Those of us who criticize the government have no end of material to work with. There’s far more stupidity in government than I’ll ever have time to publish, let alone write about myself. Yet I believe that we who criticize should also offer solutions to the problems we point out, and moreover, that when those solutions improve the state of things, that we should act to implement them. As part of this, I want to hear from you about what you want to see Homeland Stupidity do.
This belief in activism has led me to last month’s postings of video from the New Hampshire Liberty Forum, and for the upcoming official relaunch of Homeland Stupidity. As you may have noticed, it hasn’t been very busy here for the last year or so. This isn’t because of a lack of stupid things to write about. Part of it was due to the declining economy, but another part of it was the knowledge that federal law enforcement was reading every word I wrote and the general fear that they might not like something, and decide to show up at my house again.
Yes, again. The first time was deeply disturbing. The very idea that someone could be targeted by government for his or her opinions is one that we usually associate with repressive regimes like Iran, North Korea or Cuba. The realization that the United States was doing the same thing was shocking, and the realization that the United States was doing it to me personally frightened me completely out of my wits, to the point where I could hardly organize my thoughts for quite a long time.
Of course, it’s done a bit differently in the U.S. than in other repressive regimes. Here, the U.S. has a wide variety of laws and regulations restricting nearly every aspect of human behavior, and prosecutors go through the books carefully to try to find one to use against the targeted person, while often ignoring (or being “unaware” of) anyone else who might be breaking the same law. In this way it’s possible, even easy, for the government to harass, intimidate and even imprison people for their political beliefs while seeming not to.
What’s different today, as opposed to a year and a half ago when six federal law enforcement officers showed up at my home for a 90 minute interrogation, followed by dictating to me what to write on this site, is today I don’t care anymore whether they harass, intimidate or imprison me. My belief in freedom is principled, unwavering and uncompromising. The worst they can do is take my life, or some part of it. But without liberty, life is hardly worth living.
Those of you who have my business card will note the tagline: “Liberty is security.” Quite a shocker if you’ve bought into the idea that liberty must be given up to obtain security. In fact, liberty makes you safer, and giving it up endangers you. You’ll naturally want to disbelieve this. But long time readers here will know the truth of it, and you will see more examples in the future.
Which brings me to the point of this rant. I’ve decided that the big boys in Washington with their big guns can come and jail me or shoot me if they want. I can’t stop it in any case, so I won’t let the threat of it stop me from saying what needs to be said. Since I can’t possibly cover everything, even if I had a staff of hundreds, I want to know from you what you want to see covered here in the future. I even want to hear from you if you’re down there in Washington doing your good work for your good government department. Many of you are actually doing good work, even if the structure under which you’re doing it is less than ideal (or, more accurately, sucks).
Leave a comment below and let me know how you feel. Let’s hear it, everything from the content of stories to the layout of the web site, and everything in between. What should be changed? What should we stop doing? What should we do more of? What should we do, that we haven’t done before? Your feedback will help make Homeland Stupidity more responsive to your needs, and a much more useful resource overall.
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Join the members of the Liberty Conspiracy as they discuss issues ranging from the "Incorporation Doctrine" and gun rights, to the NBA, to protests conducted at military funerals, protests that are being challenged by government, and which will be heard by the philosopher kings in the U.S. Supreme Court.
When neoconservative Ben Stein accused Congressman Ron Paul of being antisemitic for merely wanting to ask WHY Islamic terrorists want to attack the civilians living under western governments that have meddled in the Mideast, the members of the Conspiracy could not sit by silently.
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John
Apr 06, 2009
Thanks for what you do! I am saddened and disgusted that the government tries to abridge your freedom of speech! I applaud you for your courageous stance against that censorship!
As for me, my hot-buttons are Illegal Invasion and Gun Control.
I am sick to death of the goverment’s failure to close the borders – not just to illegal invaders but to drugs coming north and guns going south. I am sick of their ignorance or pretence of ignorance of the fact that Other Than Mexicans are also crossing the border to hide in our midst, planning to do us harm.
I am tired of the threats to our Second Amendment rights. Every time there is a shooting incident they try to take the guns away from the good guys which makes us more vulnerable to the next attack.
It’s too bad that we have to continually fight with our own government but I guess that is the price of maintaining what freedoms we have left.
