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.

Overcoming the Myth of a Divided Libertarian Party

I'm keeping up on current [California] bylaws shenanigans to the best of my ability so I can be a well informed Libertarian Party member and a worthy ambassador between the Party and the general public.

I'm aware of several "faction wars" in the LP, but  I whole-heartedly REJECT this narrative. Every one of these "faction wars" boils down to personality conflicts, and most of those are between people I like!

There are lots of different dreams and ambitions for how wonderful the LP could be.  Frankly, if you're really libertarian about it, there's room for all of it.

My focus is on being one kickass libertarian who maintains positivity and knows that there's room for lots of people and projects in our Party.  We NEED the shirt-and-tie people just like we need the tye-dye crowd. Compromises are possible without torpedoing the Party or its operations.

Every time I walk into a room full of LP members, I know that all of us agree on more than 90% of the issues and philosophies we hold dearest.  That's all I need to know, and the rest is small change.

From now on, the only narrative I'll engage is one of a Party united. We are all Libertarian.

Five Libertarian Ideas #31 - Sex and liberty, Sony Pictures, Libertarian Vets

‘The Interview’ movie

Sony Pictures, you clever bastards! Anticipating North Korea's predictably childish behavior, they instigated this cyber-war that led to the withholding of the movie. They then demonstrated that direct-to-home releases could be wildly profitable and the movie still made it to the top rated on IMDB. Kudos for thinking outside the box!

In unrelated news, I just bought The Interview on Google Play. -12/25/14

Honoring the Nonaggression Principle

The HARDEST time to adhere to NAP is when, at a busy intersection, some jackass cuts me off with a moving violation. I then swerve to avoid a collision, sending 44 ounzes of Dr. Pepper flying out of the cupholder and to the ceiling, where this liquid grenade redecorates my car interior.  I immediately begin to regret my defensive maneuver that saved his life and both our property--who cares, I have great auto insurance--and grope for a pistol that's not there. -2/25/15

Self-government vs. the State

Voluntary self-government is NOT the same as "the State".  Citizenship can be voluntary as can law and law enforcement—Jonathan Jaech does a lot of excellent work on voluntary law. The state is coercive whereas constituency of a government of/by/for the people can be truly voluntary (although an-caps' heads explode at the notion). -2/24/15

Libertarian military veterans

Nathaniel Branden in his life and works taught people to own up to their failures, but to NEVER be ashamed of their successes. Therefore, attention anarchists: I am libertarian and I served in the government military. It made me a stronger person and in the end a stronger libertarian. GET OVER IT.

*Side note: Other libertarian vets include Ron Paul, Jim Gray, Leonard Reed, and Ludwig von Mises. -2/22/15

Selling sex for liberty

Trying so hard to sell liberty through sex just seems silly. Own a gun, read a book, and treat women with respect, and libertarian men will "get some" more often.  Some libertarians are probably great in bed. Others are terrible in the sack. They're human beings, after all. But like most aspects of libertarianism, this debate is ruled by men who talk a lot about things they never do in real life. -2/09/15

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'The Interview' promo image courtesy of WNPR and is the property of Sony Pictures.  Implied sex image courtesy of Men's Health UK.  Both images used according to Fair Use.

Toward a New Liberty: Why We Disagree

Photo by Judd Weiss

Many in the movement have called me a statist, and that pisses me off like you wouldn't believe. (For starters, calling someone inside the movement a statist is childish ad hominem. It's also a great way to get people to agree with you... NOT!

I'm a libertarian through and through, but I operate differently from most of you. Here's how:

Most of you have a brilliant grasp of libertarian theory. You're focused on the finish line. For some, the finish line is a government that obeys the Constitution to the letter; for others, the finish line is full harmonious anarchy.

You see how things ought to be, then you see how things are (police brutality, unjust wars abroad, obscene taxation) and the difference horrifies you.

It's TOO EASY to focus on the finish line and then self-righteously preach about how the police are pigs, how we don't need a standing army, how the state must be done away with, etc. Too easy!

I see the finish line and I want it just as badly as you do. But I also understand that we need to GET THERE first. It won't happen overnight, and we won't get to the libertarian society in one Great Leap Forward. It happens through baby steps.

Yours Truly reading "The Moral Revolution in Atlas Shrugged"

So when I disagree with you, I'm not negating the Rothbardian vision of a new liberty. I'm either making recommendations on the NEXT STEP on the long journey to get there, or I'm telling you to cool it on living in Theory Land and get back to the now, so that you can help me identify ways to get to that new liberty. Remember, simply identifying how things ought to be does NOTHING to change the reality of what's happening now in real time.

We need to consciously and constantly work towards the finish line, inch by inch and yard by yard. We do this by scaling back big government, having honest and productive discussions with those who disagree with us, and supporting market innovations that complement our worldview (i.e. Uber, Bitcoin, the Internet). Sometimes we'll need to make the best of a bad situation if it advances our cause.

