Here is some stuff we can do.
Without going into too much detail, the propaganda corps always needs help. People with money could help pay libertarian students during summers and between semesters to write content, to create analysis. To make appropriate edits to Wikipedia to keep Austrian Econ pages up to date and accurate. To comment daily on Paul Krugman's blog. To create YouTube videos, to hand out lit on campus.
Feel free to add on.
But the gist is, there is a lot you can do, with little or no money, with little or no free time, on your own, without waiting for a plan, orders from a leader or collaborators. The hardest thing is getting started. People are slow to take the initial step. Once you start walking, it's easier to break into a run.
If you find something evil that wobbles, push it. - Gary North
liberty student: Spread articles and flyers.
Apparently people attending public schools cannot do this due to Morse v. Frederick court case, I learned that one the hard way.
Luis Buenaventura: liberty student: Spread articles and flyers. Apparently people attending public schools cannot do this due to Morse v. Frederick court case, I learned that one the hard way.
That's when one clandestinely tapes fliers to the walls.
I am becoming a Burkean Whig.
- F.A. Hayek
Luis Buenaventura:Apparently people attending public schools cannot do this due to Morse v. Frederick court case, I learned that one the hard way.
Do it before and after school off school property.
Invite your classmates to visit your website, get a free wordpress.com blog, and jot down some ideas or link to some relevant materials. Don't get on Blogger if you can help it, it's not a very good platform.
Find ways to succeed within their rules. The reason why the rules are ineffective, is that there is no way to stop a creative mind.
Also, don't be afraid to go after modest goals. If you get one person a year into libertarianism, for 20 years of your life, and a few thousand of us do it, and those people also pay it forward, the coercive criminal state is toast within a couple generations, and you will see the fruits of that movement in your lifetime.
How can people like Rockwell, Raico and Higgs say that voting is completely useless, meaningless, etc because your vote will not make a difference, and then go on to advocate such actions as listed in the first pots of this thread. It seems to me that either that argument stands and this is a waste of time or, they are being pretty hypocritical.
Don't get me wrong, i'll shed many a tear when it's Raico's time but still, this does seem a little bit inconsistent.
Actually I've already gotten hold of three people.
alansmithee: How can people like Rockwell, Raico and Higgs say that voting is completely useless, meaningless, etc because your vote will not make a difference, and then go on to advocate such actions as listed in the first pots of this thread. It seems to me that either that argument stands and this is a waste of time or, they are being pretty hypocritical. Don't get me wrong, i'll shed many a tear when it's Raico's time but still, this does seem a little bit inconsistent.
I don't understand your threadjack.
I'm talking about libertarian/anarchist activism at the individual level. I do happen to agree that voting is a waste of time, as is much of politics. There will be no political change until there is a change in attitudes, and attitudes will change with non-political activism.
Luis Buenaventura: Actually I've already gotten hold of three people.
Well, then now it's part of your job to stay in touch with them, and encourage them to also grow the knowledge out.
liberty student: I'm talking about libertarian/anarchist activism at the individual level. I do happen to agree that voting is a waste of time, as is much of politics. There will be no political change until there is a change in attitudes, and attitudes will change with non-political activism.
About the one area I disagree with the non voting is with local referendums. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the state whine that the voters in my area reject the school levies year after year.
/threadjack
That said, I still say the most effective means of spreading libertarianism yet was Ron Paul's campaign. That he was able to convert some of my blue collar co-workers, without any intervention from me, was nothing short of amazing. In the end, the political aspect of it was a waste of time of course, but the coverage by the mass media was a great help to our cause.
Semper Fidelis
I have such a strong urge to "do something" and it comes from the anger of realizing how fooled I've been by this "system" until recently.
I'd like to add to your list to argue for liberty on the internet! It only costs time and everyone posting here seems quite capable of doing it very well. Mises needs to be heard. The virus of liberty has all opportunity to go epidemic. Actually, government is nothing but the absence of us giving other people the opportunity to consider liberty!
Of your bullet points, I'd like to emphasize Entrepreneurship! It is a valuable experience and it efficiently illustrates much of what Mises has refered to. Of course his work can be very well understood academically, since he has codified it all so well in his writings. But actually being an entrepreneur adds another dimension to it. The uncertainties and changes, the constant formation and reformation of prices and how everything depends on what other humans choose to do. Well, it's quite an experience! And it is the ostensive death of "parametric" or "matehmatic" economics overall. And it is amazing to me how a "dry academic" such as Mises has been able to describe the essence of this process.
Choice of industry is of course important. I've become entrepreneur in an industry about which I know nothing at all. And I recommend it! Don't put your last dime at stake, but do start any kind of business activity after work. Just buying and selling stuff on ebay might be enough of a kick. I'm into some difficult service offering in the midst of depression, and the only thing of value I get out of it is the rollercoaster ride. But that experience is actually worth more to me than the money profit I initially hoped to get. I do strongly recommend you "going entrepreneurial" in any way you can: Try your wings. You can do it!
It's not fascism when the government does it.
“We must spend now as an investment for the future.” - President Obama
To understand the non-voting point of view, please read None of the Above by Sy Leon. Voting gives people no real choice unless they can vote 'none of the above is acceptable'.