Keep up the good work!
john
meeciteewurkor
Apr 06, 2009
God bless you, Michael.
I’d love to see your version of a “Bill of Rights” series with examples of Federal abuses upon each Amendment.
Take care and watch your back!
kmonsterohio
Apr 07, 2009
Michael
I have been a member for many months, but not for years. I was delighted when I found your site because I had been calling DHS the Department of Homeland Stupidity from day one.
I am a veteran, and my idea of “United States Security from Terrrorist Activities” is very simple. There are millions of Veterans out here in the public. Each of us has taken an Oath to support and defend the Constitution of the USA, and very few of us figure that the Oath came to an end when we were discharged. If there truly were “Minutemen” in this country, it is the Veterans who would make up the majority of the body that could effectively carry a war on our own ground. Hopefully this will not be necessary.
It is the height of stupidity for our Government to simply dismiss all Veterans as wack jobs, which is what they do, or else they would have re-created the Civil Defense Administration- certainly a less expensive measure than increasing the horrendous boondoggle of US Gov’t in the way that they have done.
As it is now, Veterans should be patrolling their towns, cities, counties etc., and keeping their eyes open for not just “suspect” activities, but also for Un-Constitutional actions by Peace Officers of whatever type, Federal, State or Local. The infringement of Constitutional Rights and Safeguards in this nation are frightening… indeed, if Federal Officers showed up to interrogate a Patriot like you, we have indeed been overpowered by Traitors.
I applied for a job with FEMA right after 9/11. This was an interesting experience. I waited a couple of weeks because I thought that they were merely overburdened with what was going on at the time. I applied because I was living in Southern California at the time and I really wanted to get busy in a job that involved logistics- which was one of my military specialties. Not having received a response to my emailed and hard copied resumes, I finally contacted someone in management. I was horrified to hear that because I was a Disabled Veteran, that I was already labeled a “subversive element” and that I was not fit for the job.
That was the red flag that got me started finding our what these Traitors to our Nation were up to. By the time I finished reading the entire text of the Patriot Act, I knew that our Constitution was irrelevant to these “Officials”, including Law Enforcement, who had “sworn the Oath of Office” that all Federal, State and Local government officials and agents are required to swear. In fact, those Federal Agents who harassed you KNOW that they are Traitors to the Oath that they took, they just don’t care. They are human filth.
The Agents reading these words are human filth as well. Traitorous scum. And they also know that even though we are engaged in “illegal wars” that they are Traitors in Time of War, which puts a Capital Punishment element into any successful indictment of their actions in the future. That is why they “have to” win this thing and are willing to step way beyond the lines of decency at any point.
Like you, I no longer care what they attempt to do. I’m not going to be pushed. The Line in The Sand is drawn- NOW. It is time to take this great Nation back and that means from the Top to the Bottom. We need honest lawyers, honest judges and honest Representation.
We need a Congress that works for the Federal Minimum Wage- Real People, not gin-soaked elites basking in luxury. We need to put every Department Head in the Federal Government in the crosshairs of a Grand Jury, we need investigations into every one of them by the Government Accountability Office- once it has been purged of corruption. As each level is swept and investigated and prosecuted we need to reform the whole mess.
We need to lock up every Law Enforcement Agent at every level in this country until each has been tried and either found innocent or guilty. The innocent, which would be those who have honored their Oath should be re-instated and relied upon to train Honorable Law Enforcement Agents who conscientiously understand their Oath of Office and understand that they have a Duty to be morally courageous and stand up for what is right rather than what they are told to do. Being “told to do” something without applying a moral compass and conscientious mind to it is no excuse for standing on the necks of American Citizens, of turning their back on the Principles of Liberty and Leadership.. indeed, the Nurenburg Trials made the whole concept of going along to get along unusable as a legal defense. That’s right. There is no legal defense possible under International and US law for those who claim to just be “doing what I was told to do”.
What we, and what I, need from you is for you to continue doing what you do. Each of us must do what we can do, it is our duty, it is our right, it is our privilege under the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution FOR the United States of America. Everything else that anyone tries to nail to our doors is subservient to those Foundational Documents, and ANY LAW that sets these principles aside for any purpose is an illegal law.
