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Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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Downsizing the beast The American Liberty Foundation has an hilarious advert in progress called “Suzie and the Senator” which you can listen to here. They have previously produced some of the best Second Amendment adverts that have ever aired and are now targetting Washington DC with intent to Down Size.
If you like what you hear, you may make a donation via the website. It is up to you to ensure “Suzie and the Senator” and ALF’s other marvelous adverts go on the air.
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Who Are We? The Samizdata people are a bunch of sinister and heavily armed globalist illuminati who seek to infect the entire world with the values of personal liberty and several property. Amongst our many crimes is a sense of humour and the intermittent use of British spelling.
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Great Ad !!
Yes, good ads all. Unfortunately, since the American Liberty Foundation is a creation of Harry Browne and friends — many of the same bunch who raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for LP presidential campaigns in 1996 and 2000, but failed to spend even $100,000 on placement of ads on TV and radio — don’t get too excited over the prospect of those ads being broadcast except, maybe, in a handful of cities.
Since they have already aired previous ad series and have even won some awards for one of the 2nd Amendment ones, I think the answer is yes, they are doing a fine job.
When one starts knocking someone else’s efforts to create a free society, my first reaction is to ask exactly what has the naysayer personally accomplished.
If you think their effort is insufficient, then I’d love to see you do better. A market in getting high quality adverts could do us all good. Sour grapes gets us no where.
I’ve some problems with ALF (think “Revisionist History”) but I still recognize that 90% of what they are doing is better than what 90% of the rest of the Party put together is doing.
I would gladly apologize for my remarks if presented with reasonably reliable information that the ALF uses a significant percentage of contributions for broadcasting of its admittedly good ads. If you thought the Browne presidential campaign teams used contributions well, and purchased ad broadcast time in amounts one would find reasonable for campaigns which raised as much money as they did, great; contribute to ALF.
What would I hope to accomplish with “naysaying” remarks? Well, if those remarks cause someone to reconsidering contributing to ALF — pending reliable evidence that ALF does a far better job airing ads than did the Browne campaigns — and said potential contributors exert pressure on ALF to commit to spending a significant percentage of revenue on broadcasting of ads, super. Absent such evidence, consider making pro-liberty contributions to more established organizations such as IHS, Cato, Reason, or local anti-tax referenda efforts, or organizations such as the Institute for Justice. [Notice I did not include the national Libertarian Party.] Most of us only have so much discretionary income to donate, so why not exercise discernment when doing so?
“Getting high quality adverts” is one thing. Actually using them on something other than a nominal scale is another.
[Oh, as to what this naysayer might ever have accomplished: I was named 1998 Florida Libertarian of the Year for leadership efforts resulting in a change in the state constitution which resulted in equal ballot-access laws, saving the LP and Browne campaigns about $50,000 they otherwise would have had to expend in 1999 and 2000. I served four years on a local soil and water conservation board, defending property rights and opposing local enviro-fascists. I have written white papers and news releases for LP gubernatorial, public service commission, and state legislative candidates. I have spoken before city councils, county commissions, and state legislative committees on behalf of pro-liberty positions. Others have done more, but I have certainly done my bit as well.]