WELCOME to the Liberator Online!

In This Issue

PRESIDENT'S CORNER
* Tomorrow’s Libertarian Majority

INTELLECTUAL AMMUNITION
* The Coming Libertarian Generation
* Christian Writer: Young Christians Are Embracing Libertarianism
* Rap Star: I’d Vote for Ron Paul Over Obama
* Debt Limit: Hilarious and Shocking Short Video
 
THEY SAID IT: Gary Johnson on civil liberties... Glenn Greenwald on due process... Obama on drones killing civilians... Ron Paul on foreign policy... Jacob Sullum on loopholes... Jay Leno on welfare abusers

PERSUASION POWER POINT #322
* The Heinlein Hypothesis for Rolling Back Big Government

ASK DR. RUWART
* How Can We Have Safe Medicine Without the FDA?

ONE-MINUTE LIBERTY TIP
* A Libertarian Approach to Black History Month

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
* Libertarian Party of Indiana state convention, March 22-25
* 2013 Freedom Cruises
* FREE OPH KITS for libertarian student groups!
* Join the Advocates on Twitter.
* Join the Advocates on Facebook.

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President's Corner

by Sharon Harris



Tomorrow’s Libertarian Majority
 
Dear friend,

The libertarian movement is growing by leaps and bounds! 
 
Check out the stories in this issue’s Intellectual Ammunition column. You'll see three reports on how people from widely different backgrounds are becoming excited and enthusiastic advocates of libertarianism. 
 
I'm especially thrilled to see so many young people adopting libertarianism. It’s a cliché to note that young people are our future, but it is true. As the saying goes, demographics is destiny. And demographics is on our side. 
 
That is one of the biggest, if least reported, stories about the Ron Paul campaign. In state after state, Ron Paul wins overwhelmingly in what is by far the most important category for those of us eager to see a powerful movement for liberty: young voters, ages 18 to 29. 
 
Consider: 
 
* In Iowa Ron Paul won this youth vote with 48 percent. 
 
* In New Hampshire, won the youth vote with 47 percent. 
 
* In South Carolina, Paul won the youth vote with 31 percent.
 
* In Florida, where Paul did not campaign, he nonetheless came in second in the youth vote with 25 percent.
 
* In Nevada Paul won the youth vote with 41 percent. 
 
* In Maine Paul came within a few votes of winning altogether, and a strong youth vote helped him do that. 
 
This is remarkable! And these young voters aren't just voting for Ron Paul because they like him personally. They are excited about his ideas: peace, personal liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise. 
 
A massive movement for liberty is growing in America. I am proud that the Advocates has played a key role in this by opening so many millions of minds to the idea that there is more to politics than just right versus left, that it is possible to be consistently for freedom across the board, on every issue – libertarian.
 
Libertarian activists have taken this world-changing idea from a tiny fringe in the 1960s to the massive movement we see today. Every person who worked for freedom during those decades helped make this happen. 
 
And as we continue our work, we will see truly exciting successes ahead. 
 
Thank you for all you have done, and are doing, for liberty. It’s paying off!

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Libertarian Party Presidential Candidate Debate, Athens, Georgia

I'm looking forward to Saturday, February 25, when I will be moderating a debate for candidates for the Libertarian Party's 2012 Presidential nominee. Confirmed participants in the debate: Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, long-term LP leader F. Lee Wrights, Carl Person, Leroy Saunders, and Bill Still. The debate is part of the Libertarian Party of Georgia's annual convention, this year celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the organization. Held at the University of Georgia, Athens, the event promises to be fun and exciting, with lots of great speakers. Check out their website for more information, and I hope you'll join me there!

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The purpose of the Liberator Online is to build a stronger movement for liberty. We do this by providing information about the libertarian movement and how to best communicate the ideas of liberty. Thank you for being a part of this!

Learn more about the Advocates and our work for liberty.

Learn more about libertarianism -- the philosophy of liberty.
 
-- Sharon Harris, President | Email

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Intellectual Ammunition

by James W. Harris



The Coming Libertarian Generation

Today’s young adults are rapidly turning to libertarianism. So says 20-year-old college student, blogger and freelance writer AJ Dellinger in a proactive article at Salon.com. 
 
It’s called “The Screwed Generation: Libertarian, Not Liberal.” The idea behind the title is that the upcoming generation has been screwed by statism -- and they are waking up to that and rejecting statism en masse. 
 
