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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: South Tyrolean People's Party, Union for South Tyrol, Greens, the Libertarians, Lega Nord Sud Tirolo, South Tyrolean Freedom, List of Political Parties in the Province of Bolzano-Bozen, Social Democratic Party of South Tyrol, Unitalia, Democratic Union of Alto Adige, Party of Independents, Social Progressive Party of South Tyrol, Democratic Party of South Tyrol, South Tyrolean Homeland Federation, Freedom Party of South Tyrol, Tyrolean Homeland Party, Ladins Political Movement. Excerpt:The Democratic Party of South Tyrol ( Demokratische Partei Südtirol , DPS) is a minor regionalist liberal , green and social-democratic political party active in the Province of Bolzano . The party was founded in 1997, as a continuation of the Social Democratic Party of South Tyrol , and was led by Roland Girardi. For the 1998 provincial election DPS formed a joint list with the Ladins Political Movement , while five years later they supported the Greens . As of 2008 most of its members have joined the Greens and thus the future of the party is unclear. Websites (URLs online) References (URLs online) A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at The Democratic Union of Alto Adige ( Unione Democratica dell'Alto Adige ) was a Italian-speaking christian-democratic Italian political party active in the Province of Bolzano , which has been Alto Adige's sister party of the Trentino Democratic People's Union . Its long-time leader is Luigi Cigolla. The party emerged in 1993 when it won 1.7 % in the provincial election . In 2003 provincial election the party took part to an alliance with Democracy is Freedom The Daisy and the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats named "Autonomist Union". The coalition won 3.7 % and got Luigi Cigolla elected to the Provincial Council. Cigolla was also appointed provinci... ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Reason, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2007. The length of the article is 1424 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Bob Barr and the Libertarians: a former republican congressman joins a third party.(Column)
Author: David Weigel
Publication: Reason (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 38Issue: 10Page: 14(2)

Article Type: Column

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Libertarianism is both a philosophy and a political view. The key concepts defining Libertarianism are: Individual Rights as inherent to human beings, not granted by government; a Spontaneous Order through which people conduct their daily interactions and through which society is organized independent of central (government) direction; the Rule of Law which dictates that everyone is free to do as they please so long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others; a divided and Limited Government, checked by written constitution; Free Markets in which price and exchange is agreed upon mutually by individuals; Virtue of Production whereby the productive labour of the individual and any translation of that labour into earnings belongs, by right, to the individual who should not have to sacrifice those earnings to taxes; and Peace which has, throughout history, most commonly been disrupted by the interests of the ruling class or centralized government. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

I love this book!
Except for the part about abortion.

The woman may own the body, but that does not mean that body the child doesn't own its body. Seems like body ownership would be a clearly self defeating argument when invoked to justify abortion rights.

Think about this scenario. You're crossing a tiny wooden plank bridge. A nutcase runs up to you and places an infant on your shoulders and runs away.

Now the infant obviously has no right to rest upon your shoulders. But if you shake the child off, you are 100% certain it will fall through the planks in the bridge and die.

Does that give it a right to rest upon your shoulders? No. Do you have an obligation to carry the child to safety? No.

But I believe it does prevent you from taking action which would result in harm to the child.

Anyhow, beside that, it's an awesome treatise.

Contractarian libertarianism
Narvesons book on the moral foundations of libertarianism is needed because freedom has been to highly connected to utilitarian philosophy, a connection that viewed in isolation I think is bad for the libertariancause. His arguments are largely good, although there is a problem with allcontractual thinking that he does not avoid. What you get out of thecontactual situation is already implied in the premisses. His arguments forself- ownership should not be dependent upon the outcome of the contractualsituation, but be based on an independent moral argument. I think that ispossible, and if so than you can deduce the libertarian etics, thenonaggression axiom

Contractarian libertarianism
Narvesons book on the moral foundations of libertarianism is needed because freedom has been to highly connected to utilitarian philosophy, a connection that viewed in isolation I think is bad for the libertariancause. His arguments are largely good, although there is a problem with allcontractual thinking that he does not avoid. What you get out of thecontactual situation is already implied in the premisses. His arguments forself- ownership should not be dependent upon the outcome of the contractualsituation, but be based on an independent moral argument. I think that ispossible, and if so than you can deduce the libertarian etics, thenonaggression axiom

An Excellent Justification (?) of Libertarianism
Drawing on the recent work of David Gauthier, Jan Narveson has set out to provide libertarianism the foundations missing from Nozick's _Anarchy, State, and Utopia_.

