LPNC Weekly Update

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Libertarian Party of North Carolina Weekly Update      March 11, 2009
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CONTENTS

1.  New “Weekly Update” – needs a name!

2.  2009 State Convention — Next Move: Building on Success

3.  LPNC Reaction to Perdue’s State of the State Address

4.  2010 Census: Snooping In Your Neighborhood

5.  Fellow Travelers: StopNCAnnexation

6.  Libertarian Voter Registration Update: 4,500+!

7.  Elevator Pitch: Gun Control

8.  LPNC Resources

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1. New “Weekly Update” – needs a name!
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This week we start a new weekly email update for those on the LPNC's
email list. It will be short, but with lots of great of information on
the LPNC's meetings, people, and activities, plus tools you can use as
a libertarian activist.

Have a story idea? Affiliate news? Feedback on this update?  Send it
to Susan at Susan.Hogarth@lpnc.org

Can you think of a better name than the rather lame "Weekly Update"?
If you can, please send it to Susan at Susan.Hogarth@lpnc.org. The
contributor of the name chosen will receive a prize and recognition.
Send your best ideas!

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2.  2009 State Convention — Next Move: Building on Success
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http://lpnc.org/convention.php

Join the Libertarian Party of North Carolina as we ponder our Next
Move: Building on Success at our annual State Convention in Burlington
April 17-19, 2009. As we look forward to the next several years
without the onerous task of collecting signatures for ballot access,
what strategy should we adopt to help move the LPNC toward future
successes?

The convention is a combination of business and fun. Activities begin
on Friday evening with a Friends and Family gathering. Saturday
morning and early afternoon will be devoted mostly to the Bylaws
Committee report. Our Saturday morning session will include a panel
discussion 'What Would You Have Done with Your $80K'? On Saturday
afternoon, we'll have a special communications workshop presented by
Michael Cloud, well known libertarian communicator. You certainly
don't want to miss the Saturday evening banquet. Michael Cloud will
deliver our keynote address. The evening concludes with our
Libertarian awards and the now infamous annual liberty auction. If you
have items you would like to donate for the auction, please contact
auction@lpnc.org. Convention delegates will elect a new Executive
Committee Sunday morning and hear Mike Munger offer his 'Reflections
from the Campaign Trail'.

For information on attending, tickets, and the convention hotel, check
out the Convention '09 website: http://lpnc.org/convention.php

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3.  LPNC Reaction to Perdue’s State of the State Address
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(contributed by Brian Irving)

Governor Bev Perdue's first address to the General Assembly contained
no surprises, as predicted, but North Carolina Libertarians were
pleased to hear some familiar themes in the speech.

"We applaud Governor Perdue's tough statement that she will reduce and
cut state programs," said Barbara Howe, state party chair. "We're glad
she finally is on board with what Libertarians have been saying all
along and anxiously await to see if she has muscle behind her decision
to cut the fat."

Libertarians were slightly disappointed that the only specific action
Governor Perdue promised was to drive a truck to South Carolina to
pick up Federal recovery funds.

"The governor is an educated woman, so I'm sure she realizes there's
no 'pot at the end of the rainbow.' Those funds are taxpayer funds
from her fellow North Carolinians and all Americans."

But Libertarians were heartened to hear the governor say that "cutting
the fat" didn't go far enough and that the budget she'll present next
week will reduce and cut state government programs and services the
state simply cannot afford. "We can't wait to see that budget," Howe
said.

Governor Perdue's call to "stand up to the sweet seductions of special
interests, the temptations of politically popular pork barrel
spending, and end the practice of back room dealing" also echoed
Libertarian values.

The governor said that education is the engine that drives the
economy, is essential for economic recovery and would not be
sacrificed. "We hope that means she'll be open to genuine 'out of the
box thinking' to improve our educational system," Howe said.

For example, the governor said no parent has a free pass from the
responsibility to be fully involved in their child's education.
"Libertarians would add that this means parents should have authority
to school their children as they see fit — for example at home or in
charter or private schools," Howe said.

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4. 2010 Census: Snooping In Your Neighborhood
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(reprinted from Old Dominion Liberty Letter, Issue #7, courtesy of Marc Montoni)

During previous Census years, Libertarian Party activists and others
championed a 'Constitutional response' to nosy Census questions: As
the Constitution specifies, tell the Census how many people live at
your address. And that's it!

While our government ramps up its Census-taking bureaucracy for the
decennial Census, it will be fighting low compliance, anger at the
intrusiveness of its questions, and other hurdles.  Libertarians have
a solution that will eliminate most of the heartache for everyone
involved, bureaucrats and citizens alike: Get rid of the long form,
get rid of the short form, and eliminate the extra-intrusive American
Community Survey (ACS) -- and replace them all with a "Census
Postcard".

Libertarians have just one question for the Census Bureau. Since the
U.S. Constitution requires just a count of the population, why doesn't
the Census ask just one question: How many people live in your home?
Such a Census-on-a-postcard would save time, address Americans'
concerns about privacy, save taxpayers billions of dollars, and cause
the compliance rate to soar. All the Census has to do is follow the
old motto: Keep it simple, stupid.

Boycott the Census:

       http://www.erichsmith.com/census.html

The Intrusive ACS

      http://www.nolanchart.com/article6074.html

The Census Scam:

      http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/garris1.html

The 'race' question on the U.S. census is racist -- why this is so and
what to answer instead:

      http://www.sodabob.com/Constitution/Census.asp

Don't Trust the Census:

      http://www.toad.com/gnu/census.html

"Postcard Census" LP Media Release from March, 2000:

      http://multiracial.com/site/content/view/847/2/

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5.  Fellow Travelers: StopNCAnnexation
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[“Fellow Travelers” is a regular feature spotlighting groups in North
Carolina and beyond who help further the libertarian cause in one or
more directions. If you have a group you’d like to share with fellow
Libertarians for this feature, please send it to Susan at
Susan.Hogarth@lpnc.org]

Stop NC Annexation

http://www.stopncannexation.com/

StopNCAnnexation is organized to help victims of forced annexation
learn about the annexation process and connect with others across
North Carolina who are also fighting forced annexation. The goal is to
inform each group about the others, about what the laws say about
forced annexation, how to fight it, and how to work together to lobby
our State lawmakers to change this law. It was also created to be an
internet resource of information regarding what others have done in
their fight against annexation; their court challenges, fundraising,
and experiences with the annexing municipalities.

Starting in 2004, StopNCAnnexation has held a yearly 'Rally in
Raleigh' event to bring information and the voice of the citizens to
the legislators on the same day that the cities are lobbying to
preserve forced annexation laws at the NC League of Municipalities
'Town Hall Day' event. These have grown in impact and success with
each year. LPNC activists attend this rally - watch this newsletter
for upcoming information on this year's rally!

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6.  Libertarian Voter Registration Update: 4,500+!
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http://lpnc.org/libs_by_county.php

Wake County is in the lead with over 600 registered Libertarians!
(Take THAT, Mecklenburg!!)