Some excerpts: 
 
“We are the generation that continues to pay into Social Security with every paycheck but suspects we may never see the benefits of it. We are the recipients of degrees that don’t mean much from educational institutions that teach less and cost more. We are the casualties of wars that have gone on for over half of the lifetime of 2012's first-time voters. …
 
“Meanwhile, the House and Senate have deliberated on bills that would censor our voices on the Internet, a medium on which my generation relies heavily for communication and pretty much everything else. …
 
“In short, we are the screwed generation. The decisions of those before us have left us with an uncertain future and little opportunity to fix things through traditional means. …
 
“Ask any kid on the street their opinion on gay marriage. I can almost guarantee you they’ll be in favor of it, or at the very least aren’t opposed to it. Ask the same about abortion and you’ll find a similar amount of permissiveness. If they aren’t in possession of marijuana, they probably know someone who is. This is what we bring to the table: a lenient, open-minded approach to personal decisions. It’s reflected in almost every part of our culture. …
 
“The caveat that comes with this leniency is personal responsibility. This is a cautionary message that this generation is more than happy to deal with. We’re willing to grant people the right to live their lives however they please, but if they mess up it’s on them to fix it.
 
“This is why libertarianism -- and the Ron Paul candidacy -- has been so appealing to young voters. … It’s no fluke that the old guy preaching liberty and personal freedom is getting the attention of the youngest demographic…
 
“[Ron Paul’s] audience is overwhelmingly made up of college-age kids who happily applaud at ideas like a 0 percent income tax, abolishing the Federal Reserve, and reinstituting the gold standard (or something equivalent) that would put value behind the U.S. dollar again. Not only do they cheer, but they understand. These are concepts that aren’t lost on them, but rather resonate in them. These are the conversations that we’re willing to have, and the ideas we’re willing to debate about.”
 
There’s more to the article, all well worth reading. Dellinger reasoning isn’t perfect -- at one point he makes a brief argument for universal healthcare, apparently not considering that the same system whose tyranny and incompetence he describes so well is surely doomed to fail at this as well. 
 
But his portrayal of a young generation that is anti-war, pro-market, pro-civil liberties and highly skeptical of government should warm the heart of every libertarian. It’s another welcome sign that the future is looking very good for liberty.

Christian Writer: Young Christians Are Embracing Libertarianism
 
Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira is a sought-after writer and speaker. She’s the author of two highly-praised Christian books: Grumble Hallelujah: Learning to Love Your Life Even When It Lets You Down (Tyndale, 2011) and Mama’s Got a Fake I.D.: How to Discover the Real You Under All That Mom WaterBrook Press (March 17, 2009). 
 
She’s the former managing editor of the magazines Marriage Partnership, Christian Parenting Today, and Gifted for Leadership, all parts of Christianity Today International (CTI). She leads workshops and speaks at conferences and church groups across the country, writes numerous articles, and regularly appears on television and radio. 
 
She’s also a libertarian -- and excited about the growing acceptance of libertarianism among young Christians, something she noted in a recent article entitled “The Rise of Christian Libertarians.” It was published in RELEVANT, a leading magazine about Christianity and faith that reaches some 800,000 readers per month by print and web.
 
“...the philosophy of libertarianism has been a guiding force in this year's GOP debate,” she writes. “And the surprising surge of support Ron Paul enjoys from young Americans -- and young Christians -- suggests that perhaps the libertarian-leaning aren’t so far off in right field after all.”
 
She describes her own journey to libertarianism.
 
“My alignment with the libertarian philosophy came out of my hatred for hate crimes. Or, rather, hate crime legislation. The idea of punishing a person for what they thought while committing a crime pushed me over the edge -- politically. Well this, combined with my already solid disdain for power-addicted politicians, for the often ineffective spend-thriftiness of the Democratic Party and the often hurtful family-value-ness of the Republican Party.
 
“For a long time, I figured I’d had to settle for the ever-milquetoast ‘moderate’ description of my leanings, until I discovered libertarianism more than a decade ago. I found a word to wrap around my politics...”
 
Like many libertarians, she says she still runs into confusion about what libertarianism means and what libertarians want.
 
“Democrats ask how libertarians can ignore the poor, the oppressed. How they can leave them at the mercy of selfish individuals and greedy corporations. They wonder how Christians can claim to love and follow Jesus and not vote for people who’d propose measures to force us to do what Jesus said  -- give to the poor and fight for justice for all.  
 
