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They Said It...
BEST WAY TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE: "The single most effective option -- which is not being discussed at all -- would result in a huge reduction of  gun violence: Legalize drugs. There are 1.5 million drug arrests each year, and more persons incarcerated for drug infractions than for all violent crimes combined. Fifty percent of our federal prison population comprises narcotics violators. Most important, because drugs are illegal, participants in the drug trade cannot go to court to settle disputes and enforce contracts. As a result, disputes are resolved by force. Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Administration has 10,000 agents, analysts, and support staff, who could be fighting terrorism or real crime -- including gun violence." -- Robert A. Levy of the Cato Institute, "Reflections on Gun Control by a Second Amendment Advocate," National Law Journal, February 11, 2013.
GARY JOHNSON ON THE RIGGED PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES: "Look at t he Commission on Presidential Debates: it's entirely made up of Republicans and Democrats. None of them have any interest whatsoever in seeing a third party onstage. I think a very fair requirement would be: are you on enough state ballots to win the election? Using that approach, four people would have qualified to be in the national debate in the last election: [Green party candidate] Jill Stein, myself, Obama and Romney." -- 2012 Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson, interviewed at policymic.com, April 12, 2013.
PRESIDE NT OBAMA DENOUNCES HIS OWN DRONE POLICY: "[A]ny time bombs are used to target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror." -- President Obama, April 16, 2013, condemning the Boston Marathon bombings.
YOUR KIDS BELONG TO THE STATE: "We have never invested as much in public education as we should have because we've always had kind  of a private notion of children ... We haven't had a very collective notion of 'these are our children.' [W]e have to break through our kind of private idea that 'kids belong to their parents,' or 'kids belong to their families,' and recognize that kids belong to whole communities. Once it's everybody's responsibility and not just the household's, then we start making better investments." -- MSNBC TV host and Tulane University professor of political science Melissa Harris-Perry in an MSNBC promotional ad.
 JAY LENO ON NORTH KOREA'S PLAN: "North Korean officials reportedly are planning a cyberattack on the U.S. in an effort to bring our economy to a halt. Nice try, guys. You're five years too late." -- Jay Leno, April 11, 2013.
ILLEGAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT: "Before the Freedom of Informatio n Act, I used to say at meetings, 'The illegal we do immediately; the unconstitutional takes a little longer'." -- Henry Kissinger in a 1975 diplomatic conversation, now made public in a collection of formerly classified documents published by WikiLeaks, April 2013.
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"They Said It..." is compiled by Liberator Online editor James W. Harris.
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Persuasion Power Point #346
by Michael Cloud
The Fox and the Grapes (as applied by Michael Cloud)
The fox was thirsty. It was late afternoon on a scorching summer day -- and the fox hadn't had a sip of water since dawn.
He came upon a walled-in vineyard. And he saw a bunch of grapes hanging above the wall.
“Oh, yes! They wil l quench my thirst,†he thought. He crouched down, and leaped as high as he could.
Not high enough.
He trotted several paces from the wall. With a running start, he jumped as high as he could.
He came up short.
Again, he trotted several paces from the wall, turned, made a running start, leaped high... and missed the grapes.
Again and again, he tried to jump high enough to get the grapes.
Again and again, he fell short. Dead tired and thirsty, he gave up.
Slowly walking away, he said, "So what! They were probably sour."
Aesop’s moral: “It's easy to condemn or find fault with what you can't get.â€
***
A libertarian runs for office -- raises almost no money, runs no ads -- and gets no TV or mainstream news coverage. "It probably wouldn't have made any difference, anyway," he says.
A libertarian gets a brilliant idea for a great libertarian novel -- as great as Atlas Shrugged, as big as The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, perhaps -- but gets stuck on a few plot complications, has trouble with dialogue, and experiences writer's block. So he abandons the project. "Who the hell would publish a libertarian novel anyway?!" he says.
A libertarian watches a well-known Big Government politician give a speech to an enthusiastic crowd. A video of the speech is put on YouTube, and 600,000 people watch it. “I could write and give a libertarian speech far, far better than that politician,†thinks a libertarian. “But it'd be too bold, too hip for most Americans. So why bother!â€
Sour grapes. Sour grapes. Sour grapes. A snarky, cynical “Why bother? What's the use?†belief that keeps us from trying, or from trying again, or trying until we succeed.
Don't buy the lie.
The only person who truly knows, who has the right to proclaim that “the grapes are sour†is the libertarian who has won them, dined on them, and shared them with friends.
But the victorious libertarian discovers that the grapes are sweet, that they taste better than he imagined, that they satisfy... and spur him on to more grapes, more vineyards, and liberty in our time.
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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.
How would a libertarian country combat genocide abroad?
QUESTION: Does non-interventionism entail non-assistance to any  military efforts to stop genocide? In other words, should the U.S. military involve themselves in any efforts to stop mass genocide abroad? If not, through what means do libertarians propose to stop genocide?
MY SHORT ANSWER: In a libertarian society, if someone feels called to stop genocide in another country, he or she could contribute their time, money or effort to do so. They could organize and solicit similar contributions from others, even to the extent of joining foreign militaries or hiring military personnel to enter the fray. They might also help those targeted for genocide escape to safety. What they couldn’t do is call upon the libertarian government to tax or draft their neighbors in support of their chosen cause.
Unless the libertarian country was actually directly threatened, its government would not become involved. Instead of sending “foreign aid†or troops, the nation itself would stay neutral. If the libertarian government taxed or drafted citizens to fight, it would, by doing so, be taking freedom of choice from its citizens in order to “free†the people subject to genocide. The hypocrisy in this should be clear.
