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Ideas for Spreading the Message

Latest post Sun, May 11 2008 3:25 AM by Ellen M. 39 replies.
  • Sat, May 3 2008 7:53 PM

    • rflores
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    Ideas for Spreading the Message

    Hello Everyone, I am writing from the socialist republic of Venezuela. We here have a group of young people wanting to spread the message of free markets and liberty but we have ran out of ideas. We have used graffitis, pamphlets and documentaries. Does anyone have an idea into spreading the message loud and clear?

     

    thank you

     

    Ricardo D Flores

    www.odlv.org

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  • Sat, May 3 2008 7:58 PM In reply to

    • Ego
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    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt is an excellent, fun, and easy to read book. I believe there is a Spanish version, have you considered giving away books to people who seem receptive to your ideas?

    As for a general strategy, just try to get into discussions with as many people as you can; try to calmly convince them that socialism is wrong, both morally and pragmatically.

    Have any of your current methods shown any promise?

    Don't allow leftists to play games with definitions! Some of the libertarian-leaning leftists at this forum will try to redefine "left-wing" back to its original defition (Third Estate, limited government, free-markets, laissez-faire reforms, etc.). Fine! We non-leftists can't stop them from using their own personal definitions; they can use whatever labels they want to describe any concept they want.

    However, they have the audacity to then use their personal definition of "left-wing" (remember, the original definition, which is no longer valid) to prove that modern leftists are more libertarian than modern rightists! They will say that libertarianism is "inherently leftist" (again, using the original, no longer valid definition), and use that to insist that we should prefer and side with modern leftists over modern rightists.

    Question their motives.

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  • Sat, May 3 2008 8:14 PM In reply to

    • rflores
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    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    Hey thanks for the quick reply.....Yes I have heard and read about Hazlitt's book...but the thing is that is not such an easy way to  spread the ideas to the bulk of the people here...who are almost all very poor and illiterate...maybe a documentary or short film adaptation of that book might work...

     

    thank you...visit our page www.odlv.org

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  • Sat, May 3 2008 8:18 PM In reply to

    • Ego
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    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    Sorry, I edited my post while you were replying. Have any of your current methods shown any promise?

    Don't allow leftists to play games with definitions! Some of the libertarian-leaning leftists at this forum will try to redefine "left-wing" back to its original defition (Third Estate, limited government, free-markets, laissez-faire reforms, etc.). Fine! We non-leftists can't stop them from using their own personal definitions; they can use whatever labels they want to describe any concept they want.

    However, they have the audacity to then use their personal definition of "left-wing" (remember, the original definition, which is no longer valid) to prove that modern leftists are more libertarian than modern rightists! They will say that libertarianism is "inherently leftist" (again, using the original, no longer valid definition), and use that to insist that we should prefer and side with modern leftists over modern rightists.

    Question their motives.

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  • Sat, May 3 2008 8:25 PM In reply to

    • rflores
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    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    Well yes we have had some success using graffitis....

    graffitis: http://www.odlv.org/articulo.php?id=111

    http://www.odlv.org/articulo.php?id=102

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  • Sat, May 3 2008 8:57 PM In reply to

    • Ego
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    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    How do you try to "sell" the idea of free-markets? Do you focus on the wealth-creating aspects or do you focus on the moral aspects?

    If I were you, I would take it one issue at a time; for example, explain the negative consequences of price-controls on food. When you look at specific issues, the common sense of capitalism is overwhelming!

    Don't allow leftists to play games with definitions! Some of the libertarian-leaning leftists at this forum will try to redefine "left-wing" back to its original defition (Third Estate, limited government, free-markets, laissez-faire reforms, etc.). Fine! We non-leftists can't stop them from using their own personal definitions; they can use whatever labels they want to describe any concept they want.

    However, they have the audacity to then use their personal definition of "left-wing" (remember, the original definition, which is no longer valid) to prove that modern leftists are more libertarian than modern rightists! They will say that libertarianism is "inherently leftist" (again, using the original, no longer valid definition), and use that to insist that we should prefer and side with modern leftists over modern rightists.

    Question their motives.

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  • Sat, May 3 2008 9:12 PM In reply to

    • rflores
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    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    We tryu to focus on wealth-creating reasons....

    I get what you mean with one issue at a time...something like reason.tv...We have to figure out a way to spreading the message efficiently...fast and for the masses....I will think about your idea and see if I can come up with someway of catching the attention of many people....the internet is not much of an option here because not too many people have internet access...the tv is taken over by the government and some reds....and also money is a problem around here and we have very limited amounts of fund so we also have to think in ways of using cheap efficient mass communication medias

     

    thank you

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  • Sun, May 4 2008 8:07 AM In reply to

    • Magnus
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    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

     The best of luck to you rflores! I guess the good news is that, now more then ever, you have a shot at spreading "the message" even to really poor people because of improved technology. new ways to communicate in that we couldn't have dreamed of 100 years ago.

