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Deb Wells [Message]

Hello, I'm your contact until we find an interim state coordinator for your state. If you know someone who would like to be interim state coordinator, please let me know.

In 2010, State Legislators will be in Session from February-May.  Get to know your legislators and what they have in store for you - click "State Legislature Page" above for general information.  Frequently asked questions are answered here.  Read the BILLS that will come up in the House & Senate this year - search here.  Will they possibly affect you, your family, your friends?  If so, visit the State Capitol, meet your representatives, talk to them before the bill comes up in Committee, then if you are able, attend the public committee hearings and have your say.

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Welcome to the C4L Connecticut page - We are the Constitution State!

Our Governor is Jodi Rell (R).

Other state officials are currently as follows:

• Office of Lt. Governor Michael Fedele
• Office of the State Treasurer, Denise Nappier
• Office of the State Comptroller, Nancy Wyman
• Office of the Connecticut Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal
• Office of the Secretary of the State, Susan Bysiewicz

State Maps:

• CT Congressional Districts ( pdf | gif )
• CT State Senate Districts ( pdf | gif )
• CT House of Representatives Districts ( pdf | gif )

Connecticut Political Parties:

• Republican Party
• Democratic Party
• Libertarian Party
• Green Party

My Speech At the Norwich, CT Tea Party Posted by wgreen

Posted 07/05/09

I set up a table for C4L at the Norwich, CT July 4th Tea Party.  The Norwich Bulletin reported 500 attendees to the rally.  We gained 31 new contacts.  Here is the text of my speech: 

I don't know about you, but I feel oppressed.  I feel oppressed by my government.  I feel oppressed by a government that every day takes away a little more of my freedom. 

Louis Carabini says there are two kinds of people in the world:  "There are those inclined to liberty-freedom of the individual to live his or her life in any peaceful way.  And there are those who are inclined to mastery-permitting others to live their lives only as another sees fit." 

Our current government, and those who support it, appear to be the second type.  They are inclined to mastery.  They believe that they can and should be ruled over and rule over others.  These are the Statists, who believe in the power of the state to provide for them and take care of them and run their lives.  And, as Etienne de la Boetie wrote, "they tend to enslave themselves." 

Why do they do this?  Perhaps it is because, as Frederic Bastiat said, "there is a tendency that is common among people.  When they can, they wish to live at the expense of others... Man can live and satisfy his wants only by ceaseless labor; by the ceaseless application of his faculties to natural resources.  This process is the origin of property.  But it is also true that man may live and satisfy his wants by seizing and consuming the products of the labor of others.  This process is the origin of plunder. "

What we are seeing today is what Bastiat called "legal plunder", when the people plunder each other through legislation.  The law should be a tool for the protection of life, liberty, and property, but it has been perverted into a tool for theft.  Maybe this is why some people favor mastery-because they think it will get them what they want. 

Or maybe it is because they know that freedom brings responsibility.  George Bernard Shaw said, "Liberty means responsibility.  That is why most men dread it."  You see, as Robert Welch wrote, "The real freedom of any individual can always be measured by the amount of responsibility which he must assume for his own welfare and security."  And as the author of Dreams Come Due explained, "Any time we seek to avoid the painful parts of responsibility by shifting them to someone else, we automatically surrender, by default, our freedom and thus any chance for rewards."

Folks, this is where we are today.  America is full of people who are running from responsibility and looking to make their living off of other peoples labor.

But there is another type of person.  This is the kind of person who is here today-a remnant among the stupefied and subdued masses.  This person knows he is free.  He knows he is responsible.  And he loves it.  He knows that true fulfillment can only be found in free action and self-determination.  He knows there is no value in forced charity or stolen labor.   As Boetie wrote, "Even if liberty had entirely perished from the earth, such men would invent it.  For them, slavery has no satisfactions, no matter how well disguised."

These are true men and women.  This is what makes man different from beast:  reasoned self-determination.  He is the thinking, acting, individual.  The willing slave has sacrificed his own will and existence and become part of the swarm, a cog in a machine, an unthinking beast.

