Grand Strategy for Libertarians
… in an era of wanton federal crimes and terror… as the full subtitle reads. What I’m trying to do with Leaving the Sandbox (LTS) is develop a virtually foolproof strategy or ‘high plan’ for Libertarian Party state and local affiliates. In addition to the roughly 80 pages of the actual strategy, this book includes another 100 pages or so of appendices consisting of pertinent writings from my Coffee Coaster commentary Website. These provide references to the varied thinking behind the articulated strategy. I also try to pose practical leads for each affiliate to establish workable, effective business plans of their own.
A Summary of Contents:
- The Columbus Statement—Drawn from a two-page summary ‘argument’ I made at the Michigan LP convention in May 2014, serves as an overview of proposed strategy and practice.
- “Heal Yourself, Heal the World”—To be of any political use to others, we must strive for our own ‘deeper-qualities’ fulfillment; being the best you can be brings out the best in others.
- Better Mousetrap—Per Bucky Fuller observation, to defeat Leviathan (whether public schools, ‘justice’ system, transportation, etc.) build a “shining alternative on the hill.”
- Good Neighbor Libertarian—The essence of Leaving the Sandbox (LTS) strategy; everyone who can becomes a friendly leader in the community, creates the empowered, nonaggression way.
- Keeping the Band Together—Nuts and bolts LP and affiliates do not change under LTS; we change: We monitor the Old while preparing to assume office in the voluntary New.
- Raising the Torch—As Libertarians we stand for something. The organization becomes informed on all major issues of the day, testifies, resolves, and educates. We never shut up!
- We, the Jury!—(From the title of Mickey Spillane’s classic I, the Jury.) The grand jury and trial jury are powerful tools to arrest runaway US fascism or statism. Jury power is people power.
The business plan elements are interwoven with the setting forth of the more abstract strategic concepts. LTS starts by identifying the underlying problem(s) with current LP strategy—the circular strategy of supporting the party, in order to run candidates, in order to support the party, etc. Of course the candidates and the party ‘believe in liberty.’ We also lose crushingly every two years and the party is considered hopeless and distracting, even by many of its erstwhile advocates. The LTS strategy instead plays to our strengths.
The Nature of ‘the System’
LTS proposes a two-pronged approach described by the phrase: empowerment and accountability… where the former applies to the people and the latter applies to the political power structure—increasingly engaging in willful misconduct (now to the point of democide). I propose that the true nature of the political system is pictured in the figure on the right. I then list 12 categories of ‘Egregious Acts of Aggression’ or crimes inflicted by the Power on the people. Seeing these 12 categories as distinctly fixable by grassroots action, I derive an ideal action character to lead the remediation of the so-called Dirty Dozen (and a myriad of other wrongdoing by the establishment). I call my action hero a Good Neighbor Libertarian (GNL, pronounced Genial).
The Good Neighbor Libertarian
What I’m talking about in the chapter (3) is ‘working inside the system,’ as amiably as possible—yet never forgetting that our mission is to use our knowledge of the workings of the Old Paradigm system to transfer good practices to the New Paradigm’s noncoercive alternative system. Also, to get to know and to cultivate good people who care and have a sense of responsibility to the community. That is, make friends and influence people.
The Good Neighbor Libertarian steps up to the plate to help the people and help confused or stuck public officials. We open the door and let in the sunshine of freedom. We learn and practice good Dale Carnegie principles and simple common sense to show public officials the life-saving, people-saving alternatives that these officials have often lost connection with. We connect them to the positive energy of practical freedom and in so doing lead them toward sane, responsible—almost always minimalist—government behavior.
The Rest of the Story
The remainder of the book describes how to keep the party structure intact while creating a controlled positive feedback loop for the proliferation of GNLs through all levels and layers of political activity. Two key fallouts of the GNL energizing circuit are learning and asserting ‘the Law’ while proceeding to form grand juries inside the system—in a manner that reeducates both public officials and the people to the people’s inherent power—”to investigate and indict ‘willful misconduct in office’ by public officials.” The people rise in peace and justice.
Leaving the Sandbox thru its policy of having every individual become a system-connected activist blasts thru the barrier posed by bureaucratic, purist, or social-club affiliates who unconsciously go to great lengths not to truly encourage anyone to do anything useful or of public importance. The LTS strategy stands to change affiliate meetings into dynamos of motivation and proud sharing of solid liberty achievements in the community.
Obtaining Leaving the Sandbox from the Author
I have intentionally set the Kindle e-book price of the book low to encourage easy access and, I hope, positive review. If you want a signed copy of the book in the mail, please contact me at brian@brianrwright.com to make arrangements to send me $15 in return. Finally, you may pay me via PayPal by clicking the following icon, being sure to include your ‘shipping address’ in the form.