Govern Thyself

Libertarian Thomas Hill On Jobs

2010-10-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

The Fed's Bad Year

2010-10-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

October 9, 2010

It was bound to happen eventually. After printing trillions of dollars out of thin air, the Fed's printing presses finally “broke.”

In a press release last week, the Federal Reserve announced the delay of the new $100 bill after they discovered an error in the printing process.

While it isn't going to slow them down for long, it's just another item on a list of things that have gone wrong for the Federal Reserve over the past year.

Two years ago, most Americans knew little - to absolutely nothing - about the Federal Reserve, and that's the way the Fed liked it. However, times have changed.

And it's all because of you.

When we embarked on the challenge to Audit the Fed, no one, least of all the folks at the Federal Reserve, could have predicted how far it would go.

For over 30 years, Congressman Paul has attempted to open up the Federal Reserve and shed sunlight on its books. Never before had his bill made it out of committee, let alone received a roll call vote in both houses of Congress.

Even though the final audit included in the Dodd/Frank bill was more of a fig leaf to cover up Fed-loving congressmen than a real gain for liberty or transparency, it shows just how frightened the Fed and its enablers are becoming of a citizen outrage.

Thanks to your efforts, the Federal Reserve is now a household name and most people now recognize its actions as a cause of the recession rather than a solution, and its actions are frequently scrutinized in the media. No longer can the Federal Reserve go about its daily business without people asking questions.

Because of you, 80% of Americans are now in favor of a full audit of the Federal Reserve.

It wasn't easy for the Fed to water down the audit. It took everything they had, including hiring a powerful and well connected ex-Enron lobbyist and circulating letters signed by so-called “renowned economists” who made it sound as if we would bring on the apocalypse itself if the Fed were subjected to an audit.

Even the Obama administration was forced to come out in opposition to the audit to help the Fed save face.

Due to the immense pressure from grassroots activists, Ben Bernanke was reconfirmed with the lowest vote of any Fed Chairman.

Together, we were able to put senators and representatives on the record as being either for or against transparency at our nation's central bank.

With your continued support, Campaign for Liberty will put federal candidates on the record for sound money and auditing the Federal Reserve with our Federal Candidate Survey Program.

You can see how your candidates answered the Federal Candidate Survey by visiting your state page on our website.

If the candidates in your area haven't yet filled out our survey, call their campaign today and ask them to return Campaign for Liberty's Federal Candidate Survey.

The liberty movement looked the Federal Reserve in the eye, and for a change, we made it blink.

We've given the Federal Reserve a rough time over the past year. Let's keep up the pressure!

In Liberty,

John Tate

President

P.S. Campaign for Liberty will continue to put politicians and candidates on the record about sound money and Audit the Fed, but we can only do so with your continued generosity.

Unlike the Federal Reserve and its broken printing presses, we can't magically print money out of thin air. Your contribution of just $10 will go a long way toward helping us keep pushing for sound money and transparency at the Fed.

War Consumes Our Most Precious Resource

2010-10-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

BURNET, Texas - The greatest cost of the endless and needless wars the United States is engaged in can’t be measure in dollars and cents but in the expenditure of our most precious resource, the lives of our young people, said potential Libertarian presidential candidate R. Lee Wrights.

“The greatest cost of war is the toll it is taking on our most precious resources, our young people,” said Wrights. “Every time a young American soldier, sailor, airman or marine is killed, another dream dies, another possibility dies, another prospect dies. Every time a young American is killed, another hope dies.”

One such precious resource was 24-year-old Robert J. Miller. The Special Forces soldier was recently awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest U.S. military decoration, for his action in Afghanistan in saving the lives of 22 American and Afghan soldiers.

“Staff Sgt. Miller gave his life for his fellow man, the greatest sacrifice any person can make,” Wrights said. “He should be honored, as should every American killed defending themselves or their comrades.”

“But the greatest honor we can bestow on these young people is to stop asking them to sacrifice themselves in endless and needless wars,” he said. “If we truly want to support the troops we should bring them home - now.”

“Most Americans are untouched by the war, other than having to endure invasions of their civil liberties when they try to get on an airplane,” Wrights said. “During the Vietnam war, the anti-war movement was galvanized by the images of death and destruction on their television screens. Sadly, today Americans are either numb or indifferent to very similar images coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has even acknowledged that this is not a shared cost. He told a group of students at Duke University recently that less than 20 percent of Americans know someone who has been in the military and that number is declining. Gates said that despite the “fond sentiments for men and women in uniform, for most Americans the wars remain an abstraction.”

Wrights said that America’s wars are now being fought by a professional military, the standing army that our nation’s founders feared and warned against. In his Duke lecture, Gates said that United States couldn’t sustain such “complex and protracted missions” like Iraq and Afghanistan without the dedication of “seasoned professional who choose to serve and keep on serving.”

The defense secretary also said that whatever mistakes were made in these conflicts were the result of failures and “miscalculations” at the top, not by the troops in the field. “It has taken every ounce of our troops’ skill, initiative and commitment to battle a cunning and adaptive enemy at the front while overcoming bureaucratic lassitude and sometimes worse at the rear,” Gates said.

“This is stunning,” Wrights said. “What the secretary is saying in effect is that these young people who choose to serve their country have more honor and integrity to do the right thing than the leaders who send them to fight and die. I am appalled at such callousness.”

Gates said that the wars are putting extraordinary stress on military members and their families, causing anxiety, increased domestic strife and a growing number of suicides. He said that the divorce rate among Army enlisted personnel has nearly doubled since the wars began.

“Yet neither the secretary nor President Obama offer any solutions to these problems,” Wrights said. “They piously praise the dedication and sacrifice made by America’s young men and women in uniform, yet they continue to promote policies that will cause them and their families to suffer and sacrifice even more.”

“Our military deserves better. Our military deserves a Commander-in-Chief who will honor and respect their devotion to duty by calling on them to fight and die only to defend America when we have been directly attacked,” Wrights said.

Wrights, a military veteran himself, is considering seeking the presidential nomination because he believes the Libertarian message in 2012 should be a loud, clear and unequivocal call to stop all war. He has pledged that 10 percent of all donations to his campaign will be spent for ballot access so that the stop all war message can be heard in all 50 states.

R. Lee Wrights is a writer and political activist living in Texas. He is the co-founder and editor of the free speech online magazine Liberty For All. Contact Lee at rleewrights@gmail.com.

Economic Attack on China

2010-10-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Economic Attack on China -LewRockwell.com Blog

Biting the hand the buys our debt. How stupid can our overlords possibly be? This is another economic war we can not win. Fast track to the bottom of the toilet bowl....

Kick The TARP Lovers Out!

2010-10-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

Libertarians challenge 89 TARP-supporting incumbents in Congress

WASHINGTON - This November, Libertarian Party candidates are challenging 89 incumbent members of Congress who voted for the TARP bailouts in 2008. View the list here.

The list includes 27 Republicans and 62 Democrats.

LP Chair Mark Hinkle commented, "Few acts of Congress have evoked as much fear, ire, disgust, and disapproval from Americans as the 2008 TARP banker bailouts, passed with bipartisan support in Congress, and signed into law by Republican President George W. Bush."

Hinkle continued, "Bailer-in-chief John McCain, who famously suspended his 2008 losing Republican presidential campaign to rush back to Washington DC to vote for TARP, tops our list. He'll face Libertarian Party co-founder David Nolan in November."

[Note and correction: An earlier emailed version of this release incorrectly stated the number of Libertarians at 97.]

According to Congressional Quarterly, twelve of these TARP incumbents are in close re-election battles (classified in the "tossup" or "leans" category). The Libertarian Party hopes to help kick them out of office. "They tried to justify TARP by claiming our economy was going off a cliff. Let's push their teetering careers off a cliff," said LP Executive Director Wes Benedict.

The twelve most vulnerable TARP incumbents in races with Libertarians:

Harry Mitchell (D-AZ, District 5)
Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ, District 8)
Barbara Boxer (D-CA, Senator)
Dan Lungren (R-CA, District 3)
Kendrick Meek (D-FL, incumbent Rep. running for Senate)
Bill Foster (D-IL, District 14)
Brad Ellsworth (D-IN, incumbent Rep. running for Senate)
Joe Donnelly (D-IN, District 2)
Roy Blunt (R-MO, incumbent Rep. running for Senate)
Ike Skelton (D-MO, District 4)
Joe Sestak (D-PA, incumbent Rep. running for Senate)
Chet Edwards (D-TX, District 17)

CQ Senate ratings
CQ House ratings

Benedict continued, "The Tea Party revolt is one potentially positive reaction to TARP. But any Tea Partier who votes for a TARP-supporting Republican is a plain old hypocrite, just as bad as the incumbent he or she is pushing back into office. Every Tea Partier should take a pledge to vote against ALL incumbents who voted for TARP, period.

"Liberals should also vote against TARP incumbents. Hundreds of billions for Wall Street bankers and their stockholders and bondholders is not what Democrats are supposed to stand for. Any liberal-leaning voter who votes for a TARP-supporting Democrat, when a Libertarian alternative is available, sends a callous message to the middle class and poor: Thanks for your taxes! Get another job if you can find one -- we want even more of your money to pass up to the Wall Street fat cats!

