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They Said It...
EDWARD SNOWDEN -- “AN OBLIGATION TO ACTâ€: “I don't want to live in a world where everything that I say, everything I do, everyone I talk to, every expression of creativity, or love, or friendship is recorded, and that's not something I'm willing to support, it's not something I'm willing to build, and it's not something I'm willing to live under. …I think anyone who opposes that sort of world has an obligation to act in a way they can.†-- NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden interviewed by civil liberties journalist Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian, June 6, 2013. (Transcript here.)
 DANIEL ELLSBERG ON EDWARD SNOWDEN: “There has not been in American history a more important leak than Edward Snowden's release of NSA material -- and I include the Pentagon Papers 40 years ago. … the Founders of America never fathomed the kinds of surveillance powers that have now been turned against Americans -- nor would they ever have granted to a spy agency the vast, sweeping powers we’ve learned of recently. …this may be our last chance to rein in the surveillance state.†-- Daniel Ellsberg, renowned leaker of the Pentagon Papers 40 years ago that exposed the U.S. government’s criminal Vietnam War secret strategy.
LIBERTARIANISM GROWING IN U.S. MILITARY: “This may come as a surprise to some -- especially considering that each and every member of the military is of course a government employee -- but there is a very strong libertarian streak running within the United States military, particularly the lower and middle ranks. I wrote during the 2012 primary season about the appeal Ron Paul held for soldiers, and…I’m noticing military libertarianism increasing, not decreasing, among the more politically aware and engaged officers and enlisted.†-- David French, “Would a Libertarian Military Be More Lethal?†National Review Online, July 9, 2013.
EVEN PATRIOT ACT AUTHOR IS SHOCKED: “As the author of the Patriot Act, I am extremely troubled by the  FBI’s interpretation of [the Patriot Act]… Seizing phone records of millions of innocent people is excessive and un-American.†– Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), who introduced the Patriot Act in 2001, arguing in a press release that the federal government has gone far beyond what he and other Patriot Act supporters ever intended, June 6, 2013.
DO AS WE SAY, NOT AS WE DO: “US government declares hacking an act of war, then hacks allies.†-- headline of Washington Examiner article on recent NSA revelations, July 1, 2013.
 MR. GORBACHEV DON’T TEAR DOWN THAT WALL, JUST MOVE IT OVER HERE: “We’ll be the most militarized border since the fall of the Berlin Wall…†-- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) arguing for legislation to increase the number of border patrol agents by 20,000 and fund the construction of 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.
JAY LENO ON OBAMA VS LIBERTY: "President Obama is currently on a week-long trip to Africa, where he will promote freedom, democracy, and economic opportunity. I guess he figured it hasn't worked here -- so try it somewhere else." -- Jay Leno, June 27, 2013.
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"They Said It..." is compiled by Liberator Online editor James W. Harris.
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Persuasion Power Point #351
by Michael Cloud
What's the Most Important Issue in Politics Today?
Politics is priorities.
What's most important? What's least important?
Which problem is critical? And which is trivial?
The next time you discuss politics with a friend or co-worker, ask:
"If you could solve only one political problem -- which would you choose?
"Why?
"Why, in your opinion, is the problem you named more pressing, more urgent than, say, the federal deficit or high taxes or government spying on us?
"If you were given 5 minutes airtime on all TV and radio stations, what would you tell Americans to win them to your point of view?
"What would be the huge, immediate, direct benefits of solving this problem?"
Carefully listen to what he says. Thank him for sharing his opinions with you.
Then, later in the day, repeat the process with another friend or co-worker.
Try it with 5 or 6 people.
If your friends are like mine, each one will choose a different "most important political problem."
And you'll learn that you need to have 5 or 6 very different libertarian conversations -- if you want to win them to libertarianism.
You'll need to talk about their "most important political problem" -- their political priority -- and discuss how and why libertarianism can relieve, reduce, and possibly remove it.
When you talk in terms of their priorities, in terms of what matters most to them, they will listen and talk with you.
And many of them will be receptive and responsive to our libertarian solutions.
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Michael Cloud's brand-new book Unlocking More Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion is available exclusively from the Advocates, along with his acclaimed earlier book Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion.
In 2000, Michael was honored with the Thomas Paine Award as the Most Persuasive Libertarian Communicator in America.
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Unlocking More Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion
BRAND NEW!
Click cover to see more and order.
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 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.
What about private prisons?
 QUESTION: How do you feel about privatizing prisons? There have been serious charges of inmate abuse at private prisons. Plus, private prisons have a financial incentive to lobby for increases in the inmate population through beefing up measures like the War on Drugs that increase the inmate population (and thus their profits). Some people say private prisons are partly responsible for the US having 25% of the worlds prison population.
MY SHORT ANSWER: The War on Drugs is responsible for about 50% of the prison population in the U.S.; this was true long before private prisons were commonplace. Today prison owners might very well lobby legislators to create outlaws out of peaceful people, but in a libertarian society, legislators would not have that power. There would be no War on Drugs, or other victimless crime laws, in a libertarian society.
Private prisons are subject to lawsuits, so they have incentives to prevent human rights abuses. Government-run prisons can hide behind sovereign immunity, so prisoners don’t always have the option to sue in cases of abuse. Thus, it’s likely that prisoners suffer more abuse in public institutions, but we just don’t hear as much about it because the cases don’t always come to court.
In a libertarian society, prisons would likely be privatized, but the system would bear little resemblance to today’s prisons; the only people in prison would be violent criminals likely to strike again and people who refused to compensate their victims. In a society where criminals were expected to compensate their victims, rather than serve time in prison, offenders would learn early that crime doesn’t pay. Thus, the number of criminals and the resulting prison population would likely be small.