These are dark times, when the masses seem to be plunging headlong into this abyss of slavery.  And what can be done?  We can educate ourselves and those we know in the principles of liberty-advance the cause of liberty one mind at a time.  This is the goal of the Campaign for Liberty.  You can sign up at our table to get on our mailing list.  We will be holding regular meetings to watch and discuss films, learn and strengthen ourselves and each other.  As Brian Summers wrote:

"When the ideal goal is far from the everyday reality-as in the case of the freedom ideal-the student of liberty doesn't despair. His ultimate goal isn't tomorrow's Congressional vote or next year's election. He is striving to work on the highest possible plane-his own understanding and exposition of the freedom philosophy. Self-improvement along these lines is a full-time job. There is no time to be disheartened when the political winds seem to blow against us. Self- improvement is enormously satisfying. And it is fun!"

And the "Truth will out!"  Truth has a way of revealing itself.  It will not be suppressed forever.

Who knows, maybe we can succeed in cleaning out Washington, voting out every Statist and voting in freedom-loving folks who value the rights of the individual over their own political careers.  And if not, we can still fight.  Mohandas Gandhi led India to independence with peaceful noncooperation and civil disobedience.  He called it satyagraha.  I am afraid it may come to this, this slide toward socialism has gained such momentum.  It may require that the John Galts, the Atlases on whose labor and ingenuity our society rests, withdraw their support, so that the sham of socialism, which cannot support itself, comes crumbling down.   

Whichever path lies before us, a scene from the final movie of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is appropriate.  The men of Gondor and Rohan are assembled before the Black Gate of Mordor, and the dark hordes are pouring out the gate.  They are ridiculously outnumbered.  Aragorn, their leader, stands before them and encourages them with a short speech which I have adapted to our circumstances:

Men and women of Norwich, my brothers and sisters, I can see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.  A day may come when the courage of men fails, when all men lay down and resign to servitude under the yoke of socialism-but it is not this day.  A day may come when all surrender their arms and submit, like the beasts they have become, to their government masters.  A day may come when man as man is dead, when man is fully and finally reduced to beast, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day.  And we are not those men!  This day we fight!  By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand Sons of Liberty!

(Thanks to Jen Ezzell for coordinating the Tea Party and allowing me to come and speak.)

Is Freedom Worth Fighting For? Can You Sell Freedom To a Starving Man? Posted by wgreen

Posted 06/03/09

What is more important, freedom, or food?  Is "live free or die" a reasonable attitude?   If given the choice between death and slavery, which would be the most reasonable?

Such questions can be used to justify acquiescence to tyranny.   Tyrants always make such offers, implicitly or explicitly.   They can also be used to justify socialism, if it is imagined that socialism can lead to greater physical well being for the greatest number, ending starvation, etc.  It can be argued that it is right for some freedom to be sacrificed in order to ensure survival or even a minimum level of comfort and security. 

So what is the reasonable response to these questions?  Let's begin at the beginning. The only reasonable motivation for doing anything is to increase one's own sense of fulfillment.  Such fulfillment comes notonly (or even primarily) through physical pleasure (the highest levels of fulfillment are found in virtue).  The question then becomes, which would bring more fulfillment, death with freedom, or food with slavery?  Maybe it depends on the individual, but I think we can analyze this a bit from an "objective" standpoint. 

It is clear that food and life are not always more valuable than the alternative.  For example, if you had to choose between starvation and murder, you should most certainly choose starvation, since life as a murderer must be worse than death with honor.  In fact, we can probably say that our physical lives have no value to us in and of themselves.  Rather, fulfillment gives value to life.

So the question is whether one can find sufficient fulfillment as  a slave to make life worth living.  The answer would seem to be yes.  Even in the concentration camp, some found meaning and fulfillment (Corrie Ten Boom, Victor Frankl).  Therefore, one might choose slavery over death. 

It may seem that this means we should never choose freedom over life, since there may always be the possibility of fulfillment in life.  But I do not think this is the case.  It comes down to a comparison.  As Hazlitt says, we should seek to exchange a less satisfactory state of affairs for a more satisfactory state of affairs.  If there is a good chance of successfully resisting enslavement, and if the slavery is particularly severe, then I may decide that the disparity in potential fulfillment is worth the risk.  On the other hand, if the slavery is mild, and there is little chance of escape, I may decide to acquiesce.   In addition, I may consider the effect of the effect of my actions upon others and the fulfillment or loss thereof that action or inaction may cause.  If I could save others from slavery, then this may produce greater fulfillment and shift the equation in favor of resistance.

Some may say that acceptance of any degree of slavery is not acceptable, and that freedom must be pursued absolutely.  But I don't think this is reasonable.  Freedom is only of value inasmuch as it enhances fulfillment.

Therefore, freedom should only be sacrificed when and if it becomes evident that there is a greater chance for greater fulfillment through acquiescence. 

