive and/or technologically unwieldy than the changes IETF might
make.
The FBI's Smith agrees.
"If this standard-setting body chooses to turn a blind eye to reality,
they can make a statement, but companies are going to have to function
in the real world and meet their governmental obligations," Smith said.
But Jeff Schiller, an IETF executive committee member, disagrees. "We
should not be building surveillance technology into standards. Law
enforcement was not supposed to be easy. Where it is easy, it's called
a police state."
(Of course, the United States, like most other countries, already
requires telephone companies to configure their networks so police can
easily wiretap calls.)
(Source: Wired News: "Net Wiretapping: Yes or No?" by Declan McCullagh
Oct. 13)
* * *
Time for Restrictions...
"The information superhighway is a revolution that in years to come
will transcend newspapers, radio, and television as an information
source. Therefore, I think this is the time to put some restrictions
on it."
-- Sen. James Exon (D-Neb.) 1996
_________________________________________________________________
ON THE WEB
Editor's Choices: michellemalkin.com
Michelle Malkin is a nationally syndicated libertarian columnist for
Creators Syndicate. Her twice-weekly feature was introduced Sept. 28,
1999 -- the quickest launch on record, according to the syndicate!
Her work has been cited in many publications including the New York
Times, USA Today, Readers Digest, and others. She has also written
articles for the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, and Reason
magazine.
Malkin, the daughter of Filipino immigrants, was born in Philadelphia,
Pa. in 1970 and raised in southern New Jersey. She is a graduate of
Oberlin College. She worked for the Los Angeles Daily News as an
editorial writer and weekly columnist from 1992-94. In 1996 she joined
the editorial board of the Seattle Times where she worked for three and
a half years.
Visit her website at http://michellemalkin.com where you can read her
past articles, favorite links, and other news articles. Also visit her
archives to read her articles about affirmative action, health care,
liberty, and many other topics.
Is Big Brother Reading Your E-Mail?
By Rod Dreher
from the New York Post Online Edition
Want to give a big, fat finger to Big Brother today? Fax or e-mail this
column to a friend. Be sure to include the following words:
Unabomber. Anthrax. Fissionable plutonium. North Korea. Militia. Delta
Force. Ruby Ridge.
If the suspicions of Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.), the American Civil
Liberties Union and cyber-libertarian "hacktivists" are correct, your
fax or e-mail containing those words will have been intercepted by a
sophisticated official electronic monitoring system called "Echelon."
Echelon is a supersecret global surveillance network, run by the U.S.
National Security Agency, in conjunction with the governments of
Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Echelon is said to intercept and sift through countless electronic
transmissions daily, filtering out those with particular "keywords"
that could signal a security threat. The purloined posts are later
analyzed.
Hacktivists around the world have scheduled today as "Jam Echelon
Day." They're encouraging computer users to flood the Internet with
e-mails containing suspected keywords, hoping the deluge will
short-circuit Echelon's computers and satellites.
The public will never know if they succeed, but crashing Echelon is not
really the point. The protest is meant to raise public awareness about
the threat to privacy and civil liberties purportedly posed by the
security network, which sounds like something out of the movie "Enemy
of the State."
[For the full article, visit:
http://www.nypostonline.com/102199/commentary/16529.htm and look at the
end of the article to see how to send it to a friend.]
_________________________________________________________________
ASK DR. RUWART
How can you answer difficult questions about libertarianism -- in
short, positive, persuasive soundbite-sized responses? It's a
challenge every libertarian communicator faces.
Dr. Mary Ruwart is a leading expert in libertarian communication and
author of the international bestseller "Healing Our World." Her new
book is "Short Answers to the Tough Questions." In this column she
provides Liberator Online readers with "Short Answers to the Tough
Questions" that libertarians are frequently asked.
If you'd like Dr. Ruwart to provide effective answers for YOUR "tough
questions" on libertarian issues, just email the questions to her at:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]. *Due to volume, Dr. Ruwart can't personally
answer or acknowledge all email queries.* But we'll run the best
questions -- and Dr. Ruwart's answers -- in upcoming issues.
Extra Tip: Dr. Ruwart suggests that answers are often best preceded by
a "Ransberger Pivot" statement, to establish common ground with the
questioner. (Example: "Like you, I too want to live in a world where
the environment is clean... Like you, I too want to see greater
abundance for all people...") For more on the Ransberger Pivot
communication technique, see previous issues, or contact the Advocates.
Dr. Ruwart's past answers are archived in searchable form at the
http://www.self-gov.org/ruwart/
Short Answers to the Tough Questions:
by Dr. Mary Ruwart
* * *
Safety Questions in the Classroom
Question:
"In my political science class the other day the professor asked
students what they thought was an appropriate role of government. A
consensus among the students began to form that 'government should
regulate products to ensure that they're safe.'