"Fortunately, these voters have a better option: Libertarian candidates who would have proudly voted against TARP, and who will consistently vote against other foolish, unconstitutional, taxpayer-abusing measures.

"After the TARP bailouts passed, Republicans repeatedly tried to defend their support, sometimes saying that they hadn't done a good enough job explaining it to the American people. Now the recent pandering Republican 'Pledge to America' says 'End TARP once and for all.' Which is it, Republicans? Was it a bad sales pitch, or are you trying to pretend that you never supported it? I suspect that the Republicans don't know what to think. That's a problem with many ignorant and spineless members of Congress today.

"Some incumbents have tried to make the excuse that they voted for TARP because President Bush and Secretary Paulson scared them, or because drops in the stock market made them worry. Such worthless excuses are beneath the dignity of their office. Voters should not let TARP-supporters make excuses for themselves.

"Last year, William A. Niskanen of the Cato Institute wrote this article describing five instances in which the members of Congress caved in to executive-branch hysteria, leading to disastrous consequences. (TARP is #4 chronologically.) Each time, the members of Congress failed to uphold their crucial responsibility to view all executive requests with care and skepticism.

"If all it takes is for a president to shout 'The sky is falling!' to get Congress to pass whatever he wants, then we might as well make the president a king, and give him all the power.

"In addition to the huge transfer of wealth from taxpayers to bankers, TARP created tremendous moral hazard by sending this loud message to bankers: 'Your goal is to get big, because then you can claim you're too big to fail, and you can get Congressmen to force taxpayers to bail you out for whatever stupid or self-serving decisions you make.'

"It's hard to think of another government program that did more to reward stupidity and punish prudence.

"TARP is both a short-term and long-term failure. We would be better off today if Congress had done nothing."

The Libertarian Party has 21 candidates for U.S. Senate and 170 candidates for U.S. House in the upcoming November 2010 elections.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets and civil liberties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

Spider Webs For The Rich & Mighty

2010-09-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

"Laws: We know what they are, and what they are worth! They are spider
webs for the rich and mighty, steel chains for the poor and weak,
fishing nets in the hands of the government." - Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

No Wonder Our Country Is Going Broke

2010-09-26T23:24:00.001-07:00

BURNETT, Texas - The war in Afghanistan may cost another 60 billion dollars and last ten more years, even if U.S. forces start leaving the country in 2011, potential Libertarian presidential candidate R. Lee Wrights said today.

A NATO training-mission document recently uncovered by the Associated Press estimated it would cost about 6 billion dollars a year to train Afghani military and police forces. Gen. David Petraeus, the new commander in Afghanistan, has said that a successful counter-insurgency operation could last another ten years.

“That means this war will cost at least another 60 billion dollars to finish a job we never should have started,” said R. Lee Wrights. “No wonder our country is going broke.”

Even with the training the NATO document acknowledges that Afghanistan will remain largely dependent on U.S. forces for security for years. The document also includes plans for large-scale infrastructure projects for “establishing enduring institutions” and “creating irreversible momentum” according to AP sources.

“The only ‘irreversible momentum’ we’re creating is the irreversible momentum driving America deeper and deeper into debt,” Wrights said. “And the only ‘enduring institutions’ we’re creating is the enduring institution of a welfare-warfare State that supports corrupt governments under the guise of fighting terrorism.”

Wrights said he’s troubled by comments Petraeus has made about the withdrawal of American troops, which is supposed to begin in July 2011.

“He seems to be hedging his bets,” Wrights said. After nine years of war, Petraeus said that it is just now that the United States has the organization and people in place to fight a counter-insurgency operation.

“The general is reputed to be an expert on this type of warfare and has said it can take years, even decades, to wage successfully,” Wrights says. “So if we are just getting started now, it could take ten more years to ‘finish the job.’ That’s unacceptable.”

Wrights is also troubled by the fact that the general refers to July 2011 as the date “when a process begins, the pace of which is determined by conditions on the ground.” Petraeus characterized the process as a “thinning out” of U.S. forces, rather than a “turning over” of security for their own country to Afghanistan’s citizens and authorities.

“We have already endured one war where the generals and politicians kept telling us they were seeing the ‘light at the end of the tunnel,’ but that light never got any closer,” Wrights said.

Petraeus recently spoke out against plans by a Florida minister to burn the Qur’an, saying that the action would put American troops in danger.

“What is a greater danger to American soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen is keeping them in a war we should not have started in the first place, helping prop up a corrupt government,” Wrights said. “If we truly want to keep our troops safe, we should bring them home now.”

Wrights is considering seeking the LP presidential nomination because he believes the Libertarian message in 2012 should be a loud, clear and unequivocal call to stop all war. He has pledged that 10 percent of all donations to his campaign will be spent for ballot access so that the stop all war message can be heard in all 50 states.

R. Lee Wrights is a writer and political activist living in Texas. He is the co-founder and editor of the free speech online magazine Liberty For All. Contact Lee at rleewrights@gmail.com.

Permalink

Close The Book Of War

2010-09-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

[originally posted at Liberty For All]

It’s time do more than just “turn the page” on America’s foreign wars. We should close the book and put it pack on the shelf, said potential Libertarian presidential candidate R. Lee Wrights in response to President Obama’s address to the nation Tuesday night.

“President Obama said he was announcing that ‘the American combat mission in Iraq’ has ended and that it was time to ‘turn the page’ on a ‘remarkable chapter in American history,” Wrights said. “It is time to do more than just turn the page. It is time to close the book of war, put it back on the shelf, and never refer to it again.”

“There is nothing remarkable about this chapter in American history,” Wrights said. “If the president really wanted to end the war he would simply tell the joint chiefs to draw up a plan to remove every last American solider, sailor, airman and marine from the region as quickly and safely as possible.”

“If the president really wanted to honor the sacrifices made by America’s men and women in uniform, he would not continue to put them in harm’s way unnecessarily,” Wrights said.

Wrights said that President Obama was elected on the expectation that he would end America’s interventionist foreign policy, but from the words he used in this address it appears he is going to continue this policy and use different language to obscure his intentions.

For example, Wrights noted that while the president said the combat mission is ending, he said our commitment to Iraq is not. The president also said a transitional force will remain to advise and assist Iraqi security forces, support Iraqi troops in targeted counter-terrorism missions and protect civilians. In fact, as the last “combat” troops leave Iraq, fifty thousand troops will remain behind.

“In other words, our soldiers and marines will still be going on patrol, getting shot at, and possibly getting killed, but the president won’t call it combat operations,” Wrights said. He noted that the infantry brigades still in Iraq have been renamed “advise and assist” brigades.

“It is shameful the way politicians will parse words in order to justify and obscure their actions; and, it is disgraceful that any president who refers to himself as the commander-in-chief would use such a tactic to disguise the service of the men and women he is supposed to command.”

“It is disturbing the way the president casually dismissed the fact that this war was fought for a lie,” Wrights said. The president said that what began as “a war to disarm a state became a fight against insurgency.”

“It is distressing that President Obama admitted that the war has cost us one trillion dollars, most of it borrowed for other nations, and contributed to our debt, yet he doesn’t miss a beat in calling for even more government spending,” Wrights said. “He shows absolutely no signs that he is going to change anything in American foreign policy when he said America ‘must use all elements of our power to secure our interests and stand by our allies.’”

Wrights is considering seeking the presidential nomination because he believes the Libertarian message in 2012 should be a loud and unequivocal call to stop all war. He has pledged that 10 percent of all donations to his campaign will be spent for ballot access so that the stop all war message can be heard in all 50 states.

R. Lee Wrights is a writer and political activist living in Texas. He is the co-founder and editor of the free speech online magazine Liberty For All. Contact Lee at rleewrights@gmail.com

Audioscrobbler Stats [past 3 months]

2010-08-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

1	Michael Schenker Group	74
2	Queensrÿche	60
3	Pentagram	53
4	Rush	47
5	UFO	46
5	Skyforger	46
7	Voivod	39
7	Raven	39
9	Trailer Park Boys	30
10	Guided by Voices	29
11	High on Fire	28
12	The Beatles	27
13	Yes	25
14	Armored Saint	23
15	Iron Maiden	22

Keep The Oil, Give Me Hemp

2010-08-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

Just Go Away

2010-07-27T06:28:00.001-07:00

Is The Federal Government Hopelessly Lost?

2010-07-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

Chemical Youth (We Are Rebellion)

2010-07-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

Mini Blitzer

2010-07-16T21:05:00.001-07:00

Girl Raised From Birth By Wolf Blitzer Taken Into Protective Custody

Wassup With The Superfriends

2010-07-16T20:29:00.001-07:00

This American Government

2010-07-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

"[This American Government] never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way. It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate. The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its way.…

Trade and commerce, if they were not made of india-rubber, would never manage to bounce over obstacles which legislators are continually putting in their way; and if one were to judge these men wholly by the effects of their actions and not partly by their intentions, they would deserve to be classed and punished with those mischievious persons who put obstructions on the railroads."

Henry David Thoreau

The State Commands It

2010-07-08T14:41:00.001-07:00

"the interests of the State and those of the individual differ fundamentally and are antagonistic. The State and the political and economic institutions it supports can exist only by fashioning the individual to their particular purpose; training him to respect "law and order;" teaching him obedience, submission and unquestioning faith in the wisdom and justice of government; above all, loyal service and complete self-sacrifice when the State commands it, as in war."

