Libertarian International Organization

Countries in Red still enforce the practice of enslavement by conscription. Those in blue or orange do not or only in emergencies, or are moving towards abolition.

LIO Libertarians are pleased at the advances in rolling back coerced conscription to militaries or to so-called 'national service,' a project spearheaded by LIO Fellow Nobelist Milton Friedman--and are spreading the word to continue the process that began in the 1970's.

Dr. Friedman headed a commission that greatly reduced the 'draft' in the US, and met with many leaders and local groups to encourage the best practice that has moved the world from near-universal drafts to their abolition or decline in many countries.

LIO encourages dialogue to end all forms of forced service, which many Libertarians feel creates an atmosphere of official bad example in the need to respect rights, in all nations.

RESOURCES: Present status

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_draft

Conscription by country — Examples Country Land area (km2)[49] GDP nominal (US$M)[50] Per capita

GDP (US$)[51] Population[52] Government[53] Conscription[54]

China, People's Republic of 9,326,410 $5,745,000 $2,459.43 1,336,718,015 Communist State No, Legal under Constitution but has not yet been practiced in history

India 2,973,190 $1,099,000 $972.68 1,147,995,904 federal republic No

United States 9,161,923 $14,620,000 $45,958.70 313,232,044 federal republic No[106] Draft abolished in 1975 by President Gerald Ford; however Males between 18-25 need to register with the U.S. Selective Service System.

Indonesia 1,826,440 $695,100 $1,844.53 245,613,043 republic sources differ

Yes, selective conscription (FWCC[69])

No[80][81][82]

Brazil 8,456,510 $2,024,000 $6,915.40 203,429,773 Federal Republic Yes

Pakistan 778,720 $174,800 $872.88 187,342,721 federal republic No

Bangladesh 133,910 $100,100 $481.36 158,570,535 Parliamentary Democracy No

Russia 16,995,800 $1,290,000 $9,124.49 140,702,096 federation Yes (Alternative service available[citation needed])

Japan 374,744 $5,391,000 $34,402.26 126,475,664 constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government No

Mexico 1,923,040 $1,004,000 $8,218.88 113,724,226 federal republic Yes

Philippines 298,170 $188,700 $1,582.17 101,833,938 republic Yes. Legal.[94] Practiced selectively and only rarely.[95] However, military training (known as Citizenship Advancement Training or CAT, formerly known as Citizen's Army Training) is required as a prerequisite for graduation from high school. CAT is considered a subject in high school that lasts up to 2 hours per week.

Egypt 995,450 $127,900 $1,592.08 81,713,520 republic Yes

Germany 349,223 $3,306,000 $40,315.05 81,471,834 federal parliamentary republic No (suspended for peacetime by federal legislature effective from 1 July 2011[78])

Turkey 770,760 $729,100 $9,322.83 78,785,548 republican parliamentary democracy Yes

Iran 1,636,000 $337,900 $4,497.11 77,891,220 theocratic republic Yes

Thailand 511,770 $312,600 $3,776.0 66,720,153 constitutional monarchy Yes

France 640,053[76] $2,555,000 $35,240.62 65,102,719 republic No (suspended in 2001[77])

United Kingdom 241,590 $2,259,000 $45,626.38 62,698,362 constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm No (except Bermuda Regiment[105])

Burma 657,740 $35,650 $285.60 53,999,804 Military Junta sources differ

Yes but not enforced as of January 2011[update].[64][65][66][67][68]

No (FWCC[69])

South Africa 1,219,912 $354,400 $6,423.04 49,004,031 republic No (ended in 1994, formalized in 2002)[99]

Korea, South 98,190 $986,300 $19,514.81 48,754,657 republic Yes

Spain 499,542 $1,375,000 $35,576.37 46,754,784 parliamentary monarchy No (abolished by law on December 31, 2001[100])

Argentina 2,736,690 $351,000 $8,662.99[56] 41,769,726 Republic No. Voluntary; conscription may be ordered for specified reasons; per Public Law No.24.429 promulgated on 5 January 1995.

Poland 304,459 $470,000 $10,911.71 38,441,588 republic No[96]

Algeria 2,381,740 $159,000 $3,948.01 34,994,937 Republic Yes

Canada 9,093,507 $1,564,000 $42,886.91 34,030,589 constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation No

Nepal 143,181 $15,110 $333.09 29,391,883 democratic republic No

Malaysia 328,550 $219,000 $7,513.71 28,728,607 constitutional monarchy No

Venezuela 882,050 $285,200 $9,084.09 27,635,743 federal republic Yes[107][108]

Saudi Arabia 2,149,690 $434,400 $13,622.68 26,131,703 monarchy No

Korea, North 120,538[84] $28,000[84] $1,800.00[84] 24,457,492[84] Communist state one-man dictatorship[84] Yes[84][85]

Taiwan (Republic of China)[102] 32,260 $427,000 $16,768.11 23,071,779 multiparty democracy Yes (alternative service available[103])

An all-volunteer force is planned by the end of 2014, but conscription will remain in practice thereafter.[104]

Romania 230,340 $158,400 $7,451.95 21,904,551 republic No (ended in 2007[97])

Australia 7,617,930 $1,220,000 $44,474.51 21,766,711 Federal Parliamentary Democracy No (abolished by parliament in 1972[57])

Syria 184,050 $59,630 $1,954.98 19,747,586 republic under an authoritarian military-dominated regime Yes

Chile 748,800 $199,200 $10,058.50 16,888,760 republic Yes

Netherlands 33,883 $770,300 $46,389.35 16,847,007 constitutional monarchy No. Legal, suspended since 1997 (except for Curaçao and Aruba[citation needed]).[93]

See also: Conscription in the Netherlands

Ecuador 276,840 $56,500 $3,211.76 15,007,343 republic Yes

Angola 1,246,700 $85,810 $5,003.43 13,338,541 Republic; Multiparty Presidential Regime Yes

Cuba 110,860 $57,490 $4,000.34 11,087,330ã Communist state Yes

Greece 130,800 $302,000 $29,384.60 10,760,136 parliamentary republic Yes

Belgium 30,278 $461,300 $43,648.01 10,431,477 Federal Parliamentary Democracy under Constitutional Monarchy Conscription was abolished as of 1 January 1994 under the so-called Delacroix Bill of 6 July 1993[59])

Suspended (conscription suspended as of 1 January 1994)[citation needed]

Rwanda 24,948 $5,693 $335.10 10,186,063 republic; presidential No

Bolivia 1,084,390 $19,180 $1,446.41 10,118,683 Republic Yes (when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal[61])

Hungary 92,340 $132,300 $13,901.01 9,976,062 parliamentary democracy No (Peacetime conscription abolished in 2004[79])

Austria 82,444 $366,300 $45,598.77 8,217,280 Federal Republic Yes (Alternative service available)[58]

Switzerland 39,770 $522,400 $56,111.06 7,639,961 a confederation only in name, legally and structurally a federal republic Yes (Alternative service available[101])

Israel 20,330 $201,300 $25,191.86 7,473,052 parliamentary democracy Yes

Bulgaria 110,550 $44,840 $5,409.09 7,093,635 Parliamentary Democracy No (abolished by law on January 1, 2008[63])

Libya 1,759,540 $77,910 $9,451.85 6,597,960 Caretaker government as of October 2011[update][89] Yes

Jordan 91,971 $27,130 $2,644.89 6,508,271 constitutional monarchy Yes. The government decided in 2007 to reintroduce conscription, which had been suspended in 1999.[83]

El Salvador 20,720 $21,800 $2,931.75 6,071,774 republic No. Legal, not practiced.

Denmark 42,394 $311,900 $57,039.71 5,529,888 constitutional monarchy Yes (Alternative service available[72][73][75])

Finland 304,473 $238,000 $46,769.47 5,259,250 republic Yes (Alternative service available)

Singapore 682.7 $233,900 $35,427.12 4,740,737 parliamentary republic Yes

Norway 307,442 $413,500 $84,595 4,691,849 constitutional monarchy Yes

Bosnia and Herzegovina 51,197 $16,320 $3,246.78 4,622,163 Emerging Federal Democratic Republic No (Abolished on January 1, 2006.[62])

Croatia 56,414 $59,920 $11,430.32 4,483,804 presidential/parliamentary democracy No (abolished by law in 2008[70])

Moldova 33,371 $5,357 $978.36 4,314,377 republic Yes

New Zealand 268,021 $138,000 $31,124.18 4,290,347 parliamentary democracy No, Conscription Abolished in December 1972.

Lebanon 10,230 $39,150 $6,276.90 4,143,101 Sources differ[88] No (abolished in 2007)[87])

Lithuania 65,300[90] $35,730 $10,725.96 3,535,547 parliamentary democracy No (Suspended on September 15, 2008[91])

Albania 27,398 $11,800 $2,949.57 2,994,667 Parliamentary Democracy No (abolished in 2010[55])

Jamaica 10,831 $13,740 $4,032.18 2,868,380 constitutional parliamentary democracy No

Kuwait 17,820 $117,300 $44,421.22 2,595,628 constitutional emirate Yes

Macedonia, Republic of 24,856 $9,170 $3,646.55 2,077,328 parliamentary democracy No (abolished in 2006)[92]

Slovenia 20,151 $46,440 $22,933.99 2,000,092 parliamentary republic No[98]

Gambia, The 10,000 $1,040 $386.77 1,797,860 republic No

Swaziland 17,203 $3,165 $2,591.20 1,370,424 monarchy No

Trinidad and Tobago 5,128 $21,200 $19,590.99 1,227,505 parliamentary democracy No

Cyprus 9,240 $22,750 $27,014.79 1,120,489 republic[71] Yes (Alternative service available[72][73][74])

Qatar 11,437 $126,500 $74,688.97 848,016 emirate No

Djibouti 22,980 $1,139 $1,694.29 757,074 republic No

Bhutan 47,000 $1,397 $561.89 708,427 Constitutional Monarchy No[60]

Luxembourg 2,586 $52,430 $104,451.69 503,302 constitutional monarchy No

Malta 316 $7,801 $18,460.73 408,333 republic No

Maldives 300 $1,433 $2,842.58 394,999 republic No

Belize 22,806 $1,431 $4,327.67 321,115 Parliamentary Democracy No. Military service is voluntary.