“Republicans ask how libertarians can ignore 'traditional' families, traditional values. They wonder how they can claim to love and follow Jesus and not vote for people who’d propose measures that force people to adhere to biblical principals, to keep marriage between one man and one woman, to, say, keep marijuana and prostitution illegal."
 
However, she says such critics badly misunderstand libertarianism and Christian libertarians. 
 
“God expects much from His people -- especially those who’ve been given freedom and wealth unlike most of the world has ever seen. Far from wanting to see people left to suffer on their own, many libertarians believe so deeply in the calls to seek justice and love mercy and to love our neighbors that they are unwilling to let a bloated, inefficient, distant government get in the way of that calling.
 
“Contrary to popular belief, being libertarian does not mean wanting poor people to starve. It does not mean wanting corporations to abuse their employees. It does not mean wanting mountaintops removed and earth scorched. It does not mean wanting more guns on the street. It does not mean wanting churches to be forced to marry same-sex couples. It does not mean we want laissez faire views of family or more smoking of pot. 
 
“Many libertarians would argue that it’s hard to love our homosexual neighbors when we’re railing in disgust at their longing for marriage. They'd say it's hard to love our impoverished neighbors if we’re simply letting social services take care of them; it’s hard to be just when we say only the most powerful -- the government -- can protect themselves. They wonder how to be merciful when we punish thoughts; how to give cheerfully and generously when the giving is deducted from paychecks.
 
“Probably one of the biggest disgraces of this 'one nation under God' is that the government has had to step in to help those the Church should’ve been helping, to do what the Church was called to do. The Church failed -- and government stepped in. 
 
“Perhaps the reason many now lean libertarian is because they’d like the Church to take back -- and take seriously -- its calling to transform this world. It’s Jesus -- not Uncle Sam -- that people should see and know whenever blessings flow and mercy, justice and love roll.”

Rap Star: I’d Vote for Ron Paul Over Obama
 
Here’s yet more proof that libertarian ideas are on the move. 
 
The rapper Speech is the front man of Arrested Development, the world-famous two-time Grammy award winning hip-hop group once named Band of the Year by Rolling Stone. The group is known for its outspoken political and cultural views. 
 
In an interview with the Miami New Times newspaper published February 9, Speech says he has become disillusioned with Obama and would vote for Ron Paul if he wins the GOP nomination. 
 
“Without a question, I would [vote for Paul over Obama].
 
“I'm an idealist. And so, when I voted for Obama in 2008, I loved his ideas compared to Bush. But in 2012, compared to all the other candidates, Ron Paul has some incredible concepts.
 
“Like, the legalization of drugs. I feel that the War on Drugs has been a huge failure. And I think that's a great thing, whether Paul would ever get that passed or not.
 
“And also releasing prisoners, which means a lot for me. There are a lot of black people who have been imprisoned because of non-violent drug crimes. It's always bothered me. I've always sort of seen the hypocrisy of these huge drug people, like the people who wear suits and ties that pretty much go free. Meanwhile, these really poor people from the projects who get thrown right in jail and then get caught up by these three-strike laws where they can't vote.
 
“Those are just two things that I'm really in favor of. And, I guess, lastly, he's really big on the U.S. Constitution and that just makes total sense as an American.”

Debt Limit: Hilarious and Shocking Short Video
 
The national debt might not seem like a laughing matter. But join nearly a million YouTube viewers and check out Debt Limit, a brilliantly done satirical short film about the national debt and how it applies to one totally out of control family. 
 
It’s not only hilarious, it drives home a powerful message about the government’s deranged, reckless spending. You’ll want to share this one. 
 
The three-minute video stars well-known professional actors Eddie Jemison and Brian Stepanek (who also wrote and directed). 

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Intellectual Ammunition is written by Liberator Online editor James W. Harris. His articles have appeared 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."

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They Said It...

GARY JOHNSON TO THE ACLU: “I support gay marriage equality. I support repealing the PATRIOT Act. I would have vetoed the Department of Homeland Security, because I think it’s redundant. I would’ve never established the department of -- the TSA agency. I think we should end the practices of torture. Period. I can understand the complexities in the following, but I think we should end the practices of detainment without being charged. There is nothing I want to see the government come in and fix with the Internet. … I think military alliances are key to reducing military spending by 43 percent and still provide for a strong national defense. And I believe in a woman’s right to choose.” -- Libertarian Party presidential aspirant and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson at the ACLU’s annual National Staff Conference, January 30, 2012. Johnson was the top-ranked presidential candidate on the ACLU’s “Liberty Watch” report card, which ranks the candidates according to their positions on issues of civil liberties and adherence to the Constitution. Ron Paul was second. Both libertarians scored ahead of President Obama and the other GOP candidates. 