Emma Goldman

Lee Wrights Explores 2012 Presidential Run

2010-07-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

WRIGHTS FOR PRESIDENT 2012 EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE

For more information:
Thomas Hill
Phone: (704) 621-8621
E-mail: thomasbhill@msn.com

Wrights forms presidential exploratory committee

BURNET, Texas (July 4) – R. Lee Wrights, a former Libertarian Party national vice chair and the editor and co-founder of Liberty for All online magazine, announced today he is forming an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for a possible bid to seek the Libertarian nomination for president in 2012.

“The Libertarian Party faces a critical test in 2012 and I want to make sure that we’re up to the challenge,” Wrights said. “The Libertarian message in 2012 must be loud and clear – Stop the Wars! Stop the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, stop the war on drugs and alternative lifestyles, stop the war on civil liberties.”

Wrights said that it’s time to stop supporting politicians, regardless of party, who don’t even come close to fulfilling their campaign promises.

“President Obama was elected on a platform of ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Wrights said. “Instead of supporting the troops by bringing them home, he has sent thousands more young men and women to die needlessly to prop up a corrupt government in Afghanistan.”

“Now he’s wavering on his promise to bring the troops home by July 2011,” Wrights said. “He calls the war in Afghanistan a ‘war of necessity.’ It is no such thing. It is unnecessary, irresponsible and a dishonor to the founding principles of our republic.”

The president has also reneged on his promise to reverse the trampling of civil liberties which began under the Bush Administration. “He’s done just the opposite,” Wrights said. “He’s expanded federal power to invade our privacy and curtail our rights. He might not call it the ‘war on terror,’ but President Obama still uses 9/11 as an excuse to justify voiding the Bill of Rights.”

Wrights said he is most appalled by the way the president turns every issue he faces into a war by labeling anyone who opposes him as an enemy.

“Not content with just warring with the Republicans in Congress, the president has turned the Gulf oil spill into a war on oil companies. He’s used the financial crisis, which was largely caused by government regulation, interference and incompetence, to continue waging war on banks and financial institutions,” Wrights said.

“Even after his major victory in ramming through a massive health care bill which imposes federal government bureaucrats into our most intimate and personal health care decisions, President Obama continues to wage war on insurance companies and health care providers,” Wrights said. “Now, he’s opened a new front in Arizona over that state’s attempt to deal with an illegal immigrant situation his administration has failed to address.”

“Where will it end?” Wrights asked. “Is anything or anyone safe from being labeled an ‘enemy of the state’ and incurring the wrath of the federal government’s war-making power?”

Wrights pledged that 10 percent of all donations to his campaign will be given to the LP for ballot access. “Whoever is the 2012 Libertarian nominee for president, we must take our message to all 50 states and our message must be clear and unequivocal – Stop the Wars,” Wrights says.

Nullification Confuses Zombies

2010-06-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

Government Euphemisms

2010-06-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

Transformer Top Ten

2010-06-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

Let My Music Do The Talking

2010-06-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Antiwar.com's Week In Review (June 4th)

2010-06-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

Antiwar.com's Week in Review | June 4, 2010

Israel, Gaza

On Sunday night, Antiwar.com covered news of Israel’s deadly raid on the Gaza aid flotilla hours before the MSM. By Monday, Jason Ditz refuted claims of self-defense by Israeli soldiers, adding that – whether it carried metal sticks or not – the Mavi Marmara was "violating no international laws in trying to deliver medicine and food to civilian victims of an Israeli blockade. Israel, on the other hand, was most assuredly violating international law in attacking an unarmed aid ship on the open sea."

If indeed these facts check out, according to Philip Giraldi, "then Tel Aviv is guilty of piracy, kidnapping, and murder, while the armed attack on a Turkish flagged vessel might be construed as inviting a military response from NATO."

While Obama has said little, members of Congress have since come out in favor of Israel, and Vice President Joe Biden stated that Israel "had a right to know." Filing from Israel exclusively for Antiwar.com, Ran HaCohen found the local outrage conspicuously absent. "How can you turn millions of fairly educated citizens into silent lambs, or worse, into supporters of their own state’s terrorism?" HaCohen looked for answers in the press.

Ultimately, if "the only way we can make the Israelis feel ‘secure’ is by allowing them to engage in international piracy on the high seas," said Justin Raimondo, "then perhaps this is the sort of high-maintenance relationship we can no longer afford."

For more on the Gaza aid raid:

Terrorism: Cause and Effect

If the government does anything well, fomenting fear is high on the list. The Bush rhetoric of "terrorism 24/7" – inherited with open arms by Obama – has done a great deal to keep people afraid, but has it done anything to keep them safe?

In "Terrorism – Cause and Effect," Jack Smith argued that U.S. intervention abroad is often the cause of terrorist action, not the solution to it. He discussed five major policy decisions made in the last "65 years that turned public opinion in the Middle East against the United States and largely generated the conditions that led to the creation of al-Qaeda, jihadist warriors, and suicide bombers."

If the U.S. is more interested in perpetuating war than in defeating terrorism, perhaps Washington is the real enemy worth fearing.

Milestones Not Worth Celebrating

This week we officially passed the $1 trillion dollar mark for the cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not only does the U.S. lead the world in "defense" spending – a whopping 800 percent more than runner-up Russia – but we account for 44.32 percent of the total global tab.

And no sooner could AP tally the 1,000th U.S. military death in Afghanistan than Pentagon officials dismissed exit strategy timetables, saying that our eight-and-a-half-year long war could continue "way beyond July 2011."

Amid a devastating economic recession and despite warnings from the Congressional Budget Office that across-the-board cuts will need to be made, it seems that no amount of blood or money can deter the War Party.

Antiwar Radio

Antiwar Radio is expanding! As of June 7^th, Liberty Radio Network will carry Scott’s show Monday through Friday from 12–3 p.m. ET. It will also continue to air on KAOS Radio 95.9 FM in Austin, KPFK Pacifica Radio 90.7 FM in Los Angeles, 98.7 FM in Santa Barbara, KUCR 88.3 FM in Riverside, and of course on Antiwar.com.

This week’s guests included:

Winslow T. Wheeler, director of the Straus Military Reform Project, questioned Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ halfhearted fight against Pentagon waste and wondered why our always increasing Pentagon budget paradoxically results in the worst-equipped military in a generation.
Flynt Leverett, former senior director for Middle East Affairs at the National Security Council, discussed WMD myths and Iran’s nuclear program with guest host Gareth Porter. "Iran is a critically important country … and at this point, given the relative decline in American standing and influence and the relative increase in Iranian standing and influence, [we’d] argue that the United States …can’t achieve its own objectives" without improving relations.
Thomas Woods, co-editor of We Who Dared to Say No to War, reviewed the propaganda behind U.S. foreign policy and the slaughter of Iraqis. "If this government is run by liars and thieves and killers and I don’t trust a word they say on anything else, then I’m not giving them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their monopoly on the use of military force. I’m just not going to do it ,and I don’t believe that that’s anti-American."

Listen to all of this week’s guests here, and don’t forget you can chat with other listeners during the show at the Stress Blog.

We Make It Easy to Support Peace

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Also, bookmark this link and use it when you buy books and other merchandise on Amazon.com. Questions? Contact Angela at akeaton@antiwar.com or call 323-512-7095.

Meet Our New Communications Director

In an effort to raise awareness in the press and reach more people with the message of peace, Antiwar.com has hired Communications Director Wendy Honett. Honett formerly served as the publicity director at the Independent Institute and holds a bachelor of arts degree in both political science and mass communications from the University of California at Berkeley. She will be working closely with Antiwar.com Founder and Managing Editor Eric Garris, Executive Director Alexia Gilmore, and Development Director Angela Keaton to implement several strategic initiatives for Antiwar.com.

Connect With Us!

You know about our Web site, of course, but are you following us on Twitter? Check out @Antiwarcom, @Antiwarnews, and @Antiwar2 for updates. Or friend Justin, Scott, and Angela on Facebook and drop by our causes page.

Thank You!

Thank you to our loyal readers for your words of encouragement during the fund drive and, of course, for your generous contributions. We made it to $70,000, and we at Antiwar.com send our utmost appreciation. For information on donating, please contact Development Director Angela Keaton at akeaton@antiwar.com.

Beyond The Lighted Stage

2010-05-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

Never Soft - Peddle The Truth

2010-05-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

"Never soft-peddle the truth. It’s seldom self-evident and almost never sells itself, because there’s less sales resistance to a glib and comforting lie."

L. Neil Smith

"What Is A Reagan Libertarian" by R. Lee Wrights

2010-05-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

The original article was published at Liberty For All...

“Don’t write so that you can be understood, write so that you can’t be misunderstood.”

- William Howard Taft

The first time someone asked me, “What is a Reagan Libertarian?”, was in an e-mail from a person new to the Libertarian Party. I was contacted in my capacity as one of the At-large Representatives to the Libertarian National Committee. That particular question was one of several that this constituent asked for clarification. When I got to the question of what is a Reagan Libertarian, I felt it was a no-brainer and simply answered, “There is no such thing.”