In Part I, Narveson sets out to clarify thelibertarian thesis, and in doing so, rescue it from charges of incoherence. This mainly involves a detailed refutation of the idea that by acquiringunowned property, one is infringing on the liberties of everyone else. Narveson also probes the negative / positive rights distinction and takeson the task of defining "liberty."This section is, ofnecessity, somewhat technical and nit-picky.

In Part II, Narvesonexamines the idea of moral foundations.He offers arguments against thestripe of intuitionism involving weird non-natural properties,utilitarianism, and any moral theory wherein moral facts are somehowperceived by intuition.In contrast, Narveson appeals to a social contracttheory of morality, wherein moral principles are necessarily such that theywould be agreed to by anyone in an amoral world.This is pretty strictHobbesian stuff, minus the Sovereign solution to social problems.Narvesonuses the rigorous work of Gauthier and a smattering of game theory toexplain and clarify contractarianism and defend it againstcounterarguments.Finally, he offers general grounds for the plausibilityof the libertarian thesis as an agreeable normative theory.

In Part III,Narveson examines all sorts of reasons for expanding the state past thatsize and function which the libertarian will accept (if, indeed, any stateat all will be justified).Public goods theory, egalitarian "socialjustice" concerns, insurance "guaranteed minimum" arguments,etc.This section is less technical than the others, as Narveson is ableto draw on a variety of reasons for supposing a state solution to be a poorone.

Overall, _The Libertarian Idea_ is a thorough and interesting read(made all the more so by Narveson's engaging prose and sense of humor).Iwould recommend it highly to anyone seeking a philosophical examination andjustification of libertarianism.

The best book on libertarianism ever
Jan Narveson's "Libertarian Idea," is the best book on libertarianism ever written. Narveson's goal is to lay the ethical foundations for libertarianism that seem absent in Robert Nozick's morefamous libertarian book, "Anarchy, State and Utopia." Startingwith the social contract theories of Thomas Hobbes and throwing in a bit ofgame theory, Narveson succeeds quite well, avoiding some of thenaturalistic pitfalls of Ayn Rand, Murray Rothbard and other libertarianswho follow Aristotle's philosophical tradition. Put simply, Narveson asks,what kind of ethical rules would we invent to keep from killing ourselvesin an amoral state of nature? Since we all have different goals anddesires, the only way for us all to live in peace -- and have the bestchance at obtaining our individual visions of happiness -- is to adopt themost pluralistic rules possible. Thus, libertarianism, which insists onlythat we respect each others lives, liberty and property, is the minimalmoral standard necessary for a civil society. No one else has said it sowell. Hopefully, this book will soon find its way back into print. ... Read more

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Chapters: Outright Libertarians, Libertarians for Life, Libertarian Reform Caucus, Lpradicals, Rothbard Caucus, Libertarian National Congressional Committee. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 26. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Outright Libertarians is an association in the United States of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and other self-identified "queer" (LGBTQ) people who are active in the Libertarian Party. The group's motto is "From Liberty Springs Equality." Outright Libertarians was created in 1998 by a group of libertarian gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons that wanted to persuade their fellow LGBTQ persons to support a libertarian perspective on gay rights issues, and to support the United States Libertarian Party. It is the third LGBT organization of the Libertarian Party, with the defunct "Libertarians for Gay and Lesbians Concerns" being the first, and the "Gays and Lesbians for Individual Liberty" being largely inactive since 2001. The group supports the Libertarian Party's positions (which have remained the same since the party's first platform in 1972) on including equal marriage and adoption, equal military service, and the end of sodomy laws. Due to its philosophical basis in libertarianism, the organization is often in the position of having to oppose civil rights legislation for involving what it contends are intrusive and unnecessary government regulations into private affairs. This opposition often places it at odds with proponents of so-called expanded protections for sexual minorities. As a grassroots organization, Outright Libertarians frequently hosts forums, participates in debates on LGBTQ issues, encourages debate and discussion on its blog, issues press releases and statements of position, and surveys Libertarian candidates about thei...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=3980015 ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from The New American, published by American Opinion Publishing, Inc. on September 15, 2008. The length of the article is 3051 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Libertarian alternative: Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party's standard-bearer, speaks about his quest for the presidency.(Interview)
Author: W.W. "Chip" Wood
Publication: The New American (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 15, 2008
Publisher: American Opinion Publishing, Inc.
Volume: 24Issue: 19Page: 19(4)

