2007-09-03 Natural Rights: The Complete Set by Carl Milsted. Libertarian theory is based on an incomplete theory of natural rights. A more complete theory results in a society that is more palatable to liberals, conservatives and environmentalists, while still resulting in major cuts in government.

2007-07-01 Attack or Die by Durham Ellis. Perhaps it is time to open up another front.

2007-07-01 Bertrand Russell on Dogmatism. by Tim Crowley. Have our Libertarian Ideals degenerated into Dogma? These quotes could have been used by Purists against 'the cult of the omnipotent state' thirty five years ago. But perhaps by now, they could also be used by Inclusive, Pragmatic Libertarians toward the Purists?

2007-06-21 Toward a Compromise on Abortion by Michael Bindner. The who, what, why, what and how of a compromise on the abortion questoin.

2007-05-20 Party of Principle – the Inherent Contradiction by Carl Milsted. Since the creation of the Libertarian Reform Caucus, I've been called “unprincipled” repeatedly. So be it. It's time to put an end to “The Party of Principle.” It's about freedom!

2007-04-17 The lifting of U.S embargo to Cuba must be conditioned on the lifting of the rigid blockade of the Cuban Communist Party by Lillian Simmons. The lifting of U.S embargo to Cuba must be conditioned on the lifting of the rigid blockade of the Cuban Communist Party against the Cuban People.

2007-04-17 A True Purple Revolution? by Devin Ray Freeman. Libery lacks a color.

2007-04-15 Consistency in Branding the LP by Mike Smitley. It is important in marketing any widespread organization or company that the organization's brand and message are consistently conveyed at all levels.

2007-04-15 Platform Phrasing with Frank Luntz as your guide. by Tim Crowley. Pollster Frank Luntz has identified several phrases for the 21st Century in his new book "Words That Work". Here are the ones that I could write down, along with a few of my own ideas.

2007-04-10 Greatest Hits LP Platform by Brian Holtz. Medium platform format which uses language from earlier versions of the LP Platform. The goals are to declare our common ground instead of our battle lines, to use timeless statements of principle that are consistent with both incremental reform and radical ultimate goals, and to avoid new phrasing in favor of language from current and prior platforms, including the original 1972 Denver Platform.

2007-04-03 Radicalism by Michael McNeil. All party's leaders are radical. So what is it about the Libertarian Party's leaders that makes them so unelectable?

2007-03-06 Purist Vs. Pragmatist Doctrine, according to Mindwars by Ian McFadyen by Tim Crowley. The book “Mindwars” discusses the dynamics of doctrines in general with its list of 25 tenets that are true of all doctrines—good or bad. I have added some commentary for each which is intended to illuminate the Purist vs. Pragmatist docrinal controversy. If the LRC intends to change the LP's basic doctrine, it would be useful to see what effects will be created.

2007-03-01 Financial Plan for a medium sized state party by Tim Crowley. One reason debate is so acrimonious within the LP is because the stakes are so low! Raise the stakes, and look like a pragmatic reformer within your state or local party by suggesting the following financial plan. It will give your local party enhanced financial stability.

2007-02-25 Sample county/state event horizon by Tim Crowley. Time lines like this can keep your local group focused on practical political actions. A time line is as much a reflection of a group's beliefs and agenda as its pledge or platform. Notice how I filled in 2007 while it was still 2006

2007-02-11 SWOT Analysis for the LP of Pennsylvania --Jan. 2006 by Tim Crowley. I wrote this for the LP of Pa. over a year ago, and I'm sure that it applies to every state party out there. I submitted it on local discussion groups, but only a handful of people commented on it in any detail. IMO each state should do something similar to this. If you want to look pragmatic, just adapt this for your own state! Your state Board can then fix deficiencies and make strong points even stronger, once they are identified on paper.

2007-01-24 Take the Keystone Quiz by Tim Crowley. One way to break up the purist monolith would be to have all 50 state LPs create their own statewide version of the Nolan Quiz. If every state did this, then it would hasten the development of statewide Libertarianism. We are looking for converts, not heretics.

2007-01-24 Take The Islamo-Fascist Keystone Quiz!! by Tim Crowley. Who says Libertarians should have a monopoly on short political quizzes. Here is a Pennsylvania specific quiz for a somewhat different ideology, based on LPPa's Keystone Quiz.

2007-01-21 Why Alternative Parties Must Get Range Voting, or DIE by CLAY SHENTRUP. Plurality voting leads to a two-party system. So does IRV. Range voting is far superior to either; it allows voters to rationally consider more than two choices.

2007-01-21 Is the Libertarian Party Worth Fighting For? by Craig Ashley. This is a look at the pros and cons of continuing the LRC's effort to reform the Libertarian Party versus the alternative of starting a new party from scratch.