I explained that Ronald Reagan had been a Democrat who, at some point, switched to the Republican Party where he eventually served two terms as President of the United States. I further explained that the term they probably meant, and I thought they were misquoting at the time, was the ever-popular “Reagan conservative,” which has been adopted by many disenfranchised Republicans who have become discouraged with the direction their party has taken in the years following the Reagan administrations.

Imagine my amazement when this constituent replied to me that it was I who was mistaken. He explained that there was, in fact, at least one prominent Libertarian out there calling himself a Reagan Libertarian. That person turned out to be former Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee Wayne Allyn Root.

Of course, I still couldn’t believe it and thought surely this new member was mistaken somehow. But in the e-mail was a link to Mr. Root’s Facebook page where, sure enough, there it was as big as life. WAR, as Mr. Root likes to refer to himself, proudly calling himself a Reagan Libertarian. Frankly, I was offended that our most recent VP nominee would so brazenly and blatantly misrepresent the LP brand in such a manner. I also realized that now we had a problem on our hands.

After reading Mr. Root’s book, I saw the problem more clearly than before. You see, Ronald Reagan is WAR’s hero. He loves the man. So much so in fact, he named his youngest son after the former Republican president. He idolizes Mr. Reagan even though he admits that once he gained the White House, after making promises to the contrary, he grew government spending to greater proportions than ever before. Apparently to Mr. Root, this is just a small boo-boo that can be all too easily forgiven, if not forgotten.

That’s right, Mr. Root’s idol is a politician who said whatever he had to say in order to get elected, only to turn around and do what he said he would not do once he was elected. In other words, just another pandering politician who would tell voters whatever they wanted to hear to gain the White House. Not a very good example for any member of the “Party of Principle” that has been calling for less government and more freedom for almost four decades now. So one has to wonder, just what does Wayne Allyn Root mean when he calls himself a Reagan Libertarian?

Now Mr. Root is the only person I have ever known in all my many years in the LP who refers to himself in this manner. Therefore, we can only use his own words to answer the question, “What is a Reagan Libertarian?” So let’s examine how WAR defines himself. He does so in his most-recent book, The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts.

Mr. Root is very upfront about who he is and what he is politically in his book. In fact, in the very first paragraph of the book’s introduction entitled “Citizen Politician - Citizen Revolution” he writes, “Politically, I’m a combination of Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, and Ron Paul - a Libertarian conservative, supercharged, and on steroids!” (Emphasis is his, not mine.) There you have it in a nutshell, in Wayne Allyn Root’s own words. Let’s take a close look at what he is saying.

The first half of his self-description reads, “Politically, I’m a combination of Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, and Ron Paul…” Do the math with me here. Senator Goldwater was a Republican. President Reagan was a Democrat turned Republican. Dr. Paul is a Republican turned Libertarian turned Republican. All three men were/are elected Republicans. Mr. Root claims to be a combination of all three men. So, Republican + Republican + Republican can only equal Republican! There is no other way for the “combination” to add up.

Mr. Root seems to try to clarify himself in the second half of his self-description by claiming the title “Libertarian conservative,” but that doesn’t jive with the first half of his statement. The inference is that all three men were/are also Libertarian conservatives, yet we know for a fact that they were/are all Republicans. Seems misleading to me, but that is just my opinion, of course. Honestly, the majority of Libertarians I know just call themselves Libertarians. We see no need for qualifiers. In fact, since being Libertarian covers such a wide political spectrum, many of us believe using qualifiers to describe Libertarians can be misleading.

WAR brings his self-description home with the big finale, “…supercharged and on steroids!” (Please remember, the emphasis is his not mine.) Well, I have seen what steroids can do to people. I had to take care of some of them in the military hospital where I worked years ago. I know what steroids do to the body and the mind when they have been abused. Not a pretty sight, believe me. Steroids will definitely “supercharge” you, but they can also destroy you if you are not careful. Sadly, they can also cause you to destroy those around you. In fact, the danger you pose to others when using steroids is perhaps the most damaging part of this whole equation. I’m afraid by being too reckless with his words Mr. Root has put all of us in the Libertarian Party in a position where we now must do damage control.

President Taft provided us with some sage advice when he wrote, “Don’t write so that you can be understood, write so that you can’t be misunderstood.” It is doubly important for Libertarians to heed this advice since we have spent the better part of forty years trying to distance ourselves from the two major political parties in the United States. We realize we must set ourselves apart from the status quo in order to be perceived as a viable alternative for voters who have become fed up with the shenanigans of the Democrats and Republicans. Unfortunately, whenever Mr. Root tells anyone he is a Reagan Libertarian, the first thing that comes to mind is - Republican. He sets us back decades, intentionally or unintentionally, with this one careless statement, because what it says to far too many of us is, “I am still a Republican.”

We Libertarians have enough trouble with Democrats and Republicans who constantly try to brand us as something we are not. Both parties go out of their way to smear us as being everything from anarchists to un-American zealots. The last thing we need right now is one of our own providing them with extra ammunition for the political war in which we find ourselves.

In just a couple of weeks, Libertarians from all across the country will gather in St. Louis for our national convention. There we will be asked to decide who will be our next chairman of the Libertarian National Committee, an office for which Wayne Allyn Root is currently running, along with four other men. As I see it, we are faced with a choice between four Libertarians and one “Reagan Libertarian.” For the good of my party I will be voting for a Libertarian. If you are a delegate to the Libertarian national convention, I hope you will too.

R. Lee Wrights is a writer and political activist living in Texas. He is the co-founder and editor of the free speech online magazine Liberty For All. Contact Lee at rleewrights@gmail.com.

Should His Conscience Be Your Guide? by Mary Ruwart

2010-05-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

The original article was published at Liberty For All.

The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling, and Tax Cuts by Wayne Allyn Root. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2009.

This book might be more honestly titled “Conscience of a Conservative II” or even “Conscience of a Constitutionalist.” Chapter 2, “The Libertarian Model,” opens with Ronald Reagan’s quote “Libertarianism is the very heart and soul of conservatism.” The author then describes the history of the New York State Conservative Party which his parents supported; he tells us that he wants to reintroduce the principles espoused by Republican conservative Barry Goldwater. No mention is made of any libertarian economist or Libertarian Party (LP) member. The uninformed reader cannot help but come away with the impression that “libertarian” is another name for “conservative.”

On page 24, Mr. Root goes on to say “As a Libertarian, I believe that social and personal freedom issues are quite simply States’ Rights’ issues. … Voters should decide these issues on the state and local level.” Root’s position is that of a Constitutionalist, not a Libertarian. Libertarians believe that social and personal freedom issues are individual rights. However, since Mr. Root never refers to the non-aggression principle anywhere in his book, naïve readers are unlikely to learn of this distinction.

Liberals will almost certainly come away with the impression that they are unwelcome in the Libertarian Party. While the author criticizes both Democrats and Republicans, he has nothing but praise for conservatives and offensive comments, almost to the level of “hate speech,” for liberals.

Indeed, Root chokes on the popular slogan “Libertarians are fiscally conservative and socially liberal.” He insists on saying that libertarians are “socially tolerant” instead. Since Conscience was originally conceived as a campaign book, why would the author, the LP’s 2008 Libertarian VP nominee, insist on alienating liberals, who constitute almost half of the voting populace, especially when the LP has the solutions to poverty, pollution, and health care that they seek?

The answer to this question may lie in how the author apparently sees himself: as a conservative first, and Libertarian second. He usually styles himself as a “Libertarian conservative” (page 60), even though libertarianism is generally considered “beyond right and left.” Mr. Root apparently wants to redefine what it means to be a libertarian.

Indeed, Mr. Root can’t seem to get the words out when stating standard LP positions, like ending the Drug War. He tells us that we must “reposition” the war on drugs instead (page 225).

Similarly, although telling readers he wants smaller government, the author’s proposed solutions often do just the opposite. He wants to increase the number of Congressional representatives from 435 members to almost 3,000 (pages 201-203). Mr. Root also wants to pay this gargantuan Congress CEO-level salaries ($500,000-$1,000,000 per year) “so they do not feel desperate to sell out their constituents in order to support their families” (page 202). Will paying more to those who steal our liberties and our money really stop them—or encourage them?

Why not simply make it illegal for Congress to pass laws favoring one group over another, like taking from Peter to give to Paul? That would be the Libertarian solution, but our former VP candidate shows little awareness of it.

Mr. Root continues: “The people who make our laws are very important people. We should try to pay them enough to attract the best and brightest (page 202).” Since virtually every law Congress passes violates our individual rights—and will continue to do so unless we place some truly libertarian restrictions on them—do we really want them to do it smarter and better?

The author is undaunted by those who point out that the LP hasn’t yet elected anyone to major national office. Mr. Root counters that the LP has a great message, “but the missing ingredient up until now has been heart. I am Stella Root’s son. I am relentless. I have a bigger heart than a thousand candidates. More heart than all the others that came before me—combined… We have had plenty of intellect, plenty of brainpower, plenty of good ideas, but up until now, not enough heart” (page 347, emphasis in original).

Judging from my three decades of observation, I would say that the LP has heart far beyond what any single person can bring to it. The Natural Law Party, with better funding and more political connections than the LP, threw in the towel years ago. The Reform Party, with taxpayer money and a more mainstream message, has self-destructed. Recently, when National Chair Bill Redpath approached the Constitution and the Green Parties for ballot access help, he learned that both of these groups could barely keep their doors open.

