2 out of 3 are Liberty Candidates!

This article makes the assumption that Rand Paul will remain the frontrunner in the presidential race and be the Republican Party’s nominee on the November 2016 ballot.  No other Republican candidate will be good enough for a stalwart libertarian like me.

2016 will be a much better election year for the liberty movement than 2012.  Back then, Ron Paul had to claw and scrape his way to getting two minutes of speaking time out of two-hour-long debates.  Moderators and major networks never took him seriously, except for the times they’d briefly mention him to drive home how ‘crazy’ he was, or to remind themselves that he was ‘unelectable’.  Worst of all, the libertarian ideas Ron advocated were deeply misunderstood. 2012 wasn’t our year.

This time, our libertarian ideas actually have a shot at being heard and accepted.  Rand Paul is being taken much more seriously than Ron was.  This is due in no small part to Ron blitzing America like a kamikaze in 2012, with ideas like “end the Fed,” “end foreign aid,” and “legalize drugs”.  Because Ron took the full blast of heat in 2012, America in 2016 can find it more palatable when Rand pushes ideas like “let’s fully audit the Fed,” “we can start cutting aid to this list of countries,” and “let’s end the War on Drugs, which is really a war on the black community.”

To make a long story short, Rand Paul’s candidacy excites me.  Sure, he isn’t a pure libertarian like his father, but making that constant comparison is getting silly.  ‘Conservatarian’ Rand Paul will take mainstream America MUCH closer to libertarianism than Hillary Clinton, that’s for damn sure!

I’m also excited that Gary Johnson will be running for president again on the Libertarian Party ticket.  Though I’ve long-since agreed to actually cast my general election vote for Rand, I can see the importance of Gary’s candidacy.  Many in the liberty movement are concerned that Gary running against Rand will ‘divide’ the libertarian vote in America.

I disagree.

If there exists any 'division' within the liberty movement, it runs along these lines:

1. Most libertarians will ultimately swallow their pride and support Rand. They realize that, despite his ‘impurities’ he’s worlds above the other rabble playing the Ronald Reagan name card.
2. Libertarian Party members will vote for Gary Johnson because the Party needs to run candidates in order to function as a Party and not as a weekly tea social.  For some of these folks, Rand might not be ‘good enough’.  They have every right then to run a candidate that better represents them.
3.  Libertarians and libertarian sympathizers who don’t much care for either Rand or Gary will stay home and find creative life hacks that defy government regulations.  Their focus is on advancing liberty through action, not politics.

Judge Napolitano recently said, "I want Rand to win."

Frankly, the liberty movement needs all three groups of people.  We NEED Rand, we NEED Gary, and we even NEED a liberty-advancing alternative for those who are sick of politics.  In the long-run, people are already aligned for what they’ll do or who they’ll support in 2016.  Because libertarians are notorious for sticking to their principles, there'll simply be no arguing with these three groups.

I’m still incredibly excited just to know that I could be seeing Rand Paul and Gary Johnson both on the general election ballot.  Though the Libertarian Party is a smaller party, it’s still the third largest party in the United States.  This means that, of the three biggest American political parties on the November ballot, two out of three candidates will be liberty candidates.

I say again, two out of three general election candidates will be representing libertarian ideas and policy objectives.

Only the Democrat candidate, probably Darth Hillary, will be the candidate representing corruption, government surveillance, and corporate fascism.  The other two candidates will starkly contrast; their platforms will differ from tyranny and instead offer a mostly-libertarian option (Rand) and a super-libertarian option (Gary).

Absolutely nothing about the 2012 election looked like this, and I count all of our lucky stars that years of hard work and activism are finally starting to pay off.  I can only imagine one day in the future when libertarian ideas will have so deeply infiltrated politics, that all three parties’ candidates will be different shades of libertarian.

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ENTER the Rand Paul writing contest!

Images courtesy of aLibertarianFuture.com

Rand Paul Writing Contest UPDATE!

In light of Marco Rubio announcing his presidential candidacy, the Stand With Rand Writing Contest has a new category option for submissions.