Article Type: Interview

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Volume 13 in the "Major Conservative and Libertarian thinkers" series focuses on F.A. Hayek, the influential member of the Austrian School of Economics. Hayek (1899-1992), winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, was an influential 20th century economist and political philosopher. Preferring to be identified as what Edmund Burke called an "Old Whig", amongst his most important contributions are his writings on capital theory and the business cycle, as well as his political theory works, The Constitution of Liberty and Law, Legislation and Liberty, in both of which he defended the idea of limited government. "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" provides comprehensive accounts of the works of seminal conservative and libertarian thinkers from a variety of periods, disciplines, and traditions - the first series of its kind. Even the selection of thinkers adds another aspect to conservative thinking, including not only theorists but also writers and practitioners. The series comprises twenty volumes, each including an intellectual biography, historical context, critical exposition of the thinker's work, reception and influence, contemporary relevance, bibliography including references to electronic resources, and an index. ... Read more

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Volume 11 of the "Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" series focuses on Robert Nozick and his work on libertarianism. In 1974, Robert Nozick's book "Anarchy, State, and Utopia" moved libertarianism from a relatively neglected subset of political philosophy to the center of the discipline, as one of the most cogent critiques of social democracy and egalitarian liberalism. Nozick developed a rights-based account of libertarianism to show that a minimal state can legitimately arise, that nothing more than a minimal state is justified, and that the minimal state is not only morally right, but can also be an inspiring 'meta-utopia'. This volume presents Nozick's contributions to political philosophy in the context of his work in analytical philosophy. It also provides a biography of Nozick and considers the initial reception and long-term influence of his work. "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" provides comprehensive accounts of the works of seminal conservative thinkers from a variety of periods, disciplines, and traditions - the first series of its kind.Even the selection of thinkers adds another aspect to conservative thinking, including not only theorists but also writers and practitioners. The series comprises twenty volumes, each including an intellectual biography, historical context, critical exposition of the thinker's work, reception and influence, contemporary relevance, bibliography including references to electronic resources, and an index. ... Read more

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Volume 12 in the "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" series focuses on Russell Kirk's conservative philosophy. Russell Kirk is widely regarded as the individual most responsible for the revival of conservative thought in the latter half of the twentieth century. Kirk's conservative philosophy was well-established with his magnum opus, "The Conservative Mind", published in 1953, and remained constant until his death in 1994. His Christianity, though, grew from something seen as the foundation of Western Civilization to being also a personal faith. He became a Roman Catholic, drawn by its universality, its traditionalism, and his love for the woman he married. Although he believed in certain Catholic distinctives, such as purgatory, he generally seemed to be more of a generic Christian than a dogmatic follower of Rome. "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" provides comprehensive accounts of the works of seminal conservative thinkers from a variety of periods, disciplines, and traditions - the first series of its kind. Even the selection of thinkers adds another aspect to conservative thinking, including not only theorists but also writers and practitioners.The series comprises twenty volumes, each including an intellectual biography, historical context, critical exposition of the thinker's work, reception and influence, contemporary relevance, bibliography including references to electronic resources, and an index. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by National Catholic Reporter on October 3, 2008. The length of the article is 831 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Will libertarians count in '08?(Opinion & ARTS)
Author: David Weigel
Publication: National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 3, 2008
Publisher: National Catholic Reporter
Volume: 44Issue: 29Page: 15(2)

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Adam Smith Institute, abbreviated to ASI, is a think tank based in the United Kingdom, named after one of the founders of modern economics, Adam Smith. It espouses free market and classical liberal views, in particular by creating radical policy options in the light of public choice theory, which politicians can then develop. Its president, Madsen Pirie, has said "We propose things which people regard as being on the edge of lunacy. The next thing you know, they're on the edge of policy". It was the primary intellectual force behind privatisation in the Thatcher era, and, with the Centre for Policy Studies and Institute of Economic Affairs, drove Thatcherite policy on privatisation, taxation, education, and health. Several of the Institute's policies have been adopted by the Major and Blair governments, and the ASI has also served in an advisory capacity to governments overseas. The Institute currently advocates the free market by publishing books and policy proposals, advising foreign governments, calculating the British Tax Freedom Day, hosting speaker events for young people, and publishing a popular blog. Madsen Pirie, President of the Adam Smith Institute, is widely seen as the architect of Thatcher's privatistaion policy.Dr Madsen Pirie, and brothers Eamonn ... Read more