New Hanover County has the highest percentage of registered
Libertarians, at nearly 0.15%

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7.  Elevator Pitch: Gun Control
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[An ‘elevator pitch’ is an overview of an idea for a product, service,
or project. The name reflects the fact that an elevator pitch can be
delivered in the time span of an elevator ride - for example, thirty
seconds and 100-150 words. This week’s ‘pitch’ is really a collection
‘escalator pitches’ – one-liners which can be tossed into a
conversation to spark thought or interest.]

"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do
not." ~ Thomas Jefferson

An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.

Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.

Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.

What part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand?

The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.

64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.

Guns only have two enemies: rust and politicians.

911: government-sponsored Dial-a-prayer.

Assault is a behavior, not a device.

Criminals love gun control; it makes their jobs safer and easier.

If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.

Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to disarm them.

When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.

The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.

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8.  LPNC Resources
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Join the LP!
http://lpnc.org/join_choose.php

Keep in Touch:
LPNC Announcement List (includes this Weekly Update and Special Announcements)
http://lpnc.info/mailman/listinfo/announce

LPNC Activist/Discussion List – Connect with Fellow Activists:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lpnc/

Dr. Paul Visits D.L. Hughley

Pledge To Party...

Punishing Charity...

[Thanks to the Rational Review for the link]

"The federal government budget proposed by the president imposes
higher taxes on incomes above $250,000. One of the provisions is that
charitable donations would no longer be tax deductible. ... Without a
tax deduction, charitable donations get tax punished. When the
beneficiaries of donations are the poor and other good causes, these
suffer from fewer gifts. A tax on charitable donations hurts the
homeless, the hungry, the wildlife that does not get preserved, the
ignorant who do not get educated, and all humanity which loses
knowledge and more of its natural legacy. When government taxes the
rich like this, it taxes the poor."
Fred E. Foldvary

http://www.freeliberal.com/archives/003735.html

It's The Fed, Stupid...

"After nearly one hundred years since President Wilson signed the bill enacting the Federal Reserve, we know the following: a hypothesis has been offered, the experiment has been conducted and the results are in: a fractional reserve banking sector and paper money system create the boom-bust cycle. Moreover, government intervention-spending, taxation, borrowing and unnecessary regulations-prevents the people from achieving their peaceful and most highly valued goals. In short, the current state of affairs is because statism, the exact opposite of laissez faire economics, is the overriding policy of the federal government "
Murray Sabrin

http://www.politickernj.com/murraysabrin/27549/meltdown-its-federal-reserve-stupid

Over The Falls...

"Fractional-reserve banking has been a con job from the beginning. Rothbard and Mises pointed this out, and they were hated for it. The economists trust bureaucracy. They trust people with Ph.D.'s just like themselves. But, except at the Federal Reserve, the agencies are run by lawyers and by appointees who hope to get a fat lobbying salary when they leave the government. Why should we think that a bunch of Harvard- and Yale-educated lawyers, who were recruited by New York City banks that were always protected by the Federal Reserve System, would have any idea of how to run an economy? We now know how well they could run the economy: they stripped off million-dollar bonuses for running the system over the falls."
Gary North

http://mises.org/story/3333

Drop The Schiff Bomb...

I Can't Wait To Go!...

Freedom From Government...

From Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk Column...

President Obama signed an executive order last week continuing the faith-based initiatives program created by former President Bush. When the program was created, I warned that giving taxpayer money to private religious organizations would eventually lead to political control and manipulation of them. This week has provided some evidence that this was a justified concern.

The logic behind funding faith-based initiatives seemed reasonable to some. Private organizations are much more effective in charitable endeavors than government programs and bureaucracies. Therefore, why not “outsource” some of the government’s welfare-state activities to these worthy organizations? This appealed to many conservatives, especially after the follow-up executive order exempting recipients from discriminatory hiring laws, which assured many that taking federal funds would not jeopardize their control over their own operations. But beware the government program started under an administration you like, for it may look a lot different under the one you don’t. Exemptions that Bush gave, Obama can take away.

But now, dependencies on federal money have been set, operations have been expanded accordingly, and many charities are waiting breathlessly for the administration to tell them what new conditions they will have to meet. With the stroke of a pen, religious charities might not be able to take into consideration a job applicant’s faith, sexual orientation or lifestyle if they wish to remain eligible for that taxpayer money that was so enticing a few years ago. Similarly, if FOCA (Freedom of Choice Act) is passed, will Catholic Church hospitals be forced to offer abortion services to retain their federal funding? Can they remain solvent without it?

This is the major problem with basing a private business model on the receipt of government funds. This money does not come without control, or the future possibility of control. We are seeing parallel control grabs in industries that have recently been the recipients of taxpayer largess. Government officials are now discussing executive compensation on Wall Street, banking, and in the auto industry. How much is too much to pay someone? When is a bonus deserved? But because politicians have bought their way into these industries, these are now political decisions. It is easy to utilize class envy to whip up public support for these interventions, but government always slides down the slippery slope. Politicians are also discussing other aspects of these businesses in which they are not expert, such as, what should lending standards be? What sort of cars should we direct the auto industry to make? Once government money infiltrates a balance sheet, “taxpayers” meaning “politicians” have a say in how you operate.

Money is the Trojan horse that government uses to infiltrate and infect organizations. Funding that, on the outset, is designed to strengthen and support, will bureaucratize and regulate in the end. It is sad to see charities now having reason to focus on lobbying, regulatory compliance and paper pushing to get and retain money taken by force, rather than beefing up private, voluntary fundraising activities. Those tempted to join Washington’s ongoing bailout bonanza should instead take the famed advice of former First Lady Nancy Reagan on the acceptance of harmful and addictive substances and “Just Say No” to government money. This is the best protection from government control.

Meet Me In St. Louis...

Dr. Paul In Houston...

The Liberty Agenda...

Press release from the Libertarian Party of N.C.:

We, Libertarian Party of North Carolina propose present this agenda for action to the 2009 General Assembly.

1. End forced annexation and stop private property seizure under the power of eminent domain by amending the state constitution.

Forced annexation and the seizure of private property ostensibly for “public purpose” is a violation of the fundamental rights of Americans. Forced annexation is not about providing services, or controlling growth. Forced annexation is about money. Communities should only be annexed with the consent of those annexed. No government, at any level, should have the power to take or seize private property for any purpose, without the express consent of the owner, and without just compensation.

2. Improve public education through school choice and competition.

It has become fashionable to bash public education rather than sincerely seek ways to improve it. There are many good things happening in North Carolina education. The path to continued improvement is to foster choice.

The problem is that anyone who proposes thinking out of the box when it comes to education is beat over the head with the supposed public school mandate in the state constitution.

This selective devotion to constitutional principle is curious, since the legislature freely ignores other parts of the constitution, including the requirement that “all elections shall be free, fair, and open” by restricting the right of people to vote for anyone other than Democrats and Republicans.

3. Restore free, fair and open elections to North Carolina by removing barriers to ballot access.

North Carolina has one of the most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation. These barriers are specifically designed by the Democratic-Republican duopoly to restrict the people’s freedom of choice, and to prevent independent and third party candidates from getting on the ballot. Elections laws also are used to restrict free speech by limiting how much an individual can contribute to the candidate of their choice. The people should have the unregulated and unrestricted right to vote for and support candidates of their choice.