Unlike the Greens, we receive no special interest funding. Unlike the Reform Party, we’ve never accepted matching funds. Unlike the Natural Law Party, we don’t have donors with deep pockets. Unlike the Constitution Party, we didn’t get Ron Paul’s endorsement. How is it that the LP, with the most radical message of all, is the only third party that is a recognized threat to the establishment, standing tall when other Parties are on their way to oblivion?

The dedication of thousands of LP members make up the Party’s heart, which beats more powerfully than that of any individual. Many of our seasoned activists forgo the high pay they could get in the private sector to volunteer their time to gather ballot access signatures, run full-time campaigns, staff our state and national organizations, or spread the good news of liberty through their writing. Others donate their hard-earned money to help support the national office or their state parties. Many of our members have given, not just for a single year or two like the author has, but for decades, in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The dedication and relentlessness of thousands of LP supporters have created the pulpit on which Mr. Root now stands; he abuses it when he belittles their contributions with grandiose and unsupported self-aggrandizement.

Mr. Root’s dismissal of his LP predecessors is apparent in statements like “I’m the only politician in history who wants to make my office less important” (page xxviii). Every LP presidential ticket has vowed to shrink the power of their offices, but the author appears oblivious. He also claims to be “… the first candidate to run for president who has the same worries of a typical U.S. voter and taxpayer” (page 99), a patently false statement given his LP predecessors. On page 64, the author claims that he and Barr “attracted a record number of new LP members,” when that honor belongs to two-time presidential nominee, Harry Browne.

Truth may not be that important to Root, though. On p. 249, he states “I understand that in the end, all that matters is winning. All the principles in the world gain you nothing, if you’re not in power to institute them. So winning really is everything…” We’ve heard this argument from the mouth of tyrants everywhere: the ends justify the means.

Is this the conscience of a libertarian?

Dr. Mary Ruwart currently serves as an At-large Representative of the Libertarian National Committee. You can contact Dr. Ruwart at mary@ruwart.com.

3 Month Rundown...

2010-05-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

My most played artists of the past three months...

1	Trapeze	56
2	Diamond Head	54
3	Black Flag	52
4	Coheed and Cambria	50
5	Black Breath	44
6	Raven	40
7	HORSE the band	39
8	Deep Purple	37
9	Thin Lizzy	34
10	High on Fire	33
11	Massive Attack	30
12	Halford	27
13	Armored Saint	26
13	Whitesnake	26
15	Uriah Heep	24

Out In The Woods...

2010-05-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

Show Me Your Papers!

2010-04-27T19:09:00.001-07:00

Joint Resolution Against Celgard Tax Incentives

2010-04-18T20:33:00.001-07:00

The Libertarian Party of Cabarrus County joins the Cabarrus Campaign For Liberty in opposition to the proposed economic development grant to benefit Celgard, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Polypore
International, Inc.

The county commission will entertain a proposal to extend three 4 year grants of 85% of the ad valorem taxes and an upfront payment of $350,000 to offset land prices.*

In response to the proposed grant, LP Cabarrus Chair Thomas Hill said, "Free enterprise should succeed or fail based on it's own merits. Extending governmental privileges to certain companies at the expense of others reeks of corporate fascism."

When asked of the proper role of government in the economy, Hill explained, "Government should protect free enterprise from force and fraud instead of distorting the market with corporate welfare schemes. Reducing regulations and property tax rates will encourage businesses to invest in the county."

Cabarrus Campaign For Liberty Coordinator Lloyd Morris believes the tax incentives should be taken off the table. "Celgard has already decided to locate here. The county already has the assets and quality of life that attracts business investment."

Morris also worries about treating all county businesses equally. "We should not offer Celgard anything we are not willing to share with every other business in this county. We should all be equal before the law."

The members of both organizations support and applaud the efforts of pro business advocates in the county. Our only objection is the tactic of using tax money and tax incentives to benefit certain corporations. We support free markets and the prosperity they provide.

In Liberty,

Thomas Hill
Chair, Libertarian Party of Cabarrus County

Lloyd Morris
Cabarrus Campaign For Liberty Coordinator

* taken from County Commission agenda for April 19th meeting. (pages 120, 121 and 122)

12 Month Soundtrack...

2010-04-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

1	Creeper Lagoon	102
2	Diamond Head	95
3	10cc	93
4	Black Sabbath	92
5	The Mars Volta	91
6	Metallica	84
7	King Crimson	82
8	Rush	79
8	Guided by Voices	79
10	Thin Lizzy	75
11	Coheed and Cambria	67
12	Led Zeppelin	65
13	Dio	64
13	Cream	64
15	Chicago	63

The Nature Of The State...

2010-03-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

"Civilized people do not require a state to keep other civilized people from violating their rights, rather uncivilized unsuccessful people need a state to be predatory on other people in order to mitigate the costs of their failures." ~Harry Felker

Goldman Sucks

2010-03-08T16:26:00.001-08:00

C4L - Liberty On The March

2010-03-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

[From C4L]

Congressman Ron Paul’s incredible straw poll victory at CPAC (with, I’ve been told, the most support of any straw poll victor in the Conference’s history) sent a clear message to the establishment that not only are we more energized and passionate than ever, but we are organized and ready to take our freedoms back. Across the country, Americans who are fed up with the federal government’s abuse of the Constitution are training to more efficiently take action, alerting their fellow countrymen to threats against freedom, passing out materials, contacting Congress, and running for office themselves.

And as more people become fed up with standing by while Washington, D.C. continues to trample on states’ rights, state legislators are fighting back as well.

First introduced by a Ron Paul supporter in Montana, legislation to nullify federal laws and regulations on guns and ammo manufactured in states and staying within state borders has spread all over the country.

The Montana bill was signed by the governor in April 2009, and Tennessee enacted such legislation a few months later.

In February 2010, Utah’s House and Senate passed SB 11, the Utah State-made Firearms Protection Act. And C4L has received word that SB 11 has been signed by Governor Gary Herbert and is now state law!

HB 1285, introduced in New Hampshire, takes Firearms Freedom legislation a step further by mandating criminal penalties for any official who tries to enforce nullified federal laws and regulations in defiance of HB 1285.

Further illustrating the renewed interest across the country in defending our liberties, Virginia C4L Executive Director Donna Holt and her team have started a Tenth Amendment Revolution in Virginia!

In addition to successfully championing the Virginia Firearms Freedom Act through passage in the Virginia House of Delegates with a bipartisan vote of 70–29 (and currently advocating for its passage in the Senate), VA C4L has been closely working with state legislators to pass legislation nullifying any federal health insurance mandate and shielding Virginians from paying any penalties for not purchasing federally-approved health care.

SB 417, the Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act, passed in February with wide bipartisan support, and Governor McDonnell is expected to sign the legislation soon. Meanwhile, newly-elected pro-liberty Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is reportedly chomping at the bit to litigate Virginia’s sovereign rights should Washington pass some form of ObamaCare.

In Arizona, HCR 2014, the Health Care Freedom Act, passed the Arizona Legislature in 2009 and will be on the November 2010 ballot.

On February 17, C4L Vice President of Programs Matt Hawes appeared before the Maryland State Senate Finance Committee to testify on behalf of SB 397, the Health Care Freedom Act of 2010.

As Matt told the Committee, “SB 397 will help contribute to this renewed national discussion over the proper role of government in our lives and, more directly, it may help keep the federal government from continuing to expand its unconstitutional health care agenda. It is not only within the power of the sovereign state of Maryland, but it is its duty to stand between its people and an overreaching federal government.”

These are just some of the states that have taken action to push back against an out of control federal government!

Despite the establishment's best effort to convince you that our movement will be easily contained, our work to spread the message is gaining more supporters every day.

A recent Rasmussen survey revealed that 59% of "likely voters" believe states should have the right to opt out of federal programs with which they don't agree. Such a number would have been unimaginable just a few years ago, but we still have our work cut out for us.

If you are not involved with your state or local C4L group, visit our website and see what is going on in your state today! And be sure to check out our Recent Member Posts section, where you can find out more about the great work your fellow C4L members are doing in their local areas.

Our fight to Audit the Fed has made the Federal Reserve a topic of everyday political conversation, and we put so much pressure on the Senate that, although they voted to reconfirm Ben Bernanke to another term as Fed chairman, he received the fewest votes in support of any Fed chairman in history.

These successes are only the beginning of what our movement can (and will) accomplish. Taking back our nation starts with reclaiming our own backyards, and our Founding Fathers would be proud to see states once again standing up for their sovereignty.

And they would also be proud of patriots like those in C4L who are carrying on the battle!

Campaign for Liberty can only fight on as many fronts as the continued support of our members allows, however. If you are able to at this time, please consider donating to C4L today. With every effort we make to spread the message, we are pushing back against those who seemingly have nothing better to do than try to interfere with our lives. We have the momentum and the message. Together, let’s finish this fight and take back our country! In Liberty,

John Tate President

Donate To Freedom

2010-03-03T14:02:00.001-08:00

Dr. Abolish....

2010-02-16T20:18:00.001-08:00

Hand In Hand...

