VISION
Accountability
| Principle | Visibility
Peace
| Community
June 8, 2002
version
Working
for Liberty, Not Power
I am running for Secretary of the Libertarian National Committee
("LNC")
to make sure the Libertarian Party keeps as its goal liberty--not
money, prestige and power. What we are advancing is a secular
version
of the Golden Rule advanced by every spiritual or
ethical
system--don't to others what you would not want them to do to
you.
Or do what you want but don't harm others--or, as libertarians say,
don't
use force or fraud on others. Only if we try hard to live up to
the
principled vision--and hold our leaders accountable to do so--will we
gain
and keep credibility with those tempted to join our libertarian world.
Below I detail how the Libertarian Party can have accountability, stick
to principle--as well as attain higher levels of visibility through
promoting
wedge issues that attract dissatisfied citizens. I also talk a
bit
about two of my pet issues--non-intervention/peace and community
self-governance/secession.
I am running for Secretary to warn that some libertarians' big plans to
"grow" the Libertarian Party should not be accomplished by suppressing
principled and even radical voices and strategies, including the
community-oriented
and secession ones that I myself advance. Needlesstosay, one
faction
enforcing
"unity"
of vision, strategy and tactics is hardly libertarian! (See my article
on the diverse strategies preferred by
various
libertarians.) And I am running to support grass roots volunteers
who can be demoralized when professional, paid activists mislead them
and/or
disrespect their efforts.
Big government already is failing--we must offer workable and high
visibility
libertarian alternatives. Below I describe what I believe the LNC
should
do about my five main areas of concern: LNC/staff accountability;
standing
by principle; peace and community issues; and high visibility.
LNC
and Staff Accountability
Unfortunately, every organization at every level of society attracts
its
share of "apparatchiks," people who may generally agree with the goals
of the organization, but whose main objectives are personal profit,
prestige,
power, perks, paychecks. (See the Robert Shea article
Empire
of the Rising Scum.) Not all leaders or paid staffers are
apparatchiks,
of course. Apparatchiks are known by their tendency to form
I'll-scratch-your-back,
you-scratch-mine alliances and to use ruthless means, including force
and
fraud, to gain and keep their power. We must not allow
apparatchiks
to control the Libertarian Party. Instead we must turn our
apparatchiks
into good libertarians!
Many charge that over the last six years the Libertarian National
Committee
and LP national staff have "grown" the party at the expense of
principles
and especially ethics. Some seem to see it as a honey pot of jobs
and money for employees and consultants who sell big dreams, with
disappointing
results. Staffers--who many assert really control the party--know
more members mean more money for higher salaries and more
staffers.
Some LNC members seem obsessed with squashing competitors and
protecting
unethical behavior by cronies. This has lead to a number of
demoralizing
"controversies" over the last few years. See
details and documentation regarding the top 16 controversies.
One way to restore accountability is by booting off the Libertarian
National
Committee the individuals responsible for recent controversies--most
particularly Ken Bisson, Steve Givot and Elias Israel. The
other
is to institute certain party policies and By-laws that will lessen all
LNC members temptation to abuse their power.
Short
Minutes, On Time!: The LNC seems to think members should wait
three
to six months before they read the official minutes of decisions made
in
LNC and Executive Committee meetings. They do not seem to
understand
that members need to know what the decisions are so they can instruct
their
LNC representatives on how to proceed at the next meeting!
The LNC is falling short in one of its most essential duties!
Current Secretary Steve Givot believes in taking detailed minutes of
the
full discussion of issues, which only slows down the process since LNC
members have more to read and comment upon. It took until
February
15, 2002, for the August and October 2001 LNC Meeting minutes to make
it
to the
LNC Minutes web
page. The April 2001 minutes, which were put up only in early
February, remain in draft form. Perhaps spurred by my candidacy,
Givot did manager to get the draft minutes of the December 2002 minutes
on the web page by early March, 2002. Executive Committee minutes
are somewhat more up to date. LPNEWS stories do cover some, but
not
all, important stories.
