Liberty or Treat!

by Jennifer Imhoff

Some have made the claim that Halloween is an example of socialism, where the many arrive at the doors of the few demanding favor.  However I'd argue that Halloween is the exact opposite and instead a great opportunity for children to participate in a free market.  

Halloween is one of those holidays that can be enjoyed by any child - regardless of social class.  With some hard work and ingenuity a box, a sheet, or any combination of mundane household items can be turned into a clever costume that can be rewarded with one form of payment agreed upon by children around the world; candy.  For one night, candy becomes a universal currency paid out to those who showed up and were willing to put in the work of production and marketing.

Halloween brings out a healthy competition among children and allows them to experience both product design and marketing.  Maybe your costume is not as clever as the other kids in school but you are willing to knock on more doors. Maybe a child is clever enough to target just the homes that give the king size bars or they figured out that people give more candy to emptier looking bags, hiding their haul from view.  Whichever tactic is used there is a lesson gained and with each year they participate in an opportunity to engage in those self taught lessons.

Some will choose the costume they want, forgoing the candy for self satisfaction - some will choose the costume that pleases their peers, forging candy for social status, others will choose a costume that appeals to the parents, targeting the candy giver. There is a whole childhood of opportunity to try each one 

Unfortunately this year, many children will be denied the opportunity of learning economics this year; but there is still an opportunity for you to have a little fun with decorations!

You are cordially invited...

Join us as we celebrate the end of the campaign and all that we have accomplished this cycle. The venue will be at the Tower Club, in Dallas, TX.

The election night party begins at 8:00 pm at the Tower Club, in Dallas, TX with hors d'oeuvres throughout the evening and a cash var. Dallas Cowboys' official DJ, DJSC (a fellow Libertarian) will spin the vinyls for us throughout the evening as we watch the election results!

Dress code is "come as you are!" If you would like to get dressed up - feel free, or wear your favorite Jo20 shirt and jeans!

Commemorative bottles of Backbone Uncut Bourbon are available with the purchase of a SILVER level ticket or a GOLD level ticket.

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

https://jo20.com/election-night/

Thank you to our exceptional volunteers! 

Thank you to each and every one of our fantastic volunteers! Please continue to send the names of volunteers you would like to recognize so that we can feature them in this newsletter. Thank you.

The campaign would like to apologize for misspelling Dayl's name in the last newsletter. Thank you for all you do Dayl!

Joanna Jurgens - Liz Solomon (Recruiter)

Paul Moscarelli - Carla Howell (Communications)

Ryan Raymond - Elizabeth Briarly (Communications)

Jayne Haney - Elizabeth Briarly (Communications)

Susan Dakaney- Ryan Cooper  (Text banking)

Lizzy Medina  -- Ryan Cooper  (Text banking)

Jeremy Rease - Ryan Cooper  (Text banking)

Rylee Osborn - Ryan Cooper  (Text banking)

Lean Mean Meme Machine

Each week we will feature a meme.

Volunteers are testing the efficacy of these memes in the field. Post your favorite to our Facebook Group! 

How to Talk to Christian Voters: Liberty And Care For The Poor

By Nick McRae

This probably goes without saying, but Libertarians have a bit of a PR problem when it comes to Christian voters, despite the fact that many Libertarians—including high profile liberty-lovers like Ron Paul—are themselves outspoken Christians. Indeed, Libertarian values are often misunderstood by Christians in general, who may think libertarianism encourages personal immorality and discourages care for the poor and marginalized. As a pastor in Texas, I run up against these two misunderstandings all the time.

If we Libertarians are going to reach more Christian voters with Jo Jorgensen’s message of freedom, we need to learn to talk about our values in a way that the average Christian will understand and connect with. I don’t have space in this Jorgensen Insider article to discuss both personal morality and care for the poor, so at this time I’ll simply tackle the latter. Below are some thoughts that I hope will help you frame your discussion about liberty with any Christian voters who may come across your path.

Whether they realize it or not (and Republican-leaning Christians in particular may not), many Christians support big government out of well-meaning concern for the poor and marginalized. It’s natural for Christians to care about the least, the last, and the lost; it’s built right into the religion. Some will assume that because Libertarians oppose taxation for government programs, Libertarians must not care what happens to the poor and marginalized.

It’s important to assure Christian voters that this isn’t the case. Libertarians do care for the poor. We simply believe that local communities made up of caring individuals know better how to care for their real, flesh-and-blood neighbors than do politicians and bureaucrats in Washington, DC.

Republicans and Democrats want to convince you that the best way to care for your neighbors is to take your tax money to Washington, come up with a one-size-fits-all plan for 330 million people, and then enforce their plan on every American everywhere, whether it actually makes sense for your neighbors or not.