Bahamas 10,070 $7,538 $21,547.17 313,312 Constitutional Monarchy with a parliamentary system of government No

Vanuatu 12,200 $721 $2,146.52 224,564 parliamentary republic No

Grenada 344 $645 $6,557.67 108,419 parliamentary democracy No (no military service)

Tonga 718 $301 $1,873.06 105,916 constitutional monarchy No

Seychelles 455 $919 $10,621.21 89,188 republic Yes

Activists are standing room only at workshop with LIO Friends in Afghanistan on tools for rights by the AELSO which sponsors legal and market studies.

Afghan libertarians and democracy activists, galvanized by LIO Fellow Aslam Effendi, restored basic democracy by reviving the loya jurga or traditional national assembly of household and clan representatives and elders in defiance of the US planners who called the country 'unready' despite 'democracy creation' propaganda, said critics.

LIO Friends in Afghanistan and Pakistan are focused on basic open democracy; spreading ideas on market choices and tools so citizens can combat terrorism, crime and corruption through education and community self-help; and developing networks of leaders to encourage dialogue--and working wonders despite skepticism.

Key projects are centered around initiatives such as Afghanistan's AELSO group, which is doing yeoman work in helping make laws, historical stuidies and basic tools available, and the Alternate Solutions group in Pakistan, which is also developing interest in more advanced voluntary approaches.

As these groups have held recent well-attended events, world Libertarians are recalling a catalyzing figure: LIO Fellow Aslam Effendi.

Called the Gandhi of that region, the advocate of voluntary and conscious solutions and alternatives wrote best-sellers, poetry quoted through both countries and worked tirelessly on the ground to spread tools for organization. The US invasion unfortunately derailed efforts to oust religious extremists, he felt., but people are continuing the long term work. His work was highly influential in his studies of non-governmental (in the comon sense ) customary legal systems.

When the US proposed that Afghanistans were not ready for democracy despite claims it was sending in troops to 'build freedom,' Effendi began a campaign that resulted in use of a traditional assembly or jurga which set forth a pathway to change everyone could support. Effendi pointed out that change is often 3 steps forwards and 2 backwards, and as education spread people would perfect the system from below and local communities, or federalism. Effendi advocated a non-punitive legal system and pointed to many local tribes that successfully used such methods by focusing on mentoring and prevention.

An effort by LIO Observer Benazir Bhutto was temporarily halted with her assasination, but her party continues democracy efforts (LIO supports no parties per se but maintains connections with many interested leaders)...but the efforts of any party or group are deeply dependent on the work of educational and research groups so citizens can take better direct action.

Those interested in bringing young leaders to Libertarian non-partisan conferences should contact www.isil.org which has a program for the purpose and e.g. profiled the ASI good work: http://www.isil.org/resources/fnn/2004spring/pakistan-activity.html  

 RESOURCES

• http://mises.org/journals/rampart/rampart_spring1968.pdf Free tribal systems
• http://www.unz.org/Author/EffendiAslam Effendi's influential studies Society Without Government & Self Help
•  http://asinstitute.org/node/73 bio by Pakistan's Alternate Solutions Institute
• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreePakistan/ Free Pakistan contact group

LIO fellow Mayor Art Olivier used libertarian tools to drive statistics down over 40% and energize a North American movement for citizen crime watches and non-punitive mediation and intervention.

In the 1970's LIO sponsored a series of confidential workshops and roundtables with activists and public leaders to focus on offense and poverty reduction. It sent advisories to many scholars and news outlets outlining what was happening that were typically ignored. Now, as offense statistics nosedive and the UIN poverty reduction goals are being rapidly exceeded, some  'experts' claim bafflement as they drone on about how libertarianism will lead to a crime-ridden gangster society of corporate-market induced poverty.

Think again. The roundtables focused on these key steps:

OFFENSES

Encourage citizen teams to get open metrics and crime data, meet with officials, and target the bad example of widespread police abuses and offical corruption, and:

1. Empower citizens to know the data: actual law, use contracts and community projects, and have access to attorney advertising and small claims or mediative courts; de-emphasize lifestyle offenses while targeting minor 'broken window' real harms that fester into 'crime waves' for prompt location and corrective action such as domestic abuse, schoolyard bullying, and delinquent attacks on property then being ignored by officials. Promotion of anti-bigotry, mediation volunteers, and meetings to defuse tensions that might express as offenses; study of how simple architectual or other design might induce offenses.
2. Focus on non-punitive and proaction options such as alternate sentencing, rehab, and at-risk mentoring while ending prohibition-based offical 'legal rackets' based on prohibitions of e.g. gambling, drugs, lifestyle behavior, and use of petty laws; promote citizen watchdogs on correct police and  judicial behavior and procedure, and actual policing results with use of technology to monitor intersections and police vehicles and reduce false tickets etc. by police.
3. Introduce non-coercive and responsive community alternatives--community policing, private police specials, volunteer police and unarmed watches, etc; re-empowered community monitors: juries (e.g. ability to take notes) with clearer judicial instructions to juries,   neighborhood associations, neighborhood mediation and dispute resolution. 

The result has been to shift from unaccountable officials focusing resources on bigotires and punition away from actual work while keeping citizens in the dark  to citizen choice and involvement to prevent the problems in the first place. 

POVERTY

Encourage citizen teams to focus on reducing the conditions, not just effects of poverty typically created by officials themselves by restricting private action--and setting goals and info share to empower, not 'help' the poor while refocusing public programs on efficient income help, not politicized bureaucracy, including:

1. Job one: moving from dictatorial styles to democratic feedback and more market- and especially small entrepreneur- friendly laws (or better yet, removal of hindering laws). Example: reducing time to get small business authorization from 3 years to near-zero or removing the regulation entirely. At the same time, massive reductions in product costs as politicized and coercive central regulations are removed that in many cases raised prices over 900% with poor quality: Cheaper food, air and public travel; etc.
2. Empowering unions and consumer associations through transnational information exchange focused not on seeking officialized coercive benefits but actual co-operative results through e.g. open barganing.
3. Removing legal traps on the poor and peer assistance: Laws prohibiting international private and peer help or loans; easing home ownership and micro-lending; easing mutual help communities and co-op ventures; ending tax rat/inflation traps (as inflation pushes people to higher tax brackets, the poor and iddle class are paying rates meant initially for millionaires) ; numbing application procedures and arbitrary standards and prevent people from getting public or private help; ending regulations in public assistance programs that tax any serious self-improvement at in some cases 150% rates, etc. --while proposing more voluntary programs. We encourage greater use of voluntary endowments that provide basic income and pre-paid health, school, etc..

Emblematic of what is going on may be the current Libertarian-led efforts in the USA to expose how the homeless are being created or harmed by stautes e.g. preventing people from helping the homeless with food or free homeshares, regulations prohibiting homeless-initiated co-ops and tent cities; deliberately making applications for help difficult, etc. while a temporary surge has been created with what critics denounce as legal interference in normal foreclosure procedures coupled with ignoring fraudulent paperwork by large 'Too Big to Fail"  banks in turn getting large sums of government money to 'help the foreclosed.'

 The LIO continues to encourage group and solo activists worldwide to suggest these lines of dialogue in bringing these matters to effective zero, what may be called Crime Abolition and Poverty Abolition--with increasing use of proactive and voluntary user tools.

 ACTION ITEM:

Form a local team to get pertinent data and begin dialogue for common ground improvement areas.

 Dr.Ralph Swanson helped found Sister Cities, worked on the UN Declaration with H.G. Wells, and marched with Martin Luther King Jr. Having joined LIO's predecessor organization--the Libertarian-Liberal League-- in 1939 as a teen to combat racism in Florida, he knew key figures and those who had known LIO figures of the XIXth and early XXth century--such as Miguel Lemos, air pioneer and developer of Gilsonite Samuel Gilson, Robert H. Goddard, Ramon Franco plus  principals in  influential LIO Fellow projects such as the Personal Rights Association , the Liberal International, the British Interplanetary Society, and many others.

Past LIO Advisory Chair Dr. Ralph Swanson shared on his Facebook today that he is done editing or approving extensive notes for his memoirs, some 200 articles, and thinkpieces on the civic movement to be published in future years. These include several articles with David Nolan, Dr. John Hospers, and others; suggested pre-posts by the hundreds for LIO blogs; and expose of improper activity by bad actors in the libertarian rights movement coupled with advice to budding groups worldwide.

He has been retired in recent years which, though handling various age-related health issues, has given him time to work on the materials, he said. He is on a local citizen advisory council but no longer makes public appearances..Over the years he played key roles in founding and administering many groups. Dr. Swanson worked for many years in engineering and in intelligence interrogation matters, and was active in the destruction of the once predominant Ku Klux klan which at the time had a massive influence in the US.

The memoirs are centered around what he sees as 10 key meetings in the last 70 years--including a meeting with Eisenhower and JFK for demilitarization and Sister Cities, planning of Libertarian rights parties, and the recent LIO OPERATIONS DEMOCRACY & DIGNITY.  The LIO and other projects he has designated will see to final format of the materials, including introductions to several LIO-based activist manuals and more, at this website.

Quips the twinkling octagenarian to LIO fans: "Stay Vertical! There is work to do."

LIO Fellows in appointive non-partisan public office such as Julie Chorgo, Dr. Ralph Swanson, and Dr. R. Holcombe have helped bring and spread homeschooling, in-home 'manage your mail' post e-offices and private 'public parks', and massive tax relief  combined with service improvements respectively--through high-minded approaches, courtesy, and presenting the many Libertarian-interest options to start dialogue. Now all LIO supporters can continue--and lead-- the worlwide process in a more systematic and unified way that also improves public service and engages all public officials as it raises public expectations--and interest in voluntary public programs.