I will create short minutes recording motions and final decisions, get
them out to LNC members as soon as possible and keep on top of them to
respond quickly. I will urge the LNC to vote to approve minutes by Mail
Ballot so that they are available at least one month before the next
LNC
meeting.
(I
am not opposed to doing separate "discussion" minutes, at a
leisurely
pace, but these should be considered a luxury, not a necessity.)
I will work to improve dissemination of relevant information to
members,
be it through getting minutes online as soon as possible; encouraging
the
LNC to ensure the availability of online
audio of LNC meetings, now done on a volunteer basis; requesting
the
LP office let state executive committee and other interested members
know
when minutes are online; posting notices myself to the announce lists
of
those state parties which are interested in having the availability
announced;
and, if necessary, creating a LPNEWS Secretary's column to make sure
you
all get an accurate summary of important new LNC and Executive
Committee
decisions.
Bylaws or Policies to Deal with Accountability Issues:
[That I would promote on or off the LNC...] The LNC and staff may yell
"micromanagement" but sometimes only membership micromanagement will
ensure
accountability!
** Under Membership: some National Committee members may want to give
the
body the right to expel members; I suggest several safeguards to
prevent
this power from being abused, should this be heavily promoted.
** Under Officers and National Committee: require minutes be approved
60
days after each meeting; limit the clout of any National Committee
recommendations
of changes in the Bylaws and Platform; forbid LNC staff from recruiting
specific candidates or funding them without approval of state party
apparatus,
as communicated through the state chair; institute term limits for LNC
members; allow national party members to appeal decisions of the LNC by
2.5%, instead of 5%, of the membership; allow petition of 5% of
national
party members to remove any LNC officer or At-Large member.
** Under Finance and Accounting: require a
detailed
accounting for all contributions to state parties or candidates; create
a Fundraising Committee with authority to review staff major donor
fundraising.
As Secretary and LNC member I also call for Roll Call votes on all the
important issues so that members will know who did and did not vote for
the most important and/or controversial motions.
I should note my position on Jacob Hornberger's Bylaw and LNC Manual
amendment
forbidding LNC members from taking money from candidates or campaigns,
as opposed to merely reporting such moneys as they must do currently.
Hornberger
cites opposition of top apparatchiks Ken Bisson, Steve Givot and Elias
Israel to it in the spring of 2001. This certainly makes me suspect
such
a Bylaw may be necessary. Disclosure of potential conflicts is
sufficient
if you have independent voices willing to challenge the conflicts
candidates
paying LNC members for services might provide. However, the LNC
is
not always filled with such independent voices! So I remain open
to promoting and voting some restrictions on LNC members themselves
receiving
money from candidates.
Full disclosure note: Because Carol Moore works part-time and
averages
$12,000 a year after taxes, she will need to do fundraising in
libertarian
circles to pay for her expenses for the one, and occasionally two, LNC
meetings a year that are outside of Washington, D.C. So don't say
I didn't warn you!!
Of course, this brings up the whole issue of: why does the LNC have to
meet three or four times a year, costing $700-1000 per member per
meeting?
Why not only once or twice a year? Why can't it conduct business via a
Yahoo Groups where only LNC members can post but all members have
access
to information? This might cut down some of the clubby/cliquish nature
of the LNC and make it more accountable to members.
Libertarian Party members must hold the LNC, and the staff it hires,
accountable
in the ways described above. Otherwise, we probably will see the same
old
destructive controversies from the "New
Libertarians" angling to take control of the party. Should
such
reforms not be made, or should they prove ineffective, I certainly
would
join those who call for disbanding the legal entity "Libertarian
National
Committee, Inc." and allowing Libertarian Party members to create
looser
networking structures to deal with the need for a national presence.
Protect
Libertarian Party Principles
Since 1993 (see Committee for a
Libertarian
Majority) current LNC Secretary Steve
Givot
has been a leader of the faction trying to expunge from the LP platform
mention of the many laws and taxes we seek to abolish, while
emphasizing
short term "interim" goals and measures. Libertarians who share
these
views admit they do not want to "frighten" people by talking about all
the programs we would abolish; nor do they want a hostile press to use
the platform to "embarrass” more candidates trying to appeal to
mainstream
voters. However, many libertarians consider a detailed platform
to
be the main proof that we are serious about liberty and oppose "gutting
the platform."