Rand Paul supporters who want to be published in a book about Rand can choose to write on any of these six topics:

1)      Why Conservatives should vote for Rand

2)      Why Progressives should vote for Rand

3)      Why Independents and the politically homeless should vote for Rand

4)      Rand Paul is a better Republican candidate than Ted Cruz

5)      Rand Paul is a better Republican candidate than Marco Rubio

6)      Rand Paul is a better candidate for America than Hillary Clinton

Multiple submissions are allowed, but each one should be on a different topic.  Each topic will be its own individual book.  The eBook editions will be distributed free of charge.

If you do choose to submit your work for the contest, it would be published it under the Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0) license, so you still retain the rights to your work.  Not only are you allowed to re-publish your work, but the Creative Commons license gives you permission to independently re-publish the entire book!

Submit your work to politicalzachfoster@gmail.com with the subject line 'WRITING CONTEST'.  The final deadline is 11:59 P.M. Pacific, June 1, 2015.

See the full contest guidelines here.

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Picture courtesy of Politico and used according to Fair Use.

Stand With Rand Writing Contest

Four years ago I launched a special writing contest.  Contestants were to write an essay to any audience—liberals, conservatives, independents—about how Ron Paul best represents them and is the best candidate for the Presidency

The best essays were compiled into a campaign book in support of Ron Paul’s presidential candidacy, and it was written by We the People.  This book was published as VOICES OF REVOLUTION: Americans Speak Out for Ron Paul (download it for free).

Nearly four years later, I’m pleased to announce to you the Stand With Rand Writing Contest.

This time, we’re going big and we’re going long. We understand that the mainstream media will attack Senator Paul ceaselessly as he campaigns and spreads a message of individual liberty, sound money, and peace.  They’ll attack him on TV, on the Internet, and in print.

Our plan is to flood the eBook market with books that are pro-Rand and pro-liberty.  In order to do this, I’m calling on fellow patriots and lovers of liberty to put pen to paper and speak from the heart.  I’m calling on YOUR essays on why fellow Americans should vote for Rand Paul.

The essays can be any of these five topics:

1)      Why Conservatives should vote for Rand

2)      Why Progressives should vote for Rand

3)      Why Independents and the politically homeless should vote for Rand

4)      Rand Paul is a better Republican candidate than Ted Cruz

5)      Rand Paul is a better Republican candidate than Marco Rubio

6)      Rand Paul is a better candidate for America than Hillary Clinton

If you do choose to submit your work, it’ll be published it under the Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0) license, so you still retain the rights to your work.  Not only are you allowed to re-publish your own work, but the Creative Commons license gives you permission to independently re-publish the entire book!

Remember these guidelines to make your writing most effective:

·       Multiple submissions are allowed, but each submission has to be on a different topic.  The above 5 topics will be 5 different books.

·       Write from the heart. Don’t preach to strangers.  Tell them from the heart why a Paul presidency is important to you AND to the reader.

·       When writing to Conservatives, back up your arguments with Bible verses. Also mention Ronald Reagan and the “conservatarian” philosophy of Reagan and Barry Goldwater that Americans overwhelmingly supported. It wouldn’t hurt to mention Rand’s response to Benghazi, or Glenn Beck leaving the GOP in disgust.

·       When writing to Progressives, don’t forget to mention the damage inflicted on the black community by the Obama administration and Democrat Party policies.  Also stress the Establishment Left’s betrayal of the working class and abandonment of the LGBTQ community.  It’s also good to refer to Howard Zinn’s populist histories and tie Rand in with empowerment of the working classes.  Also, don’t forget that Bill Maher is a huge supporter.

·       If writing about Hillary Clinton, focus on every documented lie, half-truth, and cover up involving Hillary, especially her hawkish support for George W. Bush's, Dick Cheney's, and Barack Obama’s wars. Stress that Clinton represents a new type of imperial/colonialist America.

·       When making a factual claim or referring to something that happened in real time—a historical event, words someone said or wrote, etc.—back it up with a citation in a footnote.  At least provide a url to make it easier for your poor editor.

