As promised, here is the sequel to my previous article, "Harry Browne Was Right", in which I argued that political activity was a waste of time. By this, I mean politics in the electioneering, civics-textbook sense: organizing parties, running political campaigns, and lobbying politicians. This follow-up article is to set forth what I see as better alternatives.
Judging from the response to the first article, I think I've once again given the wrong impression. I appreciate the encouraging words, but I didn't mean to say we should give up. It's just that I've got seriously conflicted feelings about the Libertarian Party, and the way we've going about fighting for our goals.
I was first inspired to write about this topic a few months ago, in response to an article by Walter Block on lewrockwell.com. Dr. Block, an economics professor at Loyola, is a favorite writer of mine. He seems to be one of the more radical of the regular columnists on LRC. Whether I agree with them or not, his columns are always thought-provoking. In this particular piece, dated May 31, 2008, he wrote about attending the Libertarian Party national convention. He admitted that the LP had not been particularly effective, but that for people without any relevant talents (that is, politically related expertise such as economics, history, journalism or law) it could be a good outlet for peoples' enthusiasm.
Block's article made a valid point, despite its somewhat elitist overtones. Certainly it makes sense from a division-of-labor standpoint. But the real question is, is involvement in the LP a good time investment, even for a member of the great unwashed such as myself? From the viewpoint of someone who's been there and done that, not really. So I wrote a response in a form of an unsolicited article for LRC.
That article was politely rejected, and I'm not complaining about that. Lew certainly has a right to control what goes on his site. In the meantime, Lew has published a different unsolicited article I'd sent him, so I'm sure it was nothing personal. I believe that in the earlier instance, my mistake was a brief reference to a topic that, for whatever reason, never shows up on LRC: 9/11. No problem, I can publish it here (as long as I can keep myself from handing out any heinous insults to politicians.) Most of what follows is from that rejected article.
Getting back to our topic: the Libertarian Party has not been very helpful in the cause of freedom. Despite years of hard work at the grassroots level, most state LP organizations have elected no candidates at a level higher than city council. Occasionally an existing office-holder, usually a Republican, will get inspired and switch over. (There were one or two legislators in New Hampshire who did so, I believe.) Occasionally we'd get a celebrity (such as Howard Stern) as our standard-bearer, and gain a little publicity, though not (to my knowledge) any significant offices.
I now wonder why this should have surprised me. Of course the Establishment rigs the political system to prevent meaningful change. The major parties and their candidates have been captured by special interests. They keep third parties at bay by making it costly and difficult for them to get on the ballot. Democracy is a farce anyway, because governments at all levels use our tax money to influence our votes by propagandizing us relentlessly. This is on top of the twelve years or more of brainwashing in "youth propaganda camps", as Vin Suprynowicz so aptly calls our public schools.
Historically, increases in freedom have never come from within the electoral system. This country began not with petitions and referendums, but with a violent uprising. But revolutions are dangerous, usually leading not to democracy, but dictatorship. And innocent people get killed, which is never acceptable.
Short of war, public defiance has also been effective. Civil rights and the end of the Vietnam War were achieved by demonstrations, sit-ins, civil disobedience, and the occasional riot. The draft was ended because people resisted it. (Imagine the alternate history, if they'd formed an Equality Party or a Peace Party and tried to work "within the system.") Even secret defiance sometimes accomplishes great things. Alcohol Prohibition was ended because of widespread public flouting of the law. For the same reason, America's draconian drug laws were loosened, for a time, during the 1960's and 70's, and the onerous national speed limit was finally repealed.
There's one argument for the LP that its supports invariably trot it. Its purpose is educational, they say, the public learns from our campaigns. If education is our goal, we could have hardly picked a less efficient vehicle. We waste time and money on bureaucratic nonsense. We get ignored by the media, or they give us a ten-second sound bite that completely misrepresents our position. If we do raise money, our free speech is regulated by an unconstitutional Federal bureaucracy. If we donate money, it's not tax-deductible. Instead of giving money to campaigns, I give it to research groups, think tanks, and scholarship funds. There are so many to choose from: the Foundation for Economic Education, the Future of Freedom Foundation, the Institute for Humane Studies, and Cato, to name a few.