At the December 2001 LNC meeting Steve Givot confidently stated that
the
2002 Convention could suspend the rules and replace part, or even all,
of the old platform with the new one which the LNC's "Strategic
Plan" has charged the Platform Committee to create. Downplaying the
implications of libertarian principles could turn the Libertarian Party
into another
Reform Party -- one doomed
to takeover and annihilation.
Some believe the LP's problem is it is too ideological.
However,
I believe the problem is it is not ideological enough! That is
why
I re-wrote the platform into a somewhat shorter, Positive
Libertarian Party Platform [Original Version], re-structured to
open
with a clear and detailed vision of libertarian alternatives separate
from
the necessary listing of the most important laws, taxes and agencies to
be repealed or abolished.
I also would push for the national party to put together a study group
program
and promote it to members for local education and organizing
purposes.
A 15 week study group course based on both brief required and longer
suggested
readings could be re-cycled over and over until everyone had a chance
to
make at least one meeting on each topic. This would be a great
educational
and social project that would help members gradually build their
commitment
to principle and the party.
Current LNC members have promoted making the "War on Drugs" our
signature
issue. Like many, I doubt the efficacy of having one signature
issue
and doubt whether drug legalization should be it. And I certainly
am wary when I hear staffers talk about wealthy drug legalizers who
want
to contribute to the party, since many drug legalization leaders are
liberal
Democrats, some are funded by George Soros who has many statist
positions,
and some even urge the government to legalize drugs so it will have
more
resources for the "War on Terrorism."
As an LNC member I would volunteer to be on the Advertising &
Publication
Review Committee. The LNC obviously has not been exercising
proper
oversight. For example, articles in recent issues of LPNEWS have
spoken in
favor
of "anti-trust" type regulation of corporations and government
manipulation
of the money supply and retaliatory
use of nuclear weapons against "areas" to which terrorist attacks
are
traced. More insidiously, issue after issue of LPNEWS includes
articles
and letters criticizing libertarians for being too principled and too
radical.
These obvious attempts to placate the least libertarian members of the
party only drive away principled libertarians.
I believe those who encourage people to enter the party by promoting a
falsely moderate image are misleading new members. Those who
enter
the party knowing it is a principled and therefore radical party in
order
to stifle the most radical critics of government are doing worse,
i.e., the work of the state.
Promote
High Visibility, Wedge Issue Campaigns -- Issues Build Movements!
A recent LPNEWS poll of 1,300 members showed that protecting principles
and high visibility were their two top goals. I agree! It
was
when the national party did something it got the kind
of
national publicity it needs: i.e., the 1998
Convention Resolution calling for the impeachment of Bill Clinton,
the 1999 campaign to
defeat
the "Know Your Customer" regulation, the 2002 USA Today
newspaper
advertsisements against the war on drugs. Better late than never,
libertarian leaders are learning how to use wedge issues to get higher
visibility.
There are different types of issues that can be addressed: "hot"
issues
that are on the front page today (the approach largely used by the
national
party in press releases); "outrageous" issues that usually
attract
press attention (like sex or violence-related issues or breaking of
social
taboos, which often are the topic of national LP "joke" press
releases);
"bread
and butter" issues (like taxes, schools, gasoline prices); and "wedge"
issues which attract a significant number of supporters who
challenge
entrenched laws (like drug laws, gun laws and civil liberties abuses).
Of course we should never pass up opportunities to score points on hot
issues or some outrageous issues. One definition of
"leadership" is finding the parade and getting out in front of
it!
And it is important to continue to educate on bread and butter issues,
explaining why the private sector performs better than government.
However,
the best issues are high visibility, wedge issues, be it ones
we
latch on to or ones we create. We especially should look for issues
that
would interest the overwhelmingly liberal media!