LIO: Libertarian Candidate & Public Official Standards

The LIO re-isues the following  standards for candidates and public officials seeking to apply its Libertarian approaches and as guide for proponents of voluntary alternatives conducive to rights in public administration, and those interested in improved public service.

INTRODUCTION

These have been approved by the founders of the modern movement, and LIO is registering a non-partisan public administration arm with a sister peer association for those generally interested in Libertarian approaches in public  programs.  

It should be remembered that LIO sees change as happening primarily through peer-to-peer and opinion-leader/catalysts public awareness, direct democracy and the fruitful dialogue it brings, and market or jury action; however, public office models and pilots are needed and stabilize change. This personal arm of the movement founders curated by LIO is being developed but people are joining here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Libertarian-Program-Government-Officials-Association-on-Libertarianism/221275797927517  Resources useful to this approach will be uploaded there from time to time, along with appropriate best practice shares..

SUMMARY

The LIO encourages citizen involvement, and for those supportive of Libertarian-based programs or community in particular all candidates to first concentrate on adlective direct (volunteer or small group appointment) or appointive office; and if for election to focus on e.g. running by petition to meet and listen to the people and so run low-to-no budget non-attack campaigns; and so avoid unseemly contributions, including from public entities. Dialogue towards public offices that are volunteer and unpaid is encouraged.

We encourage all Libertarian supporters to seek volunteer public service, then appointive public office or board monitoring leading to that at a minimum. Libertarian governance occurs when those conversant with libertarianism, guided by pledged libertarians, are in those positions supportive of those developing change on a private or private of public character basis.

GENERAL

Libertarian supporters come from all walks of life with a tendency towards women and minorities; and the very young or elderly. Studies show Libertarians in elections draw equally from all political leanings but also bring out mostly new voters from independents or the center.

In general, 1 Libertarian in public office influences 300+ of his or her peers in public offices.Libertarians typically soon lead or serve in leadership positions in the boards or bodies they serve given collaborative voluntary approach; iron courtesy and refusal to take slight;d often superior sense of market, legal and parliamentary processes; and ability to mediate as a neutral figure with something in common with all views.

DATA

In general, our  and USLP studies have determined that elective:

• Candidatesmust run 3-4 times before winning, Libs slightly less so
• Candidates focused on proven concrete voluntary/rights solutions do well
• Candidates with record of community involvement and appointive boards do best
• 1%-10% of Libertarian groups are in public office, so Libertarians have participation and electability rates 30 or more times higher than other parties.

In other words, trained Libertarians are actually more electable than opponents or the general public: and even if they lose build formidable support groups that soon drive policy thanks to several runs, especially by petition seeking contact info. They continue to do well maintaining good contact and attacks on them backfire against the support.

SOCIETY SOUGHT

LIO encourages dialogue on devolution or legalization of formal service governance to local and voluntary entities respectful of rights; of sound endowment fund management;  of methods for non-use of services, and of open, participative process.

Examples would be based on proprietary or intentional communities, town-hall "Jeffersonian" democracy, and local associations welcoming voluntary and usewr driven optioons. In such communities most public office is adlective direct--volunteers set by the common meeting--or adlective appointive from those. Ideally there should be little competition for offices and they should be volunteer. Elective offices should be few and focused on competent appointment, fair public hearings, and opportunities to better rights through e.g. devolution.

'Informal societies' dialogue and implenetation such as on an anarchist co-op model as is being increasingly done, or unincorporated entities using a variety of market vendors is also encouraged.

HUMAN RIGHTS, LIBERAL, LIBERTARIAN CENTRIST PARTY FOCUS

LIO encourages dialogue on primary action to open the elective access and democratic transparency and particpation. In most cases, this should be the prime task as an appointive "farm team" is built. Direct Democracy/DDIR is included in this focus, especially as allowing direct constitutional initiative and plebiscite review of legislation.. In this rergard the Swiss and Florida USA models have much to adapt for those seeking models. Partisan Elective candidacies not supporting this initial task or general education while good should not become distractions as has happened in many cases, and are not even particularly germane in some countries and jurisdictions.

For example: We encourage dialogue that all Elective offices should be free of ballot requirements not directly germane to the office such as candidate fees; or also that especially small parties not acting as mass parties of social mediation should seek to be able to register at will with full control over adherents.

In cases such as the US where the Electoral College has been 'captured' by older parties due to legislative tricks in most states, proportional election of Electors as exists in some state is suggested as a key focus, along with MMP.

Public endowment or unrestricted private financing of elections that is voluntary is welcome; yet still should be avoided by LIO supporters and advocates of rights in general for reasons of focus as explained below. Parties have experienced problems with 'moles' or opportunists seeking funds, mis-applying them, and attracting offical scrutiny and disruption.Candidates who make it their business to meet the public, speak at campuses and community bodies, etc. tend to do best in terms of electability and quality of their service.

APPOINTIVE FOCUS

Over 95% of public offices in the world are adlective appointive: Citizen task forces, appointive advisory boards, neighborhood associations, judges and the like. Many high offices e.g. the US Presidency are technically appointive.. Appointive offices are a logical start, involve modest time and non-frightening to most people; and an excellent way to get involved in the process. As they are in close popular and community leader contact, "What the legislature proposes the appointive disposes."

We encourage general community involvement by all citizens, and for LIO supporters to in general focus first on locating and serving well in public service volunteer, then appointive, then if desired preferably non-partisan elective office.Those in elected should continue their good work in appointive.

POSTURE

We encourage a posture that is non-partisan and consensus in manner and offices sought, or non-confrontational MMP if elective (i.e. these at-large legislators do not take from other parties but attract Libertarian-interested non-voters as was seen in a Florida test in 2002). Attacks are not encouraged: LIO dialogue is to focus on the problem, not the person. No criticism of a program should be made without a Libertarian-interest and preferably voluntary solution at hand as an alternative that a) has public momentum, and/or b) defends a minority rights-group working alongside. 

CODE OF CONDUCT

LIO supporters and public officals in general should use the 3 C's:

• >Character: Honesty including care of public funds and courtesy.
• >Community: Low-budget campaigns, running by petition,  community advocacy
• >Competence: Understanding of office sought, its local policy history and enviroment, presentation of range of Libertarian-interest options for user choice

PLATFORM

Candidates may focus on these 3 areas of LIO interest:

• Liberalism/Libertarian-oriented: Reduce governance abuses/better rights
• Libertarian-direction:Introduction of voluntary options, challenge agencies
• LIO Program: Libertarian implementation in non-partisan office per LIO standards

These promote accountable and participative  democracy, market and community choice, and legalizing or easing choices of model Lib-based communities respectively. We recommend books such as Seamless City (Baker) Voluntary City (Beito) and Art of Community (MacCallum) respectively as good for orientation; and www.governing.com and www.reason.org and Lib community best or promising practices shared via LIO for respective policy tools, many already underway and adaptable to all communities.

The platform if for elected office should be simply "I will work courteously with all to uphold rights and better programs, seeing that voluntary and Libertarian programs receive a fair hearing where we can cut taxes while bettering choice and quality." (Or equivalent.)

We encourage an additional 1-3 issues as may enjoy public momentum involving voluntary-interest tools specific to that public office.What is most important is after illustrating how voluntary solutions might work, the best platform is dialogue based on the recommendations or statements of need by the public that can be solved by bettering rights, voluntary choices, or particpation.

LIO STANDARDS: PUBLIC OFFICIAL PROGRAM

These will be comprehensively issued later ( a version is under testing with select people in public office) but the format is one of dialogue improvement, organic and usabke by all public officials in a collaborative fashion: The 'Gilson 3 R's' in wide use--namely for all public programs officials will read the measure under study and budget line by line and with colleagues:

• Review: For legality, need user/home friendliness and comprehensiveness
• Remove: Legal blocks to voluntary dual action from volunteers to co-ops to firms
• Revise: Continual improvement by open choice, refusal waiver and citizen review

An example would be what LIO Friends and supportive libertarians have done so far in Florida:

• Reviews empowering home schools and parent-boards in public schools; capture of efficiencies leading to better teacher pay by sharing tools;
• Removing many blocks to private and home-based options and life learning/co-programs such as joint High School/College learning and credit by exam;
• Revisions as funding scholarships with a dedicated lottery and review by home school boards of the parents themselves with an effective schooling waiver by user directed standards; and free form simplified standards for all private schools along with encouragement of e.g. union or  industry-based certification.

Candidates or officials--or citizens-- are urged to use the 3 R's as a brainstorming framework on general betterment and voluntary/rights options and building consensus.

PUBLIC OFFICES BY IMPORTANCE LEVEL

LIO encourages supporters to get involved in public offices here ranked by level of importance and value to dialogue and social stabilization, and legalization or use of voluntary policy (the first 5 are generally adlective and mostly appointive):

1. Informed citizen/public board watchdog; Juror-Elector/Election Monitor
2. Neighborhood Association or Local Board; Charter, constitution etc. task force
3. Services Board: Libraries, Roads, Parks, Postal, Housing, Scool etc.
4. Mediation: Sister City, License, Zoning, Magistrate, Advisory...
5. Service Officer: Constable, Elections, District Attorney...
6. Non-partisan Elected or local elected e.g. Soil & Water, School, City...
7. Partisan/High Elective or advisory

Examples:

• US: http://www.stpete.org/boards/
• Spain: Barcelona

GROWTH EXPECTATIONS

Under 1-2 participants in public office per year per 1.3 million population, 90+% in non-partisan elective suggests something is being done incorrectly. People in multiple political offices are encouraged.

Certain things assist the process:

• Lib Peer sharing and co-training/mentoring is highly valuable along with continued updates to relevant publics; Sharing Libertarian-interest sites and materials with non-Lib peers in public office is critical.
• Political attacks are never recommended and should be phased out as distracting from implementation and consensus-building.
• Bargaining against oneself by proposing "moderate" solutions or diversion into constitutional or populist issues is not germane to this process: Focus should be on the Dallas protocol ("Dallas Accord") of presenting the range of Libertarian solutions from modest to complete and letting dialogue find the way based on user needs.Removal of an agency is not per se Libertarian (though it may be relevant as to directional debate); voluntarization by removing coercive components such as secrecy, coercive taxes or statutory monopoly or advantage is.

