Libertarian International Organization

US President and LIO Fellow Ronald Reagan here appoints a Libertarian official. MG was his personal representative to the leaders of the USSR and China with whom MG had a personal relationship, mediating the transition from totalitarian Communism. To get familiar with baby-step Libertarian civic concerns, read 'Voluntary City' by Beito, 'The Seamless City' by Baker, and check out the libertarian-interest work at www.reason.org ...Activists are urged to check out 'Take Back Your Government' by LIO Fellow Robert Heinlein.

By MG--Opinion piece for discussion by LIO Fans and dialogue groups. Please translate and share.

REUTERS: 19% of Americans now self-identify as 'libertarians'...most from Democrats, Center... We said it years ago at our site--we keep it front and center always in our lead article above--and in time this will be the case in every major area--Russia, China, India, EU, Latin America and already well there in smaller ones as Costa Rica...People were asked if the self-identify as libertarians. Says REASON in regard to the REUTERS Poll:

"...22 percent of Democrats said they were libertarians, more than the 18 percent of Republicans, and just a hair less than the 25 percent of independents....

Now note these people are informal users who get the general idea now, not large-L advocates as the article implies or formal small-l libertarian appliers/users with LIO. Worldwide there're 8 million homes on our d-base plus in a special side project 1.5 million homes with us, of which this 22% across the board number is our 'LIO Shadow"...Note also the Poll is significant as the first one where such a number of people readily self-identify as 'libertarian'--our aim is to continue to build LIO formals. RE: http://reason.com/blog/2015/04/30/19-of-americans-self-identify-as-liberta BTW as you pass this along let friends know about www.libertarianinternational.org I believe it as I'm meeting people who ask me out of the blue my famous line of  "if I've heard about Libertarianism?" Thanks...

WHAT THIS MEANS CULTURALLY

There's work to do. It means people like what they see so far, so don't stop. Always separate your favorite SMILE/Libertarian application from the fact that we help enable a range of choice of applications (which is what people like at first). Over the next 2 generations many will become small-l libertarian conscious applier/user formals in the 'LIO Libertarian lifestyle' and we aim for at least 1-5 homes per district as LIO pledged Libertarians (advocates/students of SMILE) referencing our SMILE dialogue platforms. This 19% figure is coming to a country near you.

WHAT THIS MEANS POLITICALLY

In brief, don't screw with L/libertarians. LIO Libertarians have since 1969 reversed the feared fall of civilization to so far led change for democracy in 150+ countries. While peaceful, dictators have died and armies fallen. They won't rest until people have the option of liberal secular democracy, then a lively federalism and localism increasingly respectful of UN rights and voluntary libertarian/SMILE concerns. Remember, LIO Libertarianism is not about imposing a political system or lifestyle, but a lifestyle/philosophy of peaceful dialogue that enables rights-based choice. But choice LIO fans will have. And informal 'libertarians'--what we call libertarian-interested--will too.

LIO is in outreach completely non-partisan. In the USA the www.lp.org acts as a vanguard libertarian-direction group bringing many issues to public attention. The demand for pro-Libertarians in public office who're properly trained--not just some well-intended newbie who loves the label--now outstrips our ability as a network and of the www.lp.org to supply. We advance because this is really a trailing indicator of the beginnings from when we began in 1969 of a profound pro-reason/reality and sweet reasonableness philosophical shift. Most libertarian civic change occurs by design via petition/direct democracy (as we see in Florida) and judicial notice. For many, a pro-Libertarian vote is a signaling device of current voluntary concerns in public policy. Thus as we saw in 2012, the Libertarian www.lp.org candidate Gov. Gary Johnson was saying some things, and after the election the other parties are now adopting them because the 1% centrist vote for rights that decides elections always leads, and that's us. (...as I've always said since 1969, I want conservatives to legalize drugs and communists to privatize. Is it happening? Look around you). In time (starting in the 2020's) LIO will contact all of these informal homes, recommend Libertarian lifestyle/SMILE tools, ask if they would like to register with us...and not just the US, but in time all countries starting with the rest of the Americas, EU, Russia, China, India. Speaking personally, from League days to the expansion I started in 1969, people like an alliance of families led by a clan with someone colorful and useful free stuff, world contact prospects, a benign rights and reason sensitive approach. In brief, starting in the US they'll become more informed and militant for voluntary choices, and proceed more from self-conscious attitudes and fuller conversancy.

