Archive for Libertarian Party
News of the Week (coup edition)
Posted by: |Norman’s away this week in Las Vegas as a Libertarian Party delegate at their national convention, and is leaving it up to me to do News of the Week. Incidentally, Norman has been working with Lee Wrights’s campaign for the LP presidential nomination for some time.
Biggest item? Well, Norman is gone, so that means I’m in charge (at least until he approves my article for submission).
Most absurd item of the week: Playmobil now has a TSA Checkpoint set for kids. (Short video here.) Now your kids can pretend to be molesters TSA agents, and/or parents can use this as a tool to encourage obedience to the State.
Ron Paul fans will be happy to know (if they don’t already) that Ron Paul has accumulated a considerable number of delegates for the GOP Tampa convention. Is his “Moneyball” strategy working? Rachel Maddow (ironically) seems to be the only cable news host covering this with any level of honesty. Fox”News” seems to concede at times, but largely ignores Paul’s progress. Could this be 1920 GOP convention all over again?
My newest article is the most important article you’ll ever read (this week). Click here for it.
Libertarian Christians (and Norman) getting some positive attention on Infowars here, compliments Laurence Vance. (HT2 Libertarians (New) Facebook Group member Nick).
I cannot stress enough how much Jeffrey Tucker’s writings on Laissez-Faire Blog encourage me every day. While writing about state-related issues, Tucker has the uncanny ability to see it through the eyes of somebody hopeful toward the future through innovation and commerce. If you don’t have Laissez-Faire Bookstore on your RSS feed already, please do so.
Anthony Gregory on why Iran isn’t really the threat the state propagandists wants us to believe it is. Related to Iran, share the image below with your neocon friends:
Tags: Anthony Gregory, facebook, iran, Jeffrey Tucker, Libertarian Party, Rachel Maddow, Ron Paul, TSA, TSA toys, Warren Harding
News of the Week: Let’s Do a Little Lifehacking
Posted by: |Recapping the interesting and significant news of this past week.
I am a big fan of Lifehacker.com for its useful tips and tricks with technology and life in general. Recently I found a few particularly useful and insightful posts that are worth sharing. First, How to Quickly Read a Terms of Service. Have you ever read a TOS from start to finish? Fat chance. But there are definitely ways to get down to the most important stuff in minimal time.
When was the last time you said you didn’t have the time to do something? You probably told someone that at least once in the past week. But really, what we mean when we say that is “that activity isn’t as important to me as something else.” That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s good to finally say that. It’s kind of freeing. Here is an article that addresses that kind of language: Instead of Saying “I Don’t Have Time,” Say “It’s Not a Priority”.
I am a big proponent of the idea that you should work smarter, not harder. It turns out that it is almost always a bad a idea to work longer.
When your work overwhelms you, you need to get organized. But how, exactly, do you do that? Try David Allen’s GTD methodology.
Being extremely good at anything almost always involves being somewhat addicted.
Back to a little politics…
Have your heard about this ridiculous debate around after-birth abortion? It is definitely the logical conclusion of the pro-abortion philosophy, but even lefties like Slate think it is completely out of control – and that’s saying something!
Wayne Root, former VP candidate for the Libertarian Party in 2008 and current member of the Libertarian Party National Committee, recently had a radio interview where is said “It’s gotta be Romney, there is no choice.” I have never been a big fan of Root, but this is completely terrible.
And finally, here is a funny pick that Doug Stuart sent me:
If you have missed the most recent LCC posts from the past week or so, here is what’s up:
- The Year of the Bible in Pennsylvania
- On the Consistency of Christian Libertarianism
- Radio interview with the Aaron Barker Program today–listen live!
- Responding to Tim Suttle
Have some relevant news and links you want to share? Post in the comments below. I read every comment and respond to almost all of them. Let me know what you’re thinking!
Tags: abortion, Libertarian Party, libertarianism, life, politics, technology
How Nixon Helped Instigate the Libertarian Party
Posted by: |Today marks the 40th anniversary of a speech by President Richard Nixon that influenced the founding of the Libertarian Party. You probably have never seen it, so check it out:
Considering the present monetary problems of the world right now, it is interesting to note that this particular speech by President Nixon actually led a number of libertarians to found the Libertarian Party. Here is what my friend Wes Benedict, Executive Director of the Libertarian Party, had to say about this historic event.
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WASHINGTON – On August 15, 1971, President Richard Nixon gave a speech announcing what would be known as his "New Economic Policy." The speech led directly to the formation of the Libertarian Party.
In the speech, Nixon announced two measures that were of particular concern to libertarians. First, a government-imposed freeze on wages and prices. Second, and end to the convertibility of dollars to gold.
Nixon said, "I am today ordering a freeze on all prices and wages throughout the United States for a period of 90 days."
Libertarians saw both of these actions as betrayals of the principles on which the United States was founded.
This speech has often been cited as the critical moment that ignited the formation of the Libertarian Party.
In his history of the libertarian movement, Radicals for Capitalism, Brian Doherty writes that the late David F. Nolan "was working for an ad agency in Denver and happened to have a handful of libertarian-minded friends over that day when Nixon hit the airwaves with his wage and price controls announcement. They all agreed: It was time for a third party…a Libertarian Party."
Nolan and several others formally created the Libertarian Party in Colorado Springs on December 11, 1971.
Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle commented, "Taking the dollar off the gold standard has allowed the Federal Reserve to manipulate and devalue the dollar, and that’s one reason our economy is in such trouble today. That, coupled with foolish wars and an unsustainable entitlement system supported by both the Democrats and Republicans, is why the Libertarian Party is more important today than ever before."
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The political process is not the only way to spread liberty in the world today, but this was an important step toward showing people how a true philosophy of liberty works. If you are involved with the LP, then do your best to make sure it keeps to the core values of libertarianism and away from statism-light. This is a radical philosophy, let’s keep it that way.
Tags: activism, history, Libertarian Party, libertarianism, politics
News of the Week: Potpourri of Sorts
Posted by: |Recapping the interesting and noteworthy happenings of the last week.
Dilbert author Scott Adams finally explains how to get a real education.
ExxonMobil’s Perspectives Blog tells the truth about government restrictions on oil supplies.
It’s ridiculous that Barry Bonds can catch the attention of congress by being dishonest about steroid-use and have the government spend nearly $100 million trying to prosecute him, but dishonesty about war by presidents gets zero consideration. This country is off its rocker.
That being said, there are a few interesting presidential candidates now in the field. Former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson has officially announced, as has Lee Wrights in the Libertarian Party. Note Lee’s campaign slogan: “Stop All War!”
Some books I have read this past month:
The Devil Reads Derrida, by James K.A. Smith – When I saw this title at the bookstore, I had to buy it. It is an interesting set of essays on a variety of topics ranging from art to politics. Smith is not a libertarian, but he is anti-war and definitely has an aversion to power in general. I think he may at times be confusing political libertarians with the philosophical position of libertarian free-will; such a mistake is forgivable even though I do not really agree with him on free-will either. Still, it is good reading.
Accompany Them With Singing, by Thomas Long – This book compiles Long’s research into Christian funerals. Considering how bizarre the modern funeral has become (at least to me) this was refreshing. Definitely recommended for the ministers out there.
Art for God’s Sake, by Philip Graham – This short work gives a good perspective on the use of art in society from a Christian perspective. Thankfully, the author does not make the mistake of saying all art must be religious to be valuable. However, I have some minor quibbles with some of his definitions. It is well worth the time to read it, which is only about 90 minutes anyway since it has less than 100 pages.
Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell – How do successful people become successful? I am fascinated by people who are at the top of their game, doing the biggest and best things in the marketplace, and I like to hear their stories. That is not exactly what Gladwell’s book covers, but it is thought-provoking nonetheless. Essentially, Gladwell tells the reader that success is due to a multitude of factors, many of which are not in anyone’s control whatsoever. In his estimation, there is no such thing as a “self-made man.” I would tend to agree, but you can always push certain factors toward falling in your favor.
The Dawkins Delusion, by Alister McGrath and Joanna Collicutt McGrath – The so-called “New Atheists” are exceedingly vocal (not to mention insulting) these days, and there is a growing body of literature where theologians, philosophers, and scientists respond to their work. The Dawkins Delusion is a fairly short response directly to Richard Dawkins’s latest book The God Delusion.
UPDATE: Apparently, Ron Paul is going to announce on Tuesday that he is running!
Tags: Book Reviews, drugs, economics, education, elections, energy, Libertarian Party, News
Libertarians call for permanent government shutdown
Posted by: |The Libertarian Party issued the following press release this afternoon. It’s pretty good, with one particular flaw but enjoyable nonetheless. Gotta love Wes Benedict, who is a good friend of mine from his days as LP-Texas Executive Director…
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WASHINGTON – As elected officials put on a dog-and-pony media show about a temporary shutdown of small parts of the federal government, the Libertarian Party calls for a permanent shutdown of most of the federal government.
Libertarian Party Executive Director Wes Benedict said, "Just think how a permanent government shutdown would allow so many Americans to regain the blessings of liberty.
"Education would blossom as the Department of Education ended its War on Learning, no longer wasting our money and preventing educational innovation with one-size-fits-all centralized mandates.
"Job opportunities at companies big and small would multiply, providing opportunity and choice for American workers.
"The world would enjoy peace as we withdrew our forces from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Our government spends almost as much on the military as the rest of the world combined. Millions of industrious men and women who work for the military and its contractors could be focusing on building up our economy, rather than tearing down others’.
"Crime would plummet as the government’s War on Drugs ended, no longer sustaining a giant violent black market and overfilling our prisons.
"The life of many poorer Americans would improve as welfare programs stopped, no longer trapping low-income families in an endless cycle of government dependency.
"All Americans would feel a huge burden lifted every April, as they were no longer required to wrestle with a byzantine and oppressive IRS.
"But most importantly, Americans would once again be free of unjust and unconstitutional violations of their unalienable rights."
Benedict added, "We’re not talking about eliminating the federal government. We want to end all federal activities that are not authorized by the Constitution, and we want to cut everything else as much as we can. In 2000, the federal government spent $1.8 trillion. This year it’s expected to spend $3.8 trillion. Things are going the wrong way — fast."
For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.
The LP is America’s third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.
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I’m more of a fan of completely shutting down the Federal Government, but this proposal is far better than that of Rand Paul, who has specifically stated that he wants to provide an incentive for Congressmen to go back to work. I’m sorry Rand, I appreciate you and all that, but every day Congress is in session is prosperity and peace sucked away from this country. Don’t try to keep it running, shut it down now!
Tags: economics, government, Libertarian Party, News, rights
Norman Horn is the creator and primary writer for LCC. Learn a little bit about him in the 