I really can't think of any positive aspect of Libertarian Party activism that couldn't be better served by some alternative. Now I don't claim to be any kind of expert. But in my limited personal experience, as well as my study of history, I've come to believe that there are many more effective ways we can fight for freedom.
Free Speech: We must support pro-Liberty voices like LRC and Antiwar.com, talk radio hosts such as Charles Goyette here in Phoenix (regrettably on sabbatical at the moment), and Reason Magazine (which, despite its flaws, still beats the heck out of the lame-stream media.)
Creativity: We can create art, music, poetry, theater, and fiction to support freedom. The novels of Ayn Rand and the songs of Neil Peart have created more libertarians than all the economic treatises ever written. Remember how Lincoln credited Uncle Tom's Cabin with starting the Civil War- there's more than a little truth to that.
Technology: Engineers and computer scientists can develop devices and programs to enhance privacy and defeat government surveillance. For example, we desperately need a working defense against highway speed cameras. We need to strike back at Big Brother, while we still can!
Litigation: This is one of the few remaining effective ways to work "within" the system. The Institute for Justice, which sues state and local governments to fight eminent domain abuse, and the grassroots tyranny of licensing and permits, is perhaps the best example. I've personally donated to IJ, and it's tax deductible!
Jury nullification: This is the most subversive movement in the country, which is why the court system tries so ferociously to censor it. I once mentioned it at a jury selection event, and the judge immediately cleared the courtroom, so I wouldn't corrupt the other jurors. Reluctant juries were an important factor in the defeat of Prohibition. If the government cannot convict its victims, it loses.
Investigation: We can help uncover the State's dark secrets. Imagine the effect on public opinion if we had incontrovertible evidence that the government was lying about 9/11. Though I personally reject the theory of "controlled demolition" of the towers (too complicated) there are still too many unanswered questions. At the very least, the government was criminally negligent in detecting and stopping the plot. Or was someone running interference for the hijackers, quashing inquiries by alert FBI agents, until it was too late?
Forget "law and order." Too many well-meaning libertarians (especially in border states like Arizona) support groups like the Minutemen. Illegal immigration is not evil. It strengthens the underground economy and weakens the surveillance state. Most illegals are not freeloaders, but entrepreneurs who exemplify libertarian values. The Democrats want to hook them on government handouts, but we can give them more meaningful support. Hire a day laborer today!
The LP, if it were to appear on this list, would be my last choice. The political process is a long shot that makes the odds of winning in Vegas look good. Even so, the recent Ron Paul campaign looked good enough, for a time, that it seemed to merit some support. But the GOP wouldn't even let him speak at their convention, which further proves my point. There's no way the Establishment is going to let an honest person get the Presidency and derail their gravy train.
What I'm saying, finally, is that I'm not discouraged with our prospects for freedom, just with the electoral process. I do believe we need to keep fighting. There is no guarantee that we can win at all. But we don't have a chance against Leviathan if we play by its rules. What we need to do is find more alternatives, and think outside the proverbial box.
Thanks for reading, and flame away!
Vaughn
©2008 Vaughn, all rights reserved. You must have written permission from the author in order to republish this work.
Published: Monday, November 3, 2008
Last modified: Monday, November 3, 2008
The views expressed in this article are those of Vaughn only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Vaughn is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
Report violation by Vaughn of Nolan Chart LLC's terms of use policy.
| More Articles By Vaughn |
Reader Comments:
Posted By: kib
Date: 2008-11-03 20:10:03
In a matter of months, "getting out of the box" politically may entail having the Civilian National Security Force placing your remains in a box of another variety.
Posted By: dean cameron
Date: 2008-11-03 23:16:34
As long as we allow the the 9/11 "truth" movement to have a voice in our party, we will continue to be marginalized as insane children.
Let them destroy some other political party. They destroyed any credibility Ron Paul might have achieved.