U.S. ABANDONS DUE PROCESS: “The U.S. really is a society that simply no longer believes in due process: once the defining feature of American freedom, that is now scorned as some sort of fringe, radical, academic doctrine. …Supporters of both political parties endorse, or at least tolerate, all manner of government punishment without so much as the pretense of a trial, based solely on government accusation: imprisonment for life, renditions to other countries, even assassinations of their fellow citizens. Simply uttering the word ‘Terrorist,’ without proving it, is sufficient.” -- Glenn Greenwald, civil liberties writer, “Two lessons from the Megaupload seizure,” January 21, 2012. 

OBAMA MISLEADS ABOUT DRONE DEATHS: “I want to make sure people understand actually drones have not caused a huge number of civilian casualties. For the most part, they’ve been very precise, precision strikes against against al-Qaeda and their affiliates.” -- President Obama in a January 30 interview hosted by Google. Although the government refuses to release casualty reports, according to reliable estimates 400-800 civilians, including 175 children, have been killed in US attacks since 2004. Perhaps President Obama should specify how many children and other innocent civilians have to die to constitute a “huge number.” 

WHY THEY HATE US: "We endlessly bomb these countries, then we wonder why they get upset with us." -- Ron Paul, January 16 GOP South Carolina presidential debate.

WELFARE ABUSERS: “The House of Representatives has passed a bill that prohibits people from using welfare money in strip clubs or liquor stores. I agree with that. Strip clubs and liquor stores should be off limits for people who get government funds -- you know, like congressmen.” -- Jay Leno, February 2, 2012.

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"They Said It..." is compiled by Liberator Online editor James W. Harris.

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Persuasion
Power Point
#322
by Michael Cloud

The Heinlein Hypothesis for Rolling Back Big Government

Have you read Robert Heinlein. the acclaimed libertarian-leaning science fiction writer?

In 1966, he wrote a thought-provoking science fiction classic entitled The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. In Heinlein's book, the moon is a penal colony run with an iron fist by the Authority.

Like American colonists, they finally get fed up and declare their independence.

They win the revolution, but discover that designing and establishing a small and limited government is harder than they expected.

Professor Bernardo de la Paz, the Thomas Jefferson of their revolution, makes one extraordinary proposal for making and keeping government small and limited.

When he hears the framers of their constitution propose a two house Congress, he proposes this:

"Instead of following tradition, I suggest one of legislators, another whose single duty it is to repeal laws. Let the legislators pass laws only with a two-thirds majority...while the repealers are able to cancel any law through a one-third minority. Preposterous? Think about it. If a bill is so poor that it cannot command two-thirds of your consents, is it not likely that it would make a poor law? And if a law is disliked by as many as one-third, is it not likely that you would be better off without it?"

Let the Heinlein Hypothesis sink in. One House needs a two-thirds vote to pass laws and regulations, a two-thirds vote for all government departments, programs, and projects, a two-thirds vote to spend and tax. The other House needs only a one-third vote to repeal laws and regulations, a one-third vote to reduce or remove government departments, programs, and projects, a one-third vote to reduce or remove government spending and taxing.

What if the federal government were set up this way? What if the Senate needed a two-thirds vote to pass legislation and funding and taxes? What if the House of Representatives only needed a one-third vote to repeal? A one-third vote to reduce or remove the legislation and funding and taxes?

What if your state government were set up this way?

If you were a member of the House of Repeal -- the re-tasked US House of Representatives -- what's the first thing you'd want to repeal?

Which federal law would you try to repeal first?

Which federal regulation would you want to get rid of?

Which federal department would you eliminate? Which federal social program? Which federal economic program?

Which spending would you end? Which tax would you terminate?

What would you seek to repeal or remove first? Why?

If you could only repeal or remove one, which one would you choose? Why?

What would be the immediate and direct benefits of your repeal to American workers and taxpayers?

Want to use the Heinlein Hypothesis to win people over to individual liberty and small government?

Simply email them or tell them the idea of the Heinlein Hypothesis.