·       The deadline for submissions is 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time, June 1, 2015.  Even though that’s 6 weeks away, don’t sit on this.  The liberty movement NEEDS your contribution and I'm accepting submissions NOW.

Send submissions to politicalzachfoster@gmail.com

Every bit of VOLUNTARY grass roots activism counts.  Will YOU stand with me?

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'I Stand With Rand' banner courtesy of Latino Rebels.

Let’s Avoid Infighting in the UK Liberty Movement

I’m writing this to our brothers and sisters from “across the pond.”  This message goes out to both the big-L and small-l libertarians.  I see some of the infighting in the UK’s liberty movement, most notably between activists from the UK Independence Party and the Libertarian Party of the UK.

Brothers and sisters in liberty, I can tell you from experience, factionalism and needless infighting took A LOT of steam out of the liberty movement in America.  You would be way better off avoiding it.  In no way am I preaching to you.  Instead I’m using my experience, even the mistakes I made in the past, to help you folks steer clear of some bumpy roads in spreading libertarian thought.

Our biggest problem, especially in the US Libertarian Party, is when factions arise and say "So-and-So is not Libertarian; only WE are the true bastion of liberty. Join us, not them!" Believe me friends, it's counter-productive.

Frankly, if the UKIP proposes ANY ideas or changes that that promotes liberty in any way, shape or form--even if it's not as libertarian as we'd like--their activism is still important. Anything that moves the meter needle away from statism and a little closer to liberty, is important.

Just think where you were, politically, 10 or 15 years ago. Not everyone becomes libertarian overnight. They NEED an intellectual/logical stepping stone.  Even hardcore anarchists in the US are flocking to support the “conservatarian” Rand Paul; they know that his candidacy will be a big push in the direction of libertarian thought.  It's a golden stepping stone for millions of Americans, and we'd be foolish not to support him and build him up.  But Rand is just an example of libertarians and conservatives building coalitions within the liberty movement.

The BEST hope for success is to not put a negative spotlight on other groups we should be allied with, but instead put a spotlight on things you SUPPORT. If you REALLY want to differentiate yourselves from UKIP, put a spotlight on LPUK stances you SUPPORT (but stances different from UKIP's).

The most attractive feature of libertarianism is people who are alive, free, and HAPPY. 100% positivity is far more effective for recruiting than 90% negativity followed by 'Vote for us, we're your last choice'.

I truly pray that I live to see the day a libertarian party wins the majority in Parliament (and the freaking US Congress, too). Far off, maybe, but certainly possible within our lifetimes.

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British R3VOLUTION flag courtesy of the Advocates dot org.

Should Libertarian Party members support Rand Paul?

Should members of the Libertarian Party support Rand Paul this election season?  It’s a question making its rounds among Libertarians and libertarian Republicans.  The answer to that question depends on a person’s conscience.

If you want an answer from me, folks, I’d say yes.  It’s my opinion that Libertarians should stand with our brothers and sisters in the Republican Liberty Caucus, for the simple reason that Rand Paul’s message will advance the libertarian cause.  For me, this is above Party loyalty—I left the Republican Party because “Party loyalty” doesn’t fly with me.

Not everybody in the LP will agrees with me on this, and I’m at peace with that.  I understand the Party will run its own presidential candidate or risk irreparable weakness of the organization.  Party members and other alienated voters will vote for that candidate, and they have every right to do so.

My personal strategy walks the line between the LP and RLC. I’ve been a dues-paying LP member since March of 2014, but I’m still registered to vote as a Republican.  I’ll hold onto my GOP registration (and hold my nose in the meantime) so I can vote for Rand in the primary election.  The minute my vote is cast, I’m changing my voter registration to Libertarian.

Regardless of Rand making it to the general election (God willing he does), I’m changing my registration the minute my primary vote is cast or the minute he ceases to be a presidential candidate—whichever comes first.