4. End all corporate welfare and subsidies.

Economic incentives and subsidies, more properly called corporate welfare, are an immoral tax on individuals for the benefit of corporate profits. Recent news reports that the Dell computer company may sell their three year old Winston-Salem plant, built with nearly $300 million in corporate welfare, demonstrate that corporate incentives are ineffective as well as immoral.

Conclusion

Ending property theft by government, improving education, ending corporate welfare, and restoring fair elections are only our top four issues, the beginning. The ultimate goal of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina is to reduce the size, scope, and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and consistently oppose any increase in the size, scope, and power of government at any level, for any purpose.

-30-
___________________________________________________________________________________________
LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF NORTH CAROLINA
PO Box 28141 Raleigh NC 27611 * 877.843.5762 * www.LPNC.org

Brian Irving, Communications Director, 919.538.4548

Ammo Under Assault...

From Eric Nordsrom..........................


Ammunition Accountability Legislation

Remember how Obama said that he wasn't going to take your guns?
Well, it seems that his allies in the anti-gun world have no
problem with taking your ammo!

The bill that is being pushed in 18 states (including Illinois and
Indiana ) requires all ammunition to be encoded by the manufacture
a data base of all ammunition sales. So they will know how much you
buy and what calibers.

http://ammunitionaccountability.org/Legislation.htm

Nobody can sell any ammunition after June 30, 2009 unless the
ammunition is coded.

Any privately held uncoded ammunition must be destroyed by July 1,
2011. (Including hand loaded ammo.) They will also charge a .05
cent tax on every round so every box of ammo you buy will go up at
least $2.50 or more!

If they can deprive you of ammo they do not need to take your gun!

All eyes are diverted on talk radio topics, bailouts, television
entertainments/news/

propaganda, while state level legislatures are
placing the second amendment into a grave.

This legislation is currently IN COMMITTEE in 18 states: Alabama,
Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana,
Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and
Washington.

Send to every person in these united states!

To find more about the anti-gun group that is sponsoring this
legislation and the specific legislation for each state, go to:

http://ammunitionaccountability.org/Legislation.htm

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep
and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against
tyranny in Government." - Thomas Jefferson

Obama's War...

The Answer Is....Ron Paul

18 T0 25? Meet Your New Master!

Yes, We Can...

Help Bring About Real Change...

Dr. Paul On The Republic Of Texas...

Where The Young Americans for Liberty Stand...

The following is the YAL Statement of Principles...

We are the Young Americans for Liberty (YAL). As Americans we recognize the God-given natural rights of life, liberty, and property set forth by our Founding Fathers. Our country was created to protect the freedoms of the individual and directed by we the people.

We recognize that freedom deserves responsibility and therefore we hold ourselves to a high moral character and conduct. Integrity emphasizes our stance towards action. Principle defines our outlook towards government. Peace and prosperity drives our ambitions towards our countrymen.

We inherit a corrupt, coercive world that has lost respect for voluntary action. Our government has failed and dragged our country into moral decay. The political class dominates the agenda with a violent, callous, controlling grip. And, for this we do not stand.

We welcome limited government conservatives, classical liberals, and libertarians who trust in the creed we set forth.

WE, as Young Americans for Liberty believe:

THAT government is the negation of liberty; THAT voluntary action is the only ethical behavior; THAT respect for the individual's property is fundamental to a peaceful society; THAT violent action is only warranted in defense of one's property; THAT the individual owns his/her body and is therefore responsible for his/her actions; THAT society is a responsibility of the people, not the government.

The Power Of Natural Effort...

“The natural effort of every individual to better his own condition . . . is so powerful, that it is alone, and without any assistance, not only capable of carrying on the society to wealth and prosperity, but of surmounting a hundred impertinent obstructions with which the folly of human laws too often encumbers its operations.”

Adam Smith

Describing Wealth...

"Wealth was not gold and silver in Smith’s view. Precious metals, though reliable as media of exchange and for their own industrial uses, were no more than claims against the real thing. All of the gold and silver in the world would leave one starving and freezing if they couldn’t be exchanged for food and clothing. Wealth to the world’s first economist was plainly this: goods and services. Whatever increased the supply and quality of goods and services, lowered their price, or enhanced their value made for greater wealth and higher standards of living. The “pie” of national wealth isn’t fixed; you can bake a bigger one by producing more."

Lawrence Reed
President, F.E.E.

http://www.fee.org/publications/the-freeman/article.asp?aid=8374

Ron Paul Wants You To Be F.R.E.E.

Congressman Ron Paul
Foundation for Rational Economics and Education

December 17, 2008

Dear Friend of Liberty:

The Founders' inspired vision of limited government has been kept alive by the hard work and generosity of Americans who truly cherish individual Liberty... average people like you and me.

In the toughest times... times like we are facing right now in the life of our nation... freedom fighters have always stepped forward for America—armed with whatever it takes and at whatever sacrifice—to answer the call to defend our liberty. That's how America was born and how we, as a free and sovereign nation, have survived.

A major economic crisis is unfolding in our nation. New government programs are started daily, and future plans are being made for even more costly government expansion. All are based on the belief that we're in this mess because free-market capitalism and sound money failed. The obsession is with more spending, bailouts of bad investments, more debt, and further dollar debasement. Many are saying we need an international answer to our problems with the establishment of a world central bank and a single fiat reserve currency.

These suggestions are merely more of the same policies that created our mess and are doomed to fail.

It is unimaginable that Congress could be so derelict in its duty. It does nothing but condone the arrogance of the Fed in its refusal to tell us where the $2 trillion has gone. Every Member of Congress and every American should be outraged that conditions could deteriorate to this degree. It's no wonder that a large and growing number of Americans are now demanding an end to the Fed.

The Federal Reserve created our problem, yet it manages to gain even more power in the socialization of the entire financial system. The whole bailout process this past year was characterized by no oversight, no limits, no concerns, no understanding, and no common sense.

I hear daily from Americans like you who are up in arms about what is going on in our nation. Messages come into my congressional office morning, noon and night. Taxpayers are outraged by the huge bailouts, the massive expansion of government and the refusal by Congress and the leaders of both parties to follow the Constitution.

Many Americans are frustrated—or even outright angry—about failed government policies that just tighten the government's noose around our necks.

The results of the recent election and the socialist policies that we are seeing proposed are indeed reminiscent of FDR and the New Deal and are equally dangerous. Free market economists and historians have correctly pointed out that Roosevelt's horrendous economic policies only served to prolong and extend the severity of the Great Depression by many years. When the market is not allowed to work, government-created economic downturns are only made that much worse.

Since the financial crisi s has become more and more apparent and the attempts by the Fed, and Treasury and Congress to solve the problem have become more desperate, my phone has been ringing off the wall with calls from media outlets wanting to interview me and get my opinions about what is going on and how we need to deal with it.

During the presidential election, do you remember how the media scoffed at my suggestions that we were facing economic disaster? They laughed at my calls for limited government, for abolishing the Fed and the IRS, for cutting federal spending at home and abroad to balance our budget, and my call for a sound monetary system.