    The only advise I can give you at the top of my head is to invest in those really cheap computers they send to poor African kids at school.

    http://laptop.org/laptop/

    "Try to imagine a regulation of labor imposed by force that is not a violation of liberty; a transfer of wealth imposed by force that is not a violation of property. If you cannot reconcile these contradictions, then you must conclude that the law cannot organize labor and industry without organizing injustice." — from The Law

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  • Sun, May 4 2008 4:21 PM In reply to

    • Stranger
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    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    Do something that gets the media to notice and talk about you, whether they like you or not.

     

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  • Mon, May 5 2008 8:53 PM In reply to

    • rflores
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    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

     Yes thats an idea...but maybe to catch the attention of the partialized media we will have to get either arrested or killed.....but I will think of something to do....bureaucrash style maybe

     

    tahnk you

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  • Mon, May 5 2008 8:56 PM In reply to

    • rflores
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    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

     

    The stuff with the laptop is a possibility but we have restricted limitations to our acces to foreign currencies...we have 400$ to spend a year on the internet and for traveling is about 3000$ (but you have to show the government the receipts)....

     

    we gladly accept donations..hahaha

     

    thank you for the idea

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  • Mon, May 5 2008 9:19 PM In reply to

    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    Make a comic strip.  Maybe translate this.

    http://mises.org/books/TRTS/

     

    This is my blog.  I'm working on web projects for activism and education.  You are invited to watch and participate.

    ** UPDATED June 12 2008 **

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  • Mon, May 5 2008 9:26 PM In reply to

    • BlackSheep
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    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    I don't know exactly how the situation is there. I personally feel the way to go in Europe is by giving aways books to highschool kids, or college freshmen, of how to make money, where you'd introduce economic concepts. I wrote a bit about it here.

    Anyway, commies here are excited about Venezuela, so I suspect things are getting bad there. I would just move while I could -- as it gets more and more socialist, you'll see more restrictions to get out of the country. Happens every time, as not even leeches want to stay in the end.

    Equality before the law and material equality are not only different but are in conflict which each other; and we can achieve either one or the other, but not both at the same time. -- F. A. Hayek in The Constitution of Liberty
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  • Tue, May 6 2008 1:45 AM In reply to

    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    Hi, Ricardo. Yes, I do have a very good idea regarding that. Although perhaps it's not the one you want to hear, as I don't know exactly what Weltanschauung you're coming from.

    You have no chance of succeeding unless you enlighten people as to the inherent nature of existence. And even then, all that you will accomplish is to save people's souls (which is indeed the greatest of achievement, but one which typical error-laden thought-processes of this world place no value on).

    The world's elite have hold of nuclear (and biological and chemical) amaments in which to wipe out a large portion of the human race, as well as underground cities to protect themselves from said. There is no chance in a cold hell that they would ever give up their power without thowing a massive world-wide genocidal hissy-fit, the likes of which the world has never seen before. They would far sooner destroy the Earth than to give up their power. One reason for this is because they know that they would have no place in the world to come. According to their own laws and values, they could not escape being stung up from their necks if the masses ever came into their own. Hence, in such a situation whereby they are facing the loss of power, they have nothing whatsoever to lose by destroying the Earth.

    At any rate, ruling elites throughout history adore visiting mass death upon the plebeians. It's their little game which makes them feel self-important. It makes them feel what they imagine to be God Incarnate when they can slaughter whom they wish, and however many they wish. It is their literal religion: hence why we see our modern elites surrounding themselves in the trappings of death in an explicitely religious setting (e.g., Bohemian Grove, and the Order of Skull & Bones).

    In a very fundamental sense, ruling elites cannot help themselves from murdering, certainly at least insorfar as they seek the obtainment of more power. For obtainment of more power means the loss of liberty of the masses, which necessarily entails the murder of innocents. Indeed, rulership itself necessarily entails murder, for rulership is the attempt to make the masses submit to one's rule, and hence inherently implies a disregard for the life of the masses.

    For the foregoing reasons, libertarianism, if it were to start taking hold in a decisive way, would unavoidably entail the slaughter of most of the world's population: for the ruling elite would never give up their rule without visiting the most horrendous mass-death upon the Earth the world has ever seen.

    But the good news is that libertarianism is true. It is true in the most fundamental sense imaginable, i.e.: existence itself would not be possible without it. That is not hyperbole in the slightest, but rather is a quite veridical statement.

    It seems hard for most to imagine how existence itself could be predicated upon a "mere" political theory (even a veridical political theory, namely, libertarianism). But nevertheless, reality violates almost everyone's "common sense" understanding of the world. Reality is quite unforgiving in this regard, and it shows respect to no title or institution, unless of course they already happen to be in comformance with it, which is utterly rare.

    But what physics demonstrates is that there is an ultimate speed-limit, i.e., the speed of light. Hence, if colonization of the universe is to occur (and it must occur if life is to continue), then this necessarily ensures that decentralization in control of resources cannot be avoided.

