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"The Advocates is revolutionizing the libertarian movement. I encourage you to be generous in your support."
— David Bergland, 1984 Libertarian Party presidential candidate and author of Libertarianism in One Lesson
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WELCOME to the Liberator Online!
In This Issue
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
* A Libertarian New Year's Celebration!
HARRY BROWNE
* A Libertarian's New Year's Resolutions
RON PAUL
* My New Year's Resolutions for Congress
VIDEO: Achieve Your New Year's Goals — John Tierney and Roy Baumeister on Willpower
PERSUASION POWER POINT #382 by Michael Cloud
* A Modest Proposal for New Year's Resolutions
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
* SPECIAL THANK-YOU GIFTS reserved just for you!
* FREE OPH KITS for libertarian student groups
* Have a libertarian communication event near you! Find out how
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 President's Corner
by Sharon Harris
Dear friend of liberty,
Happy New Year!
In this special short New Year's edition of the Liberator Online, I'm pleased to bring you four distinct  libertarian takes on the time-honored practice of New Year's resolutions:
* First, timeless New Year's wisdom from a great libertarian activist, author and friend of the Advocates, Harry Browne — you'll want to share this with all your libertarian friends.
* Next, Ron Paul's proposed New Year's resolutions for Congress — more relevant today than ever.
* Want to learn proven ways to harness your willpower to achieve your 2015 goals? Check out the video from the man who — literally — wrote the book on willpower: New York Times journalist — and libertarian — John Tierney. Loaded with insights! From Reason TV.
* And finally we close with an outrageous New Year's Modest Proposal from the (sometimes) outrageous Michael Cloud.
One more important thing: Please see the P.S. below my name for a way you can achieve one of your biggest goals for the New Year right now: helping advance the world-changing work of the Advocates! (And get great thank-you gifts for doing so!)
Enjoy! We'll be back with our regular format next week.
Wishing you and your family a joyful and prosperous New Year!
In Liberty,
Sharon
PS: I'd love to share some great news with you about what the Advocates accomplished for the cause of liberty this year.
Would you please take a few moments to glance through my end-of-year report?
You'll learn some things that I believe will make you very optimistic about the future of liberty!
After you've read my report, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Advocates.
We depend on libertarians like you to keep this vital work going.
IMPORTANT: If you make your donation by midnight tomorrow, December 31, you will get a deduction on your 2014 tax return.
 As you'll see, we also have some GREAT GIFTS FOR YOU — including an autographed copy of my new book, How to Be a Super Communicator for Liberty.
Thank you so much for considering a tax-deductible gift to the Advocates. And thank you for your dedication to liberty and for reading the Liberator Online — for being one of the vital people who understand the importance of liberty enough to want to do something to make it happen!
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Become a SUPER COMMUNICATOR for the ideas of liberty!
 Learn how at an entertaining and enlightening Advocates communication workshop, led by acclaimed libertarian communication expert and Advocates President Sharon Harris.
Find out how you can get Sharon to speak at your organization. Email Sharon now, or call her at 770-386-8372.
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A Libertarian's New Year's Resolutions
by Harry Browne
Editor's Note: Several years ago, Harry Browne — 1996 and 2000 Libertarian Party presidential  candidate, world-renowned libertarian speaker and writer, and very good friend of the Advocates — made his New Year's resolutions.
The result was a compact how-to of effective libertarian communication, by one of history's most persuasive advocates of the ideas of liberty.
We are delighted to share this inspiring and uplifting classic with you. Consider adding them to your own resolutions this year — and share them with other libertarians.
* * *
1. I resolve to sell liberty by appealing to the self-interest of each prospect, rather than preaching to people and expecting them to suddenly adopt my ideas of right and wrong.
2. I resolve to keep from being drawn into arguments or debates. My purpose is to inspire people to want liberty — not to prove that they're wrong.
3. I resolve to listen when people tell me of their wants and needs, so I can help them see how a free society will satisfy those needs.
4. I resolve to identify myself, when appropriate, with the social goals someone may seek — a cleaner environment, more help for the poor, a less divisive society — and try to show him that those goals can never be achieved by government, but will be well served in a free society.
5. I resolve to be compassionate and respectful of the beliefs and needs that lead people to seek government help. I don't have to approve of their subsidies or policies — but if I don't acknowledge their needs, I have no hope of helping them find a better way to solve their problems.
6. No matter what the issue, I resolve to keep returning to the central point: how much better off the individual will be in a free society.
7. I resolve to acknowledge my good fortune in having been born an American. Any plan for improvement must begin with a recognition of the good things we have. To speak only of America's defects will make me a tiresome crank.
8. I resolve to focus on the ways America could be so much better with a very small government — not to dwell on all the wrongs that exist today.