Carol on Nightline,
1995
|
Carol on Free
Congresses'
Endangered
Liberties, 2000
|
DO-ERs
not Talkers: I myself have experience gaining such visibility on
the
Waco issue, with the Committee for Waco Justice and my book The
Davidian Massacre. I found that if you are a forthright
spokesperson
with a unique angle on the issues you don't have to harass the press to
get yourself on television and radio, they come to you. And if
our
group had bothered to do active promotion we probably could have done a
lot more television and radio!
One thing that attracted the press to our group was that we didn't just
sit in offices and issue press releases stating our opinions. We
issued press releases to invite them to our street protests and street
press conferences in front of the FBI, the BATF, the Justice
Department.
At half a dozen of our events we had over twenty press representatives.
The
press is attracted to do-ers, not talkers. Running campaigns is a
DO-ER
activity and that's why I support electoral campaigns.
Boot-Strapping
with Both Elections and Action: Many state and local
libertarian
parties already combine single issue ballot initiatives, lobbying,
protest
and even civil disobedience with electoral politics. This is in
line
with the "public information" section of the Bylaws statement of
purpose
of the party and with Strategy 17 of the new Strategic Plan which
reads:
"Encourage state, local, and campus Libertarian Party organizations and
our entire support base to be involved in political processes at all
levels
outside of campaigns and elections." (For an idea of all
the
different kinds of options libertarians have for dramatizing issues and
achieving liberty see 198
Methods of Nonviolent Action.) The June 6th arrest of two LP
staffers who, with several otheres chained themselves to the doors of
the
DEA Headquarters in Washington is one example of such nonviolent action.
The national party should facilitate more such multi-tactic
organizing--without,
of course,
dictating to the states. By doing so we can "bootstrap"
our way to national publicity and visibility. Many national
organizations
with much smaller budgets and membership achieve more publicity and
credibility
than libertarians because they know how to mobilize members to focus on
high visibility, wedge issues.
For
example, in the last two years there was a huge "anti-globalization"
parade
which the Libertarian Party could have exploited by holding press
conferences
and counter-protests to highlight how the IMF and World Bank are used
to
stifle true free market and free trade activity, even as we criticized
the violent anti-capitalists who protest against free trade. The
Libertarian Party of DC was planning just such a press conference the
week
before the planned IMF/World Bank protests at the end of September,
2001.
As one of the few voices against the planned street violence, we
doubtless
would have gained publicity and public favor, had the events of
September
11th not caused cancellation of the protests.
There are certain issues which cut through the tangle of lies of
governmetn
power. Tackling them can help the party embody the concept of
“leadership,
not compromise.” The history of successful change movements show
it is better to be a well known group on a small unpopular issue with a
few million fervent supporters, than a little known group taking a
moderate
position that no one can disagree but no one gets that excited about.
Below
are such high profile, wedge issues I think libertarian parties at all
levels should be encouraged to take on.
Denounce
the War on Terrorism and call for Repeal of the Patriot Act.
Why let the anti-capitalist and socialist left be the ones monopolizing
the media in exploiting this high profile, wedge issue? We must
emphasize
protecting America by ending foreign entanglements, bringing the troops
home, and spreading the message of "World Peace through World Liberty."
See more below. Libertarians
for Peace is organizing to encourage the LP to do just that.
The September 11, 2001 attacks will seem small in comparison should the
next retaliation for U.S. interventionism be a suitcase nuclear attack.
US
Out of the Middle East Campaign: Most Americans know
that
United States' intervention in Middle East affairs, and especially its
support for Israel's continued oppression of the Palestinians, is the
reason
we suffered the September 11, 2001 attacks. Many continue to
support
such intervention because they know US oil and gasoline prices could
double
should such oil be cut off; others refuse to criticize Israel because
of
fears of being called "anti-Jewish." However, this is an
excellent
issue for dramatizing our principled and courageous free market and
non-interventionist
stands--and for attracting committed and courageous activists.
End the War on Drugs remains an important high profile, wedge
issue.