Today, with the crisis at hand, they are not laughing any more.

But, if we love our nation, it is not sufficient for us to sit back and say "we told you so."

The task before us is huge. Our challenge is both political and philosophical, but either way the solution must begin by properly educating Americans as to why our current out-of-control, misguided political and financial systems have failed, and what must be done to turn things around.

My Foundation for Rational Economics and Education (FREE) has been waging such an educational effort for several decades. We have had a great deal of success publishing newsletters and books and producing radio and TV programs teaching people about the Constitution and free markets and sound money.

FREE has done much to educate patriots like you and to win the battle for the hearts and minds of Americans young and old. Today, however, given the severity of the crisis we face, we must do even more in our battle to spread the truth It is imperative that we redouble and expand the work and scope of FREE's educational effort. Right now, while people are still looking for answers and even the media is trying to figure out what in the world is going on, we must step in to fill the void that exists and to provide answers and solutions for the problems that face us.

You have been a faithful supporter of the cause of liberty. You understand the serious nature of the threats that confront us and the dangers posed to our freedom and our very way of life.

It is up to us step up and lead the pro-freedom movement, not just in Congress, but in every community and at every level of government and every institution of learning.

Our ability to lead this movement comes from your tax-deductible contribution to FREE. $50 or $100, or even $250 or more if you can afford it, is urgently needed to help fund the effort to turn our government and our nation around... before it is too late.

Leadership is sorely lacking in Washington. It is time for true leaders like us to step forward and offer the vision needed to point Congress and our nation in the right direction... and to halt the assault on our nation's sovereignty.

This is a dangerous time. But it is also an historic opportunity. Please help today with your most generous, tax-deductible gift for freedom. We must act swiftly to fill the leadership void in Washington. The time is NOW and the need is urgent!!!

Please log on to www.FREE-NEFL.com and contribute to the incredibly important work of FREE. No gift is too small... and every donation will help me continue to lead the battle for Liberty.

I'm counting on you.

For Liberty,

Ron Paul

P.S. If you can help with $50 or more, I will send you my "Freedom Report" newsletter for a full year as my "thank you" for your generous help. And for a gift of $100 or more I would like to send you a copy of my book on foreign policy... A Foreign Policy of Freedom.

P.P.S. If you can help FREE with a magnificent gift of $500 or more, I'll send you a personally autographed copy of my best-selling book, The Revolution: A Manifesto.

Dr. Paul On Financial Bubbles...

Gravel Grovels For His Own "Bail Out"...

“It’s a lot of money for us. I’m broke,” he said. “I got the IRS coming at me to pay my taxes and I got the FEC that’s holding up money that would help me pay my taxes. So I’m between a rock and hard place by the federal government.”

Mike Gravel

http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2008/12/good-news-for-mike-gravel-regarding-campaign-debts/

I had the opportunity to meet former Senator. Gravel on the campaign trail. He is certainly easy to like. I admire the times in his past, when he walked the way of a libertarian.

Presently, Gravel is way off the path.

Warm And Fuzzy...

Socialism is warm and fuzzy. It does more than tickle your throat on the way down. It devours your individualism and self esteem.

Spit it out before it's too late...

Deflate The Inflated Federal Reserve...

"Who receives newly inflated money first? The federal government, the Federal Reserve, major national banks, and government contractors. It is no surprise then that those who benefit the most from inflation are those who collude to continue the cycle of inflation, weakening the dollar and raising prices. The rich get richer, and the middle class and the poor grow poorer."

Paul-Martin Foss

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig9/foss1.html

Video Of The Charlotte End The Fed Rally...

Thanks to Xaq for the video. I have a brief cameo about 1 minute, 19 seconds into the video. My sign obscures my face.

The Golden Rule Of Self Government...

"Hence, if Jesus was serious about the Golden Rule--and He most certainly was--then it necessarily means that He is a consistent libertarian, as the Golden Rule as a political ethic is completely congruent with the libertarian Non-Aggression Principle, i.e., that no person or group of people may initiate the use of force against another, or threaten to initiate force against another."

James Redford

Chasing Huxley...

Mike Wallace interviews Aldous Huxley. Welcome to the Brave New World...

The R[evol]ution Continues At The Campaign For Liberty...

My fellow patriots,

Ron Paul made many personal sacrifices during his campaign for President. Dr. Paul certainly poured his heart and soul into his campaign. That's nothing new...he has been carrying the banner of Liberty for over 30 years.

He has asked very little in return. He has never wavered in his commitment to Liberty, Peace and Prosperity. Against all odds, Ron Paul has stood the test of time. He has tirelessly advocated on the behalf on Freedom and the blessings she bestows.

Shouldn't we strive to do the same?

Sure, the odds of anyone of us having the kind of influence Dr. Paul has earned seems quite far fetched. Never the less, shouldn't we at least try?

Ron Paul has made a simple request to the folks who supported his campaign.

Join the Campaign For Liberty and become a precinct leader.

On behalf of Dr. Paul and the future of this nation, I am asking you to do the same.

The cost is low. For only $35 a year, you can have full membership privileges, such as the privilege of becoming a precinct leader.

Other membership privileges include your own profile page, including your own blog. The C4L has it's own social network so you can communicate with other members across the nation.

Dr. Paul started the Campaign For Liberty because he wanted the Revolution to continue.

I can think of no better way to honor Ron Paul and his legacy.

Won't you join me?

Thomas Hill
8th District Coordinator, Campaign For Liberty

Ron Paul Discusses The GOP Loss On CNN

Another Cabarrus LP Member Wins Elective Office..

Mike Helms, longtime member and officer of the Cabarrus LP, has won a
seat on the Cabarrus Board of Education. Mike becomes the third member
of the Cabarrus LP to win an elective office. Bob Ritchie and Jeff
Goforth are currently serving their second terms as Soil & Water
supervisors.

Thomas Hill
Chair, Cabarrus LP

Mencken On Democracy...

“It came into the world as a cure-all, and it remains primarily a cure-all to this day. Any boil upon the body politic, however vast and ranging, may be relieved by taking a vote; any flux of blood may be stopped by passing a law. The aim of government is to repeal the laws of nature . . . . War becomes simply a device to end war. The state . . . takes on a transcendental potency . . . . Democracy becomes a substitute for the old religion . . . not vulnerable to logical attack.”




http://www.strike-the-root.com/82/ludlow/ludlow2.html

Liberty Is Compelling...

"Liberty is such a compelling and important value that even brutal dictatorships claim to support it. Tyrants say they are promoting "higher" freedoms - such as "national security", "economic equality", or "the common good". The graveyards of history are filled with the corpses of those deceived by such claims."

Jarret Wollstein

A Friendly Reminder From The Declaration Of Independence...

"That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it."

Coke Or Pepsi?

"We no longer have independent candidates representing the views of the electorate; rather, we have two corporate brands fighting for market share – the only tangible difference between the two is the advertising (campaign promises). Obama (Pepsi) promises to be the "choice of a new generation," while McCain (Coca-Cola Classic) declares that he's "the real thing." But while the two products may taste slightly different, they both consist of the same basic ingredients."

