Zero Elections
What if Libertarians decided to go for the Zero?

Zero elections, that is.

Maybe fueled by some of Lysander Spooner's brilliant observations, and also by great compassion for all of humanity who lives under governments that talk democracy but smoke something else?

Here's how it works:

Spooner groups can spring up all over the country, as nonprofit associations, creating great projects and jobs in the sciences, horticulture, charities, think tanks, publishing books, virtually anything great and positive can be done when people do it via a nonprofit association (except for banking or insurance).

Instead of attempted change every 2 years at the ballot box, the Spooner Associations would be creating and living daily change. Edisons, Wright Brothers, Harriet Tubmans would be creating cool new things and helping humanity greatly.

Would these Spooner associations change elections?

No.

Would they change lives?

Yes.

I think the libertarian philosophy is about creating as many peaceful opportunities for change and growth as possible. By the people and for the people themselves.

What would be the Ultimate in this 21st century Zero Philosophy?

Tens of thousands of nonprofit Spooner Associations and Spooner Nonprofits across the USA, tens of thousands of jobs created, incredible new things created for humanity, along the level of the Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore, something huge and lasting.

When elections are lost, and candidates come in 2nd, 3rd or 4th, what are we left with?

Yes, a Libertarian Party that gets up out of the dust and keeps going.

I am suggesting that what Will Smith said in Independence Day would be VERY TRUE for the Spooner Associations:

"Keeps on ticking!"

Alex Martin

Einstein and Edison Weren't Elected
When does victory begin?

Many libertarians believe it is only when a Libertarian wins an election or when a bad law gets defeated or a new tax gets defeated.

In other words, every 2 years, only at election time or when the legislature meets.

Einstein and Edison did A LOT without being elected.

We can do the same.

How often can victory happen? How great can we feel when we experience victory often?

This depends entirely on how you think.

Victory can happen many hundreds or thousands or millions of times a day.

We can be happy and accomplish much.

Victory begins now.

Tragedy -- How many more?

I sang at the funeral of a sister in the church today, an old and wise lady, full of years (she died at 81), who had suffered from many illnesses in the last five years, but died surrounded by the love of her family and friends, at home, knowing she was going Home and confident of her fate. She?d had to take medicines, many treatments, and yes, she?d been on oxygen, had to eat special food, and had to be cared for, in many ways.



Death is something that comes to all of us. Every day this column is filled with reports of people dying, or being killed. Sometimes it is a person in the middle of committing violent aggression against someone, and while it is sad that a person has to die, it is far better that the aggressor be killed than their intended victim, whether it is a jewel thief attacking a courier, a drunk invading a home, a bunch of ?freedom-fighter? thugs shooting up passer-bys on an Iraqi street, or some kind of govgoon. But it is still not good, not the preferred way to deal with violence and aggression, and we must recognize that is the case.



On the other hand, all too often, the death is CAUSED by the aggressor. Often, that is a outlaw or criminal: a mugger or thief or berzerker (like the young Chippewa man earlier this week). Sometimes, there are multiple aggressors involved: a ?big? thug (whether you call them king, baron, dictator, president, premier, or whatever, right on down to mayor or board chairman or block warden) who tells (or ?suggests? [?Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest??]) lesser goons to go out and do thus-and-so: haul them into jail, throw them across the border, beat them up, pour castor oil down their throat, or simply kill them. And there are so many ways to kill people, and it seems as though the goons (state type or private type agressors) delight in thinking up new ones, even after we, the people, tell them that they can?t use some methods. So they knife, and shoot, and burn, and drown, and beat their victims to death with clubs or chains or rocks or just with their fists. We report some of those, too, although nothing like really happens each day. We grow tired of the ?bad news? of so many people dying. It?s human nature.



Someone once said, ?One death is a tragedy, a thousand are statistics.? Any day, I expect to report one more death ? and it will be a tragedy. And while this tragedy only has one victim (at least directly), the death is being caused by dozens of people, directly and indirectly. And it is a nasty sort of death: from a combination of starvation and dehydration, to a person who cannot physically feed herself. It isn?t ?allowing her to die? ? it is killing her in a premeditated and intentionally painful way, and it is being done by her ?husband? with the active agreement and concurrence of several dozen men in black ? the judges that rule this land with an iron hand, who worship ?Law? (as they define it) and forget that law was made for men, who worship order and precedent and procedure, who are quick to punish those who offend them while allowing obvious injustice and evil to escape without penalty. They made the ?wicked judge? of Jesus? parable look like a merciful and compassionate man; they make the Pharisees appear as moderate and flexible. And they are killing this woman on purpose, despite many reasons not to, and as part of deliberate conspiracy to force the people of this country to bow to their will ? and their whims.