In 1990 there was a court case, US vs Cobb (“The freedom of individuals verbally to oppose or challenge police action without there by risking arrest is one of the principal characteristics by which we distinguish a free nation from a police state.”); United States v. Cobb, 905 F.2d 784, 789 (4th Cir. 1990).
You can read the whole case law here…. http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title8/cvr00135.htm
I seriously advocate the use of the Law in your own defense at any and all occasions when these Nazis persecute you. This is on the Department of Justice website- therefore, they cannot accuse you of being an “internet lawyer” offering your own interpretation of laws and facts, because these laws and facts are already PROVEN by a Federal Court and are Legal Precedent. These Traitors only do this stuff because they think the people are ignorant pieces of shit that do not know anything.
Love what you do, Love your Country (not the people running it) and Love One Another. That is what makes our Country great. Stand up for the least among us and let none oppress another.
The Time Has Come
steve
Apr 07, 2009
I enjoy reading the email updates, however, I would enjoy an easier to read email format. The email typically looks like a big paragraph. Email composition rules seem to have informally shifted to favor peoples reading style on the computer. People are more inclined to read very short paragraphs.
Mark Jaquith
Apr 07, 2009
I’d prefer shorter, more frequent updates, with a focus on governmental ineptitude, stupidity, or transgressions of human rights on American soil.
Take America back!!
Apr 07, 2009
What do I need you for? To help us get America back from these corrupt pigs who have driven us into a financial nightmare due to thier greed and lack of values ect.. You can bring the Americans back and what we truly stand for. It’s not only about freedom but, doing what is right and just not just allowing pigs to steal from us, take our jobs and turn everything into a Nazi police state. Thank you you are best Micheal!!!
Highlander
Apr 07, 2009
You stated:
—————
What’s different today, as opposed to a year and a half ago when six federal law enforcement officers showed up at my home for a 90 minute interrogation, followed by dictating to me what to write on this site, is today I don’t care anymore whether they harass, intimidate or imprison me.
—————
Three questions:
.
[1] Why did you even answer your door to people that you don’t know?
.
[2] Why did you even speak to them?
.
[3] Why didn’t you simply tell them to “DROP DEAD!” on the spot?
.
Anyway, keep up the nice work.
idios
Apr 07, 2009
The oath I took stated ‘I would defend The Constitution of The United States of America against all enemies both foreign and domestic’.
Either for us or against us…?
Chose your side!
You do this by bugging any and all of those who degridate the base ideals contained in The Constitution.
Offer public confrontation to those who oppose The Bill of Rights as well.
There wouldn’t be any concerns if there wasn’t good reason for them.
Were enough people to make enough noise directed at inaction dealing only with these two founding documents, we might have a going concern in the way of a country…
Use the political/psychological tool of the open question. Find incindiary published articles and send them to all politicians and other publications sayin, looky, looky…
Any condeming info those in power will find bothersome, quotes from associates, and any pictures or video’s that are embarrassing! Search their financial history and look into their past.
The VA was caught destroying records and documents again!!!
Our lovin gov is actin like a bunch of COMMIES!!!
Now for the fun part…
Would anyone believe that most of these nasty base ideologies originates in the beautiful, sunny state of Florida…?!
Yup! A majority of the retired massad, cia, fbi, are here. This place is an international hideout for exactly those who do these things…
A group of us has a lot of history if anyone’s interested…?
Uncle Bernie only took $50 billion and is in jail. Where are the handcuff corps that need to be on wall street? By the way, don’t steal a candy bar…
We all need to pick a single thing and put all our efforts into or towards it.
It will take all writers, donations, and a rich lawyer. Impossible, but doable…
Think of a successful movement hollerin, yes we can!!! Only from this side…
Stop FORECLOSURES! In Cal, the banks are foreclosing and refusing to take posession of the property!!! I say make the execs mow the grass! Cut them off and put them onna streets! See how they do…
There is a big list, any ideas on a subject?
How about we offer that ‘they’ stop any bailouts until there is some sort of jobs program? After all, the bankers/wall streeters already got theirs.
Gotta tell the public where the first funds went before ya get any more. In sixty days you tell or we jail…hehehe
An old fashioned protest effort/movement, only this time we got a little somethin ta fight back with…hmmm?
