Time for a massive campaign

[memenode]

Let's observe the current situation.

We have the US government turning increasingly and more and more obviously totalitarian. The last news comes about children being tortured in Guantanamo just showing how far things have already went. Consequently, we have at least some waking up to the striking parallels between what is happening in US and what happened in WW2 Germany and many more campaigning to overthrow government as it currently is.

We know that between today and after elections things are unlikely to change to the better and after even those who voted for Obama start getting disappointed we may have a majority of people living in US disillusioned and without hope.

We have a "killer message" for them. It is capable of killing their illusions once and for all. The formula is very simple.

1. US Government turned into a dystopia (evidence of that is everywhere)
2. US Government used to be a "minimal government" with "checks and balances", democracy and a libertarian constitution
3. Regardless of all these it turned into what it is today.
4. Draw your own conclusions. Ours is: The USA proved that governments don't work, even minimal. It is time to abandon the idea of government.

We should follow these steps in our leaflets, propaganda videos, everywhere! Because it is so compelling one cannot easily escape its logic. I would argue that they can't, in fact. They can't even argue for minarchism anymore because that's exactly what US government was and it FAILED. They can't argue for bigger governments existing elsewhere either because they're obviously even worse than US was in the beginning, they are the governments people were running away from into the US. The governments such as one in Netherlands and Croatia are also much younger so there's plenty of time for them to end up in a similar state US is now, and the European Union is accelerating that process as we speak.

Essentially, those who still believe government is OK should be overwhealmed with proof, not in history even, but right here and right now, that governments don't work. All we need is to effectively point our fingers to the facts that speak for themselves.

I think this may be an opportunity to hugely grow the voluntaryist / anarcho-capitalist movement, and by it just maybe stop the direction world governments are taking us in. We've got all of the facts aligned in such a severe and compelling fashion that I think resistence of many to our message will be greatly softened.

What do you think?

Edit: Btw, I commented against government on digg and am getting dugg up! That's what partly encouraged me to write this, as insignificant as it may seem. Albeit most digg people are fairly libertarian oriented.

[Dave Ridley]

it always comes down to what you're going to do about it, as an individual.

you've got to think small, what is within your abilities as a sole person?   

[memenode]

Well, I can move mountains by thought alone... in the matrix of theirs.

Seriously... you're right, I should be the change I want to see in the world. A "massive" campaign should start with a massive mobilization of my mental processes to the point at which I know exactly what I have to do next and next and next to grow my personal liberty.

And then I can help others follow the same path.

You know.. we libertarians, and if you don't mind me saying, especially voluntaryists, have a huge advantage which we might not be mentioning enough. We actually see through the forest of myths to the way things actually are. This is like having a millionaire business secret, perhaps even literally!

Anyway, what am I going to do about it.... some of it will be visible and some of it wont. But I just had a nice idea about a super-marketing videos for voluntaryism, which will capture both the rational and the emotional dimension of the viewer. It will be like amplifying the feeling one gets in those blissful eureka moments.

Edit: Maybe we should stage a good old free market spirited competition in making promotional videos for liberty, that at the same time efficiently convey a message and capture the viewers feelings.

Cheers!

[Ron Helwig]

Anyway, what am I going to do about it.... some of it will be visible and some of it wont. But I just had a nice idea about a super-marketing videos for voluntaryism, which will capture both the rational and the emotional dimension of the viewer. It will be like amplifying the feeling one gets in those blissful eureka moments.

Edit: Maybe we should stage a good old free market spirited competition in making promotional videos for liberty, that at the same time efficiently convey a message and capture the viewers feelings.

As well as youtube type stuff, you might consider something like the One dollar DVD project.

[memenode]

Looks interesting, thanks.

I've also been thinking, being a trance music fan and an occasional party goer (very occasional ).. This sort of music often invokes feelings of rebellion and self empowerment. So I blogged about it ( http://www.memeverse.com/2008/07/28/culture-of-rebellion/ ). The basic idea in my mind is to merge activism with entertainment - simultaneously push the emotional and rational buttons in people.

Take a huge sensational event like this, for instance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3ol3AQqqKc

Now imagine if it was done in the name of Liberty, if that trailer spoke of basic principles of Liberty and coming together to celebrate it and, similarly to what Ron Paul's Marchers did on the Revolution March, show our numbers. Sure, a lot of the people attending such events may not be as liberty minded, but sooner or later they'd become curious about the references and the prevailing theme. This time we don't party just to get wasted or to "have a good time" or to "unite in white". This time we party for liberty while sending a message. NOTHING can stop an individual who knows (s)he is powerful and who knows what (s)he wants.

Most people think they shouldn't do things that are "illegal", that they shouldn't ever be selfish or that they should always look after the "common good" (socialist notions). They think that obedience even when it makes no sense is a noble trait. Well, there is something about these music inspired cultures that already rebels against these notions, but isn't quite defined yet, not in a way that would make them with full awareness and confidence say "Yes, no law and no government should tell me how I should live my life". They may be telling that to their parents, but not so often to their government.

And these music events, parties etc. are just one example. We could infiltrate all entertainment cultures we can get our hands into, from movies and music (I used to make music and might make some more with some individualist overtones) to games and gaming communities.

I think that merging liberty activism with entertainment could have a powerful impact. Entertainment is HUGE today. Everyone is one way or another into it.

Some on the electronic music scene sometimes talk about "the right to party". We should upgrade that to "partying for the right to liberty".