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Chapters: The Freedom Association, Society for Individual Freedom, List of Libertarian Organizations, Resistencia Civil, Liberte Publications, Hayek Society. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 26. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Freedom Association is a free market libertarian pressure group pledged to support individual freedom in the United Kingdom. The group has no formal affiliations with any political party but historically many members of the TFA have also been associated with the Conservative Party. The Freedom Association was founded in 1975 as the National Association for Freedom by the Viscount De L'Isle, Norris McWhirter, Ross McWhirter (murdered by the IRA in the same year) and John Gouriet . The Freedom Association has seven core principles: The present Hon. Chairman of the TFA is Conservative MEP Roger Helmer. Hon Secretary is Tony Hilder. Director is Simon Richards.. During the 1970s the power of the UK trade union movement was considered by some to be excessive and out of control. Soon after its formation the National Association for Freedom as the TFA was then known became involved in a number of industrial disputes providing support to both employers and non-unionised workers to counter to the power of the Trades Unions. The best known of these actions was Operation Pony Express during the Grunwick dispute. Following the election of the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher in 1979 the TFA became more low-profile. In the 1980s, TFA campaigned in support of the right of England cricketers to tour in apartheid-era South Africa. In 1989, when the International Cricket Conference passed a resolution formalising sanctions against players, coaches and administrators who worked in South Africa, despite a summons obtained by TFA, Norris McWhirter described the d...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=615992 ... Read more

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Chapters: Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Ludwig Lachmann, Hans Sennholz, Jörg Guido Hülsmann, Götz Briefs, Julius Faucher, John Zube. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 31. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Hans-Hermann Hoppe (born September 2, 1949) is an Austrian school economist of the anarcho-capitalist tradition, and a former economics professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Born in Peine, West Germany, he attended the Universität des Saarlandes in Saarbrücken, and the Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, studying philosophy, sociology, history, and economics. He earned his Ph.D. (Philosophy, 1974) and his Habilitation (Foundations of Sociology and Economics, 1981), both from the Goethe-Universität. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor from 1976 to 1978. Hoppe was Professor of Economics at University of Nevada, Las Vegas until retirement in 2008. He taught at several German universities as well as at the Johns Hopkins University Bologna Center for Advanced International Studies, Bologna, Italy. In 1986, he moved from Germany to the United States, to study under Murray Rothbard. He remained a close associate until Rothbard's death in January 1995. According to a blog posting by Hoppe, he gave a series of speeches at conferences that were organized by Lew Rockwell, Burt Blumert, and Murray Rothbard for the purpose of creating what came to be known as paleo-libertarianism. Hoppe is a Distinguished Fellow with the Ludwig von Mises Institute, and, until December, 2004, the editor of the Journal of Libertarian Studies. The author of several widely-discussed books and articles, he has put forth an "argumentation ethics" defense of libertarian rights, based in part on the discourse ethics theories of German philosophers Jürgen Habermas (Hoppe's PhD advis...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=229870 ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Reason, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 4308 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Who deserves the libertarian vote? reason asks Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians why supporters of "Free Minds and Free Markets" should vote for their candidates.
Author: Katherine Mangu-Ward
Publication: Reason (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 38Issue: 7Page: 20(9)

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Libertarian-conservative solutions to the political, social, economic and tax issues facing the United States from a 2012 Third Party Presidential contender, as well as one of America's leading Tea Party political leaders

In today's uncertain economy, people are growing more and more concerned about their financial future, and looking for common sense, limited government solutions. In The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gold & Tax Cuts, 2008 Libertarian Party Vice Presidential nominee Wayne Allyn Root presents a passionate case for smaller government; dramatically reduced spending and taxes; States' Rights; free markets; adherence to the Constitution; an end to the Fed; a ban of bailouts, stimulus, earmarks, pork and corporate welfare; economic and personal freedom; and a return of power to the people, just as the Founding Fathers intended. The book

• Explains why Obama's big government solutions are leading to a Great Depression II and a coming Citizen Revolution
• Proposes a one year "Income Tax Vacation," a permanent end to capital gains taxes, and detailed spending freezes and cuts across all levels of government
• Proposes dramatic education reform centered on school choice, home-schooling, charter schools, teacher accountability, and parental freedom
• Proposes unique reforms in the areas of health care, energy and the public sector (government employee unions)