Individualism Rocks
The nonvoting sentiment is to illustrate that there will be no change regardless of which party gets elected. With Bush as president a giant stimulus package is signed into law. Obama gets elected promising change and lo and behold he signs an even bigger package. However I don't believe it is intended to promote apathy towards the entire political process.
Can anyone post links to the flyers they use?
And as an addition hows about challenging the president of the socialist club to a public debate? The local Progressive Democrat campus chair? Whoever else?
Leters to the editor are also great.
Shawn77: However I don't believe it is intended to promote apathy towards the entire political process.
I'm pretty sure I've heard Rockwell describe himself as a political athiest before...
liberty student: I don't understand your threadjack. I'm talking about libertarian/anarchist activism at the individual level.
I'm talking about libertarian/anarchist activism at the individual level.
With all due respect, I don't think it was a 'threadjack' as you call it. I'm also talking about the individual level. If individual voting can't work for the stated reasons then individual activism falls under the same argument.
As with voting, unless you are the deciding activist, the one who topples the empire for example, then it is a pointless endeavor according to the voting argument. I should say though that I'm not trying to upset anyone and I'm all for your activism, etc. It just seems to me that there is an inconsistencyu there which is not being admitted.
Personally I think it is the anti-voting argument that is at fault (even though I'm a long-term non-voter myself). I just thought I'd try and address this seeming inconsistency.
alansmithee:\ liberty student: I don't understand your threadjack. I'm talking about libertarian/anarchist activism at the individual level. With all due respect, I don't think it was a 'threadjack' as you call it. I'm also talking about the individual level. If individual voting can't work for the stated reasons then individual activism falls under the same argument. As with voting, unless you are the deciding activist, the one who topples the empire for example, then it is a pointless endeavor according to the voting argument. I should say though that I'm not trying to upset anyone and I'm all for your activism, etc. It just seems to me that there is an inconsistencyu there which is not being admitted. Personally I think it is the anti-voting argument that is at fault (even though I'm a long-term non-voter myself). I just thought I'd try and address this seeming inconsistency.
Why do you feel that activism must be aimed towards the goal of voting? Can't you be an activist with the goal of spreading libertarianism not with the goal of getting people to vote for X?
Nerditarian: alansmithee:\ liberty student: I don't understand your threadjack. I'm talking about libertarian/anarchist activism at the individual level. With all due respect, I don't think it was a 'threadjack' as you call it. I'm also talking about the individual level. If individual voting can't work for the stated reasons then individual activism falls under the same argument. As with voting, unless you are the deciding activist, the one who topples the empire for example, then it is a pointless endeavor according to the voting argument. I should say though that I'm not trying to upset anyone and I'm all for your activism, etc. It just seems to me that there is an inconsistencyu there which is not being admitted. Personally I think it is the anti-voting argument that is at fault (even though I'm a long-term non-voter myself). I just thought I'd try and address this seeming inconsistency. Why do you feel that activism must be aimed towards the goal of voting? Can't you be an activist with the goal of spreading libertarianism not with the goal of getting people to vote for X?
This is not what I'm saying. I'm just making a comparison between the argument against voting and the argument for activism. It seems there is a certain symmetry between them in form but a completely asymmetrical approach to them in actual practice (with regards to libertarians pronouncing one and denouncing the other for seemingly the same reason).
The argument for activism is an argument where we don't have to do the least of two or three or four evils. We have the freedom to do whatever we want, more or less. Also, what is arugment but intellectual battle? And if you are unwilling to do intellectual battle than what is the point of having an intellect?
Nerditarian: The argument for activism is an argument where we don't have to do the least of two or three or four evils. We have the freedom to do whatever we want, more or less. Also, what is arugment but intellectual battle? And if you are unwilling to do intellectual battle than what is the point of having an intellect?
Okay. So please let me clarify my earlier point. One argument for not voting (see L.Rockwell, etc) is that your individual contribution makes no difference to the overall outcome regardless of the parties involved, hence it is a waste of time. My point was that this argument could as easily apply to the area of activism, namely that your individual contributions make no difference so it is a waste of time in that narrow respect.
Now, I'm not saying that activism is a waste of time and I'm also not saying that everyone should run out and vote. What I am saying is merely that given that even here seems to believe at some extent in activism, maybe people (in particular the leaders of this movemenet) should drop that particular argument against voting as it seems dangerously reflective and generally undermining. It is used against the charge of being apathetic yet breeds the apathy it seeks to disuade by belittling the importance of the individual.
As far as im concerned there is only the individual, and when many of these individuals get together they can change the world. It's just that arguments like that anti-voting argument (put forward by people like Rockwell) move us away from that ideal of individualist being the wellspring of change..
ps: Now this really is a threadjack as someone called it yesterday. I'm sorry about that! Just wanted to be clear.
Nerditarian:Can anyone post links to the flyers they use?
Just visit isil.org. They have a few dated but very good flyers.
Mises Community Natural Rights Discussion Group
One idea I had regarding flyers was that maybe we should pass out flyers AND local advertisements at the same time. This would allow us to pay for the flyers more easily.
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