Using the Heinlein Hypothesis lets you open other people's minds. It lets you create "a willing suspension of disbelief" -- so your listener can receptively and responsively consider the benefits of rolling back Big Government.

It opens their minds to new possibilities.

AND it helps them plant a new question in their minds: "Which part of Big Government do I want to repeal and remove?"
 
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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.

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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.
 
How can we have safe medicine without the FDA?

QUESTION: Before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), con artists sold "medicine" that was useless at best and frequently dangerous. Clearly, the FDA provides a very beneficial service by approving medicines as safe and effective, but in a pure libertarian society there would be no FDA. How can we justify this?
 
MY SHORT ANSWER: In a libertarian society, we would have something BETTER than the FDA third-party testing. Today, pharmaceutical firms test their own drugs and the FDA looks over the data.

Before the modern-day FDA, the American Medical Association, Consumers' Research, and a number of other organizations tested drugs and gave (or withheld) their Seal of Approval. The private certification company Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) does this today for electrical appliances. You've no doubt seen their famous UL seal of approval. Although it's legal to sell equipment without the UL seal of approval, most retailers protect their customers by carrying only approved electrical products. Certification is superior to regulation because consumers can still choose to take medicine that does not yet have a Seal.

Without consumer choice, we literally regulate ourselves to death. The FDA regulations added in 1962, for example, increased drug development time an average of 10 years; many seriously ill people can't wait that long. Thus, while these regulations may save several thousand American lives per decade, they also cause millions of premature deaths.

For details, see my presentation delivered at the American Association for Pharmaceutical Sciences, "Is Excess Regulation Responsible for Soaring Pharmaceutical Prices?"

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LEARN MORE: Additional sources suggested by Liberator Online editor James W. Harris:

1. The Cato Handbook For Congress, Chapter 32. Food and Drug Administration.

Excellent short, fact-filled discussion of FDA problems and free market solutions. Excerpt: "By a conservative estimate, FDA delays in allowing U.S. marketing of drugs used safely and effectively elsewhere around the world have cost the lives of at least 200,000 Americans over the past 30 years. That figure does not include deaths that might have been prevented by the use of drugs such as Prozac, which is associated with the decline in suicides of individuals suffering from depression. FDA regulations denying Americans timely access to new drugs have extracted a high cost in health and lives. "

2. Instead of Government Regulation: In four short columns that originally appeared in the Liberator Online, Advocates President Sharon Harris discusses numerous private-sector alternatives to government regulation that we see all around us, every day, often without realizing it.

1. "Give Specific, Concrete Examples" further discusses the example of Underwriter's Laboratory
.
2.  "Specific, Concrete Examples, Part 2: It's Kosher!" examines how the market produced the private Kosher certification industry, which is used by fully 75% of all U.S. prepackaged foods.

3. "Specific, Concrete Examples, Part 3: Seals of Approval" offers further examples of private certifications of safety in several industries, including dental care.

4. "Specific, Concrete Examples, Part 4: Brand Names" shows the surprisingly strong protection that brand names offer consumers.

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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 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 book Healing Our World is available from the Advocates.

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One-Minute Liberty Tip 

By Sharon Harris

A Libertarian Approach to Black History Month

Holidays and annual observances offer a great opportunity to present the ideas of liberty to new and receptive audiences. Every libertarian should collect a selection of facts and stories to share on those occasions. (We offer them frequently in the Liberator Online.)
 
February is Black History Month. This event, observed annually since 1976, remains controversial. Some people feel it is wrong to talk about group identity, to use group labels. 
 
That’s a valid point. If that’s your view, using Black History Month to advance liberty obviously isn’t a good tactic for you. 
 
However, Black History Month exists and it is widely observed. Each year it opens the door to discussions on issues key to libertarians. It is eagerly used by people of other political persuasions to advance their political agendas. So it is worth considering how libertarians can profitably add our voices to this national discussion. 
 
If anyone should be instantly receptive to the message of libertarianism, it should be black Americans, who as a group have suffered from government oppression more than any other ethnic group in America, and whose historical and ongoing struggle for freedom is arguably the most dramatic one in our history. And that story -- the story of a people savagely oppressed by government power for centuries and bravely fighting to overcome that oppression -- is one that Americans of all races would benefit from pondering. Libertarians have a unique angle to bring to that discussion. 
 
As a start, I highly recommend “The Law Perverted: A Libertarian Approach to Black History Month,” a recent article by James Padilioni, Jr. of Students for Liberty. It will stimulate your thinking on this issue and provide a good historical and theoretical background. 
 
