Volume 14, No. 15
September 17, 2009
The
Liberator Online
for everyone who loves liberty
published by the Advocates for Self-Government
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WELCOME to the Liberator Online!
In This Issue
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
* The Quiz on iPhone -- and a special
offer for you!
GOOD
NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
* John Stossel's New Libertarian
TV Show
* 9/12: Signs of the Times
* Yikes! "Cost of Government Day" Record
High
* Seven Steps to Free-Market Health Care
Reform
QUICK
SHOTS: Obama and Tony
Soprano.... Trillions wasted on crummy
government schools.... Pot hypocrisy....
PERSUASION POWER POINT #275
* Civility, NOT Servility by
Michael Cloud
ASK DR.
RUWART
* One million teenagers in the drug
trade?
ONE-MINUTE LIBERTY TIP
* Part Two: Answering Hostile Questions
With the Amazing Ransberger Pivot
WHAT'S
HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
* Advocates President at Illinois LP
Convention
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 President's
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by
Sharon Harris
iLiberty: the Quiz on iPhone -- and a
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Good News,
Bad News,
Unbelievable News
by James W. Harris
John Stossel's New Libertarian TV
Show
John Stossel -- arguably the
highest-profile libertarian jour nalist
in the world -- is leaving ABC in
October to join Fox News Channel (FNC)
and Fox Business Network (FBN).
On FBN Stossel will begin a weekly
show that may well be the most
consistent, intelligent, ongoing
presentation of libertarian views in
television history.
Stossel says Fox has offered him the
opportunity to air his
uncompromising libertarian viewpoint
much more often. And he is
enthusiastic about the
possibilities.
"I want to dig into the meaning of
the words 'liberty' and 'limited
government,'" Stossel
recently wrote in his blog. "ABC
enabled me to do some of that, but
Fox offers me more airtime and a new
challenge.
"I'm still considering what I will
do with my own show, one hour each
week. Economics certainly. Exercises
in understanding libertarianism. My
'take' on the issues of the day..."
Fox
says Stossel's show will feature
"in-depth reports and discussions
surrounding libertarian issues in
the United States and abroad. Each
week Stossel will be joined by
experts to explore consumer-focused
topics such as free-market
economies, civil liberties, the
business of health care, social
security, and free trade."
Stossel will also appear regularly
on various Fox News shows during
daytime and primetime. And he'll
host four hour-long Fox specials per
year, similar to those that won him
fame -- and controversy -- at ABC.
Stossel
gained national fame through the
ABC news program "20/20". He began
there in 1981 and became a co-anchor
in 2003. He has received 19 Emmy
awards and has been honored five
times for excellence in consumer
reporting by the National Press
Club.
Along the way, Stossel became
increasingly skeptical of
government. Eventually he became a
full-fledged libertarian, and his
libertarian views became a hallmark
of his "20/20" reporting.
Here's something else noteworthy:
the universal use of the word
"libertarian" to describe Stossel by
news outlets reporting his move to
Fox. This is another sign of the
growing acceptance of libertarianism
as a distinct, valid and growing
part of the American political
landscape. Just a few years ago the
word "libertarian" was so little
used and understood that it would
either have been omitted or followed
by a lengthy explanation. Now it is
taken for granted that readers will
understand it.
And that's a victory for our side!
9/12: Signs of the Times
"Sign, sign, everywhere a sign,"
sang the 1970s rock group Five Man
Electrical Band in their hit song,
"Signs."
They could have been describing the
September 12 Taxpayer March on
Washington, DC. This anti-government
Tea Party protest drew somewhere
between 70,000 and a million or more
people (depending on whose figures
you believe), virtually all of them
demanding far less government and
denouncing Republican and Democratic
politicians alike for saddling us
with the current welfare-warfare
state.
Lots of these marchers carried signs
-- handmade, hand-lettered, and
from-the-heart passionate. These
were sometimes funny, sometimes
moving, occasionally offensive, and
frequently thought-provoking.
Here are a few of our favorites,
culled from photos scattered across
the Web:
"No Child Left a Dime"
"You Are Not Entitled to What I
Earn"
"Don't Steal -- The Government Hates
Competition"
"Our government needs to be small
enough to fit inside our
Constitution."
"STOP the March to SOCIALISM"
"Bankrupt America, Yes We Can"
"If you're not outraged, you're not
paying attention."
"I'm Not Your ATM"
"NOBAMACARE"
"What would Mises do?"