"So I made this comment:
"'I'm surprised no one in here seems to perceive any alternatives to
laws in order to keep our products safe. There are other ways to do
that, you know.'"
"'Like what?'" the professor asked.
"'Well, someone just mentioned that people want their products to be
safe. That's why we had cars available with airbags even before the
government mandated them. Now the price of a new car is $1000 higher
because of the mandatory airbags. If you go home and look at any of
your electric appliances, whether it's a coffee maker, toaster, or
whatever, you'll find a 'UL' sticker on the bottom from Underwriters
Laboratories, which tests out products for fire safety and is funded by
insurance companies. Some of you were mentioning the need for building
and fire codes. Even without the government imposing them on us, this
room we're in right now would have to be fire-safe -- because if it
weren't, the University's insurance premiums would skyrocket. It just
makes good financial sense to ensure safety.'
"I thought I had done a good job until the professor said, 'Well,
think of the 1700 people that died in the recent Turkish earthquake.
The insurance companies didn't protect *them*.'"
"Ouch. How would you have responded?"
My short answer:
"You *were* doing very well. Your professor's comeback involved some
illogical extrapolations.
"One possible approach might have been:
"'In poor countries like Turkey, safety standards, whether imposed by
the government or the marketplace, are lower than in wealthy countries.
Safety standards for something that *might* happen are only affordable
in countries where the necessities are already in abundance. That's why
natural disasters always take a bigger toll in poor nations. To
increase safety, therefore, a country should increase its wealth, a
feat that only the free market can achieve. Studies show that countries
which enjoy free markets have a more even distribution of wealth than
regulated ones. Thus, the poor benefit most by the increased prosperity
and safety.'"
"With poor countries, like Turkey, you can bet that its economy is
heavily regulated. If you had asked your teacher, 'Does Turkey even
HAVE insurance companies?' he probably wouldn't have known. Asking such
questions helps to establish whether the comment is well-grounded in
fact.
"If you're going to be sparing on the international front, you might
want to get a copy of the Fraser Institute's "Economic Freedom of the
World: 1997 Annual Report" by James D. Gwartney, ISBN 0-88975-175-7.
The report rates every country by a number of different criteria.
"The legal system in Turkey is given a "0" rating on a scale of 0-10
(10 is the highest freedom rating). 'Two major factors continue to
limit the development of this [Turkey's] economy: monetary instability
and absence of rule of law...The legal structure grants political
officials a great deal of discretionary regulatory authority...often
used in a discriminatory manner, thereby reducing the security of
property rights.' I suspect that in this atmosphere, insurance
companies are almost absent.
"If that were the case, your response might very well be, 'You mean
government didn't do a very good job of protecting them!'"
* * *
Minimum Wage in the Classroom
Question:
"Libertarians say the minimum wage will cause unemployment because
fewer employers will be willing to hire at costs above what an
unskilled worker is worth. Yet one of my professors said that when the
minimum wage was first initiated, despite what Republicans and
libertarians said would happen, unemployment went down. This also was
the result after Eisenhower raised the minimum wage in the 1950s. So,
was my professor mistaken, or is the claim that the minimum wage causes
unemployment simply libertarian rhetoric?
My short answer:
"Exhaustive studies, many of which are cited in my book, 'Healing Our
World,' show conclusively that minimum wage laws decrease employment.
However, *total* employment is a composite of many factors, only one of
which is minimum wage. The employment figures that your professor was
looking at would have been even higher without minimum wage laws.
"Minimum wage laws affect minorities, disabled, and otherwise
disadvantaged workers the most. Therefore, looking at employment
statistics for these groups give a better picture of their true
impact. Figure 3.1 on p.34 of "Healing" shows the decrease in
employment of young black men relative to that of young white men as
the minimum wage increased from 1950 to 1980.
"When the next minimum wage hike is under consideration, scan your
newspapers. The correlation between unemployment and minimum wage
levels is so well known that newspapers usually give estimates of the
number of jobs that will be lost.
"Why not give your professor some other data to digest? You can
purchase "Healing Our World" from the Advocates with a money-back
guarantee, or browse it for free at
http://www.netbooks.com/catalog/ruwart/index.html "
* * *
The Bleeding Stranger: Offenses of Default
Question:
"Our current system punishes crimes known as 'offenses of default' --
for example, if somebody is injured and needs help, it is your legal
duty to help him. As a libertarian I hold the view that it would be a
passerby's choice as to whether or not to help, say, a bleeding
stranger. How would a libertarian society handle this issue, and how
would that affect victims?"