The Conscience of a Libertarian reveals how Americans can take back their country from big government, big unions, big corporations, corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, lawyers and lobbyists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

Look Elsewhere
I would prefer anyone looking to get a feel for libertarianism read The Road to Serfdom, or, for that matter, pretty much anything else. That is, unless you enjoy stream of consciousness writing. Root spends far too much time trying to demonstrate the attitude of self ownership, but he comes off as arrogant. Furthermore, his positions on social policies are a bit outside of the "normal" sphere of libertarian views. Root seems more like a conservative than anything else. He's passionate, and his heart's in the right place, but anyone unfamiliar with libertarianism and looking for an introduction to it will be put off by this book.

"A lack of depth in Libertarian principles"
This book would be more aptly named "Conscience of Another Conservative" or even "Conscience of a Constitutionalist."A reader unfamiliar with the Libertarian Party (LP) will have difficulty understanding what distinguishes it from the Constitution Party or even from the traditional conservative wing of the Republican Party.

Nowhere does the author, who supported John McCain's GOP presidential bid before becoming an LP member in late 2007, indicate that he is even aware of the distinction himself.Indeed, on page 24 he states: "As a Libertarian, I believe that social and personal freedom issues are quite simply States' Rights' issues.... Voters should decide these issues on the state and local level."Mr. Root's stand is Constitutionalist, not Libertarian.Libertarians believe that social and personal freedoms are individual rights.Government's role is to protect these rights, not to give voters the option of taking them away state-by-state.

Libertarians "oppose the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals;" new members are asked to acknowledge their support of this non-aggression principle or "Good Neighbor Policy" when they join. Libertarians extrapolate their positions from this cherished idea, which is why the LP is called the "Party of Principle." Mr. Root's failure to integrate his stands under this bedrock of libertarian philosophy makes them seem like a mishmash of unrelated positions. Indeed, much of what the author proposes, such as increasing the size of Congress and paying our elected officials more (pp. 201-203) directly contradicts the LP's pledge of "smaller government."

Throughout the book, the author calls himself a "libertarian conservative," a confusing and perhaps meaningless descriptor in a Party that historically prides itself as being "fiscally conservative and socially liberal."Mr. Root may not have fully grasped that libertarians consider themselves "beyond right and left."

While the author criticizes both Republicans and Democrats, he has never a bad word to say about conservatives and a multitude of denigrating comments about liberals, another indication that he still thinks of himself as a conservative, rather than a Libertarian. Consequently, liberal readers may get the mistaken impression that the LP is antagonistic to liberal goals.

As a former liberal, an LP member for almost three decades, and two-term At-Large representative of the governing body of the LP, I can attest to the fact that libertarian solutions have repeatedly been shown to save the environment, keep our streets safe,make health care affordable, and give the poor their best chance to escape the poverty trap. Liberal readers should not assume that Mr. Root's antagonism is representative of the LP's attitude towards the genuine issues that liberals seek to address.

The author spends most of the book regaling his readership with entertaining anecdotes about the dangers of government waste and overspending.Although a bit long-winded and repetitious at times, his common-sense analysis of our economic woes helped me justify a two-star rating for this book. The misleading statements about what it means to be a Libertarian keeps me from recommending it more highly.

Must read
Our current Government needs to wake up and take notice.A Citizen Revolution at the ballot box needs to happen before the more violent alternative comes into play.That's where we're headed unless someone like Mr. Root gains office...That's all I have to say about that...

Intrroducing the Next President of the United States!
One can only hope and dream.But with Wayne Allyn Root's (W.A.R) determination, the stars just might be in alignment for his election in 2012, 2016, or 2020.

Root discusses virtually every important policy issue in this book.Unlike his college classmate at Columbia University (Barack Obama), Root has received his education in the school of "hard knocks."As a long time small business owner, he knows what it takes to succeed without government subsidies and bailouts.He eloquently argues against the poison of the pernicious growth of big government and high taxes, and the devastating effects these have of the economy and the cause of freedom itself.