I loved seeing people at the convention wearing druid robes and angel wings. That is exactly what our country is, and it's no wackier than any other political party, but the "truthers" have cast a shameful cloud over us that may be impossible to escape.
Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: 2008-11-04 09:05:57
Hi Vaughn,
I like your approach. The word is that "You can't fight THE MAN." I believe that fighting THE MAN is ALL we can do. Your suggestions are all valid and useful. Not everyone can do everything but when most people are doing ONE thing their effectiveness is limited.
The worst thing the LP does as an organization is to focus on national elections. Doing all the things you listed is a great start. Unless folks do these things along with participating in activities designed to groom local candidates that can be ELECTED, meaning GOP or DEM candidates, their efforts will continue to be lackluster.
The biggest advantage the enemies of liberty have is that the defenders of liberty do not understand politics or government. They think they can manifest their passions in the real world through sheer force of will...ignoring the fact that unless they are leveraging the most powerful tools, their antics are comical and futile.
The onlyway these changes actually happen is by participating in local politics and grooming candidates who support liberty while shredding potential candidates who support the liberal status quo as practiced by the GOP or DEM leadership.
No one is going to wake up one day and say, "I think I'll start participating in local political events." First they need a REASON. The focus on national elections and national politics has instilled the general public with a sense of futility. They have been taught to focus on the head of the beast because if they focus on the feet, in thousands of communities across the country, the beast will topple. GOP and DEM leadership love that the most passionate and energized individuals gravitate towards self-marginalization by affiliation with 3rd parties or no party at all. Angry spectators have no bearing on the outcome of the game. They only feel like they should, and passionately so. Their passion blinds them to the illogical behavior they exhibit as a herd.
My wife, Michelle Fire Eater, demonstrates the behavior necessary to maximize ones power and influence in the political system. She doesn't need a herd, or and "identity" group, or a righteous cause as a rallying point. She dares to be an individual defender of liberty by partipation in local politics. She leads by example and it works. Our tiny community is coming to expect her to be make an educational spectacle at the expense of candidates who jeopardize liberty. She does this every time she leaves the house.
It doesn't take millions of voters to crush the liberal socialilst leadership of the GOP and the DEMs. It takes a few thousand who are willing to do what it takes to be effective rather than pursuing ego trips and venting outrage over this issue or that issue.
It takes the willingness to do the most effective things forever, without expectations or determination being based on getting immediate gratification in the form of political victories or ego trips. Fighting THE MAN is ALL we can do and the battle spans a lifetime for each of us.
There will always be 911 Truthers and Alex Jones junkies who are only in the game for the rush, not for results. Wishing them away or attacking them will not make them go away. Theirs is a faith-based religion just like Christianity, Atheism and Liberalism. Reason and reality have no impact on faith. They are incompatible frames of reference. The logic of one frame is gobblety gook in the other yet both sides attempt to use their logic to influence folks who consisder it to be nonsensical.
Effective activists have to accept the vocal, self-limiting fringe element is a constant factor and deal with it. Find ways to harness their passion and energy onto effective actions. We don't have to get them to understand our frame of reference, that is a futile objective. All we need to do is help them find more effective outlets for their energy.
Using this tactic we were able to pull dozens of mouth-foaming truthers out of that religion entirely. We didn't plan to but our activities in local politics had the side effect of empowering both the formerly apathetic and the formerly rabid with a REASON for participation.
I sure don't have all the answers. I am less active than my wife due to my job but when I can be I'm right there with her. Getting desired results doesn't take everyone doing one thing, it takes a few people doing the most effective things they are capable of as individuals.
-Jahfre Fire Eater
Posted By: Vaughn
Date: 2008-11-04 22:36:34
Thanks, guys, for the comments.
I'm still puzzled by the rage so many people have for the "9/11 truth" movement. I'm sure they'd view me as a tool of the oppressor for opposing their wilder theories. In fact, I believe (without evidence, but there's plenty of historical precedent) that the movement has been infiltrated by government agents with the goal of making anyone who disputes the official story look like a whacko. But that doesn't make the official story any less of a lie, and maybe some day people will wake up to that fact.
We certainly live in interesting times!