My short answer:
"People who are cold-hearted enough to refuse help to a bleeding
stranger certainly aren't going to change their behavior because of a
law! If anything, such people will make an even faster getaway, so that
no one will be able to make positive identification of them.
"It's very difficult, if not impossible, to FORCE people to help each
other. You cannot create a caring society at gunpoint, even when the
gun is wielded by government. You can only succeed in teaching
violence. Maybe that's why we have bleeding victims that require help!
"The great care-givers of history (e.g., Christ, Mother Theresa, etc.)
taught by example. They would not have forced others to be 'good
Samaritans' even if they had the opportunity. Perhaps we can learn from
their example."
* * *
Dr. Ruwart's book "Healing Our World" features persuasive arguments for
liberty, backed with *over 500 references* showing how liberty works.
You can browse the entire book online at:
http://www.cyberpop.com/ebooks
You can order it at a special reduced price of only $12.95 (plus
shipping) from the Advocates. Check out our online catalog at:
http://www.reliablehost.com/self-gov/opp.html
Dr. Ruwart's newest book is "Short Answers to the Tough Questions,"
also available from the Advocates for $12.00 (plus shipping).
_________________________________________________________________
PERSUASION POWER POINT #78
The Great Libertarian Answer
by Michael Cloud
"I've heard that you're libertarians," the guest said. "What's a
libertarian?"
"Well...libertarians believe that you have a right to your life,
liberty, and property," said one.
"Libertarianism is the original political idea behind the American
Revolution. We believe what the Founding Fathers believed," answered
another.
"It's a political philosophy that believes in limited government, the
Constitution, and individual rights," said a third.
"Libertarians believe that you can do anything you want...so long as
it's peaceful," offered a fourth.
"Libertarians believe in the whole Bill of Rights, literally and
exactly," said the fifth.
What do you think of these answers? Which one do you like best? Would
you use one of these answers as is, modify it, or use one of your own?
"What's a libertarian?" and "What is libertarianism?" are the two most
basic questions a person can ask you. They are the two most obvious,
the two most ordinary questions that someone can ask you.
They are also the two most overlooked questions that you need to
answer -- even if your questioner forgets to ask you.
How do you answer these two questions?
"What's a libertarian?"
"What is libertarianism?"
[ Please stop reading for a moment and answer each question aloud. Then
read the remainder of this Persuasion Power Point.]
Are your satisfied with your answers?
Do your answers clearly and briefly answer the questions?
Are your answers true?
Are your answers complete?
Do your answers distinguish libertarians and libertarianism from other
points of view?
Answering these two basic libertarian questions briefly, effectively
and well is harder than it seems.
Would you like to formulate great answers to these questions?
Here's how:
1. Take a piece of notebook paper. An inch from the top, draw a
horizontal line across the sheet. In the middle of that line, draw
a vertical line to the bottom of the sheet. (It should look like a
"t".)
2. At the top of the sheet, write: "What is libertarianism and what
is it not?"
3. On the left side of the page, brainstorm and list the
characteristics of libertarianism and libertarians.
4. On the right side, brainstorm and list the features of
NON-libertarians and NON-libertarianism.
Now you have the ingredients to write: The Great Libertarian
Answer.
5. Out of your left-side list, pick the core elements, the
indispensable essentials of what a libertarian is, what
libertarianism is.
How can you tell if something is an indispensable essential? If it
is MISSING, what's left is NOT libertarian. If you cannot be a
libertarian WITHOUT IT, then it is indispensable, it is essential.
6. Out of your right side list, select the critical factors, the
crucial features of a NON-libertarian person or proposal or
belief.
They must be opposed to AND incompatible with libertarianism --
e.g., Big Government, a law or regulation that infringes on
someone's life, liberty, or property.
7. With three to seven core essentials selected from the page, write
your Great Libertarian Answer.
Your Great Libertarian Answer must:
a. Be 30 seconds or less when spoken - 50 to 70 written words.
b. Using the key features you selected, tell what libertarianism is,
what a libertarian is.
c. Using the key features you selected, distinguish a libertarian
from a NON-libertarian. Show how we are DIFFERENT from
NON-libertarians.
d. THE ACID TEST: Could a NON-libertarian, guided only by YOUR GREAT
LIBERTARIAN ANSWER, distinguish between libertarian proposals and
NON-libertarian proposals? * Would your 30 second answer enable him
to correctly sort political ideas into two piles: libertarian and
NON-libertarian?
_________________________________________________________________
THE GREAT LIBERTARIAN ANSWER Contest
We want to see YOUR GREAT LIBERTARIAN ANSWER.
We want to share the Three Best GREAT LIBERTARIAN ANSWERS with over
32,000 readers of the Liberator Online.
To qualify to win, your answer must meet the a,b,c, and especially the
"Acid Test" d guidelines above.