Paul Armentano

http://www.lewrockwell.com/armentano-p/armentano-p39.html

Church Of Democracy...

"The statists, the collectivists, the social engineers, the central planners, and the religionists, cheerleaders, and worshippers of the cult of the state see democracy as a living, breathing institution that must be protected. Their values tell them that the majority must rule over the minority. That’s what democracy is and has been for thousands of centuries. That’s their religion. And, because of that coercive religion that they have been foisting upon us, it’s what they would like to call the Church of Democracy. Their view, in the language of civics, is that the state is their god, and their beloved and precious democracy is the Church where they worship that god. Socialism, communism, populism, and fascism ae all part of that Church’s bible. That’s what it’s all about, and that’s how they proselytize their religion to others."

Todd Andrew Barnett

About The Campaign For Liberty...

[From the "About" page on the Campaign For Liberty website]

Americans inherit from our ancestors a glorious tradition of freedom and resistance to oppression. Our country has long been admired by the rest of the world for her great example of liberty and prosperity—a light shining in the darkness of tyranny.

But many Americans today are frustrated. The political choices they are offered give them no real choice at all. For all their talk of "change," neither major political party as presently constituted challenges the status quo in any serious way. Neither treats the Constitution with anything but contempt. Neither offers any kind of change in monetary policy. Neither wants to make the reductions in government that our crushing debt burden demands. Neither talks about bringing American troops home not just from Iraq but from around the world. Our country is going bankrupt, and none of these sensible proposals are even on the table.

This destructive bipartisan consensus has suffocated American political life for many years. Anyone who tries to ask fundamental questions instead of cosmetic ones is ridiculed or ignored.

That is why the Campaign for Liberty was established: to highlight the neglected but common-sense principles we champion and reinsert them into the American political conversation.

The U.S. Constitution is at the heart of what the Campaign for Liberty stands for, since the very least we can demand of our government is fidelity to its own governing document. Claims that our Constitution was meant to be a "living document" that judges may interpret as they please are fraudulent, incompatible with republican government, and without foundation in the constitutional text or the thinking of the Framers. Thomas Jefferson spoke of binding our rulers down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution, and we are proud to follow in his distinguished lineage.

With our Founding Fathers, we also believe in a noninterventionist foreign policy. Inspired by the old Robert Taft wing of the Republican Party, we are convinced that the American people cannot remain free and prosperous with 700 military bases around the world, troops in 130 countries, and a steady diet of war propaganda. Our military overstretch is undermining our national defense and bankrupting our country.

We believe that the free market, reviled by people who do not understand it, is the most just and humane economic system and the greatest engine of prosperity the world has ever known.

We believe with Ludwig von Mises, Henry Hazlitt, and F.A. Hayek that central banking distorts economic decisionmaking and misleads entrepreneurs into making unsound investments. Hayek won the Nobel Prize for showing how central banks' interference with interest rates sets the stage for economic downturns. And the central bank's ability to create money out of thin air transfers wealth from the most vulnerable to those with political pull, since it is the latter who receive the new money before the price increases it brings in its wake have yet occurred. For economic and moral reasons, therefore, we join the great twentieth-century economists in opposing the Federal Reserve System, which has reduced the value of the dollar by 95 percent since it began in 1913.

We oppose the dehumanizing assumption that all issues that divide us must be settled at the federal level and forced on every American community, whether by activist judges, a power-hungry executive, or a meddling Congress. We believe in the humane alternative of local self-government, as called for in our Constitution.

We oppose the transfer of American sovereignty to supranational organizations in which the American people possess no elected representatives. Such compromises of our country's independence run counter to the principles of the American Revolution, which was fought on behalf of self-government and local control. Most of these organizations have a terrible track record even on their own terms: how much poverty have the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund actually alleviated, for example? The peoples of the world can interact with each other just fine in the absence of bureaucratic intermediaries that undermine their sovereignty.

We believe that freedom is an indivisible whole, and that it includes not only economic liberty but civil liberties and privacy rights as well, all of which are historic rights that our civilization has cherished from time immemorial.

Our stances on other issues can be deduced from these general principles.

Our country is ailing. That is the bad news. The good news is that the remedy is so simple and attractive: a return to the principles our Founders taught us. Respect for the Constitution, the rule of law, individual liberty, sound money, and a non-interventionist foreign policy constitute the foundation of the Campaign for Liberty.

Will you join us?

Dr. Paul On The Bail Out Vote...

The Long & Winding Road...

The Greatest Weapon We Have...

"H.G. Wells once said that civilization was in a race between education and catastrophe. Let us learn the truth and spread it as far and wide as our circumstances allow. For the truth is the greatest weapon we have."

Ron Paul

Ultimate Crowd Equals Ultimate Mob...

[Thanks to Michael Nystrom...]

"Government is in many ways the ultimate crowd, with nearly every decision being made by committee."

Steve Hochberg

http://www.dailypaul.com/node/63007

Slander '08

The Shadow Knows...

Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Ron Paul

Liberty Agenda For N.C.

[Thanks to Brian Irving]

RALEIGH (Sept. 15) -- Ending the state's power to seize private property by forced annexation and eminent domain, improving public education through competition, restoring free, fair and open elections, and cutting off corporate welfare, will be the top legislative priorities of a Libertarians elected to the General Assembly.

Thirteen candidates announced the Liberty Agenda for North Carolina today. They are: Kira Howe (Senate 7), Brian Irving (Senate 17), David Rollins (Senate 20), Richard Evey (Senate 44), Jesse Mignogna (House 2), Sean Haugh (House 30), Barbara Howe (House 32), Susan Hogarth (House 38), Robert Richmond (House 71), T.J. Rohr (House 87), Jeffrey Ober (House 95), Lawrence Hollar (House 96), and Keith Calvelli (House 108).

"I originally ran for council because my property was involuntarily annexed and have vigorously opposed any future involuntary annexations," said second-term Lenior City Council member Rohr.

"After the U.S. Supreme Court incorrectly allowed the practice of eminent domain for purely economic development purposes, I proposed a city resolution condemning that decision and calling for an amendment to the NC Constitution abolishing such practices," he said. "The resolution passed unanimously."

Improving public education is as much a priority for the legislative candidates, as it is for Mike Munger, Libertarian candidate for governor.

"There are many good things happening in North Carolina education," Munger says on his website. "And the path to continued improvement is to foster choice."

"We expect Governor Munger will get strong opposition from the education lobby and teacher's unions," said Irving. "So he'll need all the allies in the General Assembly he can muster."

Irving agrees with Munger that it's fashionable to bash public education, rather than sincerely seek ways to improve it. "The problem is that anyone who proposes thinking out of the box when it comes to education is beat over the head with the supposed public school mandate in the state constitution," he said.

"This selective devotion to constitutional principle is curious, since the legislature freely ignores other parts of the constitution, including the part that says 'all elections shall be free, fair, and open' by restricting the right of people to vote for anyone other than Democrats and Republicans," said Irving.

