-Caveat Lector- ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- THE LIBERATOR ONLINE October 20, 1999 Vol. 4, No. 20 Circulation: 32,533 in 81 countries Mailing list of the Advocates for Self-Government. Created and edited by Paul Schmidt, mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Co-edited by James W. Harris, mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you wish to subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your address for receiving the Liberator OnLine, visit: http://www.self-gov.org/liberator/maintain.html The Advocates for Self-Government is a non-profit educational organization. Our purpose is to present the freedom philosophy honestly and persuasively to opinion-makers so that they can encounter, evaluate, and when ready, embrace the ideals of self-government. Contributions are tax deductible under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. If you would like to support the Advocates, we *welcome* your donation. To support the Advocates' work, see http://www.reliablehost.com/self-gov/donate.html -- or give us a call at 1-800-932-1776. _________________________________________________________________ "At a time when society demands ever more meat and substance from us all, we must learn to defend all our personal resources with reason, clarity and the kind of effective persuasion that wins friends, rather than alienating them. For this, no group is more helpful than the Advocates, who teach independent thinking coupled with empathy and tolerance for others." -- Tonie Nathan, first Libertarian Party candidate for vice president (1972), and first woman in American history to ever win an electoral college vote. _________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS PRESIDENT'S CORNER WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS * Celebrity Libertarian: Parenting Guru John Rosemond * Colt Holsters It * FBI: Build Wiretapping Into the Internet ON THE WEB * Editor's Choices: michellemalkin.com * Is Big Brother Reading Your E-Mail? ASK DR. RUWART * Safety Questions in the Classroom * Minimum Wage in the Classroom * The Bleeding Stranger: Offenses of Default PERSUASION POWER POINT * The Great Libertarian Answer by Michael Cloud * THE GREAT LIBERTARIAN ANSWER Contest PRODUCT REVIEW * Advocates 15th Anniversary Tapes +---------------------PAID ADVERTISEMENT---------------------+ ** GREETING CARDS CAN REALLY LIFT SOMEONE'S SPIRIT ** Imagine what a greeting card with PHOTOS can do! Use FREE Photo Greeting Cards to make your friends laugh, keep your grandma smiling, or make your lover blush! Be creative, be http://www.zing.com/z?e40c108z11 AOL: <a href="http://www.zing.com/z?e40c108z11">Click Here</a> +------------------------------------------------------------+ PRESIDENT'S CORNER Dear friends, "What is a libertarian?" "What is libertarianism?" As Michael Cloud points out in his "Persuasion Power Points" column this issue, these are two of the first questions any libertarian is likely to be asked. And it's vitally important that you have a good, persuasive answer ready. Michael has some great suggestions to help you craft such answers. He's also suggested a contest -- with prizes to the best answers we receive to those questions. I think that's a great idea. Details are in his column. Check it out, come up with your responses, and send them in. We'll run the best ones in an upcoming issue. And in this contest we're *all* winners - you'll have better answers if you follow Michael's advice, and by sending your answers in you may help thousands of fellow libertarians come up with better answers, too. * * * On October 8, Joseph Farah, editor of http://WorldNetDaily.com, wrote an editorial called "Redefining the Political Spectrum." Many Liberator Online readers wrote letters to Farah in response, pointing out the fallacy of the old "left vs. right" political line (which, among other shortcomings, leaves out libertarians entirely) and suggesting the World's Smallest Political Quiz as a better model. Some of you forwarded your letters to me. Quite a few of those letters were printed at WorldNetDaily.com, and continue to be printed. Many of them gave the Quiz's URL. In fact, we've been receiving several hundred visits to the Quiz site *per day* from WorldNetDaily.com readers since those letters started appearing. Congratulations to all of you! By the way, even letters that don't get printed have an impact. Editors read them. And the sheer numbers of letters received on a topic play a big part in whether or not more letters on that subject are printed - and whether the subject itself receives future coverage. WorldNetDaily.com says it's been ranked for 25 weeks as "The World's Most Popular Web Site" by WorldCharts.com. The number of visits we've received thanks to these letters indicates that the site is indeed a popular one. A single letter there reaches a lot of people. We'll be harnessing the power of email in the future to help change