2010-02-05T16:00:00.001-08:00

"It is a myth that there prevails a conflict between the interests of the corporations and firms and those of the people employed by them. In fact, good profits and high real wages go hand in hand." - Ludwig von Mises

To learn more, click on the link below...

http://mises.org/daily/4092

Hermes In The Agora...

2010-02-05T09:53:00.000-08:00

"Competition, if sustained, will inevitably lead to the death of government."
Nick Louras

For the whole article, click here...

To Protect And Serve...

2010-01-24T10:19:00.001-08:00

"The tacit assumption here is that police are entitled to kill anyone at any time who displays anything other than immediate, complete, unconditional submission. This is why every encounter between police and citizens is freighted with the potential for lethal violence — and why those who travel by automobile are helots on wheels."

William Grigg

To read about a murder at a police checkpoint, click the link below...

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/048418.html

Down With The CIA

2010-01-23T05:42:00.000-08:00

"There's been a coup, have you heard? It's the CIA coup. The CIA runs everything, they run the military. They're the ones who are over there lobbing missiles and bombs on countries. ... And of course the CIA is every bit as secretive as the Federal Reserve. ... And yet think of the harm they have done since they were established [after] World War II. They are a government unto themselves. They're in businesses, in drug businesses, they take out dictators ... We need to take out the CIA."

Ron Paul

And The Winner So Far Is...

2010-01-19T21:21:00.000-08:00

These are the top 15 songs of my audioscrobbling era. Notice the wider range of diversity compared to my top 15 bands during the same time period. Only two of those bands have songs on my most played song list,....... Black Sabbath and Cirith Ungol.

Weird...

1	Jefferson Starship – Miracles full track	56
2	Brothers Johnson – Strawberry Letter 23 full track	38
2	Boz Scaggs – Lowdown full track	38
4	Boz Scaggs – Lido Shuffle full track	35
5	Jefferson Starship – Runaway full track	33
6	Cream – Badge full track	32
7	Donnie Iris – Ah! Leah! full track	30
8	Commodores – Easy full track	29
8	Black Sabbath – Slipping Away	29
8	Kim Carnes – More Love full track	29
8	Jefferson Starship – With Your Love full track	29
12	Cirith Ungol – Death of the Sun full track	28
12	10cc – I'm Not In Love full track	28
12	Queen – Play the Game	28
12	Alcatrazz – Mercy full track	28

The Govern Thyself Top 15 Bands

2010-01-19T20:28:00.000-08:00

These are the 15 most played bands since I discovered the wonders of the Last FM audioscrobbler. Effortlessly create a journal or diary of the bands that provide that sonic soundtrack as you plot to make the world more free...unless your music sucks enough for you to keep it a secret. :^)

1	Creeper Lagoon	351
2	The Mars Volta	234
3	Metallica	230
4	Black Sabbath	224
5	Queensrÿche	214
6	Guided by Voices	199
7	Protest the Hero	186
8	Rush	172
8	Cirith Ungol	172
10	Diamond Head	154
11	Tesla	153
12	Gojira	150
13	Iron Maiden	149
14	Symphony X	148
15	Dream Theater	146

Ron Paul Gets Some Good Advice

2010-01-13T11:47:00.000-08:00

Campaign For Liberty In Atlanta

2010-01-08T18:06:00.001-08:00

Next weekend (Jan. 15 - 17), I will be attending the Campaign For Liberty Regional Conference in Atlanta. Mike Helms, libertarian Democrat challenger to Congressman Mel Watt in the 12th District, will be accompanying me to the conference. We both look forward to a weekend of campaign training and fellowship with some of the leading lights in the liberty movement.

It's not to late to sign up. Registration for the conference is a incredibly low $65. Ron Paul will be there. I am really looking forward to the Economic Liberty Forum with Lew Rockwell, Thomas Woods and Thomas DiLorenzo. That alone is worth the price of the entire weekend.

To find out more and sign up, visit the link below...

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/event/2010atlanta.php

Hope to see you there...

Ron Paul Versus The GOP Establishment

2010-01-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry Kitty!

2010-01-05T18:46:00.000-08:00

Sorry Kitty! Bailouts are for Wall Street fat cats. Here, have some government cheese.

Most Played Bands The Past 12 Months

2010-01-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

If you will allow me a short break from politics, here is my most played list from the past 12 months...

A soundtrack for my on-line political activism. Monkey wrenching is more fun with rock & roll...

1	The Mars Volta	112
2	Black Sabbath	101
3	Creeper Lagoon	88
4	Rush	87
4	10cc	87
6	Axel Rudi Pell	85
7	King Crimson	82
8	Guided by Voices	81
9	Sacred Oath	80
10	Metallica	66
10	Queensrÿche	66
12	Thin Lizzy	65
13	Dio	64
13	Led Zeppelin	64
15	Chicago	63

To Be Governed

2010-01-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

"To be GOVERNED is to be watched, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-driven, numbered, regulated, enrolled, indoctrinated, preached at, controlled, checked, estimated, valued, censured, commanded, by creatures who have neither the right nor the wisdom nor the virtue to do so."

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

Give The Gift Of "Common Sense"

2009-12-31T15:36:00.001-08:00

Principles Unto Death

2009-12-29T09:58:00.001-08:00

"I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death."

Thomas Paine

Reassert Your Liberty, North Carolina

2009-12-28T12:15:00.001-08:00

For More Information Contact: Brian Irving, Press Secretary, (919) 538-4548

Mike Beitler Makes His New Year's Resolution.

GREENSBORO (Dec. 28) -- Mike Beitler didn't have much trouble coming up with his New Year's Resolutions. Ever since he announced he was seeking the Libertarian nomination for U.S. Senate, he knew he'd be spending most of the new year earning the confidence and the vote of his fellow North Carolinians.

"In 2010, I'll be devoting my time and energy convincing the people of North Carolina that it is time for them to reassert their liberty and to send a libertarian to represent them in the U.S. Senate.," Beitler said.

"So these – my New Year's Resolutions – represent my pledge and my promise to the people of North Carolina:

"First, I always vote in favor of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of North Carolina. Every issue. Every time. Every issue. No exceptions. No excuses.
"Second, I will continue to oppose any and all efforts by the federal government to act beyond its Constitutional authority.

"Third, I will introduce, sponsor, and support legislation to repeal laws and regulations that are outside the scope of the powers delegated by the people to the federal government.

"Fourth, I will only vote in favor of a bill that I have thoroughly read, considered and understood.

"Fifth, I will be accountable to voters. I will make public every vote I cast while in office."

"These may seem like radical concepts," Beitler said. "But the only seem radical because the Democrats and Republicans who've dominated our state's politics for so long have befuddled people into thinking that government was the solution to all their problems."

"It is not."

"The time has come to stop talking in terms of reducing the budgets of various government programs and agencies," Beitler said. "The time has come to abolish entire Federal programs and agencies. That's why I am running for U.S. Senate."

Dr. Mike Beitler (pronounced Bite-ler) is a keynote speaker and workshop leader sought after for his expertise in business, politics, and economics. His internet radio talk show "Free Markets"gives listeners insights from leading thinkers into today's business, economic and political issues. In a world of unrelenting free-market bashing by the media and outrageous government interventions, "Free Markets" offers a refreshing libertarian, free-market perspective.

Beitler he has been recognized as a leading business executive, business consultant, business professor and business author for 30 years. His book "Strategic Organizational Change" is required reading in MBA programs worldwide. "Rational Individualism: A Moral Argument for Limited Government and Capitalism" is widely acclaimed by libertarians and free-market advocates as the leading guide for today's political and economic issues.

-30-

MIKE BEITLER FOR U.S. SENATE
P.O. Box 38353
Greensboro NC 27438 USA
Phone & Fax: (336) 334-4534

Neo Con Of The Decade

2009-12-28T11:18:00.000-08:00

Please Keep Michael Badnarik In Your Thoughts And Prayers

2009-12-22T11:10:00.000-08:00

[I just found this terrible news in my in box from Gary Franchi....]

Thomas,

I just received word that the President of the 2009 Continental Congress and 2004 Presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party, Michael Badnarik had a Heart Attack this morning and in an unconscious state. His condition is serious.

His Mother, Elaine, reported to me that Michael was in Madison, Wisconsin attending a hearing regarding a raw milk case. After the hearing he got in a car to go to lunch with friends, He then slumped over. His friends attempted CPR and contacted the paramedics. They attempted to revive him 3 times with no success. Upon the 4th attempt his heart was revived yet with erratic behavior.

He was taken by helicopter to Gunderson Lutheran Hospital CCU in Lacrosse, WI. Please do no call or visit the hospital, only family is allowed.

He has been fitted with a temporary pacemaker and a balloon pump to ease stress on his heart.

I have no further details at this time. Please watch your email box for an update.

Michael is a true asset and leader in our movement who works tirelessly and selflessly for freedom. Please pray for Michael at this time.

In Freedom,

Gary Franchi

Ron Reacts To Time's "Person Of The Year"

2009-12-16T11:24:00.000-08:00

Ron Paul Versus The War Pigs...

2009-12-02T15:51:00.000-08:00

Blind Partisan Obedience...

2009-11-10T10:39:00.001-08:00

is the enemy of individual liberty...

"The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty."

George Washington

No Four Lettered Word...

2009-11-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

"Anarchy is not a four letter word. It's a seven-letter word. So is freedom. So is liberty."
R. Lee Wrights

Economic Malpratice...