Does this mean that socialism is desirable because it sacrifices freedom for physical comfort and security?  No, even if socialism did produce greater comfort and security than freedom.   Even if socialism would end starvation (which it would not), it is not reasonable to infringe on the liberty of some in order to provide food (or some minimum level of comfort) for others.  While I, as an individual, may elect slavery over starvation, that does not mean that I have a right to enslave another in order to secure my own or another's food.  Just as I should not, if I wish to lead a full life, murder another to feed myself, so I should not enslave another to feed myself (or them).  Thus, though freedom may not be the highest value, it does not follow that it can be sacrificed by a third party.  Even if it were clear that freedom should be less highly valued than some minimum level of comfort, it would not be clear that I would find greater fulfillment in making that choice for another.  In other words, even if I truly know what is best for the person, it is not clear that I would find fulfillment in overriding that person's will in order to force it upon them.

And in fact, I may not know what is best for them.

And in fact, socialism is not what is best for them, since it is free markets, not socialism, that enhances general well being.  Socialism leads to degradation, as has been replicated in history.

Video: Peter Schiff gives the Libertarian Party some tough medicine - "We Need to Influence the GOP!" Posted by MRoCkEd

Posted 05/31/09 Last updated 05/31/09

Peter Schiff, keynote speaker at the LP of CT Convention, tells the audience that it is a waste of resources running as a minor party. "We haven't won anything in 40 years" and "we don't have another 40 years to try." Instead, he recommends joining the Republican party while it is in shambles in order to expand the influence of the libertarian wing.

I hope Peter Schiff leads by example and runs for senate.

Seattle Freedom Celebration (5/22/09) Posted by MRoCkEd

Posted 05/26/09 Last updated 05/31/09

2009 Campaign for Liberty Seattle Conference 

Evening program "Freedom Celebration" with Ron Paul and Thomas Woods

Podcast:

http://podcasts.tvw.org/200905/2009050124.mp3

Ask Peter Schiff questions live at the 2009 Libertarian Party of CT convention Posted by Andrew Sica

Posted 05/27/09 Last updated 05/28/09

I've received the following release from the Libertarian Party of Connecticut. This Saturday 5/30 from 3pm to 10pm is the Libertarian Party of CT 2009 convention. Peter Schiff, Karen Kwiatkowski and Katherine Albercht will be speaking at the event.

For those unable to attend, you will have the opportunity to still participate and ask questions via the magic of the internet ;). This is a great way for us to ask Peter about his potential Senate run, about liberty, the Constitution, and more! Karen and Katherine are both very well known and experts on issues important to the Campaign for Liberty.

Here is the event schedule for those wishing to view on the internet:

Convention AGENDA:

3:00 Doors Open

3:15 Business Meeting Called to Order

3:45 Close of Business Meeting. Chairman's address to the convention.

4:15 Dr. Karen Kwiatkowski

5:15 Dr. Katherine Albrecht

6:15-7:45 Dinner and Conversation

7:45-9:00 Peter Schiff

Please see the below press release for more details.

Bridgeport, CT - On Saturday, May 30th, the Libertarian Party of Connecticut (LPCT) will hold their annual convention at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Although 2009 is not an election year, the convention is generating a great deal of interest due to the impressive lineup of speakers - including potential Senate candidate Peter Schiff. Schiff, a Darien resident, is the founder of Euro Pacific Capital and the well known author of "Crash Proof" and "The Little Book for Bull Moves in Bear Markets".

Other featured speakers include:
· Karen Kwiatkowski, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who became a noted critic of military intelligence leading to the Iraq war . Karen writes for a variety of web sites and journals, including regular articles on LewRockwell.com.

· Katherine Albrecht, a sought after campaigner and expert on privacy issues, who hosts a daily syndicated radio show.

The event will kick off at 3pm with the speakers appearing at varying times throughout the night (a schedule is available at LPCT.org). Tickets for the event are still available for $45, which includes a buffet style dinner reception.

For the first time ever, those unable to attend in person will still have the option of participating in the LPCT convention via the internet. The convention will be broadcast live on ustream using the LPCTTV show. This video feed will also be available directly from the official website of the Libertarian Party of Connecticut, LPCT.org.

The LPCT will also be taking questions for the scheduled speakers via Twitter. Those wishing to submit questions and receive updates live from the event should "follow" (twitter speak for monitoring a user) LPCT2009. Please use hashtag #LPCT2009 for questions.