Michael Hampton
Apr 07, 2009
@steve, the email format should have paragraph breaks already. I’ll have to double check it.
@Highlander, I was not home when they arrived. I came home from the grocery store to find them on my front porch. You can be sure that every other word out of my mouth was “Come back with a warrant.”
For everyone else, thanks for the suggestions, and keep them coming.
Jeff Hoyt
Apr 07, 2009
Welcome home, Michael…
You have created the only website that has managed to hold my interest for more than a month or two, except for “Luanne”, but we all have our quirks.
It is sites such as this that may ultimately make the United States governement regret its nurturing of the Internet.
Who knows? Perhaps it is the Web that will be the catalyst for that which Walter Williams called for all those years ago: an armed march on Washington. Frankly, I don’t think anything else will work, and I think Mr. Jefferson would agree.
Fact is, there are way too many government officials and agents who are still alive.
Many good comments here, however…
kmonster,
I don’t always keep up here, so it may be I have missed your comments before. Regardless, your comment is well-noted. Thank you for what you have done, and for what you are willing to do. If 15% of the population emulated you, we’d probably be over this by now.
Michael, just keep doing what you’re doing. You don’t need to cover everything, just keep being a thorn. The rest of us will try to push it in a little deeper…
Rochelle
Apr 08, 2009
I think you should keep posting about the stupid things that Homeland Security does. If you want to broaden it out, you can include all the stuff the government does, but with the name, I think limiting it to the DHS should be sufficient :). This includes TSA, USCIS, and tons of other departments in the US.
Highlander
Apr 08, 2009
Heads up:
Very soon now, as a result of the spate of shootings —VERY HIGHLY MAGNIFIED by the MSM (MainStream Media)— and information from unnamed sources:
.
The MSM is intentionally misleading the public inasmuch that they are controlled by the same idiots who control the FED and other central banks.
.
We —the Armed Americans— are THE LAST OBJECT standing in their way of total global hegemony.
.
So in regards to THAT, and with reference biden’s remarks just before the last election, concerning that matter of ’something will arise to test Barky’s resolve,’ it is my considered opinion that he will step forward and declare martial law for the flimsiest of reasons, and further order that all personal firearms be confiscated.
.
The excuse he will employ is that in order to disarm the ‘Islamic terrorists,’ he must DISARM EVERYONE. No exceptions.
.
If you remember the ‘Combat Arms Survey’ (1) from over a decade back, then you’ll see what we are up against: Barky is sending massive numbers of U.S. Soldiers OUT OF THE COUNTRY in preparation for that martial law.
.
Many of the soldiers said that they would not comply with the thoroughly illegal orders in that survey. And from what I gather, there were some rather derisory remarks penciled in on that survey by the survey takers.
.
Further to that is the ‘Agreement’ (2) which was signed between Northcom and the Canadian government regarding the deployment of forces across the mutual border for unspecified purposes.
.
If you’re perceptive, you’ll realize that those Canadian troops will be the ones conducting the raids along with the completely TREASONOUS idiots hired by Blackwater, and VERY POSSIBLY German troops as well since they seem more inclined to shoot at Americans than most anyone else from ‘over there.’
.
The ‘hand writing’ is on the wall. It’s now only a matter of time before the fall.
.
Look for something in June of this year or thereabouts.
.
I hope the source of that information is terribly wrong.
.
But I also hope you’re prepared.
.
(1) http://www.geoffmetcalf.com/419.html
.
(2) http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8551
Ian Freeman
Apr 08, 2009
I couldn’t live with myself if I were to stay quiet. Congratulations on your decision to stand tall. The more of us with courage there are, the more difficult stopping this message becomes.
The voluntary society is coming and it is heroic individuals like you Michael, that are leading the way.
Thank you for taking risks to achieve liberty. It’s the only path.
Mark Greco
Apr 11, 2009
Is this a trap?
Highlander
Apr 11, 2009
Mark Greco | April 11, 2009 2:48 am
Is this a trap?
—————
.
Is ‘what’ a trap?
Bob
Apr 13, 2009
Just keep doing what you’re doing Michael. I like it here.