"Change We Can't Afford"
"The IRS is 96 Years Old -- Let IT
Die"
"Karl Marx is Not a Founding Father"
"HONK if I'm Paying Your Mortgage"
(held by small child)
"STOP Spending MY future!" (held by
child)
"Help me, Mr. Obama. They want me to
work and stuff."
"As government expands, liberty
shrinks."
"Party like it's 1773."
"Don't tax me, bro!"
"Silence is consent"
"Chains We Can Believe In"
... and we especially like this one,
which pithily combines sound policy
and common sense:
"LIBERTY: All The Stimulus We Need!"
Yikes! "Cost of Government Day"
Later Than Ever Before
The average American had to work a
record 224 days this year to pay his
or her share of the cost of
government.
That's the shocking
claim of Americans for Tax
Reform, a non-partisan organization
that works for smaller taxes and
smaller government
Each year ATR calculates "Cost of
Government Day." That's the day of
the calendar year when the average
American worker is -- finally! --
finished paying off his or her share
of the total cost of federal, state
and local government spending and
regulation.
This year, Cost of Government Day
 didn't
arrive until August 12 -- the latest
date ever. That means it took,
according to ATR, an astounding 224
days before the average American had
earned enough to meet the costs
imposed on them by government.
Put another way, in 2009 the cost of
government consumes a whopping 61.34
percent of national income.
Last year's Cost of Government Day
date was bad enough: July 16, the
fifth latest in 32 years. This
year's record date breaks the old
record (July 20, 1982) by fully 23
days.
"Bailouts, big budgets, cap and
trade energy costs and government
medicine move[d] Cost of Government
Day one month later than last year,"
said Grover Norquist, president of
ATR.
Chief reasons for the massive
increase include:
*The $750 billion Troubled Asset
Relief Program (TARP) program last
fall.
* The $787 billion stimulus bill.
* Overall federal spending, which
consumes an incredible 30.36 percent
of national income this year --
forcing the average American worker
to work 111 days out of the year.
The Cost of Government Day
report offers compelling
evidence that America has entered a
new era of big, big, BIG government.
No wonder so many folks are feeling
the pain -- and expressing their
outrage.
Seven Steps to Free-Market Health
Care Reform
President Obama is wrong in arguing
for a government takeover of
American health care system.
But he is right that the U.S. health
care system is desperately in need
of major reform.
 Libertarians,
while critical of the president's
plan, must also be strong advocates
of reform -- based on free markets,
competition, common sense, consumer
choice, and liberty -- that will
make health care better and far more
affordable for all.
The libertarian Cato Institute has
created a
Web site, Cato On Health Care
Reform, that offers great resources
for battling the takeover and
arguing for freedom-based reform.
From that site,
here are Cato's seven steps for
free-market health care reform:
1. Let individuals control their
health care dollars, and free them
to choose from a wide variety of
health plans and providers.
2. Move away from a health care
system dominated by
employer-provided health insurance.
Health insurance should be personal
and portable, controlled by
individuals themselves rather than
government or an employer.
Employment-based insurance hides
much of the true cost of health care
to consumers, thereby encouraging
over-consumption. It also limits
consumer choice, since employers get
final say over what type of
insurance a worker will receive. It
means people who don't receive
insurance through work are put at a
significant and costly disadvantage.
And, of course, it means that if you
lose your job, you are likely to end
up uninsured as well.
3. Changing from employer to
individual insurance requires
changing the tax treatment of health
insurance. The current system
excludes the value of
employer-provided insurance from a
worker's taxable income. However, a
worker purchasing health insurance
on their own must do so with
after-tax dollars. This provides a
significant tilt towards
employer-provided insurance, which
should be reversed. Workers should
receive a standard deduction, a tax
credit, or, better still, large
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) for
the purchase of health insurance,
regardless of whether they receive
it through their job or purchase it
on their own.
4. We need to increase competition
among both insurers and health
providers. People should be allowed
to purchase health insurance across
state lines. One study estimated
that that adjustment alone could
cover 17 million uninsured Americans
without costing taxpayers a dime.
5. We also need to rethink medical
licensing laws to encourage greater
competition among providers. Nurse
practitioners, physician assistants,
midwives, and other non-physician
practitioners should have far
greater ability to treat patients.
Doctors and other health
professionals should be able to take
their licenses from state to state.
We should also be encouraging
innovations in delivery such as
medical clinics in retail outlets.
6. Congress should give Medicare
enrollees a voucher, let them choose
any health plan on the market, and
let them keep the savings if they
choose an economical plan. Medicare
could even give larger vouchers to
the poor and sick to ensure they
could afford coverage.