the political map. See "What's Happening" below for info about our new, ongoing "Action Alerts" effort. And thanks, letter-writers, for showing - again -- that it can be done. Enjoy this issue of the Liberator Online. Sharon Harris, President mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] PS: They're now available! Audio and video tapes of the entire Advocates 15th Anniversary Celebration. You can buy individual tapes, or get the whole set at a special low price. This event featured top libertarian leaders and some of the very finest libertarian speakers at their very best. In alphabetical order: David Bergland, Ken Bisson, Walter Block, Harry Browne, Doug Casey, Michael Cloud, Marshall Fritz, Karl Hess Jr., Jacob Hornberger, Vince Miller, Charles Murray, David Nolan, Congressman Ron Paul, Carole Ann Rand, and Mary Ruwart. See our "Product Review" section below for more info - or click here http://www.reliablehost.com/self-gov/adv15.html for a list of speakers, topics, and prices. Thank you! _________________________________________________________________ WANTED: Copies of Ed Clark's book, A New Beginning If you have a copy (or copies), please call the Advocates at 800-932-1776. We'll buy, trade for merchandise, or gladly accept as tax-deductible donation. THANKS! _________________________________________________________________ WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES * McGraw-Hill using Advocates article: "The Ugly Truth About The Minimum Wage" is an excellent article by Professor Jim Cox, Advocates supporter and author of the acclaimed book "The Concise Guide to Economics." The minimum wage is a controversial subject in classrooms, and Cox's unswervingly free-market article has been used by many high school and college students as a reference. (You can see it at: http://www.self-gov.org/cox02.html.) Now we're pleased to announce that McGraw-Hill, one of America's leading textbook publishers, has asked us for permission to mirror that site for student use in their educational product, "WebQuester: Economics." Here's how McGraw Hill describes that product to us: "WebQuester is a series of online exercises in the social sciences based on carefully selected sites on the World Wide Web. It consists of approximately twenty topics pertaining to a particular subject matter. Each module has ten multiple-choice questions relating to the information in the three or four links referenced. There are also short answer and essay questions based on the material in the site." We are delighted by this further example of how Advocates material is reaching classrooms across America. * StudyWeb Honors Advocates: The Advocates Web page has been selected as "one of the best educational resources on the Web" by StudyWeb. StudyWeb describes itself as one of the Internet's premier sites for educational resources for students and teachers. StudyWeb reviewers select sites they consider to be the finest educational Web sites for inclusion in their listing of educational links. Each site chosen for StudyWeb is given a detailed review describing its editorial and visual merits. StudyWeb reviews have been featured on Webcrawler Select, The Lycos Top 5%, Education World and many other places, and StudyWeb updates are provided to media and educational resources around the world. We are pleased to be included in this important educational resource, and to receive StudyWeb's "Excellence Award." * Advocates in the News: "City Pages" newspaper - subtitled "The News and Arts Weekly of the Twin Cities" (Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota) -- ran a lengthy article about the Libertarian Party's "Success '99" training program. The article prominently featured Advocates President Sharon Harris and her role in the training, and included information about the Ransberger Pivot, temperament types, and other communication concepts the Advocates has introduced into the libertarian movement. * OPH in "LP News": An excellent photo of an Operation Politically Homeless booth in action is featured in the current issue of "Libertarian Party News," the monthly newspaper of that party. The photo shows LP members Lee Cross and Thane Plummer using OPH to take the libertarian message to attendees at the Orange County (California) Fair. * Thanks and welcome aboard to Pam Racette, who is now editing "Libertarian Clips," our free daily email libertarian clipping service. For info on how to subscribe, see below. -------ONGOING PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES------- * Free "Libertarian Clips": "Libertarian Clips" is a daily (or weekly, if you prefer) clipping service that brings you news stories from around the world that use the words "libertarian" or "libertarianism." See what libertarians are doing, and see how the media is using those words. It's FREE, and subscribing is a snap. Just click here: http://www.self-gov.org/clips/ * Latest "Liberator" still available: The summer