She is only one woman ? dozens like her die everyday, whether on the highways in accidents, in dirty urban alleys from muggings, in drug prisons, or just because they get sick and die. But she may very well be the cause of ?Terri?s Revolution? in which the 40% or so of Americans, who think that government should exist to protect life and not to take it, finally rise up and say enough is enough. Yes, a revolution ? although it is possible to have revolutions without bloodshed ? and maybe this can be one of them. A revolution against reigning judges, from the level of a local traffic court to the Supremes themselves, and against those who enable their monarchial rule: lawyers and legal types and, yes, legislators. This nation is nearing that point ? and we must ask, if not now, when? If we cannot prevent her death, can we, by action, at least HONOR her death?



How many more must die because of imperial judges who let loose people like the killer of Jessica on the public, who allow government thugs to go out and steal and endanger and kill, who allow a husband to kill his sick wife under the guise of law, who take away our freedoms to speak, to pray, to worship (or to not worship), and all the other thousand crimes (moral, not legal) which our ?judicial? system has inflicted upon Americans and the world? Would my sister not be allowed to live once her illness has been diagnosed as ?terminal? in a world ruled by these demons in human form ? would we have been singing at her funeral five years ago, instead of today? Would she have died confined to a hospice bed after someone pulled the tubes that let her eat and drink out?



The powder barrel has been opened and the bung thrown away, the fuse is laid, the powder train is ready , and the match is close to hand. Will Terri be the encouragement for several thousand people to pick up that match and strike it? Or is it too late?



Nathan Barton



You may republish this, but only in its entirety, with or without the author's name. (C) 2005 Information Inc.

Three Clues
1. From the FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX movie with Dennis Quaid:

FLY ABOVE THE DESERT

2. From Perry Marshall's analysis of the Wright Brothers:

WORK ON THE WINGS, THE DESIGN OF THE PLANE

3. From Vernon Howard's great book PSYCHO-PICTOGRAPHY (Chapter 11)

"...We need do only whatever we can do at the present moment."

A higher level of thinking will allow us to fly easily above the desert.

The design is more important than the power of the engine.

One step at a time, every step is a success.

Alex Martin

The Flight of the Phoenix--2005
I won't give away the plot of the movie, but you should see THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX.

There are some very subtle libertarian principles in the movie.

I will just give away 2 parts of the plot.

They escape from the desert because they REDESIGN their plane, and make it SMALLER.

The plane crashed because it was carrying TOO MUCH WEIGHT.

This relates very well to what we see as Federal and State governments decide that bigger budgets are better.

As you watch this movie, pay attention to the part about the REDESIGN of the plane!

This relates closely to what we are doing as libertarians.

Yes, we favor a smaller state that governs best by doing least.

But how do we get there?

Watch the movie, and think things over!

Many people think our country, economy, political system and foreign military policy might be a desert.

How do we get out of the desert?

REDESIGN the plane! (See also my previous essay on Kitty Hawk)

The old idea that MORE MONEY is the answer to all problems is simply that, an old idea!

Before David faced Goliath, did he write up a business plan?

The new idea is:

REDESIGN THE PLANE!

This relates not only as to how governments will be in the near future (smaller, smarter, wiser, more compassionate, more aware of the limits of power) as well as how we can proceed now!

Scientists have said that the laws of physics can not explain why bumblebees can fly! According to the laws of physics, bumblebees shouldn't be flying!

This also explains to us why the current ideas of politics can be suspended--because we are thinking like the Wright Brothers, acting like bumblebees, and redesigning our planes!

What could this mean for us now in 2005?

It means that different thinking will lead to a different design not only of how we live our daily lives, but also how the South Dakota Libertarian Party works and helps create a new reality.

Maybe we need to look at ourselves as DESIGNERS, designers of a new reality, designers of the new ways that liberty and freedom will be delivered.

Yes, we see the political system where change appears to be slow, where freedoms don't seem to expand to where they should be.