2009-11-10T07:58:00.000-08:00

Run Ron, Run!

2009-11-08T07:56:00.001-08:00

Operation Health Freedom...

2009-11-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

Audit The Fed Update...

2009-11-01T14:22:00.001-08:00

More Government, Less Liberty

2009-10-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

"In terms of actual change, as a matter of fact, there hasn't been an election in the United States since its inception that has driven the country solidly onto a course toward less government and more liberty. Each, rather, has driven the country toward more government and less liberty."

Karl Hess

Red Alert!

2009-10-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

The Power Of Peace...

2009-10-25T11:20:00.001-07:00

A Great Soul...

2009-10-20T13:26:00.001-07:00

"Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak, and that it is doing God's service when it is violating all His laws."
John Adams

More Choices Equal Economic Growth...

2009-10-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

"An increase in the supply of consumer goods conveys a benefit to consumers. There is a greater variety of goods to choose from. Put another way, there has been an increase in choices with the same money supply. This is the best way to define economic growth: increased choices."

Gary North

For the whole article, click below...

http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north770.html

War of the Worlds: London, 1898; Kabul, 2009

2009-10-12T19:44:00.001-07:00

War of the Worlds: London, 1898; Kabul, 2009

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Government is really bad at protecting the little guy

2009-10-12T13:54:00.001-07:00

Government is really bad at protecting the little guy

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Where Did It Go?

2009-10-12T13:47:00.001-07:00

...governthyself.com that is. This blog's big brother is down for a little while. Someone stole my credit card number and went on a on-line spending spree. My credit card is canceled and I have to wait for my new one to arrive. The domain name expired a day after my card was canceled. The hosting company told me sorry, but we can't help you.

I will get the site up as soon as the new card arrives...

The State's War on Family Farms (continued)

2009-10-08T15:44:00.001-07:00

The State's War on Family Farms (continued)

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The New Left Was Right

2009-10-08T08:10:00.001-07:00

The New Left Was Right

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The GOP should acknowledge a domestic enemy, the State

2009-10-08T08:06:00.001-07:00

The GOP should acknowledge a domestic enemy, the State

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Bernanke Lies...

2009-10-07T19:41:00.001-07:00

Bernanke's Great Fib - The "Gold Standard" and the Great Depression

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Ron Paul Yells "Whoa!"...

2009-10-07T17:21:00.000-07:00

From a Wall Street Journal article,

"In a letter they will send to Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd this afternoon, Reps. Ron Paul (R., Tex.) and Alan Grayson (D., Fla.) will ask that the Senate hold off on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s confirmation hearing until the central bank releases more information about its rescues. ( Read the full letter.)"

Click the link below for the rest of the article...

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2009/10/07/ron-paul-calls-for-delay-in-bernanke-confirmation/?mod=mktw

H/T to Young Americans For Liberty...

Orgins Of Natural Rights...

2009-10-07T17:16:00.001-07:00

Dr. Abolish For U.S. Senate

2009-09-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

Contact: Brian Irving, Press Secretary, 919.538.4548

*MIKE BEITLER SEEKS LIBERTARIAN U.S. SENATE NOMINATION*

GREENSBORO (Sept. 17) – Dr. Michael Beitler announced today he’s seeking the Libertarian Party’s nomination for U.S. Senate in 2010.

“I want you to know, I am committed to abolishing Federal programs and agencies, not to creating new ones,” Beitler told supporters and news media gathered for the announcement at the PTI Airport Marriott Hotel.

“Big government is causing more problems than it is claiming to fix,” he said. “Federal Government’s spending is out of control. Total reported – and unreported – Federal Government debt has taken us to the point of no-return.”

“It’s time to stop the madness,” Beitler said. He said the time has come to stop talking in terms of reducing the budgets of various government programs and agencies.

“The time has come to abolish entire Federal programs and agencies,” Beitler said. Noting that Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) has become know as “Dr. No” in the U.S. House of Representatives, Beitler said he wants to be known as “Dr. Abolish” in the U.S. Senate.

Beitler is business practice professor in The Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. He’s authored three business books used in MBA programs and hosts the Internet radio show “Free Markets With Dr. Mike Beitler” on the VoiceAmerica Business Network.

Beitler also wrote a book about his libertarian philosophy, “Rational Individualism: A Moral Argument for Limited Government & Capitalism.”

The Libertarian Party, the third largest party in the United States, has been active in North Carolina since 1978.It has been the largest and most active third party in modern North Carolina history.

Libertarians have run candidates for President in all but one of the presidential election years since then. This occurred despite the fact that the state has the second most restricted ballot access restrictions in the nation.

In 2008, Mike Munger earned nearly three percent of the vote for governor, enabling the Libertarian Party to retain its spot on the ballot through 2012.

Union County Tea Party...

2009-09-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

As you can detect from the photo above, I am not a photographer. I am an activist that takes pictures, every now and then. For those without perfect vision, that's BJ Lawson speaking at the tea party today. Dr. Lawson has played a big part in the Ron Paul Revolution. I believe his best work is yet to come.

If you try really hard, you may recognize Dr. Michael Munger above. The 2008 LP candidate for governor didn't disappoint the crowd assembled on the grounds of the old Union County Courthouse. It was a pleasure, as always, to see Dr. Munger. North Carolina is very fortunate to have young liberty leaders such as Munger and Lawson.

We had a steady flow of folks stopping by the LP booth. We gathered some signatures for HR 1207/S 604 (audit the fed bills) as did the Campaign For Liberty folks set up beside us. Being a member of both the LP and Campaign For Liberty, I had the best of both worlds. I cherish the friendships and unity shared by the liberty movement at in the Charlotte region.

Libertarian Candidate For U.S. Senate

2009-09-08T08:01:00.001-07:00

MIKE BEITLER
Libertarian for U.S. Senate

Contact: Brian Irving
919.438.4548
brian@libertypoint.org

DR. MIKE BEITLER ANNOUNCES FOR U.S. SENATE

GREENSBORO (Sept. 8) --Dr. Michael Beitler (pronounced Bite-ler) will
announce his candidacy for the Libertarian Party's nomination for the
U.S. Senate September 17 at a press conference in the Piedmont-Triad
International Airport Marriott Hotel at 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Michael Munger, 2008 Libertarian gubernatorial candidate and
Barbara Howe, North Carolina Libertarian Party chair will also speak
at the press conference.

As a U.S. Senator, Beitler promises to dramatically reduce the size of
the Federal government. "The big-spending, big-government advocates,
both Democrats and Republicans, must be stopped. We are beyond the
point of simply reducing government program budgets; now we must
abolish entire government programs and agencies"
he said.

Beitler is a business practice professor in The Bryan School of
Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro

.
"I tell my young students, I am ashamed of what the baby-boom
generation is doing to the futures of young Americans. An inheritance
of tens of trillions of dollars in debt is a disgraceful legacy," he
said.

He is the host of "Free Markets With Dr. Mike Beitler," an
internet-radio show that airs on the VoiceAmerica Business Network.
Beitler is the author of three business books used in MBA programs and
"Rational Individualism: A Moral Argument for Limited Government &
Capitalism," a book about his libertarian political philosophy.

Beitler believes his experience as a chief financial officer in
banking and his current work as business consultant will allow him to
quickly see which government programs and agencies must be eliminated.
"I will have a contract with the citizens of North Carolina. If I
cannot accomplish the goal of abolishing government programs and
agencies, the citizens of North Carolina can fire me mid-term,"
Beitler promised.

Beitler has three adult children. He and his wife, Danielle, live in
northwest Guilford County.

The Birth Of The Campaign For Liberty...

2009-09-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

Rose-Croix Contribution To Peace...

2009-08-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

"I contribute to Peace when I strive to express the best of myself in my contacts with others.

I contribute to Peace when I use my intelligence and my abilities to serve the Good.

I contribute to Peace when I feel compassion toward all those who suffer.

I contribute to Peace when I look upon all as my brothers and sisters regardless of race, culture, or religion.

I contribute to Peace when I rejoice over the happiness of others and pray for their well-being.

I contribute to Peace when I listen with tolerance to opinions that differ from mine or even oppose them.

I contribute to Peace when I resort to dialogue rather than to force to settle any conflict.

I contribute to Peace when I respect Nature and preserve it for generations to come.

I contribute to Peace when I do not seek to impose my conception of God upon others.

I contribute to Peace when I make Peace the foundation of my ideals and philosophy."

In This Corner!

2009-08-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

Get On With It, Already!

2009-08-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

Kettle Black...

2009-08-28T13:37:00.001-07:00

Check out the link below for a blog post from Doug Bandow concerning the irony of arresting private citizens for counterfeiting. What does the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve do on a daily basis?

When is the Secret Service going to investigate the Fed?

Another example of "Rules for me and rules for Thee"....

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/index.php#24435

Madame Speaker, Let's Vote on HR 1207...

2009-08-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

Kinda Makes One Feel Small...

2009-08-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

A Review Of The Past Month

2009-08-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

Excuse me as I play catch up here. I have been pretty busy outside of my political life. I am working on my fraternity website; catching up on my reading and spending time with some of my non-political friends. All politics and no play makes Thomas a dull boy, don't you know!