issue of "The Liberator," our print magazine, is crammed full of good news about liberty. Topics include: growing acceptance of the World's Smallest Political Quiz; the Quiz in Academia and on national television; Lights of Liberty winners; OPH success in California; Operation Persuasion update; and much more. We'll send you a FREE sample copy of this magazine. Just click here: http://www.self-gov.org/request.html * LP's "Success '99" workshops: The Libertarian Party is presenting its acclaimed "Success '99" libertarian leadership training workshops in two dozen cities across America this year. Join libertarian communication experts including Advocates President Sharon Harris, Dr. Mary Ruwart, David Bergland, Michael Cloud, Bill Winter, Ron Crickenberger, Steve Dasbach, Jim Lark, Barbara Goushaw, and others. There are four remaining "Success '99" events: Nashville, Tennessee October 23-24; Augusta, Maine, November 6-7; Denver, Colorado Nov. 13-14; and St. Louis, Missouri Nov. 20-21. more details, registration information, and a complete listing of the cities, dates, and speakers for "Success '99," see: http://www.self-gov.org/success99.html * Advocates "Action Alert" Email: Too many journalists and other opinion-shapers are still using the old "left vs. right" political map - a map that leaves out libertarians. Now, using email, we can let them know -- immediately -- that there's an alternative to the left-right myth: the World's Smallest Political Quiz. Here's how. If you read or hear of a journalist or other public figure using the old left-right spectrum, please let us know immediately. If it's in print, fax us a copy or email it. (Use the address at the end of this issue). If it's on the Web, send us the URL. If it's on TV and you've taped it, a transcript would be great, but if you don't have that, just tell us what you remember was said. When appropriate, we'll send an "Action Alert" email bulletin out to our email list. That bulletin will include email contact information for the journalist. This will generate hundreds or thousands of responses - and that in turn can mean a huge step forward in public consciousness of the Quiz and libertarianism. * Communication Bargain of the Century: You can get the great 3-tape audio course "The Essence of Political Persuasion" from us at the *give-away* price of only $7.50 - that price includes handling and, now, First Class mail. (Yes, we've previously offered it for $5.00 if mailed by bulk mail, but we found that too slow - First Class will get your order to you right away!) Libertarian Party Political Director Ron Crickenberger says this Advocates offer is "...the greatest gift the libertarian movement has received in years." Thanks to "Persuasion" creator Michael Cloud for making this offer possible. To order, see: http://www.reliablehost.com/self-gov/persuasion.html This is a secure site, so you can order via credit card with confidence. You can also call us or mail $7.50 to the Advocates. Our phone number and address are at the end of this issue. * 1999 Lights of Liberty Awards: You can win certificates, public recognition, prizes and more for your vital activism for liberty. Awards are given for: 3 libertarian letters to the editor; 3 sessions working at an OPH booth; OR 3 libertarian-oriented public speeches. Click here http://www.self-gov.org/lights/ to learn more. New: Every "Lights of Liberty" winner will be entered in a drawing for the autographed "Libertarian Presidential Library" collection - a $250 value! _________________________________________________________________ GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS by James W. Harris Celebrity Libertarian: Parenting Guru John Rosemond Nationally-syndicated parenting columnist John Rosemond must be one of the busiest people on the planet. His syndicated column appears in more than 175 newspapers from coast-to-coast, reaching more than 10 million readers. He is the author of eight best-selling books: Teen-Proofing, Because I Said So, A Family of Value, To Spank or Not to Spank, Making the "Terrible" Twos Terrific, Ending the Homework Hassle, John Rosemond's Six-Point Plan for Raising Happy, Healthy Children, and Parent Power!. He's also an in-demand speaker. During the last five years, he has given an average of 200 talks a year. He's a family therapist and a 51-year-old father and grandfather who says: "The major resource and inspiration for everything I've ever written is my wonderful family." And there's more. He is director of the Center for Affirmative Parenting, and publishes a quarterly magazine for parents, "John Rosemond's Affirmative Parenting." In the May/June 1999 issue, Rosemond stated that, though the media often incorrectly defines him as a conservative, "I'm actually a libertarian." Rosemond's staunch rejection of "permissive" parenting techniques, and his defense of the family from government intrusion, have made him a controversial figure in some circles. He has