Citizens for Liberty 19 June 2013 Meeting - Movie Night - The UN Deception

At their June 19, 2013 meeting in Norristown, PA Citizens for Liberty screened the film The UN Deception (http://youtu.be/ia8cCazkdvg). This was followed by an open discussion. Thank you Jackie and Steve Piotrowski. (Just so nobody gets confused they are brother and sister-in-law.)

Video of the meeting (not including The UN Deception which can be seen by clicking on the link above) and discussion after the film:

I brought an old tradition to the meeting. At the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania conventions the Montgomery County Libertarian Party usually hosts a hospitality suite. To enter you have to wipe your feet on the United Nations flag. It goes without saying that we were all happy to wipe our feet (among other things) that night.

Steve Piotrowski

Steve Piotrowski

Jackie Piotrowski

 

 

 

 

Mark Passio and Barb Marinelli http://www.whatonearthishappening.com/

Michael Lind Is Right: Libertarianism Doesn't Work

What? Has the International Libertarian gone crazy? No, here's the story. Michael Lind published a couple of articles trying desperately to discredit libertarianism. (See The Question Libertarians Just Can’t Answer and Grow Up, Libertarians) He thinks that his question addressed to libertarians, “If your approach is so great, why hasn’t any country anywhere in the world ever tried it?” is just devastating. Jacob Hornberger compiled a list of libertarian responses and wrote a good answer of his own in his blog entry A Response to Michael Lind.

Here is the devastating response. When Mr. Lind asks about a country he is talking about a nation-state with a government. That means all the corruption and violence that governments bring with them. That is what is at the heart of the matter.

A shirt worn by a protester illegally selling raw milk and lemonade. Is this what makes libertarianism so bad to Mr. Lind?

Could the financial institutions enjoy their cartel status without the government created Federal Reserve System? No, of course not.

Could the defense contractors enjoy their gravy train without all that government spending and warmongering? No, so libertarianism isn't for them.

Could the law enforcement and legal establishments continue to prosper without the government's war on drugs. No, true liberty would be very bad for them.

Could the people that want to live off of the welfare state continue to do so without the government's largess? No, libertarianism would mean real work instead.

Could the education establishment continue to live high on the hog without the government pouring money into its coffers? No, obviously not.

There you have it, libertarianism really doesn't work for the special interests that want to use government force to enrich themselves at others expense. It also doesn't work for the politicians who want to cater to these special interests. They can't do any of this in a free market. That's why Mr. Lind is right, since libertarianism doesn't work for all of these entrenched interests they make sure there isn't a libertarian country around. Thomas Paine summed it up in his book The Rights of Man:

…the portion of liberty enjoyed in England is just enough to enslave a country more productively than by despotism, and that as the real object of all despotism is revenue, a government so formed obtains more than it could do either by direct despotism, or in a full state of freedom, and is, therefore on the ground of interest, opposed to both.

Instead of getting upset libertarians should thank Mr. Lind for his articles. No longer can statists claim that our present (and many) problems are due to some libertarian free market. Mr. Lind establishes very clearly that there is none anywhere in the world. The blame must lie elsewhere. Perhaps in the mixed economy he so loves? It looks like that is what has failed those of us not living off of the government's profligacy. Hmm...that libertarian society just keeps looking better all the time! Thank you, Mr. Lind.

Eminent Domain in Philadelphia: "I don't need consent"

"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law,' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual."    --Thomas Jefferson

"I don't need consent" is what Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez of Philadelphia said about the seizure of property she is pushing. She also said that something being legal makes it moral. You can watch her claim these dictatorial powers in Mike Salvi's video:

An explanation of the situation from Mike Salvi's World:

Small business owner Meletios Athanasiadis, and 35 other property owners in Philadelphia, received letters, without prior notice, informing them that ownership of their properties has been transferred to the City of Philadelphia. 

Philadelphians marched to Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez and Darrell Clarke's houses to confront them on their decision.

Please watch and spread this video as far as you can, and help show Mel and his neighbors they will not go down against this abuse of power without a fight. 

You can find some of the details of the story here, 
http://www.citypaper.net/news/185550302.html

This is what happens when people aren't opposed to taxation on the principle that it is theft. Since they have the power to seize money it isn't much of a leap for the government to also seize property. This sordid affair underscores the importance of standing on principle. No theft, no initiation of force, period.

Update, June 14,2013: Mike Salvi put up a second video that includes the protest in front of Councilman Darrell Clarke's house:

Darren Wolfe Speaks About Liberty and Taxes at the Joint Summit with President Choom (video)

On June 8, 2013 Darren Wolfe, otherwise known as The International Libertarian, talks about taxes and tyranny using Henry David Thoreau's perspective. (Please read Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience".) The talk was given in Washington, DC in front of the White House as part of the Smoke Down Prohibition civil disobedience event, Joint Summit with President Choom .

Adam Kokesh Arrested At Smoke Down Prohibition in Washington, DC (video)

Adam Kokesh addressing the crowd in front of the White House shortly before his arrest in Washington, DC

During the Smoke Down Prohibition civil disobedience event, Joint Summit with President Choom, Adam Kokesh was arrested. At first it seemed like the police weren't going to arrest anyone. Then they came back for Adam. He is the host of Adam vs the Man, an Internet news and commentary show.

The police state welcoming committee:

 

The Left Needs to be Leery of the IRS Too

War is the common harvest of all those who participate in the division and expenditure of public money, in all countries. It is the art of conquering at home; [emphasis added] the object of it is an increase of revenue; and as revenue cannot be increased without taxes, a pretence must be made for expenditure. In reviewing the history of the English Government, its wars and its taxes, a bystander, not blinded by prejudice nor warped by interest, would declare that taxes were not raised to carry on wars, but that wars were raised to carry on taxes.

--Thomas Paine, TheRights of Man

How right Thomas Paine was! We also know that liberty is not compatible with taxes and war. At last year's Brooklyn Peace Fair investigative journalist and peace activist Jeremy Scahill talked about his concern with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) oppression. (The video starts playing at the point where he talks about the IRS threat. You only need to watch about 30 seconds of it.):



The recent IRS scandal, in which they targeted conservative groups, gives new urgency to Mr. Scahill's words. Regardless of your political views we all need to come together to stand up for liberty and oppose this abuse of power.

No Free Speech at Independence Hall (video)

Mark Passio of http://www.WhatOnEarthIsHappening.com wrote the following explanation of what happened in the description of the video above:

On Saturday, May 18th at 3:00 pm, I was walking with my wife Barb in Philadelphia from Market Street to Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets, and handed out a few fliers about how the Federal Reserve Bank is de-valuing our nation's currency to people standing in the line at the Liberty Bell location (something I have done almost 20 times in the past). I briefly spoke to a couple of them who asked me for more information. We then proceeded to continue to walk to Chestnut Street when we were stopped by two Park Police who said that I could not hand out fliers without a permit (I had already finished handing them out actually; I had a few left in my hand, and was in the process of leaving the area). They began citing some obscure federal regulation that I had never heard of. I calmly told them that I was peacefully exercising the Rights of Free Speech and Free Press as I was walking through the area, which are Natural Rights which can not be granted by man, nor alienated from man, and which they do not have the "right," regardless of what the terms of their "job" may tell them, to usurp from me or to stop me from exercising.

Read the rest at:  http://youtu.be/x0vS8VTZ4Sw

Fortunately, this happened near Smokedown Prohibition V so there where activists on hand to video Mark and Barb's detention for trying to exercise their right to free speech. Do these park cops have any idea how bad they look doing this right across the street from Independence Hall? If there is no free speech there where can we speak freely?