Yes, I understand that Rand Paul is not libertarian.  He never claimed to be—we just wanted him to be.  But his old-school brand of Goldwater conservatism contains enough libertarianism that his presidential candidacy would be an asset to the liberty movement.

Who else filibustered for 13 hours over the government assassinating American citizens?  Who keeps introducing Audit the Fed into the Senate?  How many ranking Republicans have been saying that national defense probably shouldn’t involve going to war just for the hell of it?

Even his most recent stunt calling for increased defense spending, paired with budget cuts of equal weight, was a successful effort to troll neoconservatives into looking like the liberal spenders they really are.

By the end of his campaigning, more Americans will be “conservatarian,” guaranteed.  Making people less neoconservative and more conservatarian is not a failure to make them libertarian.

I, Zach Foster, never would have become libertarian or a student of Murray Rothbard if it wasn’t for the breathing room I had being a conservatarian in my transition away from being a young neocon.

Not everyone who votes for Rand Paul will be libertarian.  I understand that.  Rand will have to look more and more Republican as Super Tuesday draws near.  I understand that, too.  He has to play the game, and is playing it a lot better than his father did.

Some neocons turned paleoconservative will require more time to become conservatarian, and still more time to become full-out libertarian, but every step forward is one step closer to a freer society.

I believe that more people will be libertarian after Rand Paul’s candidacy.  Many Party members will join me in campaigning for Rand, and I think that’s wonderful.

Other LP members have no room for Republicans in their vision of the ideal liberty movement.  There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as they work on building up the Libertarian Party instead of tearing down libertarian Republicans.

For me, the Rand Paul campaign is about living free by helping others to see that they have an equal right to live free and can’t terminate my right to do the same.

#StandWithRand

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Images are the property of the Reason Foundation and Time Life, Inc.

Urgent Message to Rand Paul Supporters

Brothers and sisters in liberty,

This will be one hell of a tough 19 months between now and November 2016.  If you thought the 2012 elections were a nightmare, you'll want to back out of this now.

But I don't think any of you will back out.  Many of you reading this stood shoulder to shoulder with me across the country in 2011 and 2012.  There are even more of you nearly 4 years later.  You're all men and women of iron.

Rand Paul hasn't formally declared his candidacy yet, but we all know the smooth game he's playing.

If we've learned anything from the last go-round for Ron Paul, we've learned that our collective behavior can attach itself to our candidate and affect public perceptions of him or her.

There are going to be quite a few Democrats and Republicans with ego-maniacal complexes trying to be POTUS, and the media will love some and hate others.  Fox News has been kind to Rand Paul, but maybe we've just been lucky so far.  The left is already being conditioned to hate him, so you'd best believe our work's cut out for us.

I'll say this the best way I know how: DON'T GET CAUGHT UP IN DRAMA.  Let the other campaigns tear each other apart.

Remember that people support certain candidates because they need that deep-down confirmation that their worldview right, that they're making good decisions with their lives, and everybody else is simply wrong.  DON'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM THEM.  It's just too cruel.

Instead of telling them why they're "wrong" and we're "right," explain why the grass would be greener under President Paul than under President Cruz, or whomever they support.

Remember, both Ron and Rand Paul campaigned to get Ted Cruz in office.  So let's not all of a sudden act like Senator Cruz is the devil incarnate.

We need to politely RESPECT people who support other candidates.  I won't be telling anyone why their candidate is bad, just why I think my candidate is better.

The truth doesn't need apologists or public relations agents.  If we conduct ourselves as proper libertarians and conservatives, we'll respect the worldviews of those who agree with us.  We'll treat those people with respect and kindness.  We'll discuss instead of debate.

Judd Weiss said it best: If we're sharing the TRUTH with people, we need to do so with respect, kindness, and courtesy.  If we attack people with the truth, even verbally bullying them, then those people's automatic reactions will be to DEFEND themselves against the truth.  They'll shut us out.

So don't give people a hard time for supporting the candidate they do.  Instead of bashing their guy, remind them that there's plenty of room for them in the Rand camp.