But that is simply the design of the plane that crashed in the desert.

Our REDESIGN starts today, will be in many areas of our daily lives, will transform not only how the South Dakota Libertarian Party looks at things, but also will ultimately lead to huge changes as liberty expands in our state.

I hope I haven't spoiled the movie for you!

Our REDESIGN will result in LIBERTY flying on great tireless wings!

Maybe this is how the redesign works: we change our thoughts first, our daily lives next, the Libertarian Party next (if we feel the structure or activities of the Party need to change), and then as these changes occur, we will be surprised when we reach a QUANTUM CHANGE, and things change faster than we thought they would!

As Quantum Change Redesigners, we will be inventing, creating, testing and FLYING Liberty-minded ideas and projects that may seem absurd at first thought, but will ultra-positively WOW! us as they succeed, again and again!

Enjoy the movie!

Alex Martin

The Kitty Hawk Discovery
I found a very interesting article by Perry Marshall. This article will help us understand WHAT exactly we are looking for to effect positive change in ourselves, in South Dakota and throughout our great country.

Here it is:

"100 years ago, in 1903, the Wright Brothers achieved their monumental goal of flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Most people don't know that there were quite a few other people trying to build an airplane at the same time. One was Alexander Graham Bell; another was the President of the Smithsonian Institution.

All of these guys were much better funded than a pair of bicycle shop mechanics from Ohio with a wind tunnel in their garage.

But there's a key difference that led to the Wright Brothers' success.

The other guys focused on making a more powerful engine.

Orville and Wilbur Wright focused on the plane.

Specifically, the Wright Brothers built their airplane as a glider without an engine - then mounted the engine later, almost as an afterthought.

They flew it in the breeze first, then added power later. That was the key to their success. They discovered that when you're building an airplane, the wings are more important than the engine."

http://perrymarshall.com/google/day5.htm

The whole paradigm is the powerful engine versus the plane.

More powerful engines were created before December 17, 2003. But they didn't fly!

The Wright Brothers worked on the plane!

How does this apply to the Libertarian Party?

The Democrats and Republicans have powerful engines: lots of money, lots of power, lots of voters, and they pass lots of laws.

We Libertarians have what the Wright Brothers have: we are looking for a plane (actually, a political set up that is unified with the principles of the Constitution and the best libertarian principles) that will fly (fly for us means that the system that we develop or design will sustain itself harmoniously for a long time!).

Now, it looks like the two parties have the advantage--they run Congress and the 50 legislatures.

But appearances can be very deceiving.

Has their current political system lifted off the sands of Kitty Hawk this year, in 2005? Has their system harmonized very closely to the Constitution and a political and economic system that can solve many problems?

No.

They keep on building bigger engines, thinking that the power of the engines is the answer. Iraq is invaded, the Patriot Act is passed, power is used and flexed by whichever of the 2 Parties is in power.

We have walked away from that. We have said: Wait! There is a better way! We are like the Wright Brothers! We have discovered the Constitution and principles that we know will work not only in the USA, but probably in other countries, too.

We are happy to work the way the Wright Brothers did--college isn't necessary, just having a High School Diploma or a GED and having a strong desire to read, listen, understand, and DESIGN a new reality. A reality that includes the most cherished principles of our democratic republic, that includes the best ideas, and what's most important is that we are willing to ALLOW these ideas to work!

And these ideas will work in amazing ways!

Whether we are in the Black Hills, Rapid City or in East River South Dakota, we are on the sands of our own Kitty Hawks, discovering and designing a better today, a prosperous today, and an amazing, prosperous and freer tomorrow!

We read about and discuss ideas from Jefferson, Washington, Madison, Thoreau, Ayn Rand, Lysander Spooner and others. While we may disagree on a number of ideas, I think we can find one HUGE area of agreement:

This 21st Century can be the Libertarian Century.

It can be a century of economic expansion, an expansion of freedom, and a time when people choose to expand their power of choice, and consequently, the powers of the States and the Federal government will decrease.

Our highest visions begin NOW, the moment that we think of them.

We don't have to wait two years.

We don't have top wait for the next election.

We don't have to wait for the laws to change.

We simply clothe ourselves with the greatest ideas that have ever been spoken or written down.

With these ideas, we ARE designing and living in a Libertarian Society, a society of expanding prosperity and freedom.