IMPLEMENTATION

These standards work by starting dialogue and self-assessment. Please print out and review with your team to circle areas of action and improvement, and devise action items.Please share your successes in public office with your world peers at the Facebook or direct to its facilitators.

The LIO encourages dialogue centered on mediation by rights and localism parties or civic groups that are attentive to voluntary models, but endorses no party or candidate but welcomes all interested in the dialogue for betterment.

CONCLUSION

The LIO through registered projects will expect use of these standards by those advocating LIO eco-community or civic platforms set by the curator; and they're strongly recommended to all advocates of libertarian-conversant or general liberal federal democracy as maintaining a high- minded, participative, best-practice and therefore effective approach. Those not using the standards will in due course be outflanked by those who do, especially as they see that public information tending to demand for accountability, particpation, and choice increases.

Candidates or officials may evidence that they will work with the standards as best they can by linking here or to sites to be set to the purpose.

NOTE: The foregoing was reviewed by Mr. Gilson, Dr. Hospers, Mr. Nolan, and Dr. Swanson; and builds on a working paper for iimited distribution of Mr. Gilson and Dr. Rothbard, and a review by LP Political Director R. Crickenberger.

Dr. Palmer challenges  the often self-serving misidentification of moral capitalism with cronyism by officials in this excerpt from a talk at the Locke Foundation.

LIO Fellow Dr. Tom Palmer is travelling the world to share views on Libertarianism, encourage young scholars, and promote study societies and think tanks. His book Morality of Capitalism (Free e-book, please share)  is an entertaining, paradigm-busting set of essays  being translated into many languages.

The Liberatarian advocate and educative  philosopher travels to many countries with his book as a core text shared in translation with local workshops. The book introduces key information and helps the reader who challenges common false choices and myths--such as identification of free capitalism with cronyism--needed for those in countries where information is often hard to obtain or effectively censored. Usrs say the  book is suitable for preparation towards more advanced awareness of Libertarian themes, while stimulating interest in historical mythologies, economics and policy in general.

Topics handled include the concept of capitalism as a moral tool for empowering individuals and voluntary and effective co-operation; common misconceptions; themes of application beyond usual business ones; and extensive recommendations for additional research bibliography and refrences for young scholars and informed citizens.Many feel the work is an an excellent companion to LIO Fellow Ayn Rand's Capitalism, the Unknown Ideal or Economics in One Lesson (Free e-book) but is also being provided as a book free to students.

Dr. Palmer earned his B.A. in liberal arts from St. John's College, his M.A. in philosophy from The Catholic University of America, and his doctorate in political science from Oxford University, where he was an H. B. Earhart Fellow at Hertford College. During the late 1980s and the very early 1990s he worked with the Institute for Humane Studies and other organizations to spread classical-liberal/libertarian ideas in Eastern Europe. He traveled throughout the region to hold seminars and smuggled books, cash, photocopiers, and fax machines from an office in Vienna, Austria.

Palmer is currently attempting to duplicate in the Middle East some of the work he did in Eastern Europe. He has commissioned translation into Middle Eastern languages (Arabic, Kurdish, Persian, and Azeri) and publication of works by Frederic Bastiat, F. A. Hayek, James Madison, and other libertarian influences, and has published essays in Middle Eastern languages on such topics as "Challenges of Democratization" and "Religion and the Law."

In April 2005 Palmer addressed members of the Iraqi parliament in the parliamentary assembly hall on constitutionalism and has written on Iraq.] He has also promoted the creation of a libertarian web site, lampofliberty.org, where it is available in Arabic, Azerbaijani, Kurdish, and Persian; and started an Arabic publishing venture. He continues to lecture in the Middle East and works closely with Arabic and Persian bloggers. He has been actively involved in campaigning for free speech rights in the Middle East, notably with the campaign to free Abdelkareem Nabil Soliman, through articles in the Washington Post, the Daily Star of Lebanon, and other activities.

Palmer's political activities include being founding member and national secretary of the Committee Against Registration and the Draft (1979–81), president of the Oxford Civil Liberties Society (1993–94), and manager or communications director for several political campaigns. He was a plaintiff in Parker v. District of Columbia, a successful lawsuit in Washington, D.C. to secure the right to own a handgun in one's home, based on the text of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

RESOURCES

• To contribute to his project  and watch free videos, http://atlasnetwork.org/blog/2011/02/the-morality-of-free-enterprise/
• Learn of his latest work, please see: http://tomgpalmer.com/

With the growing Libertarian International Organization-based and -fan projects, we've started a page for  news/themes highlights at  GOOGLE+  (https://plus.google.com/112935643378002952421 or See sidebar).

Project sites will have comprehensive items, but the new site will have highlightsof those  plus additional links on intriguing data and useful tools from the GOOGLE+ fans, along with recurring reminders to use the other sites for new people with an average of 4-21 items and stories a week. In addition:

• The co-editor's www.THELIBERTARIAN.info  lifestyle S.M.I.L.E. blog will have a daily "Libertopia Lib Living" tip on the growing voluntary options available thanks in some-to-large part to the work of LIO Fellows and those influenced by the ideas...with collateral additional https://twitter.com/#!/LIBIntOrg" target="_blank">Tweets and Facebook posts by those blog fan communities.
• Besides items on the LIO Fellows here, continuing news and tips on their projects from the LIO Friends network, which will also have later this year a dedicated blog and site.(Simply join that Facebook to become an LIO Friend and share your inspirational item or voluntary project). A journal site for the LIO Fellows with links to community journals is being planned for 2014-2015 to better synergize their wide interests and catalyze change.
• Later this year many dedicated sites and e-groups to build LIO/Libertarian-interested  communities. In addition, by-country support-contact communities and portal info-pages will be up as we proceed through 2013. The whole serve to facilitate fan projects and continuity for circles of www.ISIL.org , www.FEE.org, etc. on an autonomous basis.

The whole represents a massive development of Libertarian-Liberal self-leadership and dialogue since the current curator, working with the LIO Fellows, re-oriented LIO from a tight, salon-like advisory body to a more open network in the last generation dedicated to general reform and conservation by voluntary non-partisan means, and  spreading local community.

LIO works by participants sharing projects and info among themselves and with the public, in an expanding dialogue to expand, and continually improve using, conscious and rights-based voluntary association and community. Join us!

Libertarian International Organization Fellow Marla Gilson was the "driving force' for world attention to the needs of the differently abled, said admirers, and a key person in promoting both Jewish benevolent causes such as Hadassah and working for peace. 

Marla Gilson was a key LIO Advisor in bringing forth Libertarian approaches to understanding the needs of the differently abled and ending invidious discrimination.

The matter is still widely misunderstood even among some Libertarian supporters, who forget that there are 2 kinds of private entities--ones of public character such as common carriers and entities seeking to engage the general public, and those that are purely private of restricted membership to which public standards--menat to address the e.g. expectations of the less-informed public-- don't apply.

As she put it, "A Jewish study group is immune to the standards; one open to all persons must follow them."

Admirers say she worked brilliantly in the US in:

1. Joining together and doing needs assessments for once disparate groups, and pateiently educating uncomprehending or bigoted leaders...
2. Championing statutes ending where 80% of the discrimination existed--public facilities and government programs--such as better wheelchair access on sidewalks including the emblematic ramps as intersections spreading worldwide
3. Sensible statutes for private entities of public character such as stores open to the public, while preventing attempts to regulate purely private clubs and associations such as religious or fraternal groups of limited reach. At the same time, she encouraged such groups to adopt the public standards whenever feasible, and worked to bring all parties together in 'win-win' compromise. She also worked to prevent mis-use of stautes for anti-business, anti-union, or other agendas, typically by creating unrealistic staututes meant to drive policy as a hidden tax.One result was her "or equivalent: caveat in stautes so people could seek the most cost effective option possible.

The LIO periodically contacts members or in-laws of the Gilson and Monfort-de Lemos clans to see if they're interested in participation. She also worked through LIO Group to bring the concepts to all countries, noting that purportedly 'worker-friendly' coercively socialist-communist countries were the worst offenders in many cases--along with agencies that sought to exempt themselves from their own rules, such as the US Congress itself. A staunch advocate of reproductive freedom, she was in recent years involved in projects to fight genetic discrimination such as misuse of abortion to kill fetuses for genetic reasons--while uniting over 1000 scientific and advocacy groups to study ending all disease through e.g. pre-conception genetic engineering, working within the LIO co-ordinator's and original modern Libertarian view that the issues of abortion (which includes contraceptive use and caesarians) and unborn protection (e.g. non-destructive removal of embryos for humane reasons alone) are distinct and the rights status of the unborn utterly irrelevant just as it would be in the case of an adult which is driving innovations such as snowflake babies. She also worked quietly for separate and friendly states in the Mid-East of eventual Liberal secular character. In addition, she champoioned legal and cultural changes to allow business innovations such as work-at-home and flextime, which were often hampered by local statutes. According to her bio at http://www.geneticalliance.org/bio.gilson :

"...Marla Gilson is the Director of Hadassah’s Washington Action Office, a post she has held since 1997. Hadassah is the largest women’s membership organization in the US Marla is a registered lobbyist and advocates on health policy, domestic legislation, and U.S.-Israel relations. Her background includes extensive legislative, political, managerial, and administrative experience.

Marla has been working on or around Capitol Hill for over 30 years: on Capitol Hill for Congresswoman Bella Abzug (D-NY) and Congressman Bob Traxler (D-MI), and around the Hill as the Director of Community Relations, registered lobbyist at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and director of the Washington Office of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. She also worked in the Presidential campaigns of Mondale/Ferraro and Dukakis/Bentsen, and the Senate re-election campaign of Paul Sarbanes. Marla helped create the Coalition for Genetic Fairness and is currently on its executive committee. She serves on the board of the Coalition for Advanced Medical Research (CAMR) and is a member of the Board of Governors of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice."

