Congress Passes NDAA; Say Hello to Gitmo

I might end up being indefinitely detained without charge or trial for saying this, but the US House just passed (283 to 136) the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included provisions that allow for the indefinite detainment without charge or trial of US citizens the government says it suspects of being a part of a terrorist group, or substantially supporting one...or basically maybe just supporting a group that supports a group that has a member that once unwittingly said hello on the street to someone that may have looked Muslim. 

It now goes back to the U.S. Senate, which will likely pass it today, as they passed a slightly different version of this ball last week 93-7 with hardly any debate at all, as shown by Jon Stewart here and by Judge Andrew Napolitano here and here. And Obama, who liberal journalist Glenn Greenwald and Sen. Carl Levin (D) claim had indefinite detention inserted into NDAA, had previously threatened a veto, has now dropped his threat and could sign it as soon as later this week. *BREAKING*: The Senate passed it, 86-13...

This is all happening today, ironically on Bill of Rights day, given that this bill thoroughly tramples the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th amendments.

A Tip from Ronald Reagan for Defenders of Liberty

Ronald Reagan may not have lived up to all of his pro-liberty rhetoric and promises, but he could teach us a lesson as candidates, activists, and defenders of liberty in general.

Reagan's lesson, taken from an article by Carla Howell, was that it is not just how you answer a question -- it is which question you answer.  If you are asked a loaded anti-liberty question, you should redirect the conversation by pointing out the question's false assumptions -- or you can just answer the question you wish you had been asked.

Domestic (Government) Violence Awareness Activism

A while back I was at Gainesville State here in Georgia helping Aaron Rainwater do outreach and recruitment. While doing Operation Politically Homeless there I noticed that his school, like mine, was also recognizing "Domestic Violence Awareness Month," and had placed yard signs with various facts about it around campus:

When I saw this sign, it inspired a few thoughts:  Though they may not know the details or what actions to take, most people are against and at least a little aware of domestic violence as they know it — but all too few are aware of and against domestic government violence!

Then the idea hit me:  YAL chapters should help spread "Domestic (Government) Violence Awareness"! We can cover our campuses with information that will make students aware of the countless ways that government initiates and threatens violence against its own citizens.

As Murray Rothbard wrote in his must-read article, "Anatomy of the State":

The State is … a monopoly of the use of force and violence in a given territorial area; in particular, it is the only organization in society that obtains its revenue not by voluntary contribution or payment for services rendered but by coercion. ... that is, by the use and the threat of the jailhouse and the bayonet. Having used force and violence to obtain its revenue, the State generally goes on to regulate and dictate the other actions of its individual subjects.

One thing we can do is put out our own signs (yard signs if possible) with facts and quotes promoting domestic government violence awareness, such as:  "In the 20th century, governments of the world killed 262 million of their own citizens -- not including war."

File Attachments
domestic_government_violence_awareness_flyer.zip	165.19 KB
domestic_government_violence_awareness_flyer_v2.zip	139.49 KB

Don't Argue -- Dialogue and Recruit!

Lindsey Ferguson recently made a post here on 5 Reasons You’re Not Winning Debates. Here is her 3rd reason:

You’re viewing the other participant(s) as the enemy. The other participant(s) are not the personification of the ideas you're arguing against. Rather, view them as friends seeking truth. Don't make the argument personal, and keep it friendly. Everyone is more open to the ideas of their friends than the ideas of their enemies.

So if you are one to shout down the average person for not believeing in an anarcho-capitalist society, privatizing roads, legalizing heroin, and what not – STOP IT! Instead, be friendly and have a nice philosophical dialogue, Socrates-style (a form of inquiry and debate between individuals with opposing viewpoints based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to illuminate ideas).  Below are some sample questions you can use for a Socratic Dialogue on liberty.