Someday there might be cops or agents in my house. It must be nice to have your “first time” behind you. I imagine your brain will go over and over this incident for the rest of your life and come up with lots of things that you should have done or could have done. The more you do that, the more prepared you will be if it happens again.
Any advice you can share with us would be appreciated.
That’s pretty sneaky of them to catch you just outside your door with your hands full. That would really give them the upper hand and would give them the opportunity to hopefully catch you with something lying around that shouldn’t be out. That can be their story anyway.
Three things have been built into the system over the last few decades that give them a believable excuse to haul anybody off to jail at any time. It doesn’t even have to be true, they can plant or exaggerate the evidence.
No matter who you are, one of the following will stick to you as a believable charge and your friends and neighbors will watch as you’re loaded into the police car and say “Yeah, I always knew there was something funny about him”. The cops and media will spin the story until your best friend will have his doubts.
-Drugs. You have drugs, or are selling drugs, or you are growing drugs.
-Guns. You have too many guns, or illegal guns or improperly stored guns or something to do with guns.
-Child abuse or molestation. You are abusing your kids or somebody else’s kids or you have kiddy porn or something.
In reality, our governments can take any of us at any time and make it stick if they choose to, but if we worry about that fact and change who we are because of it, then we are giving up our freedom. Keep beakin’ off, hang on to your firearms, do what you have to do to live your life and damn the torpedoes.
A little example of media spin that got a laugh out of me a few years ago;
I watched a story about a no good biker who took off with his fifteen year old girlfriend and got her parents mad at him. The cops found him, took him in and sent the little brat home, but the story was awesome.
Armed officers had apprehended a known drug trafficker and kidnapper of innocent young girls who, at the time of his arrest was in the possession of an illegal .22 magnum caliber, semi automatic handgun with almost 100 rounds of high powered ammunition. The fact that he was taken alive and without a fight was attributed to the skills of the dozens of visible flak jacketed officers involved in the arrest. Satan’s right hand man was now off the streets and a young girl had been saved.
Wow.
A bum and a brat with a little .22 pistol and a box of shells. Not exactly the biggest threat to our society today but they sure made it sound that way.
You do good work here. Keep people thinking.
Anonymous
Apr 15, 2009
All managers and supervisors should rot in hell in Dante’s Inferno!!!!
rich
Apr 16, 2009
read everything. i like to make random points. its cliche’ but, history keeps repeating itself. homeland secrity should be abolished. we simply cant trade fear or any other verb for losses to the constitution or the bill of rights. the massive invasion of illegals into are country is illegal. in itself alone it creates massive confusion. i always thought, a law is a law. ron paul wants to legalize drugs. i dont do them, but it does make sense. the war would be over. prisons would empty. below the border they would have to find a differnt job. tax em like every other commiddity. of course phamecutical giants would be enraged. its simple, if you commit a crime, you cant say, it was because i drank to much etc. but history repeats itself. what is a war on drugs? its equivelant to a huge vacuum cleaner that sucks a large portion of tax money that pprovides little in return. the corporations in america, have sold us out. their lobbyist are killing us. they will be damned, if your desire is to go into the farming business. you would cut into the meglomania, of these joints. are economy isnt bad, but rather, been minipulated, against, the entreprenueur, the little guy and small buisiness. weve now outsoused, and insoursed ourselves to the point that we americans are becoming screwed. both political partys seem to be doing the exact same things to us. and if a ron paul comes along, they see that hes ignored. sorry, mike that you tried to use the free speech clause, im sure them horrible people out there think, that right needs to be removed immediatly. love your site, didnt think anyone ekse out there cared
rich
Apr 16, 2009
also, the biggest thing coming up, now has to be immigration reform. how about the honest debate which, like a debate, looks into its realities, maybe, its tabboo. such a sensitive problem. but never the less, probably very lifechanging to either side. its already predetermined already, anyway, most likely.
Jimmy Gilliam
Apr 17, 2009
I would venture to guess that at this point the DHS is “accidentally” checking this website and all contributors instead of trying to secure the homeland from actual enemies. If DHS would concentrate on the illegal border crossings and actually enforce the laws that are on the books, they would not have time to harass opinionated citizens, especially those who advocate freedom and such “antiquated” notions as belief in the validity of the Constitution. Having said that, I no longer believe that any police agency has the interest of the people at heart, only power and self-interest. As a side note, DHS needs to add one more group to the recent memo. That would be Janet Napoleon and her minions. Oops, that should be Janet Napolitano.
