See the original booklet, The Great Experiment Revisited, published 1999
Why does everyone assume the dishonesty and frauds committed on behalf of the
National Libertarian Party can be tolerated or ignored without
consequence? Yes, some state parties and local groups have experienced
problems, but far, far fewer.
The
National scams and lies remain there, hanging like dead bodies, tainting the
air with a stench that has never faded. It is wrong.
The LP
was intended to be a tool to help all of us enact freedom.
Seen any
freedom lately?
Do you
keep paying a plumber who can’t fix your toilet? Of course not.
The LP is
not alone.
The Main
Stream Media, crony capitalists and government agencies we are forced support,
supposedly guardians of the truth and enforcers of our individual rights, are
all guilty of the same kind of wrongdoings. I could name names, and
perhaps sometime I will in a book yet to be written. But it is hardly
necessary. Determined and ardent supporters of the truth have done
yeoman’s work to make the facts available.
The stark
fact remains, no one can compromise, mixing facts with fraud, without being
compromised themselves. The whistle blowers have long since walked out.
How many turned away and refused to see or lined up with the guilty for their
own reasons?
I became active in the LP in 1974 while I was pregnant
with my third daughter, who I named Ayn. I left in 1988 because the
LP had violated every value I hold. I had encountered dishonesty toward
donors, dishonesty about motives and goals, fraud and incompetence.
My comments about fraud were a reflection of the calloused lies
told to activists and donors by the cadre who had taken over the LP and were
raising money to pay their own salaries and write themselves checks for
pointless projects approved by the National Committee. Holding
on to control had become their ticket to unearned wealth, extracted by stealth
and lies.
Gary Johnson is just another example of the same thing. If I
thought it was worth the time I would write an expose but why bother? If
you enjoy spending money and time pointlessly, go for it.
Demonstrating the power of freedom remains the goal and many of us
from all political perspectives have been working on these. Demonstrating how
freedom works does not mean vote totals. It means ending the view
government is the right solution at all. Instead, seek free market and
community-driven solutions which solve the problems we face today in every part
of our lives.
Here were my recommendations in 1999:
"1999 - What is the appropriate function of the National
Party and Office?
We need to maintain the formal structure of a political party
while we organize first at a local level. Many of our supporters first contact
us through the LP or its state affiliates. We do not want this to change.
Basically, the NLP performs three functions. It maintains a
mailing list, publishes a newsletter, and puts on the National Convention. The
presidential campaign is separate. It has to be.
The LP National performs one function well, another marginally,
and a third with varying success.
The first is to maintain an informational service that makes lists
available. Their model is to use the list as a fundraising resource. A better
use is to make it available free to candidates and at a slight markup to others
but make it clear that use of the list does not imply endorsement of any
activity for which it is used.
The second is to publish a newsletter. Presently, the national
newsletter functions as an in-house organ for the National Office. It should
instead encourage the dissemination of success stories and help people connect
in useful ways.
The third function is to put on the national convention. This
should be run to enable members to optimize their local projects. Instead it is
used to promote the projects of the National Office and its employees and
contractors. This must change. "
Communication must flow between activists around the country
uncensored and unimpeded by anyone. The
Internet today provides a means for sharing, dialog, cooperative action, and
common resources. Copying what works is a great way to lower your transaction
costs. This was one of the most powerful practices of the Ron Paul
Revolution. We shared resources and helped each other. No one was
paid but those who were 'working' for the Campaign.
Once, activism was challenging. We stretched ourselves to do
more. In some few places this is still true, but a nexus site for
sharing, communicating, and learning from each other is still the tool needed
if the LP is to fulfill its early promise.
I hope it happens but I am not holding my breath and I will no
longer be silent.
Melinda Pillsbury-Foster
Hear! Hear! Just today I told Adam Wagener [Yes, B.J.'s son] when
he mentioned running for office or attending public meetings to go for the
meetings, speak and become known for persuading local officials to solve local
problems locally. No requests for grants funded by unknown taxpayers so the
local officials are not accountable. I like that line - stop requesting Grants
from the state or the feds - it protects the grantee [city or county] from
being held accountable. Gkl
Stay tuned for commentary across the present divides, both
libertarian and otherwise. Our first
will include the insights of San Konkin and Brock d’Avignon on the evils of Privatization
without competition .