Legalize Pollution Lawsuits: How many times have people
told
you they like the libertarians except for their "awful" positions on
the
environment. They think we support the freedom to pollute.
We must make it clear we support the freedom to sue polluters,
a
freedom denied us by a myriad of local, state and federal laws that
"regulate"
and permit much higher levels of pollution than would be allowable if
individuals
had stronger private property rights and the full right to sue.
Don't let the Green Party co-opt a libertarian issue--they want to
limit,
not expand, our rights to protect our own property!
100%
Health Care Tax Credits: Medical
expenses are growing uncontrollably because of government
interference.
One reason is that companies can deduct most of their employee health
care
and insurance expenses, but individuals can deduct few of theirs.
Americans
overwhelmingly
support this right but the Demopublican's big financial
contributors
oppose it. If individuals could have a 100% tax credit for health
care and insurance costs, a market in much lower priced health
insurance
and services would develop. (We also could promote the right to
form
medical contracts that limit liability--and thereby decrease insurance
rates!) President Bush talks about small time tax credit plans.
The
Libertarian Party should create a high visibility campaign to appeal to
Americans who already know that tax credits and free choice in health
care
can cut medical expenses and save lives.
"Right
to Self-Governance and Secession" Constitutional Amendment:
Many libertarians believe the United States Constitution is an
experiment,
and one which has not sufficiently protected Americans' life, liberty
and
property. (See below and see Libertarian
Secession Strategy page.) Imagine the political education and
national
publicity that would result from libertarians nationwide working for an
"interim measure" like a Constitutional Amendment similar to the
following
[Original Version]:
Individual
States
of the United States of America, as well as self-defined constituent
communities
thereof, shall have the right to self-governance within or complete
secession
from the United States government. Members of self-governing
states
or communities shall retain the right to American citizenship, to full
legal and due process protections, to vote in presidential elections,
and
to military defense; they will be subject to common law restrictions
and
to paying fees for military defense. Self-governance shall be
permitted
when 66% of eligible voters via referendum or initiative support
same.
Secessionist states or self-defined communities will be regarded as
separate
nations or territories. Secession shall be permitted when 75% of
eligible voters via referendum or initiative support secession to an
entity
which includes legal safeguards for individual rights and
liberties.
No governmental authority shall restrict the formation of
self-governance
or secessionist communities through law or police or military action.
Free
the Ballot Campaigns: The Demopublicans use any excuse to
tighten
ballot restrictions, including the contretemps of the 2000 presidential
elections. Libertarians believe the government has no place
deciding
who is on the ballot. The party platform states the proper way to run
an
election is to allow voters to cast cards printed by candidates or
parties.
We might consider conducting a series of education campaigns and
publicity
stunts promoting this alternative. Whether or not they are
running
candidates in an election, libertarians can set up tables outside of
polling
places with a sample "ballot box." They would give voters a choice of
sample
cards, which could be printed with humorous summaries of the other
parties'
real agendas. Pre-election day press conferences could draw
attention
to these "Free the Ballot Campaigns."
Lean, Mean Freedom Machine: Such exciting and controversial
electoral
and protest campaigns, promoted by professional media staffers and
contractors,
can bootstrap libertarians into the public eye and put libertarians on
national television every week. The Libertarian Party should lead
Americans not only to vote for liberty, but to take any and all
nonviolent
actions necessary to obtain liberty in our lifetime. We must ACT
like libertarians -- not just talk like politicians! It's time to make
the LP a lean, mean freedom machine!
MORE ON THE PEACE AND
SELF-GOVERNANCE/SECESSION
ISSUES
Emphasize
Protecting America and World Peace Through World Liberty
The so-called "War on Terrorism" is really a war to ensure the United
States'
political and economic dominance as the only "super power"--under the
false
guise of promoting liberty and peace. If the U.S.
government
really cared about protecting or defending the American people, it
would
not be provoking peoples worldwide to hate the "global bully" the U.S.
has become.
Libertarians must resist being taken in by post-September 11 patriotic
fervor or being silenced by insults or repressive new laws. It remains
our duty to emphasize truly protecting America by ending U.S.
military
intervention, especially in the two most dangerous areas, the Middle
East
and Asia.
