Mark Hinkle posts the beginning of Tibor Machan’s column at LP blog:
Now that libertarianism has gotten some publicity in mainstream forums, those who are convinced of its merit have much work to do. This is because of the well publicized distortions of the position in prominent forums, especially by well credentialed academics in law, political economy, ethics, philosophy, and other disciplines bearing a public policy. You see, the idea that no one ought to coerce another even for noble purposes is pretty much common sense in America. Sure, some folks disagree, among them many highfalutin academics with great skills at sophistry. But the bulk of those who vote pretty much agree that when you want something from your fellows, you need to ask them instead of robbing them. So when this is being denied, lots of fancy footwork needs to be deployed, which is just what’s being done by numerous pundits at The New York Times and other outfits that champion all kinds of coerced wealth redistribution. (Of course, wealth redistribution goes on peacefully all the time, but that’s not under these statists’ control, so they don’t like it!)
Williams had put himself on the ballot as a libertarian. Perhaps I should have made that clearer. LOL
“If there is any hope, it lies in the proles…”
Orwell’s Smith and I think alike. In 2006, Anthony Williams saw that the boot was on the neck of his congregation. He needed philosophical leadership (he was pro-drug legalization, and somewhat pro “gun control”, so he wasn’t a perfect libertarian). I spoke at his congregation, for his congressional race. Many of his members said they agreed even more with me than with him, but they were supporting him. …He was an astute observer of the groundswell that was possible.
But –although the only thing IL Libertarians do is philosophize– the one time it was called for, Nobody besides myself and Jeff Trigg even drove down to visit Williams. I had a fulltime commission-only job at the time, and was barely making enough in commissions to get by, thanks to uncle scam.
Conclusion: the Libertarians in IL don’t want freedom enough to make it happen. Conclusion: the organized libertarians at the National LP don’t know how to organize for liberty. Conclusion: Most libertarians don’t know how to organize for liberty.
Long story short:
Comfortable members of the ruling classes will go to their grave before they risk their lives lifting one finger against big brother. They will smile and lie to you, and in the darkened voting booth, they will vote for their positions as beneficiaries of government force, they will vote for their jobs as government employees, or their family’s government jobs.
But someone whose son was sent to prison for “driving while black” and “drug possession while black” is in a whole different category.
…The proles have nothing left to lose. Everyone in Williams’ all-black church had a family member in the penal system. THEY CARED ABOUT WHAT I HAD TO SAY. The comfortable white bastards in East Dundee, IL don’t care. They might abstractly wish me well, but they cannot budge their neighbors or friends on election day. Not so, Dolton, IL or the West Side of Chicago.
Williams ran a lackluster campaign when the IL LP showed no interest in either educating him, or supporting him. No candidate support = no political party = our money would be vastly better spent on jury rights activism.
…Wait, nobody who can comprehend this is reading this. LOL
JP: Start gathering your friends, and get your campaign in order for the April California convention.
P: I get the feeling Bruce is burned out on that, at least for now.
AP: I wish the California leadership would make this more of a priority.
BC: Listen, this world is a Do-ocracy.
So, since this was your idea, you just nominated yourself to DO something about it.
AP2: Gee Bruce, maybe I have been trying to do just that, but not everyone agrees with me.
P: Are they actively preventing you from doing stuff, or just not being much help?
Good idea, Bruce. Rumor has it there will be quite a few positions open. Start gathering your friends, and get your campaign in order for the April California convention.
Gee Bruce, maybe I have been trying to do just that, but not everyone agrees with me.
I don’t know how you reached the conclusion that there isn’t “a whole heck of a lot is going on” at the Executive Committee meetings, but if you think you can do things better, then maybe you should run for office.
By next to last paragraph I take it you mean “Listen, this world is a Do-ocracy.” ?
@2
Next to last paragraph.
You got something right. It’s why LPMass just had its most successful fund drive in many years.
Using the words ‘leadership’ and ‘California’ in the same sentence when referring to the LP would be contradictory.
And impossible.
Like dividing by zero.
Hey, Alan?
YOU are supposedly ‘leadership’, no?
Why *don’t* you and your soulmate MAKE it a priority?
It’s not like a whole heck of a lot is going on at the LPCA Board or their meetings…
Listen, this world is a Do-ocracy.
So, since this was your idea, you just nominated yourself to DO something about it.
Murray Rothbard referred to apologists for the state, those such as the New York Times, as Court Intellectuals: http://mises.org/daily/1541.
I’m glad to see Mark Hinkle’s proactive stance regarding the press, and I wish the California leadership would make this more of a priority.