Libertarian Longhorns

The Liberty Dollar alive & well in Austin

One of the problems many libertarians face is figuring out how to fix the problems that are so readily apparent to us. It's not always easy to see how effective individual action can be, or, given that, what actions are most effective in slowing and reversing the continual expansion of governmental power.

One painless way of mitigating the government's power is through the use of an alternative, value-backed currency, such as the liberty dollar. As you may know, the common U.S. dollar is a fiat currency, which means it has value and is accepted because the governments says it does. The government prints dollars at its own will, with no practical physical restraint on the amount of currency printed. Because there is a natural incentive for the government to abuse this source of *free* money, the government often expands the money supply too fast, resulting in inflation, which makes every dollar less valuable. In extreme cases, in other countries, people have seen their money become virtually worthless over the course of a few short months and years.

Were the dollar instead backed by value, such as a precious metal, instead of by the governments promises, then peoples money would retain it's value, and the government would not be able to profit by simply printing dollars at their expense, as any dollar produced would have to be "earned" because it must be backed by some quantity of gold or silver that has been purchased.

You can protect yourself from these abuses as well as encourage others to do the same by using the liberty dollar, which is a currency that holds 2 values, one in U.S. dollars, by consent of the seller, the other in terms of the silver that backs it. If the inflationary pressures push the price of silver above the face value printed on the bills, they can be redeemed for the corresponding quantity of silver. Realistically, you will not likely be faced with the need to do so, but you could think of it simply as a free insurance policy. Simply carry some of both currencies, and use the liberty dollars when they are accepted, and the fiat dollars when they are not. If you don't like to ask about these things, you can find a list of Austin-area merchants that accept the liberty dollar and an easy way to exchange your currency, as well as other useful info, particulary for the skeptical. You'll find everything from strip clubs to comic book stores are on the list, and getting liberty dollars is as easy as ordering online and recieving them in the mail. Enjoy spending your hard-earned money.

• National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve
• Austin Silver Center

Philip Dru, Administrator interviews Jason Sorens, Revolutionary

Not long ago, Philip Dru, of Austin, interviewed Jason Sorens, of New Hampshire, about the Free State Project. For those of you who don't know, the FSP is a group of libertarians who have been frustrated by the lack of results that the normal activism line has brought. It seems that libertarians represents a significant number, but are so dispersed as to be ineffective in showing strength in the measures that government acts on (polls, elections). It seems that if we represent a population vocal enough to be commonly discussed and with enough exposure that people can have personal friends and neighbors who are libertarian then we stand a much greater chance at overcoming what I see as the "Ignorance Gap".

Dr. Sorens has also studied seperatist movements for his dissertation and found that the number of activists per capita required to create a political majority in a small state was something immenantly possible to achieve. So began the Free State Project. It's goal is to convince 20,000 "Liberty-loving" individuals to move to New Hampshire, so as to focus their efforts and achieve political change. Roughly 6,000 have signed up, and between you and me, I'm one of them. My thinking goes as follows: there's work, well just about everywhere. There's people just about everywhere. There's not a single state that can call itself truly free, and things get worse when you look abroad. Let's us libertarians get together and set an example for the world to follow! And where better to start than a state who's motto is "Live Free or Die" (Death is not the worst of evils), beyond that, New Hampshire is about as libertarian as any of the states get (low taxes, a culture of personal responsibility and entreprenuership). For that, I'll brave the cold. Give it a listen.

G. Edward Griffin was also recently interviewed by Philip Dru, and he presents an idea as important, if less directed in effect. That libertarians ought to work themselves into positions of authority, in social organizations and the media, then assert their influence on their "constituents" in selling individualist ideas and notions. In pursuit of this goal, he has founded Freedom Force International.

Who's Informing Your Drug-Use Decisions? Not the Government...

Artist: Daniel Chang

An excellent article about Erowid, everyone's favorite drug-info database.

Now I haven't used it, never ever, but I knows some friends who have, and, I hear it was quite useful. Seriously, though, this is an excellent example of why the free-market will always trump command economy production: it's ability to self-organize. These folks, Earth and Fire, seem perfect for the job, slaving away at providing a source of unbiased information, and doing it at low cost, due to their personal convictions. There's simply no chance that the government could produce a similar resource at such low cost, and use it effectively. In fact, they've tried, time* and again, to create similar resources, but with government-approved information and a biased, anti-drug agenda, which its intended audience rejects, as it doesn't take much experience to realize something isn't right. If Erowid failed as the above sites likely are, the creators would likely abandon the project to find a better use of their time, or a competitor would rise up and begin to sap away their marketshare (if they present a better alternative). Meanwhile Congress keeps shoveling your money into failed projects, like informative websites laking information, and thus, lacking viewers. Here's to informed decisions, now show Erowid a little love, if you're so inclined (they need donations).

The web isn't the only place that the government is failing (expensively) in it's drug deterrence efforts. They're also doing quite poorly on the television. Our very own Dr. Carson Wagner has detailed, in his research (story here), the failure of the anti-drug ads (which have cost $195 million a year in tax money for years now). Apparently, people who watch these ads are more, not less likely, to do drugs. Talk about unintended consequences!

"Years ago, I noticed that every time a news story was broadcast about illicit drug use among teens, a small epidemic would ensue," says Wagner. "Logic instructs us that news programs and anti-drug ads showing drugs in a negative light should not lead people toward drugs."