Black History Month is an excellent time to show how government coercion was and is the chief engine of the oppression of black people, as well as harmful to Americans in general. An obvious example is the War on Drugs, which is horrible for society in general, but from which blacks suffer disproportionately. 
 
Here are some resources: 
 
* “How the War on Drugs is Destroying Black America,” John McWhorter, Cato Institute.

* “Race and Prison,” drugwarfacts.org

Excerpt: "Mass arrests and incarceration of people of color -- largely due to drug law violations46 -- have hobbled families and communities by stigmatizing and removing substantial numbers of men and women. In the late 1990s, nearly one in three African-American men aged 20-29 were under criminal justice supervision, while more than two out of five had been incarcerated…orders of magnitudes higher than that for the general population. … In some areas, a large majority of African-American men -- 55 percent in Chicago, for example50 -- are labeled felons for life, and, as a result, may be prevented from voting and accessing public housing, student loans and other public assistance."

Another topic is state-created unemployment for black Americans. A recent column by economist Walter WIlliams examines this.

* Williams looks at the racist outcomes of the minimum wage more closely here.
 
Excerpt: "Minimum wage laws have massive political support, including that of black politicians. That means that many young black males will remain a part of America's permanent underclass with crime, drugs and prison as their future."

* Economist Thomas Sowell argues that the 1960s Great Society / War on Poverty programs helped destroy black families. Excerpt: "The black family, which had survived centuries of slavery and discrimination, began rapidly disintegrating in the liberal welfare state that subsidized unwed pregnancy and changed welfare from an emergency rescue to a way of life."

* Finally, here’s a source for some great videos of black libertarians, past and present, speaking on liberty. They’re suitable for any time of year, of course, but Black History Month is a great time to share them. 
 
There is so much more that could be said on this important topic. We’ll continue to share resources on this in the future.

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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

LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF GEORGIA STATE CONVENTION, Febuary 24 & 25: Advocates President Sharon Harris will be moderating the dabate between the candidates for the Libertarian Party's 2012 Presidential nominee. See the convention page on their website for more information.

LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF INDIANA STATE CONVENTION, March 22-25: Advocates President Sharon Harris will be keynote speaker. Other speakers and programs to be announced shortly at the party web site.

LIBERTARIAN PARTY NATIONAL CONVENTION, May 2-6: Advocates President Sharon Harris will participate in the tribute to David Nolan and will be speaking on campus outreach. Liberator Online collumnist Michael Cloud will be the keynote speaker.

2013 FREEDOM CRUISES: Advocates Board Chair and longtime libertarian leader Dr. Ken Bisson invites you to join him for Freedom Cruises in January and May 2013. Enjoy a wonderful trip on a luxury cruiser – at a bargain rate! January 2013 itinerary: an Eastern Caribbean cruise to Grand Turk, St. Maarten, and San Juan. May 2013 itinerary: The 7 day "Castles Along the Rhine,” cruising between Basel, Switzerland and Amsterdam, with a great opportunity to enjoy a few extra days in Europe on either end of your cruise. Non-libertarians welcome! Great food and fine company. (This isn't an Advocates event, but libertarians who have been on past cruises rave about them.) For photos and more details -- or to sign up for free, no-pressure, no-commitment email updates -- visit Freedom Cruises.

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.

JOIN US ON TWITTER:Twitter is the first place to learn about breaking Advocates and liberty movement news, expert communications tips, and exclusive Advocates discounts and specials. (And don't worry -- we won't bombard you with tweets. We're keeping it fun, fast, and useful.)
 
Joining the conversation is easy. If you don't already have a Twitter account, it only takes a few moments to sign up for one.

Then go to the Advocates Twitter account and click the "follow" button below our picture.  

That's all it takes! You'll then get our tweets -- and we can get yours.
JOIN THE ADVOCATES ON FACEBOOK: The Advocates Facebook offers you a chance to share your ideas on liberty, meet some great people and show your support for the Advocates for Self-Government and liberty. Join and you'll receive regular Facebook updates on Advocates news, communication tips, and special offers for our Facebook friends.
 
Have any of your Facebook friends already joined? Join yourself and find out! There's no cost, no obligation, and your privacy is fully protected. Thank you!

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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.

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"May it be to the world... to assume the blessings and security of self-government." -- Thomas Jefferson, June 24, 1826.