7. The expansion of "health status
insurance" would protect many of
those with preexisting conditions.
States may also wish to experiment
with high risk pools to ensure
coverage for those with high cost
medical conditions.
There's more on these reforms at
Cato's site. And for still more
bite-sized market-based health care
reform talking points, try these:
*
The Whole Foods Alternative to
ObamaCare: Eight things we can
do to improve health care without
adding to the deficit, by John
Mackey, the libertarian CEO of Whole
Foods Market Inc.
*
Six Simple Ways to Dramatically Cut
Medical Costs -- at Zero Expense
to Taxpayers, by Liberator Online
columnist Michael Cloud.
---------------------------------------------
Quick Shots...
OBAMA AND TONY SOPRANO:
"Obama lambasted the critics who
claim his reform plan amounts to a
government takeover of the health
care
 system.
But the plan he laid out Wednesday
night will control every aspect of
the medical transaction. It will
tell patients when, what and how
much coverage they must buy; it will
tell sellers when, what and how much
coverage they must sell. This is not
a government takeover of health
care? Then Tony Soprano is just a
decent, hard-working businessman."
--
Shikha Dalmia, Forbes.com, on
President Obama's health care speech
TRILLIONS WASTED ON GOV'T SCHOOLS:
"Since 1970, inflation adjusted
public school spending has more than
doubled. Over the same period,
 achievement
of students at the end of high
school has stagnated, according to
the Department of Education's own
long-term National Assessment of
Educational Progress. Meanwhile, the
high school graduation rate has
declined by 4 or 5%, according to
Nobel laureate economist James
Heckman. So the only thing higher
public school spending has
accomplished is to raise taxes by
about $300 billion annually, without
improving outcomes."
--
Andrew J. Coulson, director of
the Cato Institute's Center for
Educational Freedom.
POT
HYPOCRISY: "Hypocrisy is what
bothers me. New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg is currently running for
reelection. When asked years
 ago
if he had smoked marijuana he said
yes, and even added that he enjoyed
it. Yet under Mayor Bloomberg, New
York has the shameful distinction of
being marijuana arrest capital of
the world. Last year 40,000 New
Yorkers were arrested and jailed on
low-level pot possession charges.
More people have been arrested on
marijuana possession charges under
Mayor Bloomberg than any elected
official in history!"
--
Tony Newman, Drug Policy
Alliance, writing at AlterNet.
* * * * * * * *
"Good News, Bad News, Unbelievable
News" is written by Liberator Online
editor James W. Harris. His articles
have appeard in numerous magazines
and newspapers, and he has been a
Finalist for the Mencken Awards,
given by the Free Press Association
for "Outstanding Journalism in
Support of Liberty."
|
 PERSUASION
POWER
POINT # 275
Civility, NOT Servility
by
Michael Cloud
"America is becoming more and more
uncivil," said a well-known public
figure.
 "We
must return to civility if we hope
to restore honest political
discourse," said another.
"Political debates are becoming
ruder and more heated," said a
third.
Do these people truly want more
civility? Or do they want servility?
Let's examine servility first.
Servility is slavish or submissive
utterances or behavior. Cringing or
yielding. Usually exhibited by
social inferiors to their "betters."
Servility poisons a free exchange of
ideas. For true communication is
possible only between equals.
Servility is the trait of obedient
servants, not free and independent
men and women.
When public figures demand that
"ordinary citizens" stop bickering,
that the "common people" shut up,
sit down, and listen to those in
charge -- they are demanding that we
be obedient, submissive, and
servile.
When I hear this demand for
servility, I civilly respond, "No."
(Though I think: "Like hell I will."
Or: "Try and make me.")
Civility is polite or courteous
utterances or behavior. Good
manners. The act of showing regard
or respect for another.
Civility is necessary for open and
honest discussions. Especially when
we disagree.
Yes, it is far easier to be civil
when we agree.
But it is far more powerful to be
civil when we disagree. Because
civility lets us reach and persuade
those who have not chosen sides. And
it keeps people focused on the
issue, rather than our behavior.
 It
is harder to strongly disagree while
remaining civil. Even more so to
raise the issue of lying or
hypocrisy or dishonesty.
How do you strongly criticize a
government official while remaining
civil? And do it in a way that
persuades others?
1. Give a specific, undeniable
example of the person's lie or
hypocrisy or dishonesty. Especially
a written or recorded example in the
person's own words.
"On June 3rd, you gave a speech to
public school teachers in Arlington.