praised the Separation of School and State Alliance (a project of the Advocates, headed by Advocates Founder Marshall Fritz) in his syndicated column, calling Marshall "one of the most interesting men I've ever encountered" and calling the organization's newsletter "..a valuable resource for anyone interested in parents' rights and educational issues." (Thanks to Brian Thomson) Colt Holsters It Colt's Manufacturing invented the six-shooter in the 19th century. The company's Colt .45 - "the six-shooter that won the West" - has become legendary in countless westerns. Now, however, the 144-year-old company is halting virtually all of its retail business -- because of the threat of liability lawsuits. Colt has announced that, from now on, it will sell guns almost exclusively to government agencies and the military. Retail sales to civilians - formerly 30% of the company's business -- will now be limited to special collectors' editions. Colt is currently facing 28 lawsuits from cities, counties, and others. The lawsuits are similar to the recent punitive lawsuits against tobacco companies. The real, though unstated, purpose of these lawsuits is to force gun makers out of business. In the case of Colt, they are succeeding. The threat posed by such lawsuits to the right to keep and bear arms is very real. As the Augusta, Georgia "Chronicle" newspaper said of the Colt cave-in: "If enough firms do that, handguns could become so scarce or expensive that the Second Amendment right to own and bear them would be meaningless." (Sources: Associated Press / Augusta Chronicle) FBI: Build Wiretapping Into the Internet The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), founded in 1986, is the private international organization that sets standards for Internet technology. The group is now debating whether future Internet technology should be constructed in such a way as to allow the U.S. government to easily conduct wiretaps of online telephone communication -- in other words, to wire government surveillance into the next generation of Internet protocols. IETF members are girding for an explosive debate at their meeting next month. But the FBI has already given its opinion - and, big surprise, they are pro-wiretap. "We think it's a wise and prudent move," said Barry Smith, supervisory special agent in the FBI's Digital Telephony and Encryption policy unit. "If court-authorized wiretaps are frustrated, effective law enforcement is jeopardized, public safety is jeopardized, and policymakers are going to have to figure out how to rectify the problem." It's Smith's last point - a veiled threat, really -- that concerns some IETF leaders. They argue that if the IETF doesn't build in Internet telephone wiretapping capability voluntarily, the government will pass laws mandating such changes anyway - and those laws could be more invasive and/or technologically unwieldy than the changes IETF might make. The FBI's Smith agrees. "If this standard-setting body chooses to turn a blind eye to reality, they can make a statement, but companies are going to have to function in the real world and meet their governmental obligations," Smith said. But Jeff Schiller, an IETF executive committee member, disagrees. "We should not be building surveillance technology into standards. Law enforcement was not supposed to be easy. Where it is easy, it's called a police state." (Of course, the United States, like most other countries, already requires telephone companies to configure their networks so police can easily wiretap calls.) (Source: Wired News: "Net Wiretapping: Yes or No?" by Declan McCullagh Oct. 13) * * * Time for Restrictions... "The information superhighway is a revolution that in years to come will transcend newspapers, radio, and television as an information source. Therefore, I think this is the time to put some restrictions on it." -- Sen. James Exon (D-Neb.) 1996 _________________________________________________________________ ON THE WEB Editor's Choices: michellemalkin.com Michelle Malkin is a nationally syndicated libertarian columnist for Creators Syndicate. Her twice-weekly feature was introduced Sept. 28, 1999 -- the quickest launch on record, according to the syndicate! Her work has been cited in many publications including the New York Times, USA Today, Readers Digest, and others. She has also written articles for the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, and Reason magazine. Malkin, the daughter of Filipino immigrants, was born in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1970 and raised in southern New Jersey. She is a graduate of Oberlin College. She worked for the Los Angeles Daily News as an editorial writer and weekly columnist from 1992-94. In 1996 she joined the editorial board of the Seattle Times where she worked for three and a half years. Visit her website at http://michellemalkin.com where you can read her past articles, favorite links, and other news articles. Also