In a twist exemplifying the still formidable forces of bigotry and incomprehension that she addressed, she herself was fired for becoming handicapped by her organization then fighting disabled and aging discrimination--the Association of Jewish Aging Services-- in a story that has galvanized activists worldwide.See: http://www.jta.org/news/article/2011/03/29/3086608/longtime-activists-leukemia-sparks-bone-marrow-donor-drive  and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/06/marla-gilson-fired-from-t_n_845641.html

In contrast, Marla's doctor was an Egyptian--even her last act modelling her work for understanding and reaching out.

Said LIO curator Michael Gilson-De Lemos (MG): "She was the sort of modest but firm person at the nexus of LIO/Libertarian voluntary and rights-awaremethods, Liberal tolerance and cultivation of mind, and balanced progressive cultural and scientific sensibilities that are LIO's essence. If you wish her monument, look about you."

.

Developed by LIO Fellows and US Libertarian Party legislators, the "Libertarian Un-Tax" Alaska Permanent Fund reverses taxes--moving away from seizing resources towards endowment-based public services providing an income for all and in time core public services, and tax rate reduction that maximizes revenue with additional voluntarization (We recommend dialogue on to 5% based on internal studies performed by M. Gilson and M. Rothbard with voluntary dedicated streams to autonomous public services such as social pension at 45 vs the current mess; see article at bottom).

--PLEASE DISSEMINATE/POST TO YOUR E-GROUP OR CIRCLE--

SUGGESTED LANGUAGE FOR PRESENTATIONS/DIALOGUE GUIDE

• Instead of less/no government/public program--voluntary choice of programs/non-coercive community program and user governance
• Instead of no/less taxes--lower unified and recommended tax rates that maximize revenue with voluntary taxes, endowment funding by sovereign autonomous funds: 'coercive taxes are obsolete and as knowledge of this spreads, grossly immoral.'
• Instead of privatizing/cutting services--voluntary community and comprehensive services with legalized private options
• Instead of deregulation/no regulation--guideline, data-based practices recommended by consumer, unions and firms with multiple quality and other optional but open and re-insured certifications
• Emphasize along with market choice proactive choices and fundamental right
• Instead of charity-Libertarian zero-poverty goal with proactive, non-coercively funded entities and endowments by community, family, and private entities
• Instead of union as association--unions based on right to attorney/agency.

OVERVIEW

Along with OPERATION DEMOCRACY focused on dialogue on implementing voluntary options via and including Democracy, Decriminalization and international Development with direct implementation by democracy of Libertarian rights and choice by majority vote (and which has led to work on gay marriage, fair redistricting and massive real estate tax harbors in that state)... LIO has launched OPERATION DIGNITY to focus on the other Gilson  ' D' of  Devolution . LIO-encouraged Meetings have already led to an initiative in the US by the Republicans to abolish all income taxes, starting with state level taxes; and move away from an association model to an agency model for the right to collective-bargain but user-chosen unions. --along with tradional and now virtual consumer unionism .

FOCUS ON VOLUNTARY OPTIONS DATA DISSEMINATION

This will move LIO-supporter dialogue language away from ameliorative Liberal /Libertarian-oriented "smaller government" to implemntational  "rights implemented through voluntary choices and programs." These pave the way for demand for and use of model Libertarian eco-community. This tracks growing public familiarity with 'Libertopian voluntary options' as documented in use-and-spread-the-tools format at the LIO co-editor blog www.TheLibertarian.Info and with massive LIO participant catalyzed changes of the last 40 years, especially in particular programs.

This moves dialogue from what civic Libertarianism permits to what Libertarianism and LIO advocates as best or usual practice, and away from partial forms. That is, Libertarianism defends one's legal freedom to e.g. jump from one's roof dressed in a clown suit, but does not advocate such activity per se. As a policy example, many people equate Libertarian themes with "small to no government."' These are Libertarian-oriented/directional themes, and only if involving poledged Libertarians and voluntary choices. Libertarian focus is now on "voluntary governance" and choice of public and private programs in Libertarian applications in public administration/civic matters, themselves voluntarily funded.

NO/SMALL GOVERNMENT VS. VOLUNTARY COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

 At no point has the LIO called for the abolition of anything unless coercive: It is a mistake to equate Libertarianism with abolition of e.g. social security (though this may depending on the Constitution or program be prudent), but an array of personal, privately provided to the public, and many community trust (replacing previous coercive government as commonly conceived ) programs; pro-Libertarians have however urged the public to challenge doctrines of state or official omnicompetence, superiority or omnipotence and 're-engineer' by asking if various statutory measures are actually needed or rightful.

As another example, many activists and commentators mistakenly equate legalizing privatized and self or peer/user certified and regulated items such as roads with replacing all public roads with personal roads. Legalizing privatization is not the same as de-communitizing programs, as many conservatives or anarchists enthusastic about Libertarianism improperly conclude. Libertarianism should never be confused with its implementations, and transcends and absorbs in civics all other systems. It is not a form of government or absence of government--it replaces and voluntarizes all forms as the user may understand and need.

This has led to some confusion in Libertarian-direction parties e.g. the USLP candidate Gary Johnson proposes what many view as an outdated and extreme right-wing favored Fair Tax (note: In early years Libertarian supporter proposed e.g. CATO flat taxes as an initial discussion step, and this may be useful in some high-tax countries) that is behind the times in Libertarian US practice (e.g. LIO Fellow Ronald Reagan focused on tax rate reduction that resulted in increased public revenues). even as state parties reflect LIO dialogue such as the Hawa'ii LP (see: http://www.libertarianpartyofhawaii.org/platform1.html "...elimination of the state-supported social welfare system and indeed all taxation for voluntary alternatives along lines of the Libertarian originated Alaska Permanent Fund. ..."

 Libertarian supporters and candidates should, however,neutrally present a range of solutions--from modest improvement to complete voluntarization respectful of user choice (Dallas Accord on presentation, curated by LIO). Besides LIO links that may be provided to the purpose, links to a variety of Lib-interest/solution non-partisan groups per an LIO/USLP dialogue several years ago is sufficient at this time.

OPERATION DIGNITY THEMES

Current themes of dialogue and data-dissemination, and citizen initiative on voluntary and non-coercive options include:

• Greater autonomy of household composition and economyand provision of family/inter-family agents and internal markets.
• Continued removal of 'stealth' statutes or legal irregularity of 'not for profit for profits' and free free market arrangements; along with co-ops and co-op legalization and de-coerced taxification, and voluntary barter exchanges or user-run currency alternatives to central banks and general entrepreneurship education...and sharing of inormation on social entrepreneurship tools General encouragement of free-market and business-aware options especially with focus on open consumer, small-firm, and worker co-ops options.
• Voluntary tax and comprehensive community and private social programs and models e.g. health care and full legalization of private help efforts, along with continued debate on the cycle of prohibiting private action, then using its paucity to justify more prohibitions and coerced e.g. monopoly programs.
• Continued highlighting of coercively created stealth taxation in the form of so-called 'low' inflation of currency by official agencies by printing currency or complex public debt transactions
• Continue shift of public services to data/result-orientation of maximum user-defined efficiency and quality while highlighting attempts to reverse trend, and private/community endowment non-tax/non-monopoly models that do not, as coerced oligopolies/monopolies must structurally do, backfire due to lack of choice or accountability from their stated purpose-- with additional legalization of all private forms such as volunteer provision, non-profits, co-ops, for-profits, etc.
• Our model is self-sufficient public libraries free of official government micro-management with an array of e.g. private bookstores without censorship. Included is continued exposure of de jure or de facto crony corporatism  and seizure of public assets in a tacit enclosure movement of the commons under false color of 'privatization.' In addition, encouragement of joint community/private projects with removal of coercive components and encouragement of volunteer service.
• Ecological protection including by continued spread of citizen llawsuit and private boundary definition.  to pre-industrial pollution levels or better; highlighting of backfiring inter-action of differing coerced regulations.
• Eco-planetary improvement by non-coercive and property-based means e.g. pollution-free sea and coastal eco-zones (vs. politicized coercive regulations) which should proceed irrespective of beliefs on climate or other eco-change as benefical and rightful no matter what occurs; along with encouragement of bottom-up ecologies..
• Continued attention to attitudes or  coercive policies that actually create poverty along with self-directed, less economic and leisure-society  opportunity/consumer autonomy and information.
• Continued process of replacing coercive and punitive-focused regulation with common-law restatement and regularization LIO helped start to continue internationally with increasing rights and choice/certification approach along with  general and public service specific open and free/low-cost certification and re-insurances, peer/choice-driven continual improvement to rights and best practice data. 
• In addition, we encourage discourse highlighting of reactive-coercive regulations or deliberate data obfuscations under color of stopping 'market anarchy' , or against in some cases literally healthful voluntary trends or cultural commercial prejudices reflecting bigotry.
• Unschooling/Freeschooling as model for legalizing private options and communitizing current public ones
• Continued encouragement of unionization and automatic availability, including legal recognition for freelancers.

OPERATION DIGNITY is the advice of the LIO curator to promote fruitful dialogue and voluntary action; and assist LIO supporters in self-organizing effort. LIO remains neutral as always in any specific proposal, but encourages fans and the public to, upon review, proceed according to their freely chosen strategies towards  better fellowship, mutual respect, and understanding.

________________________________________

ARTICLE ON ALASKA FUND

http://www.bestsyndication.com/2005/A-H/gilson-mike/092705-user-fees-taxes.htm

Why Pay Taxes when User Fees are Better

September 27th 2005

 Libertarians Slash, Replace Taxes with Spending Challenges, User Fees, Trusts, and Permanent Funds

Libertarianism targets tools to enhance individual rights, and their liberty of use, replacing coercive old-fashioned government programs by creative non-government alternatives, fulfilling the Constitution’s ideals.

The myth? Taxes are “the price we pay for civilization.” Textbooks say no system of justice can exist without it; that it’s the first task of public management; and even Franklin said that, like death, you couldn’t avoid them. Overturn that myth: if civilization is less coercion, taxes are the price we pay for incomplete civilization.