Your speech is on YouTube. Here's
word-for-word what you said: 'We
have to get more money for public
schools. We need to pay teachers
more.' But tonight, you're telling
us that you will cut taxes and
spending."
OR: "You filled out the VoteSmart
candidate questionnaire last month.
You said you will vote to keep U.S.
troops stable in Afghanistan and
Iraq for the foreseeable future. Yet
tonight, you are telling us that you
want to withdraw U.S. troops from
Iraq."
2. OR give a specific, undeniable,
fact that contradicts or conflicts
with what the speaker said.
"Congressman X, the Congressional
Budget Office did a study of the
costs of your health care bill. They
found it will cost $900 billion over
10 years. Plus it will directly cost
an ADDED $500 billion for the 10.1
million Americans who can afford
medical insurance, but choose NOT to
buy it -- by legally forcing them to
buy medical insurance. That's $1.4
trillion in ADDED taxes. Tonight
you're telling us that your health
care bill won't costs us the $1.4
trillion."
3. Then tell the person your
reaction to the facts and
contradictions -- in first-person,
civil terms.
* "You made one political promise in
Arlington and the opposite promise
here. I don't see how I can believe
your promises. I can't trust you."
* "You said one thing to VoteSmart
-- and the opposite to us. You've
lost my trust."
* "You tried to explain away your
diametrically opposed positions
tonight. And it became clear to me
that I can't trust you."
* "After seeing your YouTube speech
and listening to you tonight, I
can't believe you or trust you or
count on you."
* "Mr. Congressman, we did NOT come
here to listen to you. You give
speeches all the time. We listen to
you again and again. I came here for
YOU to listen to me. For YOU to
listen to the other people here. I
came here to tell you that I oppose
this health care or bailout or
stimulus bill -- and any others like
it. Unless you vote 'no', I will
vote against you this election.
What's more, I will convince
co-workers, family, friends, and
neighbors to vote against you. We
are NOT a special interest. But if
you vote FOR the bill, we are 20
votes against you."
* "Senator, I did NOT come here to
debate
 you.
I came here to tell you, in person,
that I oppose the bill -- and any
bill like it. This is no minor issue
for me. It's a deal breaker. If you
vote for it, I will vote against you
this November. And I will persuade
my family, friends, co-workers, and
neighbors to vote against you.
Twenty votes."
When you speak from your belief,
your trust, and your vote -- you are
civil. You will reach other people
in the audience. You will inspire
others to think and feel and act
like you. During the meeting. Later,
with their friends. And on election
day.
* * * * * * * *
Michael Cloud is author of the
acclaimed book
Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion,
available exclusively from the
Advocates.
In 2000, Michael was honored with
the Thomas Paine Award as the Most
Persuasive Libertarian Communicator
in America.
|
 Ask
Dr.
Ruwart
Dr.
Mary Ruwart is a leading expert in
libertarian communication. In this
column she offers short answers to real
questions about libertarianism. To
submit questions to Dr. Ruwart, see end
of column.
How can we get one million teenagers out
of the drug trade?
QUESTION: I believe that many
young people are attracted to selling
drugs because of the money that's
involved. They see one neighbor working
hard at a fast food place for minimum
wage -- while another neighbor, involved
in the drug trade, has plenty of money
and drives a flashy car. That lifestyle
draws them in. Do you agree?
MY
SHORT ANSWER: I suspect you are
right.
According to a 2003 survey reported
by the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services' Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration,
more than 900,000 teenagers sell drugs.
For disadvantaged youth especially,
 the
drug trade may well be the most
accessible and lucrative profession open
to them. The government adds to the
economic woes of these kids by giving
them poor educations in government
schools, and then destroying hundreds of
thousands of entry-level jobs through
job-killing policies like minimum wage
laws.
In contrast, the reason we rarely see
kids selling alcohol is, of course, that
alcohol is legal, and adults can easily
and openly purchase it. But because
drugs are illegal, a lucrative black
market in drugs exists. And criminals
are happy to offer kids a chance to make
money selling drugs.
Today's War on Drugs is just repeating
the mistakes of 1920s-era alcohol
Prohibition -- on a far larger scale.
If we want to get one million kids out
of the drug trade, the only way to do
that is to end the War on Drugs -- just
as America ended the horrors of alcohol
Prohibition by repealing it in 1933.
LEARN
MORE:
See "Why do more than 900,000
teenagers sell drugs but not alcohol or
cigarettes?" by Common Sense for Drug
Policy.