The book is at once an autobiography, a review of history, and a political manifesto.It is the perfect antidote to the statist politicians that have controlled our lives and pocketbooks for far too long.W.A.R, identifies his political heroes as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Barry Goldwater (the latter penned *The Conscience of a Conservative* some fifty years earlier), and President Ronald Reagan.Although he makes liberal use of quotations from these heroes, I was particularly fond of the words of Barry Goldwater:

"The day will come when we entrust the conduct of our affairs to men who understand that their first duty as public officials is to divest themselves of the power they have been given."

Amen. From their lips to G-d's ears.Read this book.Vote Libertarian.Stop the madness.

A book everyone should read to save our country
Do you feel government is getting too powerful and controlling? Do you feel helpless as to what to do about it? Read THE CONSCIENCE OF A LIBERTARIAN and find out what can be done to change it. ... Read more

Product Description
British philosopher Michael Oakeshott is widely considered as one of the key conservative thinkers of the 20th century. After publishing many works on religion, he became mostly known for his works on political theory. This valuable volume by Edmund Neill sets out to Oakeshott's thought in an accessible manner, considering its initial reception and long-term influence. "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" provides comprehensive accounts of the works of seminal conservative thinkers from a variety of periods, disciplines and traditions - the first series of its kind. Even the selection of thinkers adds another aspect to conservative thinking, including not only theorists but also thinkers in literary forms and those who are also practitioners. The series comprises twenty volumes, each including an intellectual biography, historical context, critical exposition of the thinker's work, reception and influence, contemporary relevance, bibliography including references to electronic resources and an index. ... Read more

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At Lastan Escape from Big Government

Libertarian presidential candidate Harry Browne shows how we can get from todays oversized, $2 trillion federal government to a libertarian America in which you can live as a free personfree to live your life as you think best, not as the politicians wantfree to raise your children by your values, not as the bureaucrats demand.

In this provocative book, Harry Browne demonstrates:

How we can be free of the income tax, so you can keep every dollar you earnto spend it, save it, or give it away as you choose.

How we can be free of the Social Security tax completely and immediatelywithout forsaking the elderlyso you can arrange a safe, convenient, prosperous retirement for yourself.

Why the insane War on Drugs is a war on you, on your liberty, on your property, on your familys safetyeven if youve never used drugs.

Why your children should never have to fight or die in a foreign war.

How getting the government out of health care will give you a longer life, more accessible medical care, and low-cost health insurance.

How your children can get a much better educationwithout higher taxes or government vouchers.

How a Libertarian President can reduce government dramatically and enhance your liberty on his first day in officewithout the consent of Congress.

How we can rally the American people to give up their favorite federal programs and accept a massive reduction in government.

Whether you intend to vote Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, or not at all, youll want to see the proposals in this thoughtful book. Here youll find concrete solutions for todays social problemssolutions that dont involve more government and more restrictions on your liberty. On the contrary, these proposals will set you freefree to live your life as you want to live it, not as the politicians think you should. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Solutions for America from a Libertarian Presidential Candidate.
Harry Browne wrote "The Great Libertarian Offer" to express his platform as a Libertarian Party candidate for president.

This is a straightforward book that addresses a lot of common concerns of citizens. The complaint of government abandoning Constitutional laws and the erosion of civil liberties are even more relevant today. Especially considering that this book was published in 2000 prior to the PATRIOT ACT.

On the Supreme Court Mr.Browne observes- "On the really important matters concerning the role of government, they all agree that the federal government is more important than the Constitution."

The author cites an August 1999 Capitol Hill Blue report on Congressional members civil and criminal court litigations that is sobering and worse than I would have expected!

He also opines that taxpayer money is basically a tool to enrich the chief supporters of Washington politicians. It's hard to argue with that!

Mr. Browne uses every opportunity that he can to advocate the repeal of the federal income tax. This idea has gained some publicity with some of the latest Republican presidential candidates. Along with the proposal to eliminate the income tax, he also offers some interesting perspectives on the national sale tax and the flat tax. He doesn't support either of these alternatives. I think his proposal of eliminating corporate taxes is risky. If you don't either regulate or charter corporations can you trust corporations not to excessively pursue personal wealth and greed?

His 4-point foreign policy plan can be summed by this quote from page 115. "Libertarians know that government's role isn't to police the world-or even to win wars. Government's role is to keep us out of wars-and to protect us from foreign enemies, not create them."

On crime, the author supports concealed carry laws and opposes gun control.

A lot of these proposals are very similar to Ron Paul's.