The most practical thing that we can do is try to consolidate all the political parties that do believe in freedom (obviously not Democrats and Republicans) and try to work together with common links instead of pushing individual party agendas. That can come later.
rich
Apr 19, 2009
oh, i didnt know the fed govt could be listenning in. dear federal government. i work at a major corpporation. since the economy turned south., so did they. only ones left there are illegle alians with your grandpas ssn. the worst part is that they dont have e-verify in mexico either. the whoever, worker next to you can be a molester, murderer, meth dealer etc. because, they simply have no printout about their past. so, when you apply and, they see you have a twenty year old mistermeaner and dont hire you, guess what, nothing, they did ten years ago shows up. its like, ummmmmm discrimination against natural born citizens. and thats only tip of iceberg. on top of that a hundred of our bucks equals, a thousand back home. how do you compete with that.
Hot sex
Apr 27, 2009
Micheal is so hot we need hot sex from him lol Freedom rules I can tell him the truth and he won’t get mad knowing how cute he is lol
Jake Witmer
Apr 29, 2009
I’d like you to keep on doing what you’re doing: disseminating information that favors the voluntary marketplace, and providing a free forum for discussion of countercultural ideas. (Not the fake liberal-fascist counterculture of the Dead Kennedys, but the true information-heavy counterculture of Boards of Canada).
I’d also like to disseminate some information.
In the battle for individual freedom, there are varying approaches to decreasing state power. Differing psychological profiles and ability levels prefer differing base strategies. For instance: someone who is extroverted might favor petitioning for ballot access, or performing jury rights activism outside of a courthouse http://www.fija.org , whereas an introverted person might favor editing together pro-freedom videos on youtube or liveleak, and linking them back to libertarian candidate websites, such as http://www.rootforamerica.com or libertarian ideology sites, such as http://www.isil.org.
It is important to know if you are introverted, extroverted, or enough of a mix of both that you can be effective at pursuing whatever path you believe is most effective.
Most people are dishonest about the nature of reality, unless emotionally (not logically) forced to abandon their views. They can find out that the origin of the drug war was racist, that its enforcement is racist, and that it’s not decreasing drug use, and then say to themselves “well, we can’t let the kids have drugs!” and still vote for the drug warrior candidates of D and R affiliation.
Libertarians are human, and they also have their honesty problems, caused by the rough limits of human brainpower. The smarter libertarians I’ve met have MORE integrity than the stupider ones, but there still isn’t anywhere near “perfect” honesty or knowledge from anyone. Those who are more honest are often less capable in their area of specialization. Most humans simply have less processing power than is necessary to survive optimally, in a free market. Since the freeness of any market is determined by the group, there will never be a free market “across the board” unless there is an externally-observable microcosm free market SOMEWHERE. (This, in theory, could create a market for freedom, based on the DIRECT observation that freedom is better than tyranny.)
Many people in the freedom movement are dishonest about their own abilities. This causes them to fail at reducing state power.
It is easier to stay at home and write things like this for the internet. …But most people are not going to read them.
Most people are not as curious as we are. They will not find this website.
Libertarians need to cultivate the ability to talk to large numbers of random people.
They rarely try to do this. Then, they give up too easily, because engaging in politics is contrary to their nature. David Nolan is a case in point: his Arizona Libertarian party (that he claims is a good state party) is 100% dishonest and backstabbing in the ways they have treated their petitioners (not solely limited to myself). The Democrats and Republicans don’t do this to their workers, because they know that that is DEATH. …The death of successful party organizational action.
The Arizona Libertarian Party was on the verge of success. Had I returned there, they could be truly on their way to supplanting the Democrats and Republicans. …But they don’t want to do that. They don’t want to compete. If they did, they’d be winning office all over Arizona. …But they don’t care to do so. This means that they are either infiltrated (likely) or incompetent (likely) or both (most likely).
But it is not enough to state that libertarians are incompetent at observing what is necessary to win office, and then implementing those tactics for themselves.