    That is to say, there cannot even in theory be a centralized "universal governament." Indeed, each relativistic spacecraft (massing no more than a kilogram) will be its own automomous unit with its own society. It will not be possible, even in theory, for any member of the originating society to catch up with it. Only during the collapse phase of the universe, trillions upon trillons of years hence, will all points in the universe proceed to converge.

    Thus, each autonomous society (and there will be trillions upon trillions of them) will have trillions upon trillions of years of autonomous existence in which to develop their own societies. Those societies which are the most efficient at taking over recources will be the ones which take control over the universe's resources (and veridical economics demonstrates that this will be the freest of economies[1]).

    How that relates to libertarianism being inherenty required by existence itself is thus: the end-state of the universe causally brings about the beginning state, i.e., the Big Bang singularity--since in physics it's just as accurate to say that causation goes from future to past events: viz, the principle of least action; and unitarity.

    Hence, Ricardo, what you should do is simply inform people concerning all levels of vital truth.

    In the short-term view, you and we will lose. But in the long-term, we cannot avoid winning, if we hold on to truth.

    Thus, your task should be to warn people of the horrors which are coming, and elucidate the errors which brought it about. We cannot save people's bodies, but we can save people's souls (i.e., the informational content of their minds).

    For more on what I spoke of in the above, see:

    "God Proven to Exist According to Mainline Physics," TetrahedronOmega, May 5, 2008 http://www.armleg.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=122&mforum=libertyandtruth

    -----

    Note:

    1. One may protest that colonial occupiers have had great success in taking over a great deal of the Earth's landmass. That is true. But that ignores the physics of interstellar colonization. The colonial invaders upon the Earth were able to keep in contact with their home base (even given what we presently regard as great distances). Such cannot be possible with relativistic spacecraft--or indeed any colonizing interstellar spacecraft.

    It may be protested further that the interstellar colonizers maintain their expansion at a rate in which to allow communication with each other. But then there exists no enforcement mechanism for this, for those spacecraft which choose to travel faster would be impune. No member of the originating society would be able to catch up with it.

    One may object by positing that said spacecraft are intentionally built to have an upper speed limit enough to allow non-crippled spacecraft to catch up with them. But if such spacecraft are to actually colonize, then they must have on board universal constructors, i.e., they must be von Neumann machines, capable of assembling whatever is capable of being assebled (i.e., given that point in universal history).

    (Humans, by the way, are universal constructors. That is to say, we are able to construct anything which is capable of being constructed. More accurately: we are able to construct machines which are able to contruct what we desire, of which machines are in turn able to construct the machines in which to construct what we desire even more, and so on, literally ad infinitum. In Austrian economics [i.e., veridical economics], this is called lengthening the structure of production.)

    Hence, any such spacecraft must already have the means in which to build a better spacecraft (up to the point of what is physically possible), otherwise they could not be actual colonizers, and hence would be useless for interstellar colonization.

    "Terrorism is the health of the state."--James Redford, author of "Jesus Is an Anarchist," revised and expanded edition, June 1, 2006 (first published at Anti-State.com on December 19, 2008) http://praxeology.net/anarchist-jesus.pdf

    Theophysics (a website with information on Prof. Frank J. Tipler's Omega Point Theory) http://theophysics.gigacities.net
    http://geocities.com/theophysics/

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  • Tue, May 6 2008 3:49 AM In reply to

    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    The best way to reach people is through personal contact. As to how this is implemented depends on regional customs. For example an education tour, where you go from town to town engaging people (holding political discussions, meetings, etc), might work well.
    Drag not your strength from government, but from the voices they abuse.
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  • Tue, May 6 2008 9:38 AM In reply to

    • BlackSheep
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    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    James, thanks for the lengthy comment. ;) I personally wouldn't want to attack the establishment or whatever in such a book. We could and should go through topics like intervention and socialism, and we have to because those are present in every business enterprise, but the idea is to erode some of the misconceptions, try to get a friendly face to business, and then it has to be the reader to do the next step towards libertarianism.

    Libertas est Veritas:
    The best way to reach people is through personal contact. As to how this is implemented depends on regional customs. For example an education tour, where you go from town to town engaging people (holding political discussions, meetings, etc), might work well.

    Yeah. I think a more local investment company that motivates people into putting their savings into building local projects -- retailers, recreational facilities, etc -- could be successful, and at the same time, would get people interested in free market economics. ;)

    Equality before the law and material equality are not only different but are in conflict which each other; and we can achieve either one or the other, but not both at the same time. -- F. A. Hayek in The Constitution of Liberty
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  • Tue, May 6 2008 12:10 PM In reply to

    Re: Ideas for Spreading the Message

    I may get some flak for this suggestion, but I think it is worthwhile, as it was what brought me to libertarian thought.  

    Find an individual like Ron Paul who know his/her stuff and can rationally defend him/herself. Play the game of your government, just like Ron Paul played the game in the US government.  Although Ron Paul has been in congress for 10+ years, I have not heard of him, nor his ideas until the