The reality? Once enacted taxes not only grow but become the engine for abuses of power needed to enforce their increasing scope. Adults are treated like government slaves—democratically authorized or not—taxed in every area, from the womb to the tomb. Rights and privacy vanish in “implied powers” to enforce taxes.As taxes multiply people have no idea of the real total tax burden (over 60% in many cases); what they’re spent for (One Libertarian weapon in tax reduction is simply embarrassing legislators by revealing they’re raising taxes for things no one’s defined or, like education, are supposedly already funded); or why: The US has gone from a Constitution with a few optional taxes by relatively un-intrusive methods to co-operating with international “standards” actually demanding that any country with low taxes raise them..

 Libertarian Information  

The truth? All ignore numerous examples, from parts of Elizabethan England to medieval German towns to lotteries for public funds to Ancient Thailand to the Amish to the present where taxes aren’t used.

Is there a better way? Yes. Libertarian tools are being adopted: To treat public services as a business with an attitude that costs should go down constantly, nut rise. Why not think big and seek well managed services that pay you, and make that challenge to officials? Stop confusing Public with Government: they’re not the same. A private entity can have a public purpose; the real difference is if you’re being compelled. Junk the free rider model, where taxes are justified on the basis some will benefit from “universal services” who don’t pay, making service inertia a virtue. Why not public trusts designed to be open to all? More:

• Spending Challenges. Citizen Teams are getting a hold of public budgets and finding that, by challenging each item line by line and asking if voluntary options are even being considered, they’re locating what consultants have said for years: by the program’s own standards often over 90% of money spent is wasted compared to options of self-help, co-ops, competing firms, or using simple business methods. The trick: Test budgets line-by-line for voluntary alternatives, and standard methods: user needs, best practices, performance standards, business accounting.

• User Fees and Lotteries: Some things are just wanted by some users. Libertarians suggest set-asides for low-income and to keep reducing the fees, and earmarking lottery funds.

• Self-help through co-operatives, personal accounts. Examples: user-owned public utilities, IRA’s.

• An “Un-Tax” with Permanent Funds. I had a hand in this. At 12 I wrote a short paper suggesting that if government assets and efficiency savings were simply earmarked, captured and invested by long term “permanent” funds not run by government, all could soon get a check that would simultaneously cure unemployment, poverty, basic costs, and retirement woes. I had no idea that I’d overturned 200 years of economics, but my well-connected doting Dad did, and sent the paper to Attorney General William Rogers, later Alaska Governor Jay Hammond (they were all old buddies), Libertarian economist L. von Mises, Robert Kennedy, and even Martin Luther King Jr., who as it turns out had similar thoughts. Libertarian legislators in Alaska took up the idea, and the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend plan arose. Now Alaskans have no income tax and a small family gets about $10,000 yearly and growing. Remember: a twelve year old could figure this out.

 Bottom Line? Take Action.Taxes are obsolete. Bring these tools to your community: Share this article; call for tax exemptions: of conscience, homesteads, elderly; for challenge teams; local Permanent Funds. It’s time for attitude change: To see officials calling for more taxes, ‘fair taxes,’ or any tax as uninformed or incompetent. For info on fund, Libertarian Dick Randolph: http://www.apfc.org/publications/TP5-3.cfm

By Michael Gilson-De Lemos

LIO Fellow Advisor Richard Winger is a world expert on field of fair elections. While focused on US issues he covers worldwide at : www.ballotaccess.org

LIO Friends, fans and activists continue leading and catalyzing dialogues worldwide on election improvement, and joining in coalitions to drive fairer elections in every country in  what is proving to be a multi-generational process.

1. Implement Basic Fair Elections and Rights Charters: http://www.wymdonline.org/
2. Fair Ballot Access and Party Registration with Citizen Initiative
3. DDI and MMP  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed-member_proportional_representation resources share

Join LIO Friends to share your good work. For more on OPERATION DEMOCRACY

Libertarian International Organization Fellow Observer Col. William Gilson, USMC, advised on military trends.

LIO remembers the signal work of Col. William Gilson, United States Marine Corps.

Said by friends to be gifted with 'the legendary Gilson charm and diplomacy,' Col. Gilson advised LIO on military trends and worked behind the scenes for encouraging those working for  friendly military and trans-partisan contacts leading to the end of the Cold War and fall of the Latin and other dictators. He had been inactive in recent years but followed work towards world peace with interest, and was deeply supportive of historical study of aviation.

Col. Gilson served on the Board of the Dallas Military Ball, where he was Chairman in 2007. He has served as the Commanding Officer of the Marine Corps Aviation Association and on the Board of the Veterans Memorial Air Park. Col. Gilson also gave generously of his time to the Wounded Warrior Program and Young Marines Association.

Starting with 1400 hits in a sneak preview for the humorous-but-serious LIO blessed Libertarian Lifestyle Blog The Libertarian

• The BLOG shares SMILE news items, movement perspectives and recondite history, and Lifestyle tips premised on the LIO long-range view that 'Libertopia' is spreading--and will accelerate as readers share the blog links and items, along with those of the many resource links to interest friends and one's circle--and better one's life.The format is link plus amusing (one hopes) or provocative comment; the idea is for LIO fans and others to get something useful a day with a chuckle and a little inspiration in a worldwide, pro-multicultural, positive Lib  atmosphere.
• Many pro-Libertarians have complained of over-political, US centered, or attack-based sources and expressed the need for one to serve as core for a sense of world Libertarian-liberal community Living. After initial positive comments on our Twitter, the blog was underway. Additional features for sharing work in other languages and LIO Fellows at work are under review.
• The Twitter (  https://twitter.com/LIBIntOrg ) will continue to share additional user SMILE-interest retweets plus LIO bulletins, while an associated Facebook "I Love Libertarians" allows additional reader-driven sharing for potential inclusion and immediate reader use.
• Regular features will include  'awards' for self-defeating legislation and ridiculous anti-Libertarian attacks vs cultural influence, and challenges to cultural mis-information;  periodic focus on TED and other cultural tools of interest--and focus on inspirational world Lib activists, personalities with great SMILE tools, and LIO Friends or fans in public office. 
• The Libertarian continues the inspiration of  late LIO Fellow William Sidis. Libertarian champions David Nolan and John Hospers were key in developing initial stories and format. Perspectives do not necessarily present LIO views, but are there to ease sharing of beneficial information; and the venture is independent.
•  It is free, and we hope you will click it daily, share and as we like to say: Enjoy!

LIO Fellow and former US LP Chair Mr. Turney leads project that will save rare documentation of an incredible Lib-catalyzed generation of change

A massive historical archive ( visit http://libertytapes.com/    to get involved OR link to your site)  of Libertarian videos, audios and recordings--including never-distributed or hard to obtain tapes or recordings of Ludwig von Mises, Murray Rothbard, and  many Libertarian conferences, conventions and organizing meetings--is being transferred to more durable media. This is critical  before they vanish forever from normal decay and the effort need your help, says Jim Turney, former US LP Chair who advises and speaks with many Libertarian groups and who drove the documentation project.

For years Mr. Turney and  his volunteers patiently taped a vast number of Libertarian activities large and small, all the more important as many records have been destroyed when extreme right-wing conservatives posing as small government Constitutionalists seized many LP affiliates in the US, say observers.

In addition Mr. Turney has "many,many recordings" of Green and other activist and key non-profit or coalition events across the spectrum forming an incredible historical and scholarly resource of the citizen-led changes in the last few decades.

The first step of a massive catalog is complete, and some items are appearing at http://lwww.libertarianism.org but the highly expensive transfer invites funding. Many videos can only be run once before self-destruction due to their fragile state, and the work is highly delicate. Donors and well-wishers may purchase completed tapes or' "adopt" tapes, make a general contribution, or may contact the website for additional information or contribute material. Once completed, the LIO has offered to arrange fundraising for an archive to curate copies under its care.

US Libertarian-interested  consumer info journalist John Stossel congratulates  Jennifer Jones, who with LIO Friends  is championing use of more web and other technogy to spread democracy and 'civic engagement.'

LIO Friend Jennifer Jones is deeply interested in increased world democracy, participation, transparency and change via petitions  and initiatives...and just sharing key information on what's going on. As a result she's championing 'Do It Yourself'  DIY Democracy among other projects. She invites you to check out the site at: http://diydemocracy.org/welcome/ which explains the robot or 'app' that is powering change in many areas by uniting tools to obtain information and act in a timely fashion.

In addition, more tools are at: http://theprometheusinstitute.org/  which networkls additional data from otrher efforts and is helping LIO Friends and other activists in activities from improving Nigerian elections to crowdsourcing data to call out mis-statements by officials It also has projects such as helping young entrepreneurs with key items. These could anchor a great project for your activist group or personal activism.

Mr. Stossel has a more 'old school' school video project on his work at: http://stosselintheclassroom.org/index.php?p=aboutjohn.html&l=8

An informal contact Circle to locate and engage the Super-High IQ/EQ underway by LIO since 1972 has been formalized. More people are 'Supers' given the massive increase in population than ever, with likely new heights of IQ/EQ being attained.

In general, those with over 165-175+  IQ's (Einstein level or above) are highly favorable to LIO voluntaristic themes.The group will engage those of regular high genius (over 140 or able to do Master to PhD work). About 5000 adults in the world are targeted and many now interface with the Circle. If you do well on EQ or pschological maturity tests and US College GRE's (~1500+) or SAT's (~1500 V + M) you may be a Super please contact LIO.

The Circle will have a contact Facebook and other public means more for awareness purposes, but actually work through ad-hoc contact on agreed themes. It is not meant as a formal LIO advisory entity at this point, but an awareness-raising venture.

AGREED THEMES

Circle felt that current political nations as structures and the economic crisis ignored the massive changes happening because saturation of college education (25% of population ) was being reached with great shifts in competency expectations, choice desires, and personal needs e.g.  the need to allow the rise of a leisure-study oriented society (as LIO has long predicted via voluntary means).