9. I resolve to cleanse myself of hate, resentment, and bitterness. Such things steal time and attention from the work that must be done.
10. I resolve to speak, dress, and act in a respectable manner. I may be the first libertarian someone has encountered, and it's important that he get a good first impression. No one will hear the message if the messenger is unattractive.
11. I resolve to remind myself that someone's "stupid" opinion may be an opinion I once held. If I can grow, why can't I help him grow?
12. I resolve not to raise my voice in any discussion. In a shouting match, no one wins, no one changes his mind, and no one will be inspired to join our quest for a free society.
13. I resolve not to adopt the tactics of Republicans and Democrats. They use character assassination, evasions, and intimidation because they have no real benefits to offer Americans. We, on the other hand, are offering to set people free — and so we can win simply by focusing on the better life our proposals will bring.
14. I resolve to be civil to my opponents and treat them with respect. However anyone chooses to treat me, it's important that I be a better person than my enemies.
* * *
Harry passed away in March of 2006. His last speech was given at the Advocates' 20th Anniversary Celebration.
If enough of us follow Harry's advice above, we can make 2015 the best year yet for the libertarian movement.
There could be no greater tribute to Harry — and no greater gift to the world.
Visit HarryBrowne.org to learn more about his other writing and his legacy to the liberty movement.
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Ron Paul: My New Year's Resolutions for Congress
 In late December 2012, as he approached retirement from Congress, Ron Paul presented some New Year's resolutions for his fellow members of Congress to ponder.
If anything, they're more relevant today than ever, and we're pleased to share them with you.
* * *
As I prepare to retire from Congress, I'd like to suggest a few New Year's resolutions for my colleagues to consider. For the sake of liberty, peace, and prosperity I certainly hope more members of Congress consider the strict libertarian constitutional approach to government...
In just a few days, Congress will solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. They should reread Article 1 Section 8 and the Bill of Rights before taking such a serious oath. Most legislation violates key provisions of the Constitution in very basic ways, and if members can't bring themselves to say no in the face of pressure from special interests, they have broken trust with their constituents and violated their oaths. Congress does not exist to serve special interests, it exists to protect the rule of law.
I also urge my colleagues to end unconstitutional wars overseas. Stop the drone strikes; stop the covert activities and meddling in the internal affairs of other nations. Strive to observe "good faith and justice towards all Nations" as George Washington admonished. We are only making more enemies, wasting lives, and bankrupting ourselves with the neoconservative, interventionist mindset that endorses pre-emptive war that now dominates both parties.
All foreign aid should end because it is blatantly unconstitutional. While it may be a relatively small part of our federal budget, for many countries it is a large part of theirs — and it creates perverse incentives for both our friends and enemies. There is no way members of Congress can know or understand the political, economic, legal, and social realities in the many nations to which they send taxpayer dollars.
Congress needs to stop accumulating more debt. U.S. debt, monetized by the Federal Reserve, is the true threat to our national security. Revisiting the parameters of Article 1 Section 8 would be a good start.
Congress should resolve to respect personal liberty and free markets. Learn more about the free market and how it regulates commerce and produces greater prosperity better than any legislation or regulation. Understand that economic freedom IS freedom. Resolve not to get in the way of voluntary contracts between consenting adults. Stop bailing out failed yet politically connected companies and industries. Stop forcing people to engage in commerce when they don't want to, and stop prohibiting them from buying and selling when they do want to. Stop trying to legislate your ideas of fairness. Protect property rights. Protect the individual. That is enough.
There are many more resolutions I would like to see my colleagues in Congress adopt, but respect for the Constitution and the oath of office should be at the core of everything members of Congress do in 2013.
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VIDEO: Achieve Your New Year's Goals — John Tierney and Roy Baumeister on Willpower
If you're serious about achieving success with your New Year's resolutions, here is some hardcore information on how to do that, by two of the leading experts in the field (at least one of whom is a libertarian).
"Self-Control is the Key to Success: John Tierney and Roy Baumeister on Willpower" is a one-hour program produced by Reason TV earlier this year.
The two are authors of the bestseller Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength.
"There are two qualities that correlate with success," says New York Times journalist — and libertarian — John Tierney. "One of them is intelligence and the other is self-control. And so far researchers haven't figured out what to do about intelligence, but they have rediscovered how to improve self-control."
Tierney spoke at an event sponsored by the Reason Foundation on January 28, 2014 along with his co-author Roy Baumeister, the Francis Epps Eminent Scholar in psychology at Florida State University.
Baumeister and Tierney discuss the importance of willpower in determining our success in life and offer tips for improving our self-control.