2007-01-21 Live Free, Grow........ Or Die? by Tim Crowley. Presently, purists have been at the top of the hierarchy since the days of the smoke-filled Ayn Rand / Mike Wallace interview. In the name of internal consistency, they have dominated the doctrinal aspects of the party. They have created a hothouse flower environment for themselves at the expense of the Pragmatists and the nation. Purists trivialize the notion of compromise, even though that is the essence of politics.

2007-01-14 A New Approach to the LP Platform by The Ad Hoc Platform Subcommittee. An ad hoc subcommittee of the Libertarian Reform Caucus (LRC) has developed a new approach to the LP Platform.

2007-01-14 Short Platform B by Ad Hoc Yahoo Committee. A short platform with planks of 40 words or less.

2007-01-14 Short Platform A by Ad Hoc Yahoo Committee. Short platform containing planks of 20 words or less.

2006-11-10 Border Proposals by Jason Archer. Some proposals for LP immigration advocates on all sides of the debate to consider.

2006-11-10 The Good and the Tolerable by Devin Ray Freeman. Approval Voting lets you vote for more than one, but, even given the option to vote for more, most voters might vote for just one anyway. An Approval-like ranking system is proposed to encourage the people to vote for more than one.

2006-10-18 Rhetoric for a Land of the Freer by Devin Ray Freeman. To speak in the word choices of the major parties is defeatist. A liberty-talk think tank is needed to isolate and dispose of big government catchwords, and to identify and create good small government catchwords for our usage. Some guidelines, a model and examples are proposed to spark discussion on “framing” pro-liberty.

2006-09-08 A Glitch in Approval by Devin Ray Freeman. Approval Voting is very simple and opens real choices up to the voter. Approval has one big drawback. An added step is proposed to contend with that.

2006-08-20 Political Party or Protest Organization? by Carl Milsted. “Welcome to Bubba’s Auto Parts and Day Spa, the one-stop source for your car, truck, and personal beautification needs. We got yer rubbing compounds and exfoliating facial scrubs, motor oils and scented oils, paste wax and bikini wax. Relax in our steam room while we steam clean your engine....”

2006-08-20 Purists are from Mars; Pragmatists are from Venus by Tim Crowley. The LP is going through another phase of its product life cycle.

2006-08-20 A Proposal to Limit Congress' Power by Joseph Godwin.

Every law, or resolution having the force of law, shall relate to but one subject, and that shall be expressed in the title.

2006-08-20 Raise Hell...Strategically by Jason Archer. We must demonstrateand protest around issues that everyone in the country cares about.

2006-08-11 Anyone for a Bullet in the Foot? Instant Runoff! by Devin Ray Freeman. An explanation of what Instance Runoff Voting (IRV) is, and why it would be foolhardy for the LP or any freedom-minded party to support it.

2006-08-10 Promoting Libertarianism Through Charity by Jason Archer. We, as libertarians (big- or small- 'L'), could help promote our philosophy through charitable works.

2006-08-10 Bring Back the Draft by Tim Mahar. Let's find strong candidates for top offices that may not find us and encourage them to run as Libertarian candidates

2006-08-06 Is the LP Serious About Politics? by Lois Kaneshiki. The following essay was written by Lois Kaneshiki in 2002 when she was Chair of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania and At-Large member of the Libertarian National Committee. She had seriously ran in 1999 for county commissioner in Pennsylvania. It is re-posted here with her permission. This essay questions whether the LP is serious about first getting Libertarians in public office or first educating the electorate. This was the companion piece to the one entitled “Are LP Candidates Serious About Politics?” This one was entitled “Is the LP Serious About Politics” and thus is focused on the LP rather than Libertarian Candidates.

2006-06-01 Greetings from Ayn Rand by Garry Myers. What if Ayn Rand had gone into the greeting card industry? Imagine the artistic potential of applying Objectivism and the moral system of rational self-interest to a field notorious for being whimsical and/or maudlin…

2006-05-31 The Power of Mercy by Carl Milsted. The case for liberty can be found in this country's best-selling book—a book that sells even better than Atlas Shrugged.

2006-05-31 The Law of Liberty by Carl Milsted. Many libertarians who come from Objectivism or from the Left write off Christian fundamentalists as hopelessly authoritarian. This is a huge mistake. Christianity is fundamentally libertarian. In this essay the case for more liberty is made using the Old Testament.

2006-05-29 A Positive Libertarian Pledge by Ray Roberts. The Libertarian Party should clearly state its position on the use of force. The current Libertarian Pledge, stated in the negative, doesn't do it. I propose an alternative that states when the use of force is legitimate.