The judges will be:
* Sharon Harris, President of Advocates for Self-Government
* Mary Ruwart, Ph.D., author of "Healing Our World" and "Short
Answers to the Tough Questions"
* Michael Cloud, creator of "The Essence of Political Persuasion"
Three Grand Prizes: In addition to having their GREAT LIBERTARIAN
ANSWERS published in the Liberator Online to over 32,000 libertarians,
our 3 winners will receive ANY TWO (their choice) of the audio recorded
speeches from the Advocates 15th Anniversary Summit held in Atlanta on
September 24 - 26. [See "Product Review" below for more information on
those tapes.]
Use the guidelines above, test your answers on NON-libertarians, and
enter the contest to find THE GREAT LIBERTARIAN ANSWER.
Send your entry to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
We'll publish the winners' answers within 30 days in the Liberator
Online. Deadline for entries: October 30th.
This is your chance to share your persuasive libertarian
communication.
"What's a libertarian?"
*****************************
Michael Cloud was the 1998 Libertarian National Convention keynote
speaker. His speech, "The Libertarian Party: The Unreasonable
Alternative," has been hailed as "stunning", "brilliant", and
"unforgettable." In 1999, Libertarian State Chairs voted Michael Cloud
as the Best Speaker in the Libertarian Party.
He is the creator of the acclaimed 3-tape tape set "The Essence of
Political Persuasion," available from the Advocates for only $7.50
postpaid; see "What's Happening" in this issue.
*****************************
_________________________________________________________________
PRODUCT REVIEW:
Advocates 15th Anniversary Tapes: 18 tapes of liberty, learning,
inspiration, and communication enhancement.
Audio and video tapes of the entire Advocates 15th Anniversary
Celebration are now available!
Held in Atlanta, Georgia September 24-26, this event featured top
libertarian leaders and some of the very finest libertarian speakers at
their very best.
In alphabetical order: David Bergland, Ken Bisson, Walter Block, Harry
Browne, Doug Casey, Michael Cloud, Marshall Fritz, Karl Hess Jr., Jacob
Hornberger, Vince Miller, Charles Murray, David Nolan, Congressman Ron
Paul, Carole Ann Rand, and Mary Ruwart.
It was an extraordinary event - a feast of inspiration, ideas, and
insight. Speakers shared their favorite communication techniques, their
reasons for optimism for liberty, their expertise on some of today's
hottest issues.
Here's what attendees said about the conference:
"Not only have I learned skills that will help me persuade new people
to join the ranks of libertarians, but I have seen a glimpse of what a
libertarian society would be like."
"This was a present I gave myself for my birthday - and it is the best
birthday present I've ever received."
"Fun, stimulating, educational, inspiring, confidence-building,
optimism-building - I have hope for the country and the world - no more
'what's the use' - we shall overcome!"
"Words are wholly inadequate to express the effect these few days have
had -- and will continue to have - on me."
"Inspiring, invigorating, motivating. I have new hope about the
prospects for our eventual success."
"Fantastic! It exceeded my expectations."
"A feast for the mind."
"Everything about the conference was top-rate."
"Rarely have I been so inspired or been presented with so much great
information."
"Best conference I've ever attended!"
"Everything was great! I loved every minute of this whole weekend."
"What a great conference!"
"The kind of atmosphere I wish I could just live in indefinitely."
Now you can hear these great speeches and seminars yourself - at home,
in the car, or while walking or jogging. Over and over again.
Tapes can be purchased individually -- and we've got a special low
price for the full set of 18 tapes.
Click hear http://www.reliablehost.com/self-gov/adv15.html for full
details.
_________________________________________________________________
See you in two weeks! You can contact the Advocates at:
Snail Mail:
Advocates for Self Government
1202 N. Tennessee St. Suite 202
Cartersville, GA 30120
Phone: 770-386-8372; for orders, 800-932-1776
Fax: 770-386-8373
Email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
WWW: http://www.self-gov.org/
If you wish to subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your address for
receiving the Liberator OnLine, visit:
http://www.self-gov.org/liberator/maintain.html
You can see back issues of the Liberator OnLine on the Advocates' web
site: http://www.self-gov.org/liberator/
"May it be to the world... to assume the blessings and security of
self-government." -- Thomas Jefferson
A<>E<>R
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Integrity has no need of rules. -Albert Camus (1913-1960)
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The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking
new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust
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"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said
it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your
own reason and your common sense." --Buddha
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that
prevents us from living freely and nobly. -Bertrand Russell
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"Everyone has the right...to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas through any media and regardless
of frontiers." Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will
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Forwarded as information only; no endorsement to be presumed
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In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material
is distributed without charge or profit to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information
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