This is the capstone of progressive Liberalism in all fields. This is like people realizing the earth is round. No, they may get details wrong and not sure of all the scientific proof. But they realize it's round. It is now irreversible.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR U.S .ELECTIONS--AND GETTING THE LIBERTARIAN VOTE

While I periodically e-mail (though I'll be stopping this soon as we transition to a new outreach system, so for a while all will happen simply by momentum) this 1.5 million, I tell no one how to vote. I do ask them to consider (in order) positive parenting, being a local volunteer or in non-partisan public office, and  reference the recommended deadlock electoral strategy above. These people are mission-driven by a general approach that will not change. Informals are clearly just getting familiar with libertarianist/SMILE tools and our experience is they may start with issues but end up with the relaxed approach and develop at their own pace, and like people sensitive to that approach. Many are community/professional  leaders with strong followings. Libertarian voter=Community Leader interested in rights, tolerance, voluntary tools. So attacking Libertarianism or attempting to lie or seduce them always backfires. They're primarily cultural, with politics and economies are just tools. They want to hear ideas on using voluntary tools for their often different values so they don't clash with others, not how someone is some bad guy. In the coming US presidential elections, here's what they want in brief and how it applies to the major candidates.

WHAT PRO-LIBERTARIAN VOTERS WANT

1. Be nice to Libertarians. Say you're respectful of pro-libertarian voters and will appoint some Libertarians.
2. Pledge to address discriminatory statutes against small parties and encourage direct democracy.
3. We'll do the rest. And remember--acting in every state and foreign country bit by bit.

THE 2016 US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: GETTING THE PRO-LIBERTARIAN VOTE

The Libertarian deadlock strategy means the Presidential /Senate election is always for the Democrats to lose by ignoring pro-libertarian concerns.

Obama has done as well a job as can be expected, sensitive to libertarian-interested Democrats and in other parties. He's championed space-exploration privatization, legalized guns in certain parks, a middle class tax cut. He gave us a Black President settling many issues. Great. Now Libertarian-interested voters want more.

1. Hilary Clinton has the advantage that she is the progressive Democrat and also a long-due woman, but has shown no Libertarian-ideas interest and has an honesty issue.
2. Jeb Bush has cheerfully appointed many LIO Libertarians as Florida Governor, paid attention to Libertarian contributions, and implemented many libertarian-direction policies. He has a too-conservative rhetoric issue. Still, he may yet position himself as the libertarian-friendly practical progressive at heart--and win the day.
3. Rand Paul has forever lost wide pro-libertarian support by attacking libertarianism and advocates some strange stuff. He may recover it and seems to have realized his blunder, and is raising good questions.
4. Gary Johnson, the likely www.lp.org candidate, in the last election specifically reached out to various groups who responded well. Blacks, Muslims and thoughtful youth loved him according to our surveys. His Libertarianist management approach of a single message adorned with going to groups, asking what they need, and getting them aware of how a libertarianist voluntary approach might help in a respectful way, if continued, could bring a 2% vote from across the spectrum. Other candidates know the LP vote is different--they're dealing with an organized and growing pressure group that reflects a larger public interest.

A prediction: In a few years pro-libertarians will have a choice of libertarian-interested candidates from all parties.

Yes, at times  the LIO Libertarian-driven advances in the US are easy to forget with the tales of abuses going on...until we reflect that thanks to Libertarian-led coalitions and attitudes, what is really happening is old abuses are coming to light and being addressed. How might  these considerations apply in your country or region?