I am particularly opposed to Elias Israel becoming Chair of the
Libertarian
Party. At the August, 2001 LNC meeting he publicly criticized
libertarians
who want the United States out of the Middle East as being
"anti-Jewish."
And during the October 14, 2001 LNC meeting he identified himself as a
"hawk" as he proposed a resolution
supporting United States military strikes against alleged terrorists in
any nation. The relevant part read: "Such criminals must be rooted out
and destroyed before more innocent people die. Their training camps and
weapons must be eliminated. Their supply infrastructure must be
shattered."
It also noted: "Every precaution must be taken to minimize injury or
death
to innocent civilians and non-combatants -- in Afghanistan and in other
nations." Language added to placate non-interventionists does not
change this belligerent stance. See full details and quotes from
both meetings on the articles page of Libertarians
for Peace and on my "New Libertarians"
page.
The Libertarian Party must not let military interventionists take over
the party. Instead the party must work harder to promote the
non-interventionist
position and to remind the peoples of the world that only world liberty
can ensure world peace. As a Libertarians for Peace organizer, I
already
am exerting such leadership. The LP must be seen as a light of
liberty--not
a fist of the United States' imposed world order!!
Emphasize
Secure, Self-Governing Communities Not "Anything Goes"
Libertarians' biggest credibility problem is convincing people freedom
doesn't mean they have to put up with strip clubs, crack houses,
garbage
dumps or chemical plants in their back yards. Another problem is
the fear that "liberty" means they have to give up working with others
in community towards common goals.
The Libertarian Party and its candidates can address these "elephants
in
the living room" by emphasizing individuals' right to form diverse,
self-governing,
contractual communities either largely or totally free of state control
(i.e., minarchist or anarchist). In such communities individuals
can create true security, both from negative outside influences and
through
cooperative community endeavors. My proposed
"Positive"
Platform [Original Version] includes reference to such
alternatives.
The libertarian decentralist or secure communities approach is a
principled
way of assuaging American’s fears about how true liberty would work and
how it would benefit them.
This approach is does not hide libertarians' belief in the right to
secession.
In 22 years of libertarian activism I have never met a libertarian who
would use police or military force to keep secessionists within the
union--and
I have asked that question of many many libertarians. Secession
is
the natural option for both anarchist libertarians who want no
government
and for minimal state (minarchist) libertarians who want complete
freedom
from the demands of a national state. I detail how an explicit
secessionist
strategy would work in my article Libertarian
Secession Strategy, as well as in my web page Secession.Net
I also have started a new page, ConfederatedCommunitiesofAmerica.Net,
which could be used as a networking vehicle by nonviolent community
secessionists
and separatists in the future. Considering that tens of thousands
of Republicans were contemplating seceding from the union in November
and
December of 2000, should Al Gore steal the election back from George
Bush,
libertarians should not be afraid of the secession issue!
GOLDEN
RULES
OF DIFFERENT SPIRITUAL/ETHICAL SYSTEMS
HINDU: This is the sum
of
duty; do naught unto others which if done to thee would cause thee pain.
ZOROASTRIAN: That nature
alone is good which refrains from doing unto another whatsoever is not
good for itself.
TAOIST: Regard your
neighbour's
gain as your own gain, and your neighbour's loss as your own loss.
BUDDHIST: Hurt not others
in ways that you
would find hurtful.
CONFUCIAN: Do not unto
others
what you would not have them do unto you.
JAIN: In happiness and
suffering,
in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own
self.
JEWISH: Whatever thou
hatest
thyself, that do not to another.
CHRISTIAN: All things
whatsoever
ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.
ISLAMIC: No one of you is
a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires
for himself.
SIKH: As thou deemest
thyself,
so deem others.
WICCAN: Do what thou wilt,
but harm no other.
LIBERTARIAN: You are free
to do as you like as long as you do not initiate force or fraud on
others.
From Carol Moore's
page
ConsciousnessRules.Net