The Liberty Agenda candidates also oppose economic incentives to businesses, more properly called corporate welfare, as an immoral tax on individuals for the benefit of corporate profits. Recent news reports that the Dell computer company may sell their three-year old Winston-Salem plant, built with nearly $300 million in corporate welfare, demonstrate corporate incentives are ineffective as well as immoral, said Irving.

As proof that Libertarians will do what the say when elected, Rohr said, "I was the only local elected representative to vote against the infamous Lenoir-Google government handouts."

"Ending property theft by government, improving education, restoring fair elections, and cutting off corporate welfare -- these are just our top four issues" said Hogarth. "We will then go on to work to reduce the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and
will consistently oppose increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose."

-30-

The Liberty Agenda for North Carolina

RALEIGH (Sept. 15) -- Ending the state's power to seize private property by forced annexation and eminent domain, improving public education through competition, and restoring free, fair open elections, and cutting off corporate welfare,will be the legislative priorities for Libertarians elected to the General Assembly candidates.

The Liberty Agenda for North Carolina

We, Libertarian candidates for North Carolina General Assembly, pledge that our priority while in office will be to put Freedom First for all the state's citizens. This Agenda fully supports the campaign agenda of Mike Munger, Libertarian candidate for Governor of North Carolina.

1. Ending forced annexation and stopping private property seizure under the power of eminent domain by amending the state constitution.

Forced annexation and the seizure of private property for ostensible "public purpose" is a violation of the fundamental rights of all Americans. Forced annexation is not about providing services, or controlling growth. Forced annexation is about money. Communities should only be annexed with their consent. No government, at any level, should have the power to take or seize private property for any purpose, without the express consent of the owner and without just compensation..

2. Improving public education through school choice and competition.

We agree with Mike Munger, Libertarian candidate for governor, that it has become fashionable to bash public education rather than sincerely seek ways to improve it. There are many good things happening in North Carolina education, and the path to continued improvement is to foster choice.

The problem is that anyone who proposes thinking out of the box when it comes to education is beat over the head with the supposed public school mandate in the state constitution.

This selective devotion to constitutional principle is curious, since the legislature freely ignores other parts of the constitution, including the part that says 'all elections shall be free, fair, and open' by restricting the right of people to vote for anyone other than Democrats and Republicans.

3. Restoring free, fair and open elections to North Carolina by removing barriers to ballot access.

North Carolina has arguably the most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation. These barriers are specifically designed by the Democratic-Republican duopoly to restrict the people's freedom of choice, prevent independent and third party candidates from getting on the ballot. Elections laws also are used to restrict free speech, by limiting how much an individual can contribute to the candidate of their choice. The people should have the unregulated and unrestricted right vote for and support candidates of their choice.

4. Cutting off all corporate welfare and subsidies.

Economic incentives and subsidies, more properly called corporate welfare, are an immoral tax on individuals for the benefit of corporate profits. Recent news reports that the Dell computer company may sell their three year old Winston-Salem plant, built with nearly $300 million in corporate welfare, demonstrate that corporate incentives are ineffective as well as immoral.

Conclusion

Ending property theft by government, improving education, restoring fair elections, and cutting off corporate welfare only the beginning of the Liberty Agenda. Our goal and our pledge is to reduce the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and consistently oppose any increase in the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.

/signed/

Kira Howe, Senate 7

Brian Irving, Senate 17

David Rollins, Senate 20

Richard Evey, Senate 44

Jesse Mignogna, House 2

Sean Haugh, House 30

Barbara Howe, House 32

Susan Hogarth, House 38

Robert Richmond, House 71

T.J. Rohr, House 87

Jeffrey Ober, House 95

Lawrence Hollar, House 96

Keith Calvelli, House 108

The Illusion Of Majority Rule...

Please note that I am against majority rule, even though it doesn't exist in our electoral "system". I am sure my socialist friends would make the argument for mandatory voting.

I say screw all the above and govern yourself.

There are three reasons I play in the political theater.

1) A form of protest or self defense (Lysander Spooner).

2) A method of education. Using the rigged "game" as a mirror to hold before the herd so they can see their own delusional reflection. To them I say, "Your vote doesn't count, it never has!"

3) It is the last refuge for someone like me, who abhors physical violence. It occupies my time and keeps me from beating the living sh*t out of the political thugs who falsely claim to have the moral authority to govern me.

Meeting A Hero...

Sorry for the sh*t eating grin, and the backwards name badge. ;^P

I finally got to meet Dr. Paul at the Leadership Summit in Minneapolis. It was a highlight in an election cycle that allowed me the honor and privilege of serving both of my favorite libertarian heroes, Ron Paul and Dr. Mary Ruwart.

Serving as a precinct leader for Ron and a staff member for Mary afforded me the opportunity of a lifetime. Both campaigns provided me the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, the bitter with the sweet.

Both campaigns provided life changing experiences. I met many wonderful new friends, and a few enemies as well. Politics, like many activities, bring out the best, and worst in human beings.

Although both campaigns fell short of their electoral goals, they were extremely successful in inspiring those, who cherish Liberty above all else, to keep carrying the torch of self government forward, into that ever growing dark night of despotism and tyranny.

Both Good Doctors refuse to go quietly into that dark night. They will continue to preach the Gospel of Liberty because they will always make it a practice.

They both practice the Gospel they preach.

Amen...

Good Bye To The National LP...

[I still am a proud member of the Libertarian Party of N.C. and the Cabarrus LP]

Without regret, I burned my national LP membership card tonight. Despite the rain, with the assistance of a gas/oil soaked rag, I torched that worthless piece of plastic.

This has been coming for a multitude of reasons. Bob Barr snubbing Ron Paul today in D.C. really sealed the deal.

What a idiot! Same goes for Root, an even bigger idiot and bigot!

The Barr/Root campaign is an utter embarrassment.

The national LP has sold it's collective soul for a "perception" of greater electoral success.

I hereby publicly repudiate the national LP. I still have a dear friend on the staff. I still love him and always will.

I have dear friends on the LNC. I still love them and always will.

I refuse to chose party over principle.

No regrets...

Ron Won't Tell...Yet.

Separate But Equal...

[From the LPNC]

RALEIGH (Aug. 28) -- WRAL TV's exclusion of the Libertarian candidate for governor from their September 9 debate amounts to a "separate but equal" policy, said Dr. Mike Munger, Libertarian candidate for governor.

The station has refused to include Dr. Munger in the debate, citing their policy of only including candidates who poll at least 10 percent. Yet the station cited no specific examples and failed to note that Dr. Munger has not been included in many of the polls.

Further, on January 17 the station sponsored a gubernatorial primary debate in which no fewer than three of the candidates were then polling at much less than 10 percent.

"So, the policy is applied arbitrarily and is simply something concocted to restrict voter access to information," charged Dr. Munger.

WRAL did invite Dr. Munger to tape a half-hour interview, which they said might be made available on their web site, as a substitute for full participation in the televised debate.

In reply to the e-mail invitation from Ms. Leesa M. Craigie, WRAL operations manager, Dr. Munger cited a 1950 civil rights case, Sweatt v. Painter. Heman Sweatt, an African-American, applied to the University of Texas Law School, but was told a "separate accommodation" would be made for him.