2006-05-17 The Other Foe of Free Enterprise by David Brin. Part IV of Political Totemism and the Danger of Metaphors. Socialism is not the only enemy of individualism, freedom and open-market enterprise. There are older, more dangerous foes that are all-too-often ignored by libertarians. History shows that freedom-lovers need to watch all parts of the horizon, not only the one small zone we were taught to worry about. In doing so, we will also gain credibility that can translate into political success.

2006-05-17 Chasing Liberty: A Missing Component by Estelle Edwards. We could create more libertarians by teaching non-libertarians legal strategies to avoid government.

2006-05-09 Proposed 2006 Manifesto of the Libertarian Reform Caucus by Kristan Overstreet. This is a proposal for the message we, as a group, will send to the Libertarian Party and all its supporters. The time has come to make our proposals concrete, declare what we want changed this year, and call on other libertarians, small-l and big-L, for their support.

2006-05-04 Event: Libertarian Party National Convention by Carl Milsted. The LP National Convention is July 1-2 (officially), in Portland Oregon.

2006-05-04 Are LP Candidates Serious About Politics? by Lois Kaneshiki. The following essay was written by Lois Kaneshiki when she was Chair of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania and At-Large member of the Libertarian National Committee. She had seriously ran in 1999 for county commissioner in Pennsylvania. It is re-posted here with permission. This essay questions whether LP candidates are serious about winning offices and the politics required to make change. It also asks whether the LP ia “political party” or just a philosophy club or think tank.

2006-04-25 It Takes Two to Compromise by Kristan Overstreet. Many people within the Libertarian Party claim that reformers and purists within the Party can work together towards electoral success. Unfortunately the purists and anarchists have no intention of working with us. Indeed, now that they know we reformers exist, they seek to drive us out of the Libertarian Party—by any means necessary.

2006-04-20 The Late Great Libertarian Bait and Switch by Carl Milsted. There are two definitions of the word "libertarian" out there. They are not consistent. One gets used to recruit and pump up our numbers. The other gets used internally. This constitutes a bait and switch.

2006-04-20 The Grand American Consensus by David Brin. Freedom and resistance to authority is deeply engrained in the American psyche. So why isn't libertarianism more popular? Part III in an ongoing series by author and science futurist David Brin

2006-04-14 Take the Money by jeremy owen. It is time to make a statment that the people can hear.

2006-03-18 Setting Priorities: What Changes Do We Push? by Kristan Overstreet. The national convention of the Libertarian Party is coming up very fast. We have dozens of proposals, proposals to replace, proposals to uphold, proposals to delete. What gets pushed first, and where?

2006-03-14 Change Mascot to Porcupine by Kevin Breen. The Libertarian Party should change its mascot from the Statue of Liberty to the porcupine.

2006-03-14 Preparing for the [Libertarian] Revolution by Lois Kaneshiki. Many Libertarians and LP candidates are woefully ignorant of what actually happens in government, even at the local level. They don't attend meetings or do much of anything else to actually know the opposition and how the system really works.

2006-03-14 The Neolibertarian Movement by Lance Kennedy. Let's investigate Neo-libertarianism.

2006-03-12 The Ultimate Goal by David Brin. Different political philosphies can have the same goal while prescribing different paths. Here, author and scientist David Brin makes the case that incremental improvement in a context of general individualism may be part of a long process of transformation that was first envisioned by Locke, an evolutionary process of gradually shifting from implicit to explicit social contracts. This is Part 2 of "Political Totemism and the Danger of Metaphors" by David Brin.

2006-03-03 A Short and Simple Essay On How To Reform The LP. by Michael Kresse. What the LP needs to do to start getting public attention.

2006-02-18 Models, Maps and Visions of Tomorrow by David Brin. Most libertarians know - far better than others - that the hoary old left-right political spectrum is worse than useless. Alas, some of the “better alternatives” only serve to muddy the waters. Here, scientist and science fiction author David Brin suggests a few new models that may be helpful... if taken with a grain of salt.

This is part 1 of “Political Totemism and the Danger of Metaphors.”

2006-02-12 Changing State Government from the Bottom Up by Joseph Swyers. As a small city councilman I learned what is possible for libertarians to change from the bottom up. The LP and nearly all Libertarians waste effort with national and state campaigns and ignore the much easier ways to get political change started—at the local level. This essay was originally posted on The Free State Project site in 2002 when I was a city councilman in Leadville, Colorado (pop. 2,800)

2006-01-29 Platform Change: Never Mind the What, Focus on the How! by Kristan Overstreet. It isn't enough to make proposals for change. As a caucus, we need to have some plan to make sure the changes get made.

2006-01-17 Historically Ironic Name: Federalists by Daryl Sawyer. Here, I propose a name that would make the historically minded laugh just enough to make it stick, is not presently in use (to the best of my knowledge), and could potentially unite people of many political persuesions.

2005-12-11 Vermont s 10/10/10 Plan by Hardy Machia. In July of 2005, the Vermont Libertarian Party implemented a plan to achieve state house victories in 2006. The details are included in two fund raiser included.