They concurred to the following along: Interests of world peace and liberal democracy with Libertarian characteristics, abuse and professional problems experienced by the Higher-IQ/EQ in dealing with the misconceptions of the community and in particular regular geniuses,  and removing the Higher-IQ psychologically damaged and of problem tendencies from influential positions, namely promote:

1. Dialogue on secular world democracy, peace, and local autonomy
2. By-test or thesis learning and "Super PhD's" since many drop out from colleges such as e.g. a Harvard as too slow , and sensitivity to special needs K-PhD+ with life-long and open-learning type entities
3. Better interdisciplinary and cross national contact, with location and mentoring of "Supers" in developing nations. Recognition that as a proportionally a normal person seems slow to a High IQ, a High IQ seems slow to a Super; promotion of voluntary policies to encourage movement of average IQ of population to 130-140 with advent of robot servants; dialogue on improving educational resources for the less intelligent or those with special needs still underserved; spread of mental improvement techniques to maximize the undeveloped abilities of most people.

PROVOCATIVE COMMENTS

Participants pointed to recent incidents of Supers being murdered for being bi-sexual, or professional problems and firing for demanding adherence to quality standards.A case was cited of a young person who had spent years in an insane asylum who was later realized to be a Super; concern was expressed that many Asperger or ADD type diagnoses may reflect incomprehension that one was dealing with 'a Super bored or frightened out of his skull.' Several expressed the view that many Supers have low-level psychic perception that make faith-based religious views primitive and directly unverified. Several stated the Flynn effect--the rise of general IQ's-- was not just an artifact of old IQ tests but real, pointing to the eugenic and self-development effect of e.g. better self-education tools, schooling and food, of women's new ability to select smarter and more stable mates, of massive destruction of the stupid through war, and the open-secret invidible to researchers that many Supers and High-IQ men have in fact been circumventing restrictive marriage laws by using semen donation services and the spread of free loive to have in many cases hundreds of High-IQ children.

Many felt that policies such as anti-immigration, high taxation rates, attacks on copyright, laws mandating business monopolies, the current educational state systems, prohibitions against cloning or adult incest (note: incest definitions vary wildly in different countries, from allowing adult contact to forbidding second cousin or same-last-name relationships), and sensationalist movies with 'the mad scientist meme'  were at least subconscious attacks on the Supers comparable to anti-Semitism or racial bigotry.

It was agreed that LIO would sponsor resource websites so each could develop their own personal and autonomous strategy, based on shared 'starting point' data, and to also engage interdisciplinary people of regular high IQ or interest.. Interest was also expressed in an "HBI" or half-baked idea journal of short suggestions for review. Many had also taken action in promoting the adult education and peer sharing project TED.

LIO is putting in place additional community support tools for ' I LEAP !" action with the successes of the Pinellas, Florida, pilot. At present several community facilitators are in training for additional 'Libertarian Society' pilots. Unlike the cariety of Libertarian-based efforts by different groups, only these will be under LIO registration as part of the mission to create strict Libertarian-centered but ecumenical networks with the option of eventual model LIO eco-communities. Forthcoming tools include:

1. Interpersonal: Blogs on Libertarian Living items and making searchable the wonderful work of LIO Friends in many countries, along with a non-partisan Youth/Public Volunteer support e-group. An occasional LIO FRIENDS and SMILE PDF e-journals are contemplated.
2. Legislative: An institute focused primarily on the original Gilson-Hospers efforts via implementing direct democracy and building starter regional e-conferences. In following our Libertarian co-op philosophy, the institute will take no money. The project will interface with LIO-interested Libertarian, Liberal and rights party representatives in a best-practice group. Public offical certification according to the lines approved by movement leaders in the early decade will be offered.
3. Educative; We will finish uploading the approved reading program and local e-study support using public venues
4. Action Community: Manuals will be under editing in Spring for a citizen summit entity to support the integrated communities.
5. Public Administration: LIO has registered both a Lib and interested study project to engage  non-Lib and promote LI certified non-partisan and especially appointive public officials. At present 200 Libertarians in public office are involved in the project in several countries. This will be the sole "political arm" of the LIO though autonomous as the personal arm of the movement founders and curator.
6. !-Wins: An archive of both LIO and manuals of interest to Libertarian-oriented activists will be maintained, along with an occasional journal on  I LEAP! focus worldwide.

Finally, SMILE pdf materials and a focus on key SMILE autonomus group links are under discussion.Please note the LIO SMILE and E-I LEAP! communities are distinct.

 David Nolan, late US LP lead founder, wants everybody trying Libertarian public administration. This is one of a series of short items done with LIO  Advisor Dorothy Livengood before Nolan's death and since re-edited extensively combining several notes and short items approved by Mr. Nolan. Nolan championed Troika system described here as angine of citizen non-partisan or trans-partisan change for choice.

Libertarianism is a broad movement of self-empowerment using aware voluntary solutions. In public administration it is centered on presenting proven and promising choices of completely voluntary programs. These 'better awareness and of the principle of our rights.'  It is small government, limited government, anarchism-based, pro-market, socialist, libertine, conservative--and none of these, since the voluntary approach unites all previous classifications. No wonder dictionaries and synonym-finders are confused! Yet it's simple: Look at voluntary alternatives in everything, and as a movement promote a range of the best ones.

GOOD WORK!

In our first generatiuon we've worked to get people familiar in a broad sense-- and political figures interested and excited...while developing our own ' farm team' of people interested in Libertarian voluntary choices. The success has been incredible:

1. Think tank Infrastructure in many and now study groups in all countries
2. Community and student networking, and 'awareness projects galore'
3. A record of wins and interest  e.g in the US from people in all parties-- Congressman Ron Paul (Conservative), Governor Jesse Ventura (Independent), and Senator Mike Gravel (Progressivet)--have championed Libertarian projects as many others in public office are attracted to the US LP (Update: In December  2011 Governor Gary Johnson announced greater involvement in the USLP and Libertarian movement) high and low...and while they're a long way from being 'perfect Libertarians' they're showing the trend is turning: Even the USLP is just Libertarian-direction, the point is more public servants from all backgrounds are really interested in adapting some part of Libertarianism as they understand it.  More: Worldwide we've helped drive Liberalism back to sanity, with the Liberal international now advocating study of Ayn Rand, von Mises, and others.

START WITH 3 THINGS

Libertarianism is not, however, a matter oif one party. It's a method and inclination for finding voluntary ways that do the job better. In that sense it is non-partisan and belongs to everyone. Indeed, Liberal and Libertarian parties that are anything but rights-protection parties may become incoherent and not make sense in the long run. In the US, we found the main battle was pretty basic: ballot access and a fair hearing. Worldwide, in many countries Libertarians are the main rights presence, galvanizing Liberals and moderates.

In the US, in particular, the LP has completed its initial mission, and should continue to be a beacon of activism, education, and resources, or focus for the emerging Libertarian constituency--and inspiration to parties working for individual rights abroad. We prepared a toolkit for that Libertarian-direction work: See www.LibertarianBookClub.org  with a standard (2004) guideline activist platform and short summary ones, and a strategic plan 'continual improvement' toolkit. The most important 3 things you can do are:

1. Also read libertarian books and sites, and share the pledge with people
2. Put a simple (e.g. Think Libertarian) non-partisan sticker right now on your car and hand out the Quiz regularly (or share the link with people)  see www.TheAdvocates.org
3. Get involved either monitoring a local board or get in local appointive public office such as your Neighborhood Association. We don't have trouble getting Libertarians in public office...we have trouble with people getting trained and stepping forward for the many vacancies available (remember, if you run for election it takes several tries).

Yet--There's other work to do.

TROIKA: THE FUTURE

In the late '70's we developed a long term approach for what we called the "Libertarian Troika"...the idea that in time we would offer 3 Libertarian "parties" to inform, energize and grow  what the world really needs: A large, tolerant, secular, pro-science and pro-peace middle class that views government as an optional service and wants plenty of choices in all areas, from lively free markets to intentional-designed communities. To that end, in future years focus will turn to starting for every country and major region:.

1. A non-partisan co-operative group (tied with Libertarian community projects) to 'encourage people to get in public office especially appointive non-partisan local office focusing on strict voluntary' programs on a non-attack basis (if you love attacking opponents, this won't be for you).  The aim in each community area of about 1 MM population is a best practice (i.e. we've already done this somewhere) 30 Libertarians and 30+ non-Lib users over two or so decades...in the US, that would be ~10K Libertarians in office. One Libertarian in public elected office without such a network is one lonely Libertarian indeed.  This is also important as some perfectly respectable democracies don;t allow partisan parties, and there is a growing public mood for trans-partisan co-operation and against 'attack politics' and extremists. I've worked with LIO which has agreed to see to initial starter groups and a peer association, and a special platform designed by the people in public office themselves based on their successes, along with...
2. Non-partisan 'PAC's,' civic groups or program-based 'Un-parties' focused on libertarian change through a) Installing, then b) using Direct Democracy and e.g. Ballot Access, PR and  MMP...the focus always is legalizing choice, never imposing anything on anyone. The organizational momentum will help develop...
3. A center party for less official abuses and more rights like the USLP  or better Liberal International parties, along with continued promotion of Libertarian-friendly think tanks in every country. The first two actually will power most of what we need to spread voluntary change, but the third will help people rally against abuses.

If you have any doubt about these, an extremist group in a major US Party has decided stopping this is their main priority (Can't say where, as I can't reveal our source).

 I'm very excited about these and other tools. Increasingly, you trun on the TV and people are discussing Libertarianism from learned conferences to silly smear jobs to 'pop culture' refrences on comedies. None of this would have happened if we had not step forward in the early '70's and in my opinion the world would be in a massive Communist dictatorship by now instead. The first Libertarian generation showed against all doubters that it could be done on the civic plan in some form in the US, Norway, Costa Rica, the UK...what's before us is tightening and spreading to all parties and nations.