Among the highlights in this video (and where they can be found): laboratory experiments that show how willpower can be depleted (6:20); the effect of glucose levels on self-control (10:15); how to make good on your New Year's resolutions (16:30); why dieting undermines self-control (20:45); how to make an effective to do list (22:30); Tierney and Baumeister's experience meeting David Allen, author of Getting Things Done (24:30); why it's a good idea to weigh yourself every day if you're trying to shed pounds (25:30); the role of genetics in determining a person's willpower (31:00); why self-help literature rarely emphasizes willpower (33:00); the victim mentality and Alcoholics Anonymous (35:20); willpower and crime (38:50); procrastination as a tool for getting things done (47:20); and willpower and evolution (51:45).
Check it out — and make 2015 your best year yet!
About 1 hour and 2 minutes. Shot and edited by Jim Epstein of Reason TV.
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Persuasion Power Point #382
by Michael Cloud
A Modest Proposal for New Year's Resolutions
New Year's Day is coming up. If you're like a lot of people, you're thinking, "I ought to make some New  Year's Resolutions."
"Let's see. I ought to lose 10 pounds. And I probably ought to stop smoking. Oh yeah, I need to spend more time with my spouse," you might say.
So you write down these items. New Year's is a good time to improve yourself. And this time you'll really keep your resolutions. Uh-huh.
Why did you pick these resolutions?
They're hard. They're important. They're uplifting. And you'd feel really proud of yourself if you actually accomplished them.
So you start out with the best of intentions. The highest of hopes. And a grim determination.
Then you break one of them. You forget another. Before you know it, your resolutions have you on your back, all four feet in the air, another victim of resolution road kill.
You feel guilty. You get a funny-looking grin on your face when your friends ask you, "How are your resolutions going?"
Your self-esteem plummets. Until time lets you forget all about the resolutions.
Frankly, this isn't good for you.
It isn't good for the people you spend time with.
But I have a solution.
It's bold, breathtaking, and BIG.
It feeds your need to be uplifted. It gives you a steely look and the calm confidence of a poker player holding four Aces.
THE BIG TRUTH: Most of your problems are caused by other people.
Your life would be a whole lot smoother if other people were way more considerate of your wants and needs. Of your hopes and expectations.
Your life would be a whole lot better if other people would stop being so selfish.
Always putting themselves first. Always thinking about their problems. Always wanting things their way.
Most religions teach that it is better to give than to receive.
So what is the greatest gift you can give to others?
The opportunity for them to give.
THE MODEST PROPOSAL: Write New Year's Resolutions for other people. Tell them exactly how they can make your life better, and nicer, and happier.
Why should you lose 10 pounds? After all, how many times do you look in the mirror each day? They should lose 10 pounds. You look at them more often than you look at yourself.
And they should learn to say, "You're not fat. You're snuggly."
Why should you stop smoking? They should learn to appreciate the fragrant smell of burning tobacco. And enjoy the process of scooping up ashes that have fallen in the wrong place. And cleaning out ashtrays.
Why should you spend more time with your spouse?
She should appreciate the spare moments you ration out. After all, the rare is the precious. If diamonds were commonplace, who would value them? If your time were commonplace, would your wife really appreciate you?
Remember, most of your problems are caused by other people.
That means that most of your solutions can be provided by other people. Unless they insist on selfishness.
Maybe your friends don't call you often enough. Or invite you to dinner regularly. Or listen in rapt attention when you repeat your story for the 11th time.
It is better to give than to receive. Help them give. Write their resolutions so that they can learn to give and give and give.
Write their resolutions so they can grow and grow and grow.
So they can be more worthy of being your friend.
So make up a list of your friends. Write out their New Year's Resolutions. The resolutions that put you first. The resolutions that make them better friends. Resolutions that let them live to give.
If they keep those resolutions, they'll become stronger and better.
If they fail to keep the New Year's Resolutions you wrote for them, they will feel frustrated. Guilty. They will suffer plummeting self-esteem.
Help your friends become better people. Write their New Year's Resolutions today.
Some day they'll thank you.
* * *
In 2000, Michael was honored with the Thomas Paine Award as the Most Persuasive Libertarian Communicator in America.
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What's Happening with the Advocates
SEE SPECIAL THANK-YOU GIFTS we've reserved for you, for your year-end tax-exempt donation.
JOIN THE ADVOCATES on Facebook and Twitter. Fun, informative, inspiring posts!
FREE OPH KITS FOR LIBERTARIAN STUDENT GROUPS: We're giving our acclaimed OPH (Operation Political Homeless) outreach kits — a $50 value — to libertarian student groups FREE. Learn why OPH is praised as the best recruiting tool in the libertarian movement, and get your free OPH kit.
WE'LL COME TO YOU: Email Sharon to find out how you can have a communication event near you.
Copyright © 2014 Advocates for Self-Government, All rights reserved.
The Liberator Online is the newsletter of the Advocates for Self-Government. It is the best way to stay current on libertarian news, events, and communication techniques.
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