The liberty movement NEEDS theorists--engineers--like you to help us keep our eye on the ball, the finish line, so that our movement never loses its soul. But the movement also needs people like me--navigators--to pay attention to "conditions of the road" so that our movement can get there rather than be a pseudo-religion.

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Five Libertarian Ideas #17 - Civil Air Patrol, Boy Scouts, Activism, Cold War

Air Force and Coast Guard Auxiliaries

I've seen conspiratarian blog posts making the Civil Air Patrol and Coast Guard Auxiliary out to look like the Waffen-SS. That couldn't be further from the truth!

Both CAP and CGA are consistent with the non-aggression principle. Though they wear military uniforms and carry out missions on behalf of the military, both organizations are privately funded, relying mostly on member dues and charitable gifts.

Furthermore, they engage not in armed campaigns but in search and rescue operations, disaster relief, local community service, and education. Both organizations are the most benevolent manifestation of the organized militia. -4/27

Boy Scouts of America

Almost time to continue teaching Citizenship in the Community merit badge tonight. The Boy Scouts in my troop will get OUR worldview on civil rights and the true role of government. It's not just about activism; education is just as important. If the fight for liberty takes 20 years, we'll need new, young voters already on our side. -4/30

War in Ukraine

38 people are dead in an arson fire in a trade union building in Odessa in south-central Ukraine. The fire is believed to have been caused by Right Sector radicals but so far that's only speculation. It looks to me as if a greater emergency is being manufactured, and the Russians will use this to justify a full-scale invasion. -5/2

The embargo on Cuba

Wealthy joy riders in Havana; modern cars are rare in Cuba

The embargo on Cuba is damning proof of the futility of sanctions, since Fidel Castro still lives a life of wealth at the expense of the common people. I want to end Communism in Cuba by ending the embargo. I WANT Cuba to be flooded with American capitalism. I want the average Cuban who lives on $15 a month to be overwhelmed by drunk FSU students with fistfuls of money to spend, and realize in one day that Castro bamboozled Cuba for 55 years. -5/4

Liberty Letdowns and Pickups

It's been a privilege being a part of the liberty movement. Some people have chosen to be my brothers and sisters while others in the movement chose to remove me from their lives. They let me down, but the staggering amount of patriots who surround me with warm acceptance is always medicine for the soul. -5/6 

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Civil Air Patrol logo courtesy of CAP and in the public domain. Havana photo by "russavia", used via CC BY 2.0 license and obtained from Wikimedia Commons.

Five Libertarian Ideas #16 - YAL Cal Con 2014, Liberty movement activism, war in Ukraine

Ukrainian counter-terrorism operations
In my opinion the Ukrainian army is fully justified in waging counter-terror operations. Had the pro-Russian Ukrainians assembled peacefully and called for plebiscites in their various cities, then I would welcome their secession and voluntary association with Russia. Instead, Russian Special Forces infiltrated the Ukraine and have assembled militias and mobs to use violent measures to conquer eastern Ukraine for Russia. A national army's chief objective is NATIONAL DEFENSE, and the Ukrainian army is doing what it can to defend Ukraine from an invasion. -4/19

Liberty movement activism
Fighting for liberty is a difficult road; assume it's a lonely one. Assume the people you love will stop loving you. Assume your friends will turn their backs on you. Assume that you'll be walking this road ALONE for 20 years. THEN you're ready for anything that may come. Now keep walking, brothers and sisters. -4/22

YAL California State Convention 2014
YAL Cal Con was freaking awesome! It's great to know that libertarians may argue online over stupid differences to the point where they resort to pistols at dawn, but put them in a room together and they party like combat veterans at war's end. -4/27

Russian hypocrisy in Ukraine
So, after admitting that the "Crimean Self-Defense Forces" (a.k.a. the Little Green Men) REALLY WERE Russian Special Forces troops, KGB Colonel Vladimir Putin insists that Russia has NOTHING to do with the self-proclaimed "People's Republic of Donetsk" in eastern Ukraine. Better yet, despite claims that Ukrainian-Russians are liberating themselves from "fascists", the so-called People's Governor of Donetsk is an actual Russian neo-Nazi. -4/27

Possible U.S./UN intervention in Ukraine
I don't support sending my brothers and sisters in arms to eastern Europe to intervene in an ethnic civil war. Ukraine is GOING to lose more chunks in the east to Russia. If Kiev wants to avoid losing ALL of the east to the neo-Soviet Empire, they NEED to hold plebiscites in every eastern county, which must be administered and votes counted by neutral Switzerland. -4/27

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YAL State Conventions 2014 banner courtesy of Young Americans for Liberty