visit her archives to read her articles about affirmative action, health care, liberty, and many other topics. Is Big Brother Reading Your E-Mail? By Rod Dreher from the New York Post Online Edition Want to give a big, fat finger to Big Brother today? Fax or e-mail this column to a friend. Be sure to include the following words: Unabomber. Anthrax. Fissionable plutonium. North Korea. Militia. Delta Force. Ruby Ridge. If the suspicions of Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.), the American Civil Liberties Union and cyber-libertarian "hacktivists" are correct, your fax or e-mail containing those words will have been intercepted by a sophisticated official electronic monitoring system called "Echelon." Echelon is a supersecret global surveillance network, run by the U.S. National Security Agency, in conjunction with the governments of Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Echelon is said to intercept and sift through countless electronic transmissions daily, filtering out those with particular "keywords" that could signal a security threat. The purloined posts are later analyzed. Hacktivists around the world have scheduled today as "Jam Echelon Day." They're encouraging computer users to flood the Internet with e-mails containing suspected keywords, hoping the deluge will short-circuit Echelon's computers and satellites. The public will never know if they succeed, but crashing Echelon is not really the point. The protest is meant to raise public awareness about the threat to privacy and civil liberties purportedly posed by the security network, which sounds like something out of the movie "Enemy of the State." [For the full article, visit: http://www.nypostonline.com/102199/commentary/16529.htm and look at the end of the article to see how to send it to a friend.] _________________________________________________________________ ASK DR. RUWART How can you answer difficult questions about libertarianism -- in short, positive, persuasive soundbite-sized responses? It's a challenge every libertarian communicator faces. Dr. Mary Ruwart is a leading expert in libertarian communication and author of the international bestseller "Healing Our World." Her new book is "Short Answers to the Tough Questions." In this column she provides Liberator Online readers with "Short Answers to the Tough Questions" that libertarians are frequently asked. If you'd like Dr. Ruwart to provide effective answers for YOUR "tough questions" on libertarian issues, just email the questions to her at: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]. *Due to volume, Dr. Ruwart can't personally answer or acknowledge all email queries.* But we'll run the best questions -- and Dr. Ruwart's answers -- in upcoming issues. Extra Tip: Dr. Ruwart suggests that answers are often best preceded by a "Ransberger Pivot" statement, to establish common ground with the questioner. (Example: "Like you, I too want to live in a world where the environment is clean... Like you, I too want to see greater abundance for all people...") For more on the Ransberger Pivot communication technique, see previous issues, or contact the Advocates. Dr. Ruwart's past answers are archived in searchable form at the http://www.self-gov.org/ruwart/ Short Answers to the Tough Questions: by Dr. Mary Ruwart * * * Safety Questions in the Classroom Question: "In my political science class the other day the professor asked students what they thought was an appropriate role of government. A consensus among the students began to form that 'government should regulate products to ensure that they're safe.' "So I made this comment: "'I'm surprised no one in here seems to perceive any alternatives to laws in order to keep our products safe. There are other ways to do that, you know.'" "'Like what?'" the professor asked. "'Well, someone just mentioned that people want their products to be safe. That's why we had cars available with airbags even before the government mandated them. Now the price of a new car is $1000 higher because of the mandatory airbags. If you go home and look at any of your electric appliances, whether it's a coffee maker, toaster, or whatever, you'll find a 'UL' sticker on the bottom from Underwriters Laboratories, which tests out products for fire safety and is funded by insurance companies. Some of you were mentioning the need for building and fire codes. Even without the government imposing them on us, this room we're in right now would have to be fire-safe -- because if it weren't, the University's insurance premiums would skyrocket. It just makes good financial sense to ensure safety.' "I thought I had done a good job until the professor said, 'Well, think of the 1700 people that died in the recent Turkish earthquake. The insurance companies didn't protect *them*.'" "Ouch. How would you have responded?" My short answer: "You *were* doing very well. Your professor's comeback involved some illogical extrapolations. "One