If we look at the huge engines that the Democrats and Republicans have, we are looking at the wrong thing.

We need to look at what we designing and building, and feel GREAT JOY that we are doing this NOW!

When we look at how MAGNIFICIENT the ideas are from libertarian thinkers, we will be so happy and grateful that these ideas were put down on paper!

The truth is: we are the partners of Jefferson, Spooner, Rand, Thoreau and other thinkers.

They thought so we can expand their ideas, and make their (and our) ideas REAL every day of our lives! And very very REAL in the lives of our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, loved ones, and pets!

America has been a Proving Grounds of Liberty for a long time.

Let us be GLAD that we can be in a Kitty Hawk state of mind, and we'll be exited and thrilled as our libertarian ideas develop, grow and create a wonderful new reality.

It starts NOW.

Now is the only moment we can create this.

It is created with joy, because that's what we feel.

Every day is a celebration of our victories. We celebrate often, because like the Wright Brothers, we are working on what counts.

That is why our new reality lifts off the sands of our own Kitty Hawks.

Frankly, we will be amazed and surprised as this happens!

The destiny of great ideas is that they are lived every day. As we live and breathe these ideas, the change within ourselves and others is huge, and will
produce results that will astonish and delight us for a long, long time!

Alex Martin

On the Map
There is wide variance of opinion amongst Libertarians about the prospects of getting elected to local, legislative, State and Federal offices in the next few years, opinions ranging from very pessimistic to reasonably realistic.

I would like to add another idea to the mix.

I call it- getting the Libertarian philosophy/cause on On the Map!

Yes, this could be something as famous as Laura Ingalls Wilder's homestead and books, or Wall Drug, Crazy Horse or something like that!

It could be a project established and operating as a ranch, a business, a nonprofit, a 501-c-4, or a memorial.

To establish and build something astonishing and incredible, I think it would have to be NOT political, but basically humanity-benefitting and something that has never been done before.

There are many things that would attract tourists, and get some nice comments and be supported by people. I guess what I am thinking of is:
Could there be something so huge, so awesome, that
people around the world would come to South Dakota to see it?

Think Tanks (Extreme Makeover)
Let us take the great idea and assumption that 'whatever we do, works!' or even 'whatever we do, works brilliantly!

Here is a short checklist: (Now remember, everything we put on this list is true!)

1. We can set up and run 100 Libertarian think tanks all across South Dakota

2. It takes just 6 cents to start up each one ($6 total)!

3. These think tanks would create 3-5 new jobs each!

4. These are easy to set up as Non Profit Associations and easy to run.

5. These Think Tanks are separate from the SD LP.

6. These 100 Think Tanks do incredibly inspiring (nonprofit) things!

Now, I think it would be easy to find $6, right?

And then to fund each Think Tank with the huge sum of 6 pennies each? Easy!

Why?

So we can inspire the WHOLE WIDE WORLD with what we can do---start with 6 cents, create a think tank, create 3-5 very nice jobs where each Think Tank is located, and then do cool research and projects that will change things for the better!

This is inspiring!

Can this be done?

Yes!

Of course!

Do you wanna win?
Is libertarian philosophy geared solely to elections, or does it apply to all phases of life?

How do you look at the word "win"?

Is it for the dominant political party?

Or can a nonvoting low income person "win" many times?

I think the Libertarian Party of South Dakota (and those libertarians who are also registered Independents, Democrats and Republicans) need to get
ADDICTED to the word "win" and "winning"!

Not as a buzzword.

But as a word that pertains to our reality.

Here's a hypothetical?

If we could perfectly foretell the future, and KNEW in advance that the SD LP would lose EVERY election in 06, 08, and 2010 (for the next 5 years basically),
what would the function of Libertarian candidates running be?

To get libertarian information and issues out there to people?

To increase our number of registered Libertarians up to 2.5% of the voting population, so that ballot access would be AUTOMATIC with each Gubermatorial election?

To vocally support all good bills proposed by non-libertarians in the State Legislature?

These are well and good, even noble.

But let's go beyond noble....

To me, "winning" means: "We designed a gig and we did it!"