"This was one room, over a pool hall, with some law books," said Dr. Munger. "The State of Texas cared so much about keeping blacks out of their school that they swore, under oath, that this one-room law school was just as good as the main UT Law School, one of the best in the nation."

Sweatt rejected the alternative. "There is now a gym named after him on the UT campus," Dr. Munger noted.

"You seem to think that you are doing me a favor by offering me the equivalent of one room over a pool hall, when by any standard my application for participation in the debate deserves your full consideration," Munger wrote to Craigie.

As a media company that affects to care about the public good, WRAL should not make decisions that clearly protect the entrenched interests of the political duopoly that controls this state, said Munger. "More than 100,000 North Carolinians signed petitions to ensure that they got to exercise a real choice in November. But you are denying it to them."

Dr. Munger has testified before the U.S. Senate, been the President of an international academic society, and director of the master of public administration program at UNC-Chapel Hill. He has been chair of political science department at Duke University for nearly a decade.

"I'll not be bought off by your insulting 'one-room-over-a-pool hall' offer," he said. "I am a qualified candidate. I should be in the debate."

Munger Is The Man!

The Right Man For The Job

Dr. Munger wowed the crowd at the Don Reid breakfast meeting in Charlotte today.

He also did quite well on WBT after the meeting.

He also treated me to lunch after his interview.

The LPNC is damn lucky to have such a fine candidate.

Disclaimer: The free lunch has nothing to with my kind words. ;^)

Kicked Off The Ballot...

I just wanted to give a brief explanation of my battle with the General Assembly and SBOE. GS 163-107, in it's very title, says filing fees are for primary elections. The LPNC nominated me for Congress in convention. We were not allowed the privilege of having primaries. We don't want the damn privilege anyway.

In other words, Libertarians are expected to pay for a privilege that they are not allowed to have.

I call that extortion.

I refuse to pay it.

The General Assembly and SBOE can shove their unconstitutional statutes up theirs asses sideways!

BTW, sorry if my potty mouth offends anyone. Those vile and godless criminals in Raleigh should offend you.

Besides, cussing is non-violent. Our Founding Fathers would have dragged these scumbags into the streets.

These statists deserve to have their asses kicked until their noses bleed!

Dr. Mary Ruwart On The Revolution

"Revolution Begins In Our Hearts And Minds"

“There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." -- Victor Hugo

On July 4, Americans celebrate their Declaration of Independence from Britain, the official start of the American Revolution. The real beginning of this momentous war, however, was not a declaration or a gunshot, but an idea whose time had come.

This idea was indeed a revolutionary one, for it rejected the status quo that had been accepted by just about everyone. People believed that a monarchy was necessary; without it, a nation would be plunged into anarchy and chaos. Any tyranny was preferable to life without a king!

The idea behind the Declaration of Independence challenged this premise. The People were sovereign, the Declaration asserted, and had the right, if not the duty, to disempower an exploitive monarchy.

With the success of the American Revolution and the prosperity that resulted from the liberty Americans enjoyed, the idea that the People were sovereign spread like wildfire. European nations discarded or marginalized their monarchies, usually with little or no bloodshed. Even the reigning monarchies could see that there was no stopping an idea whose time had come.

Revolutions, those that are peaceful and those that are not, all start with an idea whose time has come. Today, the libertarian ideal is a revolutionary idea that rejects the status quo that has been accepted by just about everyone. People today believe that we need a government empowered to tax and regulate us; without it, most people believe that our nation would be plunged into anarchy and chaos. Any tyranny, many believe, is preferable to life without a government large and powerful enough to control any aspect of the lives of its citizens.

Of course, each of us would prefer that the government control, tax and regulate everyone but us. We lobby so that government becomes our instrument and we are the “kings.” The problem is that everyone else is trying to do the same thing. We take turns, as majorities and minorities, victims and aggressors, using government to our own advantage.

Attack dogs eventually bite the hand that feeds them. That’s exactly what’s happened with our government. Our Constitution permitted eminent domain so that government could forcibly take someone’s home when building a road. The Supreme Court decided in 2005 that anyone’s home could be condemned, taken by the government, and given to corporate interests for “economic development” (i.e., increased tax revenue). i

Our homes are no longer our castles. They are ours only if someone more influential than we are doesn’t want it.

“The specter of condemnation hangs over all property. Nothing is to prevent the State from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory.” —Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

In 2008, the Supreme Court refused to hear a landmark case in which cancer patients sued for the right to buy new drugs that had not yet received FDA approval. The lower court ruling claimed that we the People have no Constitutional right to buy potentially life-saving drugs, even if it means we will die without them!ii Whether we have access to cutting edge medical treatment is determined, not by us or our physicians, but by DC bureaucrats.

What if government couldn’t do these things? What if government wasn’t empowered to control our medicine, exercise eminent domain, tax and regulate us? What if we couldn’t rule our neighbors through government—and they couldn’t rule us? What if we were all sovereigns as long as we didn’t interfere with the sovereignty of others? What if we honored the choices of our neighbors and they honored ours? What if we were free from tyranny from monarchs, governments, and other individuals?

Freedom from tyranny from any societal entity is the libertarian ideal. A few decades ago, this idea was scoffed at by just about everyone. In the last year, the outpouring of response to Ron Paul’s libertarian rhetoric has shown that times have changed. “Liberty,” as Dr. Paul is fond of saying, “has become popular.”

The libertarian ideal is a natural extension of the American Revolution. We don’t need monarchs ruling us to be peaceful and prosperous. Indeed, we do better without them. We don’t need governments to tax and regulate us in order to be peaceful and prosperous either!

Indeed, without a government empowered to do such things, I calculate that we would be 3-18 times wealthier!iii Imagine a world where the buying power of your paycheck was tripled, quadrupled, or multiplied by a whopping 18 times!

It’s difficult to do, isn’t it? It’s tough for a Stone Age person to imagine what the Space Age would be like. When government doesn’t strangle the economy with taxes and regulations, such vast differences in our standard of living are not only possible, but probable---without anarchy and chaos.

Are you ready to embrace an idea whose time has come, an idea that promises not just change, but change for the better beyond your wildest imaginings? Can you imagine any better legacy for your children and grandchildren than a nation free of tyranny, a nation where peace and prosperity abound?

The next phase of the Revolution has already begun with an idea whose time has finally come, the libertarian ideal. Be a part of it!

“Never doubt that a small group of committed, thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ---Margaret Mead, American anthropologist

----Mary J. Ruwart, Ph.D.

Dr. Mary Ruwart Is Coming To N.C.

Dr. Mary Ruwart will be speaking on Friday, July 25th at the Sweet Pea
Cafe (16 Union Street South)in downtown Concord. The event starts at
7:30 pm.

More details coming soon.

I Care Not...

"Let me issue and control a nation's money, and I care not who writes its laws" - Meyer Amchel Rothschild, the largest shareholder, initiator and owner of the Federal Reserve Bank.

Steve Kubby's Excellent New Adventure...