Instead of the public remembering us libertarians as jerks and trolls, let them remember us as respectful, intelligent people who demonstrate strong character and high integrity.  These are the qualities in politics that people most desire.

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Rand Paul 2016 banner courtesy of the Rand-Paul-4-President Tumblr blog.  Rand Paul and Ted Cruz photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore and obtained from Wikimedia Commons.

Five Libertarian Ideas #30 - The Democrat Party is dying, and more

People's Bank of China Headquarters in Beijing

Central banking in China

This week's The Economist calls for the Chinese central bank to cut interest rates and end its policy of silence. Let us be warned: America's economy can still become a victim of central banking from abroad, especially when foreign central banks cause booms or busts for American firms with foreign holdings. -11/24

50+ Democrat Senators voted to renew the PATRIOT Act in 2014

[The Democrat Party] only cares about civil liberties when a white man attacks a black man. That party represents the working class only enough to keep them impoverished and subservient to Party and State. -11/19

Liberal Democrats are beginning to support Rand Paul

I'm crying tears of joy! We have here an influential liberal Democrat journalist who's been sold by Senator Paul's opposition to unconstitutional war and the Leviathan state. The message of liberty is migrating across the political spectrum and the results are marvelous to behold. -11/17

A message to Rand Paul after the 2014 midterm elections

Mr. Senator, I'm ridiculously steamed that the GOP won control of both houses of Congress, especially since most of these red blanket babies will oppose you. However, I urge you to reintroduce Audit the Fed in the Senate, reminding your [Republican] colleagues that the Dems so vehemently opposed it. Let's get the Fed audited so we may soon expose its economic crimes to the general public. Let's get the ball rolling and set in motion a chain of events by which we can end the Fed. -11/15

Regarding an article about a married couple that chooses not to live together

I don't agree with it. I can see how they'd want it, but it's not for me. I'm just too old fashioned in cherishing the idea of waking up next to her. But society should accept this couple's decision for 3 reasons:

1) It's no one else's damn business.

2) Just because they do it, doesn't mean the rest of society needs to imitate.

3) This arrangement strengthens their marriage, especially in a time when marriage is reduced to lawsuits and fairy tales.

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PBC HQ photo by "Yongxinge" and used via CC BY-SA 3.0 license. Rand Paul photo by Gage Skidmore and used via CC BY-SA 3.0 license.  Both images obtained from Wikipedia.

Libertarian Star Wars images

For a while now I've been a big stickler on libertarian culture. Bridging the gap between libertarian ideas and mainstream culture is a key way to grow the liberty movement.

Doing so was my objective in making these hi-resolution libertarian e-posters featuring stunning Star Wars artwork and quotes from famous libertarians, including Ludwig von Mises, Murray Rothbard, and Ron Paul.

Just so you know, I did not create these beautiful images. I also do not own or possess the rights to them.  I simply found them on various Google image searches and put text on them.

Despite the libertarian opposition to intellectual property, we still don't want to get sued, so... You may use these libertarian Star Wars e-posters strictly for non-commercial purposes (i.e. no currency exchanged).

Now that that's out of the way, let's share some ideas!

Share these images far and wide!  Re-post!  Re-blog!

May the Force [and God-given liberty] be with you.

Click the images to enlarge

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Star Wars is the property of Lucasfilm Ltd., The Walt Disney Corporation, and Twentieth Century Fox. The potentially copyrighted images were used for free speech and strictly for non-commercial purposes.

Five Libertarian Ideas #7 - A new Pledge of Allegiance??? Romney vs Rand

A new Pledge of Allegiance?