possible approach might have been: "'In poor countries like Turkey, safety standards, whether imposed by the government or the marketplace, are lower than in wealthy countries. Safety standards for something that *might* happen are only affordable in countries where the necessities are already in abundance. That's why natural disasters always take a bigger toll in poor nations. To increase safety, therefore, a country should increase its wealth, a feat that only the free market can achieve. Studies show that countries which enjoy free markets have a more even distribution of wealth than regulated ones. Thus, the poor benefit most by the increased prosperity and safety.'" "With poor countries, like Turkey, you can bet that its economy is heavily regulated. If you had asked your teacher, 'Does Turkey even HAVE insurance companies?' he probably wouldn't have known. Asking such questions helps to establish whether the comment is well-grounded in fact. "If you're going to be sparing on the international front, you might want to get a copy of the Fraser Institute's "Economic Freedom of the World: 1997 Annual Report" by James D. Gwartney, ISBN 0-88975-175-7. The report rates every country by a number of different criteria. "The legal system in Turkey is given a "0" rating on a scale of 0-10 (10 is the highest freedom rating). 'Two major factors continue to limit the development of this [Turkey's] economy: monetary instability and absence of rule of law...The legal structure grants political officials a great deal of discretionary regulatory authority...often used in a discriminatory manner, thereby reducing the security of property rights.' I suspect that in this atmosphere, insurance companies are almost absent. "If that were the case, your response might very well be, 'You mean government didn't do a very good job of protecting them!'" * * * Minimum Wage in the Classroom Question: "Libertarians say the minimum wage will cause unemployment because fewer employers will be willing to hire at costs above what an unskilled worker is worth. Yet one of my professors said that when the minimum wage was first initiated, despite what Republicans and libertarians said would happen, unemployment went down. This also was the result after Eisenhower raised the minimum wage in the 1950s. So, was my professor mistaken, or is the claim that the minimum wage causes unemployment simply libertarian rhetoric? My short answer: "Exhaustive studies, many of which are cited in my book, 'Healing Our World,' show conclusively that minimum wage laws decrease employment. However, *total* employment is a composite of many factors, only one of which is minimum wage. The employment figures that your professor was looking at would have been even higher without minimum wage laws. "Minimum wage laws affect minorities, disabled, and otherwise disadvantaged workers the most. Therefore, looking at employment statistics for these groups give a better picture of their true impact. Figure 3.1 on p.34 of "Healing" shows the decrease in employment of young black men relative to that of young white men as the minimum wage increased from 1950 to 1980. "When the next minimum wage hike is under consideration, scan your newspapers. The correlation between unemployment and minimum wage levels is so well known that newspapers usually give estimates of the number of jobs that will be lost. "Why not give your professor some other data to digest? You can purchase "Healing Our World" from the Advocates with a money-back guarantee, or browse it for free at http://www.netbooks.com/catalog/ruwart/index.html " * * * The Bleeding Stranger: Offenses of Default Question: "Our current system punishes crimes known as 'offenses of default' -- for example, if somebody is injured and needs help, it is your legal duty to help him. As a libertarian I hold the view that it would be a passerby's choice as to whether or not to help, say, a bleeding stranger. How would a libertarian society handle this issue, and how would that affect victims?" My short answer: "People who are cold-hearted enough to refuse help to a bleeding stranger certainly aren't going to change their behavior because of a law! If anything, such people will make an even faster getaway, so that no one will be able to make positive identification of them. "It's very difficult, if not impossible, to FORCE people to help each other. You cannot create a caring society at gunpoint, even when the gun is wielded by government. You can only succeed in teaching violence. Maybe that's why we have bleeding victims that require help! "The great care-givers of history (e.g., Christ, Mother Theresa, etc.) taught by example. They would not have forced others to be 'good Samaritans' even if they had the opportunity. Perhaps we can learn from their example." * * * Dr. Ruwart's book "Healing Our World" features persuasive arguments for liberty, backed with *over 500 references* showing how liberty works. You can