The libertarian knowledge that politicians are dishonest prevents them from getting elected. They don’t want to be dishonest, or even MISLEADING. Ronald Reagan generally sounded like a libertarian. But on certain specifics, he was anti-libertarian when it suited him. He would also freely contradict himself, when the situation suited him.
Most libertarians won’t do that. They don’t value freedom enough to do that. …So they won’t get freedom.
At any time, libertarians could value freedom enough to win it, and take the personal risks necessary to win it.
They could systematically go about winning state legislature seats in a state small enough to win a majority. (New Hampshire is already ruled out from this perspective, because they have the largest state legislature in the nation —400 seats!. You don’t start BEGINNING to try to win office in the state with the largest state legislature, because that’s kindergarten chess strategy. That’s like sitting down to play a game of chess with your life on the line, and being told that if you can’t finish the game in 5 minutes, your failure will be counted as a loss.)
So what CAN the small minority of libertarians do to effectively win freedom?
1) Wage an informational war on tyranny where tyranny is taking place, the courthouses. Do so in an intelligent way. (Hand out FIJA pamphlets for the portion of time when jurors are entering the courthouse, even though the Federal Register changes of 2007 make this illegal in front of federal court, in direct violation of the First Amendment –upholding “Sparf and Hansen v USA”(1895).) Videotape everything, so when you are bullied, or told to shut up in spite of the First Amendment, you will have evidence that the state is afraid of freedom. –Most people don’t want freedom, but they want to lie to themselves and tell themselves that they do want freedom, especially those freedoms that are noncontroversial to a majority of Americans (such as the first amendment right to free speech in public). When faced with evidence that there is no respect for free speech, many people will become quiet sympathizers with libertarianism.
2) If you are going to try to win office, then pick an office that you can win. By this, I mean: pick an office that can be won with no more votes cast in the prior election than the number of houses you can personally visit before the next election. Mark your calendar with the time you intend to visit each house, and visit them all.
If you fall behind on your schedule, reevaluate it. Don’t say “I’m going to do as well as possible”. –That’s delusional. If you walk your entire district and you meet with every household in that district, and you keep detailed numbers from the voter-roll records, then you can develope a sense of how much more work you need to do.
The trouble with virtually all libertarian campaigns is that they all fail to properly value FEEDBACK. Even if they value feedback, they typically don’t ALTER THEIR TACTICS based on what it is telling them. If noone in your district likes your stance on immigration, then you need to either:
1) shut up about it
2) make it sound as if you don’t believe what you actually believe (this sounds like dishonesty. However, it serves a higher truth: It is not honest to lie to the nazis when they are knocking on your door looking for Anne Frank! GET THIS LESSON THROUGH YOUR THICK, MINDLESS SKULLS, LIBERTARIANS! –…If you value freedom enough to want to win it.)
If you can convince a majority of the number of people who cast a vote in the prior election to vote for you, you can reasonably be expected to win. That requires a ton of legwork, in order for your results to be MEASURABLE, and hence IMPROVABLE.
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I’ll stop talking about strategy with those two points.
Suffice to say, those points are the basics of working towards freedom. They are counterstrategies to tyranny.
There are several more that are also mutually inclusive.
In fact, with a little thought, ALL strategies toward liberty are mutually inclusive. They can all be made to work together. –So as a final word, I ask you all to reject the bogus idea of Samuel Konkin III that “trying to elect people to office defies the principle of individual freedom”. …BULLSHIT!
Tell that to Lech Wa??sa!
It’s all relative. Everything needs to be taken in context. Saying that a libertarian Attorney General would be no better than someone like John Ashcroft is foolish. Moreover, if we never try, it will never happen, so noone is wasting their time trying.
Moreover, trying to elect libertarians doesn’t stop anyone from practicing counter-economics (counter-systemic economics, such as black market buying and selling, and using privacy protection and encryption to mask yourself from government snoops).
So those are my big complaints with libertarianism as it exists today, and some suggestions for how to think about freedom more effectively. More to follow.
Highlander
Apr 29, 2009
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23 Jake Witmer | April 29, 2009 12:43 pm
I’d like you to keep on doing what you’re doing: blah, blah, blah etc.
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So, bottom line: Become intellectually dishonest.
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Right.