Here are the dictionary definitions of "win" (Merriam Webster):

"1 a : to get possession of by effort or fortune b : to obtain by work : EARN
2 a : to gain in or as if in battle or contest b : to be the victor in
3 a : to make friendly or favorable to oneself or to one's cause -- often used with over b : to induce to accept oneself in marriage
4 a : to obtain (as ore, coal, or clay) by mining b : to prepare (as a vein or bed) for regular mining c : to recover (as metal) from ore
5 : to reach by expenditure of effort
intransitive senses
1 : to gain the victory in a contest : SUCCEED
2 : to succeed in arriving at a place or a state"

So let's discard all the definitions that involve struggle and vanquishing opponents, and pick the better definitions of "win"-

1a. To get possession of by effort or fortune.
2. To succeed in arriving at a place or a state

OK, can we all gain possession by effort or by fortune (luck)? Absolutely!

Can we succeed in arriving at a place (Mud Butte or Sioux Falls, doesn't matter) or a state (of mind)? Absolutely YES!

So we CAN win every day!

Why Libertarian?

Because its a "winning" philosophy, and it is used by us, and all of us are winners?

If the SD LP looks at itself TODAY as Winners, and all Libertarians, regardless of voter registration affiliation or nonvoting status, look upon themselves as UNEQUIVICAL WINNERS, then every day will be a resounding success to us!

You seek first the consciousness and feeling of WINNING, and all these things (including public election victories) shall be ADDED to you!

Posted by sd2/libertarian at 2:11 PM CST
Updated: March 24, 2005 12:45 AM CST
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Extreme Inaugurations?
With "Extreme Makeovers" the current rage, why not have "Extreme Inaugurations"?

We have electors, who are the registered voters, voting for electors (they vote if they're not bored out of their minds) who then meet in Washington to certify whoever was elected President.

Now, according to the Constitution, all power resides in the people, not the electors.

So we know that not all people in the USA are electors. There are many under the age of 18 and many who choose not to register.

So the first remove is requiring that only electors (registered voters) get to vote.

The second remove is allowing them to vote for the 3 electors of South Dakota, instead of voting directly for President. Electors voting for electors? Not science fiction, but it's true!

The third remove is that these electors then have to vote for their candidate in December. Aha, the electoral college!

The fourth remove is that Congress can step in and change what the electoral college has "decided" in December. This can be done on January 6. In fact, this was done in 1801. Jefferson and Aaron Burr were TIED in electoral votes. Jefferson finally won after Alexander Hamilton threw his support to Jefferson! Burr came in second and became Vice President.

So what would an extreme Inauguration be?

An inauguration is a ceremony. Basically a ceremony celebrating power and possibilities.

There is another definition of inaugurate or inaugurating--I think we should use this definition:

"a : to dedicate ceremoniously : observe formally the beginning of b : to bring about the beginning of"
(Merriam-Webster)

Aha! There we are!

To bring about the beginning of!

That is what we can celebrate!

Just think, it was a dictionary that re-connected us to our power!

So there are many many millions of Libertarian minded people out there, unregistered, or belonging to the Democratic, Republican, Libertarian or other parties.

The best thing we can do as Libertarians is to inaugurate.....all Americans....even those who patriotically choose not to vote!

This could be a very simple ceremony.

It might involve playing some Elvis, Willie Nelson or Waylon Jennings music.

A spokeswoman, spokesman, or spokes-teenager then conducting the ceremony.

It could be as simple as:

Do you, Wilfred Watertown, seize the day, and declare yourself a free man, a liberator, and a lover of Freedom?

Wilfred walks up to the microphone. "Yes, I do..."

Then by the power inherent in the Constitution, Common Sense and natural law, I pronounce you a Liberator, right now, wherever you go, and always...

Something like that!

After the Inaugural Ceremony, all the Liberators could gather around and guzzle Kool Aid and tacos!

Does that sound like fun?

And besides the fun, it would show the destiny of a great idea: freedom is as freedom does.

An inaugural ceremony like this is protected by the First Amendment of free speech and peaceful assembly.

We are not inaugurating a President.

No, something far vaster...

We would inaugurate thousands of Liberators, libertarian minded people who live freely, and like Lysander Spooner and many others, all their days are consecrated by the freedom that God or the Supreme being gives us.

It would be fun, and the results would be staggering!

Alexander Martin

Welcome!
Copyright 2005 by South Dakota Libertarian Party

Paid for by the South Dakota Libertarian Party. Nathan Barton, Treasurer.