browse the entire book online at: http://www.cyberpop.com/ebooks You can order it at a special reduced price of only $12.95 (plus shipping) from the Advocates. Check out our online catalog at: http://www.reliablehost.com/self-gov/opp.html Dr. Ruwart's newest book is "Short Answers to the Tough Questions," also available from the Advocates for $12.00 (plus shipping). _________________________________________________________________ PERSUASION POWER POINT #78 The Great Libertarian Answer by Michael Cloud "I've heard that you're libertarians," the guest said. "What's a libertarian?" "Well...libertarians believe that you have a right to your life, liberty, and property," said one. "Libertarianism is the original political idea behind the American Revolution. We believe what the Founding Fathers believed," answered another. "It's a political philosophy that believes in limited government, the Constitution, and individual rights," said a third. "Libertarians believe that you can do anything you want...so long as it's peaceful," offered a fourth. "Libertarians believe in the whole Bill of Rights, literally and exactly," said the fifth. What do you think of these answers? Which one do you like best? Would you use one of these answers as is, modify it, or use one of your own? "What's a libertarian?" and "What is libertarianism?" are the two most basic questions a person can ask you. They are the two most obvious, the two most ordinary questions that someone can ask you. They are also the two most overlooked questions that you need to answer -- even if your questioner forgets to ask you. How do you answer these two questions? "What's a libertarian?" "What is libertarianism?" [ Please stop reading for a moment and answer each question aloud. Then read the remainder of this Persuasion Power Point.] Are your satisfied with your answers? Do your answers clearly and briefly answer the questions? Are your answers true? Are your answers complete? Do your answers distinguish libertarians and libertarianism from other points of view? Answering these two basic libertarian questions briefly, effectively and well is harder than it seems. Would you like to formulate great answers to these questions? Here's how: 1. Take a piece of notebook paper. An inch from the top, draw a horizontal line across the sheet. In the middle of that line, draw a vertical line to the bottom of the sheet. (It should look like a "t".) 2. At the top of the sheet, write: "What is libertarianism and what is it not?" 3. On the left side of the page, brainstorm and list the characteristics of libertarianism and libertarians. 4. On the right side, brainstorm and list the features of NON-libertarians and NON-libertarianism. Now you have the ingredients to write: The Great Libertarian Answer. 5. Out of your left-side list, pick the core elements, the indispensable essentials of what a libertarian is, what libertarianism is. How can you tell if something is an indispensable essential? If it is MISSING, what's left is NOT libertarian. If you cannot be a libertarian WITHOUT IT, then it is indispensable, it is essential. 6. Out of your right side list, select the critical factors, the crucial features of a NON-libertarian person or proposal or belief. They must be opposed to AND incompatible with libertarianism -- e.g., Big Government, a law or regulation that infringes on someone's life, liberty, or property. 7. With three to seven core essentials selected from the page, write your Great Libertarian Answer. Your Great Libertarian Answer must: a. Be 30 seconds or less when spoken - 50 to 70 written words. b. Using the key features you selected, tell what libertarianism is, what a libertarian is. c. Using the key features you selected, distinguish a libertarian from a NON-libertarian. Show how we are DIFFERENT from NON-libertarians. d. THE ACID TEST: Could a NON-libertarian, guided only by YOUR GREAT LIBERTARIAN ANSWER, distinguish between libertarian proposals and NON-libertarian proposals? * Would your 30 second answer enable him to correctly sort political ideas into two piles: libertarian and NON-libertarian? _________________________________________________________________ THE GREAT LIBERTARIAN ANSWER Contest We want to see YOUR GREAT LIBERTARIAN ANSWER. We want to share the Three Best GREAT LIBERTARIAN ANSWERS with over 32,000 readers of the Liberator Online. To qualify to win, your answer must meet the a,b,c, and especially the "Acid Test" d guidelines above. The judges will be: * Sharon Harris, President of Advocates for Self-Government * Mary Ruwart, Ph.D., author of "Healing Our World" and "Short Answers to the Tough Questions" * Michael Cloud, creator of "The Essence of Political Persuasion" Three Grand Prizes: In addition to having their GREAT LIBERTARIAN ANSWERS published in the Liberator Online to over 32,000 libertarians, our 3 winners will receive ANY TWO (their choice) of the audio recorded speeches from the Advocates 15th Anniversary