The most notable quote that conveys a great portion of "The Great Libertarian Offer" is found on page 44."Our American heritage is one of individual liberty, personal responsibility, and freedom from a government strictly limited by a written Constitution."

I recommend this book for anyone interested in studying the Libertarian idea of government.

Libertarianism 101
THE GREAT LIBERTARIAN OFFER (2000)
by Harry Browne

Harry Browne was a great spokesman for libertarianism in the 1990s.He started out writing financial advice books before becoming the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000.This book was written to promote his 2000 campaign.Harry was also one of the founders of the Downsize DC Foundation who sponsor a lot of very wise legislation such as the 'Read the Bills Act' and the 'Write the Laws Act'.

One thing that distinguishes Harry Browne's libertarian writings from others is his "tone".He doesn't really engage in the "fiery rhetoric" that libertarians are known for.Perhaps it is worth noting that one of his earlier books (How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World) could be classified as a self-help book.His writing are largely calm and aimed at people who are totally unacquainted with his position.Harry lays out what are basically the essentials of the libertarian perspective on government.That is to say that the government should have as small as possible a role in the daily lives of U.S. citizens.He advocates some things that are often bandied but never realized, such as elimination of the federal income tax and the total expansion of free markets.The drug war and gun rights are given considerable space as is to be expected.He even addresses environmentalism!

There are considerable disagreements within libertarian circles on the issues of abortion and immigration.Since September 11, foreign policy issues have divided many libertarians as well.This book doesn't really address abortion, but it does advocate a foreign policy of non-interventionism.As for immigration, Harry recommends cutting welfare state activities so as to give "free loaders" less of an incentive to come here and encourage immigration from people who want to come and work.

Harry Browne was a great spokesman for this worldview.This book is easy to read but it isn't "dumbed down" or a puff piece.It isn't much use to people who are well versed in libertarianism, but it is a great book to show to people who are curious to know what the movement is all about.

R.I.P. Harry Browne
1933-2006

The Great Libertarian Offer
Harry Browne is why I became a Libertarian.He presents the Libertarian standpoint in a down to Earth matter that is easy to follow.Harry you're still the greatest. R.I.P.

Rest in Peace, Harry - you deserve it
I became a libertarian gradually, but it wasn't until I watched Harry in a televised 3rd party debate in 1996 that I really became aware of him and got more interested in the Libertarian Party. He seemed so trustworthy and reasonable, and unlike the other candidates, everything he said MADE SENSE!

By 2000 I had begun to be active in the Libertarian Party, and traveled to see Harry twice during that campaign, once in Philadelphia while I was on a business trip in Eastern Pennsylvania, and once in Marin County, California. Harry signed our copy of The Great Libertarian Offer, and we got a chance to speak with him at the Marin County event. I believe he said that very day was his wedding anniversary. He obviously would have rather been with Pamela then, but Harry and Pamela made many personal sacrifices for the cause of liberty.

I am intensely saddened to hear of his death last evening. I'm trying to see what I'm typing even though my eyes are full of tears. Harry meant so much to me. His 2000 campaign inspired me to get more actively involved in politics: I ran for local office in 2001, and for Congress in 2002. I often referred to Harry's books and web site for ideas on how to answer questions and present my own views in a more compelling, concise way.

The world has lost one of its best men. Thankfully, Harry's legacy will live on through his many books and other writings, and through the memory of millions of fans like me. But the world will never be the same without him.

Harry, thank you.

Kevin Bastian
Encinitas, California

HARRY DOES IT AGAIN
Harry Browne is an "IN YOUR FACE" Thinker. He does brilliantly in this tome. He defends Libertarianism quite well and for someone like me (a former Republican), his writing style shocks! Not just what he says but how he says it is both a breath of fresh air and at the same time shocking. Luckily Browne is still around to tell us all of the evils of big government (of all sorts) that sadly continues to grow in this so called War on Terror. Luckily I came across the Party (in detail) and Harry Browne some 4 or 5 years ago. I am glad it saved me from the silly political/intellectual path I was on. Listen folks, read this, and you'll see what Liberty is really all about. ... Read more

Product Description
Proudhon (1809-1865) was a French socialist and anarchist whose concept of socialism revolved around the ideas of voluntary association, free credit, federalism and worker's autonomy. In this volume his ideas are brought together in a systematic form and his main themes are outlined. The book promotes the necessity for a far-reaching social revolution which will transform the very basis of existing economic relationships. ... Read more