2005-12-11 How about Justice Party? by Carl Milsted. How about renaming the Libertarian Party to the Justice Party?

2005-11-23 Why disaffected Democrats may help us grow by A.R. Post. Believe it or not, a great source of potential libertarians can be found in the Democratic Party. The answer is to look for disaffected Dems, those unhappy with the modern party's autoritarian policies and poorly performing candidates.

2005-11-21 Using Legislation to Improve The Visibility and Viability of Our Candidates by Kenneth Crippen. Using the legislative process, our candidates will gain visibility and viability. We can also use this avenue to get libertarian ideas passed into law without electing a single candidate.

2005-10-09 Rothbard vs. Real Politics by Carl Milsted. Murray Rothbard advocated that Libertarians should never advocate compromise or incremental measures, that to do so is to legitimize the other side. The LP has tried his approach; it has been a disasterous experiment. Here is why. (Originally published at libertyforall.net)

2005-10-09 Atomic Libertarianism by Carl Milsted. Some government cuts have some serious side-effects. Others can be done to near term benefit. We ought to concentrate on the latter. (Originally published at libertyforall.net.)

2005-09-18 Rivalry and Excludability define what goods the government should provide or manage by Brian Holtz. Economics determines which goods should be supplied or regulated by government.

2005-09-13 The Case for Changing the Name of the Libertarian Party by John McDivitt. This brief "thought piece" is designed to stimulate thinking and discussion on another subject area which might be an impediment to the electoral progress of the politics of liberty.

2005-09-11 The Living Constitution by Myron Pauli. A one-act historical drama, taking place in Philadelphia, 1787 with ample assistance from present day personalities.

2005-07-10 Should We Completely Rewrite the Platform? by Carl Milsted. A polling question: Should we completely rewrite the platform? (vs. plank by plank changes)

2005-07-03 The Squyres Proposal: A Model for Change by Stephen Bach. A first look at George Squyres proposal. George Squyres, LNC representative, recently made a sweeping proposal to change how the LP is organized. This included eliminating dues, changing UMP, and more. Here is a first look.

2005-07-03 A Pledge for Officers and Candidates by Timothy West. Perhaps a Pledge should be just for candidates and officers.

2005-07-03 Harnessing the Power of the Internet by Stephen Bach. The Libertarian Party could make better use of the Internet. Here are some possibilities.

2005-07-02 There is More to do Than Changing the Platform by Myron Pauli. Even if we have a good platform, candidates can still fail.

2005-06-19 A Two-Pronged Strategy for the Libertarian Party by Bill Woolsey. A ten year strategy for getting Libertarians elected, starting from the bottom up.

2005-06-19 Good Old Supreme Court Rescues Mankind by Myron Pauli. A humor piece related to the Supreme Court's ruling on medical marijuana.

2005-06-17 Moderate or Radical? by Bill Woolsey. Just how moderate is "moderate libertarian" anyway?

2005-06-08 The Pledge Problem and How to Fix it by Phillip Schmitt. The current pledge produces a very narrow definition of "Libertarian." Here is a better approach.

2005-05-10 A Realistic Vision of Victory by Carl S. Milsted Jr.. Even with a reformed platform, and organization, the LP has a long way to go before it can run credible presidential candidates. Here is a much more reasonable milestone to shoot for, one which definitely moves our government in a libertarian direction.

2005-05-10 What it Takes to Win by Carl S. Milsted Jr.. Looks at why third parties usually fail in the United States, and then points out an inviting loophole. This article was originally published in the February 2005 issue of LP News.

2005-05-10 Incrementalating 102 by The Incrementalator. A metaphysical superhero reveals his secrets...

2005-05-10 Incrementalating 101 by The Incrementalator. How can a principled Libertarian advocate incremental steps without being dishonest? Here is the first in a series on the subject.

2005-05-04 Thoughts on Abortion by S. Michael Moore. A secular case for taking a more pro-life stance.

2005-05-05 Incremental Freedom by S. Michael Moore. Not being incremental carries a large price. Compares sound political strategy with sound investment strategy.

2005-04-02 Is it Time for the LP to Take a Moderate, Populist Approach? by Robert Capozzi. Argues that our market position should not only be more moderate, but also be more populist.

2004-12-12 Excuses for Liberty by Carl S. Milsted Jr.. The essay that started it all. Written several years ago and unsuccessfully submitted to Liberty, contains a complete manifesto for a more moderate approach to thinking about liberty. Perhaps a bit long, and the writing could be more polished, but this essay was the launching point of several projects including Holisticpolitics.org and this site.

2004-12-22 What is a Political Platform? by Carl S. Milsted Jr.. Looks at the difference between a political manifesto and a political platform.

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