BACK ON MISSION

The day will come when everyone of any sense is a 'libertarian' in the same way anyone today is a 'democrat' or believes in division of powers. A world confederation of free republics 'with option of libertarian communities and programs made legal' will grow as more people see the value. (As our 1980's Movement Mission Statement says, we don't need a 'Libertarian government' or one big happy 'Libertarian Society.'  or even a Libertarian majority. We need more legalization of voluntary options, of choice for rights, with model Libertarian communities and projects from loving homes to co-ops or cities to Century-long ventures to the stars...and should spread interest in that concept by every peaceful and courteous means. )They see the value when they are presented with an example or information. Don't be thrown off by people who say we have fringe ideas--all of what we propose is a legal right or offical policy somewhere--from raw milk to home schools to abolishing taxes and the  military-What we want is legal consistency for rights..and general familiarity with voluntary ways to do this people like.

Tell people!--That's what we, whether as individuals telling friends or as a movement, must do, and all we need do: Always courteously, relentlessly, self-critically, and starting with our loved ones and local community. We are the movement of reason, rights and civilization--not exclusively but as the most informed and dedicated fans--and as we said at the beginning, we rally the champions of rights, the challengers of all cults...and have nothing to justify or apologize for.

There is work to do. Just as the once controversial idea of voluntary choice and associations is increasingly accepted in most of science, religion, marriage, nationality, and many other areas, so it's already spreading for private and public programs of all types. It begins with the will of one person. That person is you.

Ever-genial Nizan Ahmad of Bangladesh, long-time LIO fellow and  new Conference lead co-editor for South and West Asia, is congratulated by LIO Fellow Nobelist Dr. Milton Friedman on the opening of his Think Tank. The Conferences will be fully operational into 2013.

(See above for conference links under Libertarian Institute)

A new 'NOW'-networking, organizing and works self-management tool--is underway: Free Facebook and other related e-tools to serve as perpetual 'e-conferences' for those interested in LIO SMILE tools and ideas, typically cultural Libertarian-Liberals, with special focus on Libertariany law and voluntary public administration, Libertarian home and work management, and legal issues. Nizam Ahmad, who founded a think-tank in Bangladesh and is a well-liked local business supporter, is the first co-editor 'on deck' and hopes to also help mentor Libertarian/LIO-interested local networks in his country as well as demand occurs. Particpants will have the opportunity to network to effect voluntary policy through spread of direct democracy and other non-partisan activity, and boost morale and ease the way of  young leaders in activism, culture, and public safety..

Participants will share data and projects, network, and practice English as well. The Conferences will serve as a central source to bring new people in and help them acclimatize and discover voluntarist tools in a learning. projects, and mutual encouragement world co-operative. Theye will be similar to the current LIO Friends but more regional-based, and will help develop a generation interested in peace and free trade, residency, and common action in their region. The regions are:

• USA-Canada/Oceania/Antartica
• Eurasia(Euro-CIS and Mediterranean Asia)-Latin America
• India/SAARC-West Asia
• Chinas-East Asia
• Africa

Informational topics will also include:

• Low-cost educationand college tools
• Self- and lifestyle improvement
• Futurism and technology, personal projects, entrepreneurship
• Events, services, and petitions
• Volunteer opprtunities, wins, workshops, etc...

Co-editors will highlight likes or projects, suggest resources, periodically welcome participants and in general help keep the conversation going.

Participants are welcome to sign up and begin sharing, and from time to time will be invited to also join local community projects. Strict professionalism is observed, and partipation is, as always, at the curator's pleasure advised by the host facilitator.All Liberal. progressive and libertarian groups may use the facilities to share projects and build interest, but are reminded that LIO is always collaborative in stance and rigidly neutral to issues, secular, and non-partisan in atmosphere: no attacks on public figures or persons are permitted--focus is attacking policy, never people.

 Czech leader Vaclav Havel's father was an LIO (then the League) Advisor who sought to create model proto-Libertarian voluntarist neighborhoods  for the poor and middle class that were then expropriated, and whose ancestors  in turn were involved in the salon of  then co-ordinator Henriette De Lemos y Herz that was the center of much of our predecessor League's activity in the early 1800's. Vaclav was denied a liberal education by the coercive Communist regime for suspected 'Libertarian anarchist and middle class market-poetic and democratic tendencies.' Indeed.

In a period where cultural Libertarians and Liberals have seen many distinguished LIO Fellows and Friends pass on--David Nolan, Dr. Hospers, Christopher Hitchens, Geraldine Ferraro--Public Safety Group member Vaclav Havel must now be recalled.

Havel hand in glove with activists to overthrow Communist dictatorship through firmly peaceful and hence successful means that deserve imitation and are LIO policy. He later led the country to peaceful development, and remained interested in efforts to bring about more voluntary markets, voluntary public services, and voluntary socialist and research communities.

As health allowed he was active in working for change in the Mid-East by behind the scenes encouragement, and also recoimmeneded these projects in which he was deeply in support and for especial interest by LIO supportive activists:

1. European Tolerance Council: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Council_on_Tolerance_and_Reconciliation
2. Human Rights Foundation: http://www.thehrf.org/
3. Victims of Communism memorial http://www.victimsofcommunism.org/ 

Havel continued his main cultural work with plays, publicizing efforts to inspire youth and other educative or arts activities, and encouraging interest in the marriage of new technologies and the arts.

His advice to LIO  Friends: "Think in generations, act in the now, and smile."

.

LIO Fellow Brazil's Dr. Margeret Tse greets Czech leader Vaclav Klaus, who noted that Communist oppression ..."would not have fallen without the spread of Libertarianism..." Klaus used Libertarian secession concepts to avert civil war--as then plagued Yugoslavia and Chechnya--by peaceful separation of Czechoslovaklia into 2 friendly republics.

Many Libertarians and Liberals are remembering the fall of Communist dictatorships this week, the XXth anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union by Libertarian International Organization Fellow Boris Yeltsin--and the ultimate irrelevance of military and police establishments in making it happen or defending society except as optional tools. Indeed, the US Government was predicting the continued stability of Communism and the Bush administration was trying to shore up tottering authoritarians even as Libertarian activists tore the regimes limb-from-limb by peaceful means. Many in addition are giving thought to UN Rights Month, and areas where a more voluntary approach can be shared. LIO Fellows played a key role:

• In the early '70's later curator and Libertarian visionary Michael Gilson travelled at the invitation of Editorial Mir to the USSR---where he met many leaders unhappy with the regime and interested in his Libertarian concepts, including Yeltsin. At the same time, LIO Co-curator Paul Gilson was close friends with Ronald Reagan, and they worked to outline a plan of peaceful transition, navigating between those who saw the US as helpless before Communist triumph and those thirsting for more US military expansion.
• LIO advisors and observers met with them in the late '70's and with Liberal and aspiring union activists to implement a long term plan to peacefully bring democracy to all nations by: Promoting voluntary concepts, teaching activist tools 'on-ground' and promoting first think tanks with more citizen diplomacy and then citizen networks. This built on official but often ignored national policies.
• Several of these, such as Reagan and Yeltsin, entered leadership positions and communicated directly through the network, by-passing corrupt military and security establishments on both sides interested in preserving the status quo. The US did the reverse of expected, promoting open sharing of secret information and a planetary defense agreement against e.g. asteroids, and Reagan offered to dismantle the military, secure in the knowledge that a new voluntary and militant force was underway.This assured leaders 'on the fenc'e that there would be no sudden military attack by any party. Yelstin visited America, met again with LIO activists, and various sister city type initiatives were encouraged. The core group was known as the '12 Ruthless Men,' most of whom have passed on.
• Various Libertarian benefactors saw to the distribution of over 3 million pieces of literature while simulatanously change had been underway in China, including workshops in the Mao era. At the same time, work to loosen right-wing regimes was aided by www.ISIL.org which followed a schedule of world conventions to energize and network local activists in countries from South Africa on. In addition, a determined effort resulted in the sudden movement of many colonial dependencies to a republican status as new countries or in great autonomy. The new atmosphere of determination and Libertarian thoughtools gave people impetus and a sense that now they could act, and nature took its course.As these grew, hundreds of previously contacted leaders and academics were given to understand that '...this time, we move--it's serious.'
• With appropriate thought tools and spreading how-to support , people began peacefully dismantling the regimes. For reasons of security, most US Libertarian leaders were only informed of the broad outlines.In the late '90's and early 2000's, networks in the Mid-East were stalled by untimely US Military intervention, including the near-peaceful removal of Saddam Hussein and the Taliban.
• Betterment continues: The improved countries have, depending on the level of use of Libertarian tools, moved forward relatively smooothly or not so much, but all have improved and are enjoying growing economies and rights communities. Hundreds of groups have now formed driving interest in democracy, legal improvements, transparency, markets, choice-based public services, and more.
• In LIO's OPERATION DEMOCRACY the work continues, aided by better communication among centrist parties and groups, in a new effort that began winter 2010 and has resulted (December 2011)  in change in many countries.

LIO emphasizes that its aim is to simply get people in dialogue, and the curator expressly forbids any use of force or retaliation, or even personal verbal attacks on leaders. Activists should focus on passive resistance, peer education, and a conciliatory and fraternal attitude with officials consistent with voluntary approaches under their UN Rights. LIO activists are encouraging vigorous dialogue in many countries, and in coming years growing Libertarian-Liberal networks to move towards more voluntary approaches will be mentored in every country; following the theme that the proper defense of society is the sole and growing purview of citizens conversant with voluntary tools and ideals, who by education and awareness replace, proactively defuse or undermine improper systems.

The LIO emphasizes as well that it explicitly welcomes interest in Communist or socialist communities of voluntary character.  At present, thanks to social networking, LIO activists inspired by OPERATION DEMOCRACY and following their own indepoendent strategies are bringing tools such as those praised by Klaus to some 3 million people worldwide who're leaders in their communities, unions, or professional groups; or simply enthusiastic networkers. They actively network or organize with many citizen efforts such as Tea Party, OWS, electoral fairness, Democracia Ya, NED, Citizen Diplomacy, Wikileaks, and other entities asserting the rights of  citizens to make their thoughts known peaceably, but LIO takes no stance on any issue.

 See: http://libinst.cz/stranka_en.php?id=2 and http://www.obcinst.cz/en/  as examples of think tank work of interest.