[thanks to Paulie for this message]

Happy Anniversary!

It was exactly 2 1/2 years ago yesterday, that I headed back to the US, as a “felon” and “fugitive,” to “turn myself in,” determined to face the evil beast and defeat it once and for all.

Today, because you cared enough to help, I am a free man, with a clean record and an exciting new pharmaceutical venture. As I celebrate my victory, I am deeply grateful for all you have done to help.

I am also grateful to all those who urged me to seek the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party. Going from a prisoner ID number to a FEC Presidential Candidate ID number went a long ways towards building back my self esteem.

However, the real reward was that it led to my discovery of a new kind of cannabis medicine that is incredibly effective. That’s because running for President forced me to do a lot of traveling and, in order to comply with state and federal laws, I had to rely upon a prescription for Marinol to keep enough THC in my system to protect me.

Unfortunately, pure THC is a sloppy, unpleasant and nausea inducing drug. So I started experimenting, on myself, to see if there wasn’t a better solution. I tried all the edibles and candies, but they just knocked me out and left me dragging. I needed something that would energize me, not turn me into a bag of cement.

After a lot of experimentation, I discovered an astonishing new way to transport cannabinoids across the cell walls of the mouth and directly to the brain. My own tests on myself have shown me that my method is far more effective than any other mode, except for smoking.

My new meds look like a regular lozenge, but they pack a potent wallop of cannabinoids, in a matrix that makes it far more bioactive. Depending on the concentration I use, my meds can get me high, or meter out the dosage over an extended period of time to give me the medical benefits, without the high. Naturally, I use only whole plant extracts from organically grown plants.

This year, the emerging market for cannabinoid medicines is estimated a $1 billion. There are only two companies in this market, Cannasat, worth about $12 million and GW Pharmaceuticals, worth over $100 million. Based upon research and consultations with world authorities, I believe my new medicine will easily out perform the products currently being produced or tested.

I have started the process of assembling a world class team to investigate and help me secure licensing for my discovery. As part of my recruitment effort, I spoke to some of the top cannabinoid scientists in the world who admitted, privately, that my method is totally superior to anything else being tested or contemplated.

Winning government approval for my new medicine won’t be easy, but I am assembling a talented team to accomplish just that. My new libertarian friends, some of whom are quite successful, are helping me and we are all very excited about providing a new, highly effective medicine to help sick, disabled and dying people.

So, happy anniversary, to each and every one of you who helped make this wonderful victory possible.

Ron Paul On The Passing Of Kent Snyder

The Freedom Movement has suffered a great loss. Kent Snyder, chairman of my presidential campaign, lost his tragic battle with pneumonia last week. Kent was a true lover of liberty. He was an American patriot. He was my friend. And, he will be missed.

Kent was a gentle man who carried himself with quiet dignity. While soft spoken, great inner strength lay behind his kind blue eyes. He was filled with conviction, and principles of decency, loyalty and respect ran to his core. Those fortunate enough to work closely with Kent were touched by his integrity and old-fashioned American work ethic. Stories of his youth in Kansas and lessons taught to him by his two greatest influences, his mother and father, were often shared with friends and colleagues. During difficult times, Kent was always a calm at the center of the storm.

I first met Kent in 1987 when he, as a young man in his late 20’s, served on my first presidential run. Over the next twenty years, we worked together on countless projects in the name of Freedom. It was Kent, more than anyone else, who urged me to run again for president last year. I was skeptical, but he was much more confident that the time was right. Without Kent, I don’t think it would have happened. Though he was an optimist, in the end, even he didn’t expect what we achieved.

Like so many in our movement, Kent sacrificed much for the cause of Liberty. He sidetracked a blossoming political career when he chose to work for a third party candidate. He walked away from a lucrative career as telecommunications executive to work for me in Washington when I returned to Congress in the late ‘90’s. Ultimately, he sacrificed his health as he worked tirelessly around the clock on our presidential campaign, ignoring the pleas of his doctors to pull back.

Kent poured every ounce of his being into our fight for Freedom. He will always hold a place in my heart and in the heart’s of my family. We deeply mourn his loss.

I hope we can celebrate Kent’s life, the wonderful man he was, the tremendous success of his contribution to the cause of liberty, and the bright path he helped blaze to a future where freedom springs alive once again. Kent should be remembered with every victory we achieve as we move forward together. Without Kent Snyder, the fight for liberty would not be where it is today. We all owe him a great debt.

In liberty,
Ron Paul

This Revolution Is Here To Stay...

iPaul...

Statism Needs War...

"Statism needs war; a free country does not. Statism survives by looting; a free country survives by producing."

Ayn Rand

A Message From Steve Kubby...

"I’m pleased to report that all charges against me have been dismissed and my record has been expunged.

I am a free man with a clean record.

Yes, you read that right, thanks to the incredible support of my fellow libertarians, I not only survived, I PREVAILED!

Because of those who cared enough to help me and my family, I survived an indictment for 19 criminal counts amounting to a minimum of 40 years to life in prison. That indictment was backed by a $10 million grant by the US government to put me, and the medical marijuana revolution, behind bars.

For the crime of passing and then attempting to utilize a law that police, prosecutors and judges all hate, I faced the wrath of the DEA, California Attorney General, IRS, State of Nevada, CPS, Immigration Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Placer County DA.

Upon my voluntary return to the US, under a 30 day departure order, not deportation as widely reported, I was pulled off a plane and roughed up by heavily armed officers from Homeland Security, US Immigration, and US Customs.

Two days later I was in solitary confinement in cell number 420 (cops humor is suppose, but that really was my cell number), pissing blood, suffering horrible pain from my damaged kidneys, and cut off from the world. But you didn’t forget me and you came to the jail where you shook the jail walls with billowing clouds of MARIJUANA SMOKE!

Even my former wife, Rebecca Maidman, pitched in and raised several thousand dollars to purchase the Marinol that kept me alive through my ordeal.

Oh, how I wish you could have seen how they came to me and told me their phones were all tied up! The medical complex can’t do a thing because of the constant ringing of phones! The entire jail complex is on HIGH ALERT because we have no phone communications!!! WORST of all there was MARIJUANA SMOKE in the PRISON VENTILATION SYSTEM!!!

Yes, I wish you could have seen their faces when they came and told me that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors had passed a resolution calling for me to be released immediately. Truly, they looked like deer caught in the headlights. (Actually, these were all big deputies, so it was more like hippos caught in the headlights.)

Most of all, I wish you could have seen Placer County Sheriff Ed Bonner, coming to visit me in jail and greeting me with a big smile and a warm handshake. Bonner told me straight up that he thought medical marijuana was a fraud, but now he knows it is real and that law enforcement is going to have to obey the new law.

It’s sad that anyone should have to go through something like this, especially when someone has followed the rules and changed the law. However, as Dennis Peron, the true author and driving spirit behind Prop. 215, recently told me, “It is our suffering that changes the world.”

To which I can only add, “It is libertarians like you, supporting those of us on the front lines, who make real change possible!”

Ron Paul At The FFF Conference...

Ron Paul Just Won't Give Up...