Harry Browne, not sitting on his ass, has plans for the future

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Harry Browne plans to set up new non-profit educational foundation

With the presidential election over, Harry Browne plans to launch an educational foundation to "carry the libertarian message to Americans everywhere through national TV and radio advertising," he has announced.

His new organization, the non-partisan, non-profit Foundation for Libertarian Education (FLE), will be based in northern Virginia.

"The foundation will promote aggressively the benefits of ending the Drug War, downsizing government dramatically, repealing the income tax, freeing you immediately from Social Security, repealing the gun laws, and other important libertarian proposals," said Browne.

FLE will also fill a currently vacant niche in the libertarian movement, he said.

"Libertarian think tanks and other policy organizations don't do this sort of thing; they exist to influence legislators or to provide information to those who ask for it," said Browne. "The LP is the closest thing we have to an aggressive national outreach organization, but it's hampered in that mission by campaign finance laws and by the lack of a tax-exempt status.

"The Advocates for Self-Government is the only aggressive [outreach] organization I know of -- and its role basically is to help libertarians sell our ideas on a person-to-person basis. The libertarian movement needs an organization that can carry the libertarian message, uninvited, to Americans everywhere through national TV and radio advertising."

FLE should be incorporated and have a website online before the end of the year, said Perry Willis, Browne's former campaign manager and one of the co-founders of the new foundation.

FLE's first planned activity: To start running a series of hard-hitting libertarian television ads, said Willis.

"For the first year or so our entire attention will be focused on paid media and 'free' media outreach," he said. "Other kinds of activities may be added later, but we want to firmly establish our core functions first."

With its advertisements, the foundation "will communicate libertarian ideas directly to the general public in a way that will not require people to make a decision to explore our ideas through their own efforts," said Willis. "Television ads allow for that, and they are also cheaper per person reached than any other outreach tool.

"Our mission is to make the word 'libertarian,' and libertarian ideas, known to all Americans via the mechanism of TV ads on single issues."

Over the next several years, FLE hopes to become "a ubiquitous presence on everyone's TV set," said Willis. "We hope to build to that level over time, expanding our visibility and the number of people we reach with every passing year."

The foundation has already produced three TV ads on the gun issue, and plans to produce at least two more in January or February," he said.

"We will work on a group of ads on the drug issue after that, and then move on to other issues," said Willis.

Since FLE is a non-profit group, "there are no contribution limits, contributions will be tax deductible (once we are approved by the IRS), and we can also raise money for our single issue ads from non-libertarian sources," he said. "For example, we will meet with gun manufacturers to gain funding for our gun ads, and will also do direct mail to gun lists."

FLE hopes to get its first ads on the air as early as Spring 2001, said Willis.

In addition to the foundation, Browne said he hopes to have a regular radio show and possibly a syndicated newspaper column to promote libertarianism.

"I also hope to give many speeches to non-libertarian audiences. And I will be starting to work very soon on a new book on the Drug War," he said.

For information about Browne's other post-election activities, visit www.HarryBrowne.org.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), November 29, 2000

Answers

The time has come today! Four years from now, a third party will rock the political world! Check out the Libertarian Party. I'm not saying they have all the answers to the problems of this complex society, but they do have a handle on protecting the Constitution for future generations. Mark my words, a third party presidency will rule 4 years from now.

-- Mrs. Cleaver (Mrs. Cleaver@LITBBBB.xcom), November 29, 2000.

OK, let's get nitty-gritty. How would Libertarians dismantle the Leviathan State if they ever got the chance? (which they won't)

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), November 30, 2000.

SHOULDA been named Foundation for Libertarian Education Association........



Night train

-- night train (nighttr@in.lane), November 30, 2000.


Lars,

it seems to me the 1st thing to do,is to discontinue knee jerk legislation,then peeling back and doing away with the mess that has been created.This giant wasn't created in a week and will not be dismantled in a week.

I realize that this a very simple answer to a very complex question,it will not be an easy task but I think we can do it.

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), November 30, 2000.


Capn--

Don't get me wrong; I think there are many layers of accumulated government to undue. (not all government, but much of it). But, realistically, this will be resisted mightily by those, including the middle-class, when their favorite programs are threatened. Truly reducing government size in one grand move would be hugely painful for many and a creeping-Libertarianism would be resisted and obstructed to death. I am not optimistic.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), November 30, 2000.



I would have loved to see Browne as president, but this sure is an unusual campaign strategy.

"With the presidential election over, Harry Browne plans to launch an educational foundation to "carry the libertarian message to Americans everywhere through national TV and radio advertising," he has announced."

Why in God's name did they wait until the election is over? Oh well, at least they'll have an early start for 2004, but they better save some money to campaign in 2003.

-- Seeker (searching@low.and.high), November 30, 2000.


Perhaps because the message would have been drowned out by the deluge of advertising by the two major parties.

-- Rich (howe9@shentel.net), November 30, 2000.

Does anybody know how many votes the Libs got this election compared to the '96 election?

-- Mr. Happy (happy@cdo.net), November 30, 2000.

Mr H,

"With more than 99% of the precincts reporting as of November 22 -- but with some absentee ballots still to be counted -- Browne and vice presidential candidate Art Olivier won 382,869 votes, or about 0.4% of the total, according to the Associated Press."

"Presidential Votes: We won 485,120 votes for president, the second- largest total in party history. This represents a 60 percent increase over 1992."

Source:Libetarian web site,http://www.lp.org.

Seeker,

" Why in God's name did they wait until the election is over? Oh well, at least they'll have an early start for 2004, but they better save some money to campaign in 2003."

As I understand it it's a way to use Harry's name and connections to further the Libertarian Party,as he will not be seeking the office again and is as stated an outreach that should be started now and not in the thick of an election.

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), November 30, 2000.


Thanks, Capnfun.

I don't know why I didn't think of going to the LP's web site in the first place as it would be the obvious place to look... ;-)

On a serious note - Not to bash the Libertarians but I don't think they'll ever really be a serious threat to the two major parties. Harry Browne has probably been their most eloquent representative to date but he did better in 1996 than today. Anyone have any ideas on why that happened?

Maybe the Libs could persuade Jesse Ventura to run on the Libertarian Party ticket in 2004. That is about the only chance I see of them winning the White House any time in the near future.

-- Mr. Happy (happy@cdo.net), November 30, 2000.



If Harry could support and articulate a plan similar to the one I just posted in the "Question for Deedah..." thread, IMO things would be much more promising for the Libertarians.

-- eve (eve_rebekah@yahoo.com), November 30, 2000.

*IF* he is Not sitting on his ass, what IS he sitting on?

um, nevermind.

-- sumer (shh@aol.con), December 01, 2000.


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