Summit held in Atlanta on September 24 - 26. [See "Product Review" below for more information on those tapes.] Use the guidelines above, test your answers on NON-libertarians, and enter the contest to find THE GREAT LIBERTARIAN ANSWER. Send your entry to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] We'll publish the winners' answers within 30 days in the Liberator Online. Deadline for entries: October 30th. This is your chance to share your persuasive libertarian communication. "What's a libertarian?" ***************************** Michael Cloud was the 1998 Libertarian National Convention keynote speaker. His speech, "The Libertarian Party: The Unreasonable Alternative," has been hailed as "stunning", "brilliant", and "unforgettable." In 1999, Libertarian State Chairs voted Michael Cloud as the Best Speaker in the Libertarian Party. He is the creator of the acclaimed 3-tape tape set "The Essence of Political Persuasion," available from the Advocates for only $7.50 postpaid; see "What's Happening" in this issue. ***************************** _________________________________________________________________ PRODUCT REVIEW: Advocates 15th Anniversary Tapes: 18 tapes of liberty, learning, inspiration, and communication enhancement. Audio and video tapes of the entire Advocates 15th Anniversary Celebration are now available! Held in Atlanta, Georgia September 24-26, this event featured top libertarian leaders and some of the very finest libertarian speakers at their very best. In alphabetical order: David Bergland, Ken Bisson, Walter Block, Harry Browne, Doug Casey, Michael Cloud, Marshall Fritz, Karl Hess Jr., Jacob Hornberger, Vince Miller, Charles Murray, David Nolan, Congressman Ron Paul, Carole Ann Rand, and Mary Ruwart. It was an extraordinary event - a feast of inspiration, ideas, and insight. Speakers shared their favorite communication techniques, their reasons for optimism for liberty, their expertise on some of today's hottest issues. Here's what attendees said about the conference: "Not only have I learned skills that will help me persuade new people to join the ranks of libertarians, but I have seen a glimpse of what a libertarian society would be like." "This was a present I gave myself for my birthday - and it is the best birthday present I've ever received." "Fun, stimulating, educational, inspiring, confidence-building, optimism-building - I have hope for the country and the world - no more 'what's the use' - we shall overcome!" "Words are wholly inadequate to express the effect these few days have had -- and will continue to have - on me." "Inspiring, invigorating, motivating. I have new hope about the prospects for our eventual success." "Fantastic! It exceeded my expectations." "A feast for the mind." "Everything about the conference was top-rate." "Rarely have I been so inspired or been presented with so much great information." "Best conference I've ever attended!" "Everything was great! I loved every minute of this whole weekend." "What a great conference!" "The kind of atmosphere I wish I could just live in indefinitely." Now you can hear these great speeches and seminars yourself - at home, in the car, or while walking or jogging. Over and over again. Tapes can be purchased individually -- and we've got a special low price for the full set of 18 tapes. Click hear http://www.reliablehost.com/self-gov/adv15.html for full details. _________________________________________________________________ See you in two weeks! You can contact the Advocates at: Snail Mail: Advocates for Self Government 1202 N. Tennessee St. Suite 202 Cartersville, GA 30120 Phone: 770-386-8372; for orders, 800-932-1776 Fax: 770-386-8373 Email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] WWW: http://www.self-gov.org/ If you wish to subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your address for receiving the Liberator OnLine, visit: http://www.self-gov.org/liberator/maintain.html You can see back issues of the Liberator OnLine on the Advocates' web site: http://www.self-gov.org/liberator/ "May it be to the world... to assume the blessings and security of self-government." -- Thomas Jefferson A<>E<>R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Integrity has no need of rules. -Albert Camus (1913-1960) + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your common sense." --Buddha + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly. -Bertrand Russell + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Everyone has the right...to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." Universal Declaration of Human Rights + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + "Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." Ernest Hemingway + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Forwarded as information only; no endorsement to be presumed + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! 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