I like my version of the pledge better: I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, and to the preservation of the rights and liberties guaranteed therein. –1/23

Minimal state verses totalitarian state

My friends in the liberty movement know I'm not an anarchist, but they know I agree with many #libertarian anarchist ideas because they're first and foremost libertarian ideas. However, many anarchists have told me that the "minimal state" is just as dangerous as the totalitarian state. I have to disagree there for one (of several) reason(s): I can go out in public and talk about what a fool President Obama is, whereas if I insulted Kim Jong Un's name in North Korea, I'd be up against a firing squad faster than I can say "I'm a sovereign individual." –1/25

2014 State of the Union

Folks, he flat out said he's doing what he wants without consulting Congress. I'm neither surprised nor horrified. I was kind of expecting it anyway. Most second-term Presidents do whatever the hell they want anyway. I'm just gonna keep doing what I want, which is libertarian/conservative activism. Constitution, liberty, star-spangled patriot black-and-yellow awesomeness. Ron Paul! –1/28

Bonus thought: I'm amused that the center of attention at the State of the Union was NOT the President, but Duck Commander. –1/29

Romney vs Rand? Romney supporters joining the Paul camp

This week I've had online exchanges with modern conservatives (supporting Romney in 2012) who are frustrated enough with Republican leadership. For the FIRST time, THEY SUPPORT THE PAULS. It's happening!!!! I know it's all going according to Ron and Rand's plans, but after so many setbacks for the movement, it's freaking awesome to have one's faith rewarded. –1/29

What ‘conservatism’ means

The theory behind conservatism is to CONSERVE, ultimately preserving a laissez-faire way of life so our children can grow up without dependence on a monolithic state. This brand of conservatism was all but extinct, but Ron Paul has managed to light brush fires in people's minds that are giving old-school conservatism and new-school libertarianism a fighting chance in this country. –2/2

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Porcupine Gadsden flag by "Kowulz" and used via CC BY-SA 3.0 license.  Ron and Rand photo by Gage Skidmore and used via CC BY-SA 2.0 license.  Both images obtained from Wikimedia Commons.

Five Libertarian Ideas #6 - Ron Paul coin, Rand Paul on Snowden, Mark Levin on Nullification, etc.

Prohibition and crime levels

Between 2000 and 2005, drug crimes in Mexico went UP while violent crime overall went DOWN. Then in 2006, the nightmare began and the narcos became insurgents. We see how on-the-books prohibition "caused" drug crime to "rise" while other crime went down. We then see how government-enforced prohibition turned a regional gang war into a nationwide civil war. –1/04

Ron Paul coins vs. the Fed

So there's a gold Ron Paul coin. Let's just say it actually becomes a hot commodity, demand goes up, and the supply goes down. How long before the Fed stockpiles those gold coins and then lends against them on the fractional reserve? Oh, the sweet irony... –1/05

Rand Paul on Edward Snowden

RAND PAUL is NOT saying that Snowden oughta be in jail for whistleblowing on the NSA, but rather for providing US secrets to OTHER GOVERNMENTS. Whistleblowing on your own government is libertarian. Selling out and working for other governments is not libertarian, it's just a DIFFERENT shade of statism. So chill out, Haters-o'-Rand. –1/06

Mark Levin [WRONG] on Nullification

My friend, 10^th Amendment Center’s Nick Hankoff, challenged Mark Levin's idea of NULLIFICATION (and was subsequently berated for it). It seems like Levin's idea of nullification is limited to seceding from the Union and protecting slavery, rather than its actual purpose: to be a constitutional republic's safeguard for the minority against tyranny of the majority. –1/08

The Iraq War Interpreters

Some of the brave unsung heroes of the Iraq War are the Iraqi interpreters who risked life and limb believing that what they were doing was for the good of their country. In 2003 they were trying to liberate their country from a dictator. From 2004 onwards, they were helping pacify an insurgency of religious fanatics and plain psychopaths.

Many or most of them are in the US and can never go home for fear of their lives. Many believe that the war ultimately wasn't worth it. Nonetheless, they are a proud people with an aversion to being ruled, be it by dictators, religious zealots, or foreigners. We should reach out to these new-generation Americans, as they're more libertarian than even they realize. –1/22

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Edward Snowden GIF graphic by Laura Poitras/Praxis Films and used via CC BY 3.0 license. Iraqi interpreter image by Pete Rimar and in the public domain.  Both images were obtained from Wikimedia Commons.