Last month, I drove (all by my lonesome) out to St. Louis for the Libertarian National Committee meeting. I must confess, my main reason for such a long road trip was the opportunity to see Dr. Ruwart again (sorry Lee Wrights, you come in a distant 2nd, ;^P). She was kind enough to provide me and my good friend Sean Haugh a room to share. Dr. Ruwart is such a thoughtful and giving person! Of course, anybody who knows Dr. Ruwart will tell you the same thing.

It was great seeing so many good friends from all across this great land. Among those were Dr. Jim Lark from Virginia, Rachel Hawkridge from Washington state, Julie Fox from Illinois, Dr. George Phillies from Massachusetts, and St. Louis home boy, Thomas Knapp. It was good to see Wes Benedict again, especially as the new Executive Director of the LP. He is a perfect fit for the job. Hiring Wes was by far the best action taken by the LNC this term.

I also got to spend some time with Jake Porter. Jake is a fine young man. I expect great things from Jake. He is a rising star in the LP. I also met Donny Ferguson, Communications Director of the LP. Donny is also a rising star in the LP. I just wish he would broaden his communications beyond the right side of the political spectrum.

It was great hanging out with fellow North Carolinian, Chris Thrasher of Free & Equal. Chris is another young person with a bright future ahead of him. I especially enjoyed dinner on Saturday night with Chris, Sean Haugh, local LP'er Rob Cunningham and LP Vice-Chair, Michael Jingozian. Michael is fun to hang out with. He is very talented and I hope the LP will utilize his skills in the future.

The meeting itself was pretty much a waste of talent and time. A lot of time was spent in executive session. I hope the delegates at next year's LP convention choose new leadership. It would suit me if they completely picked a new slate. That includes replacing those I tend to agree with most of the time. The LP really needs to clean house.

The week after the St. Louis trip, I worked the LP booth at the Vans Warped Festival in Charlotte. Rick Smith from Mecklenburg County helped me out. Except for the storm that passed through near the end of the event, the weather was as good as could be expected for this time of year. It was plenty hot enough, but thankfully there was cool breeze blowing most of the time.

I have been doing these outreach events for almost ten years now and this event was one of my best experiences. Quite a few angry people came by the booth. They were glad we were there. My favorite moment happened when a young fellow, probably around 17 years old, approached our booth. I welcomed him with my usual line, "Are you familiar with the LP?". He grinned and answered, "I'm a anarcho-capitalist whom happens to support the LP." I was surprised and thrilled at the same time!

There may be hope for us yet!

Resignation As C4L Region 8 Coordinator

2009-08-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

I have reluctantly turned in my resignation as Region 8 Coordinator. Campaign For Liberty President John Tate issued a memo concerning C4L coordinators seeking public office.

Since the C4L is an 501 (c)4 organization and prohibited from directly supporting or aiding candidates, it could create legal problems for C4L and individuals such as myself. Frankly, I don't give a damn about legal problems about myself. I am a dedicated enemy of the State. The Leviathan can lay down and rot in Hell as far as I'm concerned.

Sorry for the anti-government rant. I have a hard time following edicts from an illegitimate government that refuses to follow their own laws, and more importantly the Laws of Nature.

Although I am very angry about the situation, I hold no ill will towards the C4L. They have to do what they have to do.

I have been involved in the C4L since day one. I was honored to represent the 8th District at the Rally For The Republic last September. I would like to thank Gary Hardee for giving me the chance to serve as a leader in the C4L. I will continue to support the C4L as a regular member, working in my precinct, turning people on to Liberty, one neighbor at a time.

Monopoly Of Force...

2009-08-01T10:01:00.001-07:00

"If the Government extends its powers beyond this "cop-on-the-corner" function, it in itself becomes the greatest tyrant and plunderer of them all. Since the Government has virtual monopoly of force, its potentialities for evil are far greater than that of any other institution. The people must constantly keep their Government small and local, and even then must watch it with great vigilance lest it run amok. That is the great Jeffersonian lesson, and it is one that all Americans must begin to learn again."

Murray Rothbard

Who Said This? Part One...

2009-07-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

"The nation that adds province to province by fraud and violence, that encroaches on the weak and plunders it's wards, and violates it's treaties and the obligation of it's contracts, and for the law of honor and fair-dealing substitutes the exigencies of greed and the base precepts of policy and craft and the ignoble tenets of expediency, is predestined to destruction; for here, as with the individual, the consequences of wrong are inevitable and eternal."

Fuzzy Math & Economics...

2009-07-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

"You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

Adrian Rogers (1931)

[H/T to Freedom Force's Unfiltered News]

The Ron Paul Rider...

2009-07-24T14:35:00.001-07:00

Count Rising...

2009-07-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

Listen To What The Man Said...

2009-07-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

A Word From The Libertarian Anarchists Caucus...

2009-07-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

We are the anarcho-libertarians. We fly the black and blue - black for anarchism, and blue for libertarianism. It's also a symbol of every bruise inflicted in a police beating, every bruise to our freedoms by statism, every bruise taken by every young mind from public schools, and the list goes on and on. Statism hurts, and statism kills. We can only end statism by ending the state!

Visit their Facebook page here.

Dr. Mary Ruwart And The Heartland Institute...

2009-07-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

Dr. Mary Ruwart took part in the Heartland Institute's Heath Care Roundtable event in Dallas, Texas on July 8th.

To see Dr. Ruwart's Power Point presentation, follow the link below.

http://www.heartland.org/events/Roundtables/agenda_Dallas.html

The Radical Libertarian...

2009-07-09T18:08:00.001-07:00

"To the radical libertarian, we must take any and every opportunity to chop away at the State, whether it’s to reduce or abolish a tax, a budget appropriation, or a regulatory power. And the radical libertarian is insatiable in this appetite until the State has been abolished, or – for minarchists – dwindled down to a tiny, laissez-faire role."

Murray N. Rothbard

http://www.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/rothbard75.html

Rothbard believed minarchists should be radical in their opposition to the State. He believed abolitionists and minarchists should walk in harmony on the path to Freedom.

Rothbard also considered the division in the liberty movement to be a rift between radicals and conservatives. I have seen evidence of this in the LP.

His remarks concerning this belief are below..

"Where are the Paines and Cobdens and Nocks of today? Why are almost all of our laissez-faire limited governmentalists plonky conservatives and patriots? If the opposite of "radical" is "conservative," where are our radical laissez-fairists? If our limited statists were truly radical, there would be virtually no splits between us. What divides the movement now, the true division, is not anarchist vs. minarchist, but radical vs. conservative. Lord, give us radicals, be they anarchists or no."

The moral of this story teaches us to unite in our shared contempt for the coercive State. The future of freedom requires nothing less.

Equal Ownership Of Life

2009-07-06T21:14:00.000-07:00

"Libertarianism is the view that each man is the absolute owner of his life, to use and dispose of as he sees fit: that all man's social actions should be voluntary: and that respect for every other man's similar and equal ownership of life and, by extension, the property and fruits of that life, is the ethical basis of a humane and open society. In this view, the only — repeat, only — function of law or government is to provide the sort of self-defense against violence that an individual, if he were powerful enough, would provide for himself."

Karl Hess

Harrisburg July 4th Report

2009-07-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed the fellowship and fun the Harrisburg July 4th Festival afforded me. I saw some old friends and met some new ones. The weather was great, with a gentle breeze blowing much of the time. The humidity was bearable, which is unusual for this time of year.

The LP Cabarrus outreach efforts were well received. We also promoted the Campaign For Liberty and Young Americans For Liberty. We also gave out Republic Magazines and pocket Constitutions. The left-over Ron Paul 2008 DVD videos were popular as well. There were quite a few Ron Paul fans in attendance this weekend. There were also a lot of folks wanting information about the LP. There is r[evol]tion in the air, indeed.

The Cabarrus Democratic Party also had a booth. The GOP was nowhere to be found. I was thrilled with the number of disgusted Republicans that came by and picked up Libertarian literature. With the Ron Paul Republicans fighting on the inside and Libertarians chipping away on the outside, the neo-con GOP edifice of empire and corporatism is crumbling away.

May it's destruction be sure and swift!

Freemasonry And Progressive Metal Mix

2009-07-02T01:01:00.000-07:00

Dream Theater tackles Freemasonry on their new single, "A Rite of Passage". The lyrics are below...

Since the new world order
Played upon our fears
Spreading accusations
Of radical ideas

The brotherhood of wisdom
Strength and dignity
Its rituals and secrets
Remain a mystery

Beneath an ever watchful eye
The angels of the temple fly

Turn the key
Walk through the gate
The great ascent
To reach a higher state
A rite of passage

The final stage
A sacred home
Unlock the door
And lay the cornerstone
A rite of passage

Men of wealth and power
Influence and fame
Philosophers and leaders
Are members of the trade

Bound by oath and honor
Like the rose and cross
An enigmatic union
Of esoteric thought

Beneath the ever watchful eye
The angels of the temple fly

Turn the key
Walk through the gate
The great ascent
To reach a higher state
A rite of passage

The final stage
A sacred home
Unlock the door
And lay the cornerstone
A rite of passage

Turn the key
Walk through the gate
The great ascent
To reach a higher state
A rite of passage

The seven stars
The rising sun
A perfect world
Where new life has begun
A rite of passage