A Commentary on the National Libertarian Party - What went wrong

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 .