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Frustrated TRaveller
May 08, 2009
Tonight I was accosted by the goons from DHS. Apparently the head goon checking my boarding pass didn’t like something about me, so he wrote SSSS on my boarding pass, then the rest of the goon squad went into action. When I protested that this was harrassment, they took my information and wrote it on some list. God help me that they put me on some ‘watch’ list, I am very angry that a bunch of brown-shirted SS (actually, they wear blue shirts) seem to think that they are acccomplishing anything other than total terrorizing of law-abiding CITIZENS of the USA.
What a bunch of (dangerous) morons…….
PatActVictim
Jun 02, 2009
Does anybody know if one can sue the federal agencies for their harrasment using the Patriot Act? All my friends, acquaintances are all under a gag order, therefore, can not tell me too much about the ongoing surveillance on me. It’s been almost six years now and it doesn’t seem like they will stop. The sneak and peak method they use is extreme…i can go on and on with this.
Anonymous
Jun 02, 2009
The question was:
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26. PatActVictim | June 2, 2009 6:24 pm
Does anybody know if one can sue the federal agencies for their harrasment using the Patriot Act?
[...]
The sneak and peak method they use is extreme…i can go on and on with this.
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Sure you can sue. Why not?
All they can do is deny, deny, deny, file motions to dismiss, etc.
That ~is~ how government works, you know?
Now, about those methods?
Well, don’t keep us in suspense!
PLEASE =DO= go on and TELL US!!!
PatActVictim
Jun 03, 2009
sneak and peak methods…surveillance devices, sight & sound) within your walls in your home and workplace and in car…even bathroom( i rent so it’s easier for them to get the landlord, neighbors, and housemates in on it without telling you). friends, co-workers, clients, acquaintances, all in on it too…trying to engage in a conversation about particular things or views that may lead to incriminate……this isn’t really such a trade secret, hundreds of people know this. a gag order just prevents them from speaking about it directly . im in deep trouble already anyway so i won’t get in deeper trouble for writing this. i just find some solace in writing about it…if i can’t sue..i’ll just write a book about it, or both.
Anonymous
Jun 03, 2009
The remarks were:
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28. PatActVictim | June 3, 2009 5:40 pm
sneak and peak methods…surveillance devices, [...]
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It occurs to me that if you ever discovered another person who was attempting to get you to incriminate yourself WITH LEADING QUESTIONS, that you would be able to sue the pants off them right after you had them convicted of criminal conspiracy.
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That includes ANYONE who cooperates with whatever agent. Keep that in mind.
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Neither state nor federal officials are exempt from criminal conspiracy laws.
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Of course, you would do well to get yourself a small voice-activated tape recorder and have it ready. Evidence is EVERYTHING when you are going to make your case.
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There are other devices as well, and they aren’t that hard to locate.
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Anonymous
Jun 03, 2009
What happened to the rest of the prior comments on this thread?
Michael Hampton
Jun 06, 2009
Nothing that I can discern. What do you think happened to them?
Highlander
Jun 06, 2009
The remarks were:
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31. Michael Hampton | June 6, 2009 12:05 pm
What happened to the rest of the prior comments on this thread?
Nothing that I can discern. What do you think happened to them?
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Well, I dunno.
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You run this site.
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On a previous day there were over 60 posts, then there were 30 some odd, then there were 60 some odd, and now there are 31.
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At the point, I’m not knowing what to think.
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What happened to GlenGary’s posts?
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Michael Hampton
Jun 06, 2009
I think you’re confusing this thread with the other one.
Highlander
Jun 06, 2009
The remarks were:
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33. Michael Hampton | June 6, 2009 1:44 pm
I think you’re confusing this thread with the other one.
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I’m game: Which ‘other’ one?
Michael Hampton
Jun 06, 2009
This one, of course.
Muriel Strand
Feb 22, 2010
how about describing a world that works for all, not just middle-aged white republican guys. how about getting rid of all the advertising that is making everyone stupider.
Highlander
Feb 22, 2010
Well, Muriel, I’ll consider that you’re tragically misinformed over matters.
How would it be –according to yourself– that the world works for only ‘middle-aged white republican guys?’
What about that black man in the House and all the flunkies with which he’s surrounded himself?
And then there are all those non-Republicans in the U.S. Congress …
You’ll be getting back, won’t you?