LEARN MORE: Suggestions by Liberator Online editor James W. Harris for further reading and viewing on this topic:
*“Private Prisons Have Public Benefits†by Alexander Tabarrok, Research Director for The Independent Institute. This short op-ed argues that private prisons are less expensive and more humane than government prisons.
EXCERPT: “Careful studies by the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice and others indicate that if anything, private prisons are of higher quality than public prisons. In fact, although prison privatization in the United States has been driven by cost savings, in Britain the driving motivation was higher quality, more humane prisons. After studying the issue, the director general of Her Majesty’s Prison Services concluded that the private prisons ‘are the most progressive in the country at controlling bullying, health care, and suicide prevention.’â€
*“Criminal Injustice: Inside America’s National Disgraceâ€: Reason, the leading libertarian magazine, devoted its July 2011 issue examining of America’s criminal justice system, including prisons. From plea bargains to prison rape, this special edition covers a wide variety of issues. The entire issue is online for free reading.
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Got questions? Dr. Ruwart has answers! If you'd like answers to YOUR "tough questions" on libertarian issues, email Dr. Ruwart
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 brand new book Short Answers to the Tough Questions, Expanded Edition is available from the Advocates, as is her acclaimed classic Healing Our World.
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Click cover to check out Dr. Ruwart's latest book!
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One-Minute Liberty Tip
by Sharon Harris
Avoiding the “Curse of Knowledgeâ€
What do these conversations have in common?
Medical Doctor: "We will need to use amyl nitrate for iatrogenic methemoglobinemia."
Relative of hospitalized patient: "???"
Attorney: "I can't help you with this because it would be ruled Ex Turpi Causa Non Oritur Actio."
Prospective client: "???"
Aunt Sally: "It’s easy to make my famous apple pie. You just need to make sure the dough feels right."
Niece Michele: "???"
Piano player who plays by “earâ€: “Oh, it’s easy. Just listen to the bass line; it’s usually playing the root. Then you just have to figure out if the chord is major or minor.â€
Person who hasn't studied music theory: "???"
The confusion of the listeners in all these situations comes from the "Curse of Knowledge."
The phrase "Curse of Knowledge" was coined by Robin Hogarth, and popularized by Chip and Dan Heath in their insightful book Made to Stick.
The "Curse of Knowledge" arises as a potential threat to effective communication when we become very knowledgeable about a particular subject. At that point, we find it very difficult to remember what it was like when we didn't have that knowledge.
And this, unfortunately, makes it hard for us to share the important information we have on this subject with others.
All the speakers in the scenarios above are assuming their listeners share the same language and have the same knowledge they possess.
The result? The famous quote from the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke sums it up: "What we've got here is (a) failure to communicate."
You can see that happening with libertarian communicators, too.
It can happen when we casually use phrases like “zero aggression principle,†or “Austrian economics†to audiences completely unfamiliar with these terms or concepts. Some audiences may not even know the word "libertarian." They may not know what the Fed that you say should be ended even is.
How do we avoid the trap of the Curse of Knowledge?
Good news. You've already taken the first, and most important, step: becoming aware of it.
Now, think about situations when you've been on the receiving end of someone dumping a truckload of jargon and presumptions on you on a subject about which you knew little or nothing. Remember how frustrating and unproductive that was for you. Determine not to do the same to your listeners.
It's always important to try to find out what level of knowledge your audience already has. If you do find out, start your conversation, speech, or other communication at that level.
If you don't know the knowledge level of your audience, assume limited or no knowledge. Without being condescending, start with the basics. Use language that doesn't include jargon and doesn't presume knowledge of your subject. Don't talk about too much at one time. Leave time and opportunities for questions.
And above all, be patient. Remember, it took a lot of time and effort for you to learn about these ideas you're trying to share.
Not everyone instantly grasps how to make a pie. Or end the Fed. But with the right recipe, you can bring your listeners along, step by step -- if you avoid the Curse of Knowledge trap.
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Sharon Harris is president of the Advocates for Self-Government.
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What's Happening with the Advocates
FREE OPH KITS FOR LIBERTARIAN STUDENT GROUPS: Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we're giving our acclaimed OPH (Operation Political Homeless) outreach kits to libertarian student groups FREE -- if they simply promise to use them a minimum of three times a year and send us photos documenting their OPH activity. OPH -- praised as the best recruiting tool in the libertarian movement -- normally sells for $50.00.
If you're in a student libertarian group, click here for more information on getting your free OPH kit.
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Go to the Advocates Twitter account and click the "follow" button below our picture. Thanks!
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2014 FREEDOM CRUISES: Advocates Board Secretary and long-time libertarian leader Dr. Ken Bisson invites you to join him for a Freedom Cruise. Enjoy a wonderful trip on a luxury cruiser -- at a bargain rate! Great food and fine company. Non-libertarians welcome! On January 26, 2014 the 17th Annual Freedom Cruise embarks: a 7-day Holland America voyage to excellent snorkeling destinations Grand Cayman and Cozumel, with visits to Key West and Half Moon Cay as well, all on Holland America's newest cruise ship! (These aren't Advocates events, but libertarians who have been on past cruises rave about them.) Ken offers two other February 2014 cruises as well. For photos and more details -- or to sign up for free, no-pressure, no-commitment email updates -- visit Freedom Cruises.
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President's Corner
I’m excited to report a new milestone for the World’s Smallest Political Quiz. 
economy during the past 60 years. 
For several years award-winning libertarian investigative journalist Randy Balko has been covering an extremely important story that few other journalists have touched: the increasing militarization of U.S. police and the danger this poses to American liberties. 
After trillions of dollars wasted and tens of thousands of lives lost, Iraq is a devastated, desperate, and violent place with a presence of al Qaeda. No one in his right mind speaks of a U.S. victory in Iraq these days. We learned nothing from it. 