It's not simply that being exposed to the ad would make you more likely to try the drugs, but also that the research subjects who paid more attention to the ads, had more willingness to try drugs afterwards. Could it be that the government's attempt to demonize drugs instead leads subjects to consider the logic of their arguments, in light of their own experiences? The vast majority of University students use drugs in some form or another, and the vast majority of users do so responsibly. I have friends whose parents (respectable, productive people) have a stash of pot. These people don't deserve to be in jail, and I don't need the government spending hundreds of millions of dollars (and more) trying to tell me that they do.

While I'm on the topics of drug-use and government failure/inflexibility, I'd like to bring up the story of Ibogaine, a hallucinogen which, in recent studies and according to quite a bit of anecdotal evidence, is the perfect drug/medicine for curing addiction. Reportedly, the user enters a lucid dream-state, in which the undergo rigorous self-directed psycho-analysis. When the sober up, they find that experience no little or no withdrawal pain or cravings. Reportedly it's is effective against addictive drugs of all kinds, including Heroin, Amphetamines, and even Alcohol (which is by far the most destructive of the group). Unfortunately, it's illegal, so many addicts pay thousands to take it in international waters or in foreign nations, or are otherwise forced to live with their addiction or fight an unnecessarily difficult battle. The drug is finally going under considerations, after decades of delays, so we may finally know if it lives up to it's promise, but until then, the government will tell you it's not for you to try, and that they'll put you in jail if you do, "For your own good". Good Grief.

* www.freevibe.com is a joint project between the government and... Disney! The same Disney that, reportedly, ditched distributing Michael Moore's new film because it feared it would lose out on tax breaks it received from Florida. From the looks of it though, Eisner won't be in the mix for too much longer, if last quarter's shareholder vote is any indication (45% No Confidence). (More on the campaign to oust Eisner here)

The Bush Administration Speaks Out

Either Bush is being alot more candid, or it's the third-party candidate you've been waiting for. A few guidelines from our President-to-be:

• No protests. Under my government, there will be no assembly, peaceful or otherwise.
• I'm against abortion, but for killing babies. That way everyone loses, and I win. I'm neither pro choice, nor pro life; I'm pro you-shutting-the-hell-up.

On a more serious note, in light of the recent prison scandal, as well as the prospects of ever-more serious crimes coming to light, I'd say it's about time we reflect on the dangers of governmentally-sanctioned force. Lord Acton said it best:

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

It's a well-documented fact. In extraordinary situations, when an individual holds power over the life of another, things can and often do get quite ugly. Unfortunately, government holds this power.

What's the solution, you ask? Well, Thomas Jefferson knew:

"In questions of power, then, let no more be said of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution."

A pity so many have forgotten.

Romantic Realist, art-speak for libertarian

For a long time now I've held the misperception that libertarians exclusively study the sciences and other "rational" fields of study. This was an easy mistake to make, as I was one of those in a "rational" field of study, and I was the only libertarian I knew. However, the more I meet, the more I learn about the diversity of the libertarian crowd. Happily, they extend even into the arts. Some of you may know that Ms. Rand wrote a book called "The Romantic Manifesto" (which I have not read); well, it seems that, either plenty of other artists read it, or libertarian-artist types came to the same conclusion independently, as there's a whole community of artists that are self-taught and anti-establishment. Enjoy!

Hat tip: The Agitator

Repeal the 17th Amendment!? Well, why didn't you just say so?

A very interesting proposal by Senator Zell Miller [D - Ga], to repeal the 17th amendment. The 17th amendment is the one that provides for the popular election of Senators. Enacted in the 'teens, it has arguably been the direct cause of many current ills, namely the the rapid expansion of federal power over the states. The repeal of the 17th amendment would return the bicameral legislature to it's intended balance of power, by allowing the Senate to represent the interests of the states, and the Congress to represent the interests of nation's citizens as a group. Coincidentally, the repeal would also limit the influence of special interests in our legislature.

Read more here: CNN-FindLaw Article; ArticleV.com; The Center for Constitutional Studies

Then, write your Senators and Representative, whether you agree or not, this is an opening for discussion that doesn't come along that often, and it's passage, or even widespread discussion, would be an excellent step toward reform.

Eeyore's Birthday Party Petitioning

Pat Dixon (512-771-3936 mobile) and Wes Benedict (512-659-8896 mobile) of the TCLP will lead teams at each of these events. They'll provide training, petitions, tables, supplies, encouragement-- everything you need to collect from 30 to 100 signatures in a single day. If you haven't had a chance to petition yet, we need your help this weekend. E-mail me to let us know when you're coming. Then show up between 12pm and 8pm, give them (or me, Ben: 512-576-2206) a call and they will get you started.

Iraq Unfiltered [WARNING - GRAPHIC]

It's dificult to get an objective view of wartime events in a foreign nation. Even high-profile events go without important information that could aid in giving perspective. This sort of thing is seen too rarely in my opinion.
EDIT: Dead Link Removed

Ballot Access Petitions

In case you didn't already know, the Libertarian Party of Texas is petitioning for ballot access this November.

Help us, or you'll regret it this November.

Updates on the Way

You may have noticed we haven't updated the page for, oh about a year. Lucky for you, that's all about to change. A redesign is in the works, and in the mean time, we'll be keeping the events info and such current.