* * * * * * * *
Got
questions? Dr. Ruwart has
answers! If you'd like answers to YOUR
"tough questions" on libertarian issues,
email Dr. Ruwart at:
ruwart@theAdvocates.org
Due to volume, Dr. Ruwart can't
personally acknowledge all emails. But
we'll run the best questions and answers
in upcoming issues.
Dr. Ruwart's previous Liberator Online
answers are
archived in searchable form.
Dr. Ruwart's outstanding books
Healing Our World and
Short Answers to the Tough Questions
are available from the Advocates.
|
One-Minute
Liberty Tip
Part Two: Answering Hostile
Questions With the Amazing
Ransberger Pivot
by Sharon Harris
Last issue I discussed the
Ransberger Pivot, a remarkable
communication technique that lets
you defuse hostile questions and get
your questioner on your side. The
Ransberger Pivot is one of the most
effective communication tools I
know.
If you haven't read that column, I
suggest you do so before reading
further, or the following won't make
much sense to you. You can read it
here.
Now that you know what the
Ransberger Pivot is, let's try it
out.
Your questioner asks you: "You want
to end welfare? What about the poor?
Are you really that cold and
heartless?"
 Remember
the Ransberger Pivot steps. Stay
calm and don't fall into a knee-jerk
retort. Think: What's the underlying
concern here? Obviously, your
questioner is against poverty, and
wants to help those in need. That's
admirable, isn't it? It's actually a
great ideal, and one you share.
So use the Ransberger Pivot to
establish that common ground. Try a
response along these lines:
"Like you, I am saddened and
outraged by poverty. I want the poor
and needy to have more aid, more
effective aid, and far more
opportunities than they do now. I
want a world of abundance and
opportunity for all people."
Now, you can go on to have a
fruitful discussion of the best way
to achieve that goal. Again, you'll
need the facts for your argument.
The Ransberger Pivot doesn't give
you that. But it does give you a
more friendly, harmonious chance to
convey those facts.
Some other Ransberger Pivot
responses to typical questions:
"Like you, I want to live in a
society where the streets are safe
for our children..."
"Like you, I want clean air and
water..."
"Like you, I want to know that the
food and products I buy are safe..."
Here are a few more tips for using
the Pivot.
1) It helps to memorize a specific
phrase to kick it off. Notice above
I used: "Like you, I want..." That's
a proven favorite. One advantage of
memorizing an effective phrase like
this is that it will always be there
for you to use. Don't rely on
improvisation.
2) The Ransberger Pivot should be
short. Just a sentence or two. It's
just a way to turn the discussion
around. You need time for the
follow-up answer, the meat of your
discussion.
3) Use the first person (whenever it
is appropriate). Instead of
"libertarians want..." say "I want."
This more personal response helps
establish rapport.
4) The Ransberger Pivot should only
be used when you really agree with
the listener's concerns (and most of
the time, you will). It's the
*opposite* of a trick or deception.
It's a way of clarification.
5) It takes practice! It is NOT as
easy at it sounds. Using the
Ransberger Pivot does not come
naturally -- especially when you're
in the midst of a discussion. So
prepare now. Make a list of
difficult questions. Ask them to
yourself, or even better, get
someone to ask them to you. Practice
Ransberger Pivot responses until it
becomes a reflex.
6) Start your soundbites with the
Ransberger Pivot! In the past, I've
discussed the importance of
preparing and memorizing soundbite
responses to the common questions
every libertarian is inevitably
asked. Use the Ransberger Pivot at
the start of your soundbites, when
appropriate. It's a powerful
combination!
Many libertarian communicators swear
by the Ransberger Pivot. Give it a
try!
* * * * * *
Sharon Harris is president of the
Advocates for Self-Government. See
more One Minute Liberty tips.
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What's Happening
with the Advocates
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ADVOCATES PRESIDENT AT ILLINOIS LP
CONVENTION: Sharon Harris will
deliver the keynote address at the
Libertarian Party of Illinois annual
convention, October 23-25 in
Collinsville, near St. Louis. For more
information,
contact the Libertarian Party of
Illinois. |
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About Us
THE LIBERATOR ONLINE, created by James W. Harris
and Paul Schmidt, is the official newsletter of
the
Advocates for Self-Government.
Mail: 1010 North Tennessee Street, Suite 215,
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Phone: 770-386-8372. For orders: 1-800-932-1776
Fax: 770-386-8373
Email: info@TheAdvocates.org
WWW: http://www.theadvocates.org
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Contributions to the Advocates are
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"May it be to
the world... to assume the blessings and
security of self-government."
-- Thomas
Jefferson, June 24, 1826.
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