We are so accustomed to having government handling such situations that we forget how effective the private sector is in thwarting genocide. For example, in October 1943, the Nazis decided to round up the Danish Jews. Neighboring Sweden decided, as a libertarian government might, to end refugee immigration restrictions, announcing that all Danish Jews who could make it across the channel would be welcomed.
The Danish people organized a smuggling operation that brought 90% of their Jewish population to Sweden. Private donors insured that no Jew was left behind because of lack of money. The Danish police and coast guard either looked the other way or protected those crossing the ocean to neutral Sweden. (For a good read on this, see Leo Goldberger’s 1987 book, “The Rescue of the Danish Jews: Moral Courage Under Stressâ€.
How different this was from the way the U.S. government treated Jewish refugees! In 1939, President Roosevelt turned away the ocean liner St. Louis, which had arrived from Europe with more than 900 Jewish escapees. The U.S. Coast Guard kept vigilant watch so that no one on board could swim to safety.
Other countries, following the U.S. example, refused to liberalize their immigration restrictions. Eventually, the St. Louis returned to Europe, where about half of the unfortunate passengers were eventually killed in Hitler’s genocide program (see "Voyage of the Damned" by Marilyn Henry, Jerusalem Post, July 1998 for more detail.)
Compared to government, the private sector is fast, efficient, compassionate and creative. Even when it comes to thwarting genocide, the private sector is likely to do it better.
Learn more: Suggested further readings on this topic from Liberator Online editor James W. Harris:
* “A Libertarian Explanation of Genocide†by R.J. Rummel: This short article by one of the world’s leading experts on the topic of government murder and genocide argues that the best way to prevent genocide is to foster more libertarian governments and societies around the world.
Excerpt: “Virtually all genocides and non-genocidal mass murders obey the following social law: The more power those who rule have, the less libertarian the government, the more likely the rulers will commit genocide and mass murder.â€
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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 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
Libertarians: Radicals -- or Moderates?
 Words can mean very different things to different people and different audiences.
Libertarians tend to like the world “radical.†We are radical about liberty -- we want to go all the way with individual freedom. We, in libertarian writer Walter Block’s phrase, proudly “defend the undefendable.†Ayn Rand famously described herself as a “radical for capitalism.â€
Many of us will quickly point out that the word “radical†comes from the Latin word "radix," meaning "root." To be radical is thus to want to “go to the root†of the issue. To want fundamental change. Beginning... yesterday!
So when we say we’re radical, we’re saying we’re principled, consistent, and courageous in our defense of the highest political value: liberty. And we see no reason to wait to bring the blessings of liberty to others. We’re proud of that, and justly so.
But not everyone hears the word “radical†that way. To some people, “radical†means a small and dangerous group of extremists demanding drastic and disturbing change. Anything radical, to some people, is frightening and threatening. A "radical" is someone to view with suspicion.
Sometimes our opponents use the word “radical†in this way against us. They say that our ideas are strange and dangerous and will never succeed, because they are… “too radical.â€
If that argument is used against you, consider this verbal judo.
“Actually, I don’t think libertarians are radicals -- certainly not in the way you use the word. In fact, I think we are the true moderates in America’s political debate.â€
“Moderates? But you’re calling for --“
“Look. Libertarians simply believe that peaceful people should not be harassed, controlled or dictated to by the government. That they should be free to do any peaceful thing they wish with their own lives and property, just as long as they respect the rights of others to do the same.
“I don’t see anything ‘radical’ about that. In fact, I think it’s the epitome of moderation. It’s just common sense and common decency. Respect for others. Peace. Tolerance.
“What’s radical to me is the notion that some people think they have the right to use force against peaceful people who are harming no one. To take their money. To tell them how to run their business. To try to control their private lives. To tell them what they can eat, or drink, or smoke, or read, or watch. To demand that the government force them, at gunpoint, to live the way someone else thinks they should.
“Now that is a radical idea! Forcing peaceful people at gunpoint to live in ways they don’t want or that they may even find abhorrent. Taking their property. Bossing them around. What could be more radical than that?
“Libertarians oppose that kind of radicalism and extremism. Unlike liberals or conservatives, we don't think we have the knowledge, or the right, to tell other people how to live their lives.
"I think that makes us the real moderates.â€
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Sharon Harris is president of the Advocates for Self-Government.
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What's Happening with the Advocates
APRIL 27, 2013: Students from numerous Boston area universities will gather at Harvard University for the Boston Spring Leadership Forum sponsored by Students for Liberty, where Advocates President Sharon Harris will conduct an all-day workshop, "How to Be a Super Communicator for Liberty."
MAY 19, 2013: Sharon Harris will conduct a communication workshop and deliver a keynote address at the Libertarian State Leadership Alliance (LSLA) conference in Aurora, Colorado. The conference, which will run from May 17-19, will also feature Liberator Online columnist Michael Cloud.
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.)
Go to the Advocates Twitter account and click the "follow" button below our picture. Thanks!
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 us and you'll receive regular Facebook updates on Advocates news, communication tips, and special offers for our Facebook friends.
2013 AND 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! There's just one stateroom left for the May 2013 "Castles Along the Rhine" cruise -- so hurry if you're interested! 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
Leonard E. Read is one of the true Founding Fathers of the modern libertarian movement. A wonderful and prolific writer, Read was the Founding President of America’s first libertarian think tank, the 
The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity aims to bring together conservatives, liberals, progressives, libertarians and the general American public in a new movement embracing a more sensible foreign policy. 
At the California Democratic Party convention in Sacramento on April 13, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom -- a rising Democratic star and a leading contender for the gubernatorial nomination in 2014 -- 
"Yesterday I placed my shotgun on the front porch, gave it six shells, and noticing it had no legs, placed it in a wheelchair to help it get around. I left it alone and went about my business.