They propose to do this without ever setting foot in your neighborhood. They expect to do it without ever looking the poor and marginalized people of your neighborhood in the eye and asking them what they actually need. Libertarians believe that you and your neighbor know better how to serve one another than do politicians and bureaucrats in Washington.

The even bigger problem with tax-funded, one-size-fits-all, big-government programs intended to remedy poverty and oppression is that these programs convince people like you and me that we’re off the hook for taking care of our own neighbors. Sending off our tax dollars to the government too often makes us Americans—Christians and non-Christians alike—feel like we’ve fulfilled some moral obligation toward the poor without really having to do anything.

You’re busy people, these government programs tell us. Let us figure out how to help the poor. No need for you to actually meet your neighbors. No need for you to look them in the eye and ask them how you can help. No need for you to decide for yourself when to open up your wallet to help with the groceries, or the rent, or to help buy a suit for a job interview. Let us handle it for you. We know better than you.

Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” He didn’t say, “Pay the government and let them love your neighbor for you.” Invite Christian voters to imagine how much of a difference they could make in their actual neighbors’ lives with the money they normally have to send off to Washington.

A vote for Libertarian Jo Jorgensen is a vote for an America where Americans are free to love our neighbors ourselves. We don’t need Washington to do that for us.

Join the Discord!

Looking for a great way to celebrate the elections from the comfort of your own home - with the company of some fellow liberty minded voters?! Join the Discord channel to find celebrations near you or online.     Discord Link: https://discord.gg/xqvpQcz.

Why You Should Vote for Dr. Jo Jorgensen, Libertarian Party Candidate for President.  

By Les Deffner, State Director, Illinois for Jorgensen-Cohen Campaign

The Libertarian Party (LP) speaks both languages of the liberal left, and the conservative right. We have the best elements of both, and as such we have the greatest position to help bridge the gap between the camps pushing the culture wars to its boiling point. The LP is uniquely qualified to help heal our nation politically and bring back balance and sanity. I am grateful the LP chose Dr. Jorgensen to represent us as our POTUS nominee.

People tell me “I am honestly not a fan of Trump or Biden; I mean is this really the best this country has as a representation of our potential leadership and the face of the people right now? These two are the best?! It makes me sad and disappointed." This problem is a direct result of all the people who have said "I would vote for the better third party candidate, but they have no chance of winning, so I'm going to vote for the lesser of two evils because they 'at least have a chance'.” People kick the can down the road out of fear-based voting, and then wonder why things keep getting worse. They ought to stop and consider how they have contributed to this national problem of our national political culture wars and be painfully honest with themselves.

I believe this country is, and always has been greater than the best (and greater than the worst) political candidates. We will survive the 2020 election, but the slide to furthering bitter acrimony and resentments pulling Americans apart, will continue. Neither Trump nor Biden can stop that. A vote for Dr. Jorgensen allows people to save face, retreat to their corners in a form of political time-out, and to cool off.

Around 138 million Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election. However, those 138M only make up 58.1% of our voting-eligible population. In 2016, nearly 42% of adults eligible to vote chose not to do so. People do have another choice. If all who are upset at Trump or Biden , or who had chosen to stay home and not-vote in 2016 (and are considering doing the same again in 2020) would vote for Jo Jorgensen, she would win. People need to shake off the fear and apathy that has gripped them and to vote with real courage. Real courage is needed when faced with what seems an impossible task. Just ask any combat soldier. 

Dr. Jo Jorgensen understands that the contest is not about Democrats vs. Republicans. The real fight is between those who support an overbearing government that is filled with fraud, waste, abuse, corruption, and cronyism, and those who choose true liberty, returning the power back to The People: Libertarian candidates.

 To restore the political balance and improve the discourse in America is with our votes, and Jorgensen will be on the ballot in all 50 states. The Federal Election Commission considers just 5% of the vote to be significant for their purposes, and most states offer things like ballot access at that 5% mark. This is also part of why we run Presidential Candidates: to improve the chances of our down-ballot candidates. When the LP spends 80 to 90% of our time, money, and effort just to get on the ballot, time to raise money and campaign, or win, becomes extremely hampered. This is by design. This is deliberate disenfranchisement done by the Democrats and Republicans via Ballot Access laws.

Democrats and Republicans have made it clear that their number one priority is to obtain or retain control so they can pass laws to tell other people how to live. Since 1971, the LP has been the most consistent in its platform. Dr. Jorgensen has been part of that effort for 40 years.

It may be cliché, but it is true: my road to libertarianism began around 2005 when I began reading Lockean philosophy. John Locke’s writing was the foundation of Thomas Jefferson’s understanding of government leading to writing the Declaration of Independence and his initial drafts of the Constitution. Additional reading of economists F. A. Hayek and Murray Rothbard, Ayn Rand, and the reasonings of Congressman Ron Paul accelerated my understanding. 

As a Navy veteran, it pains me to see my military brothers and sisters returning from Endless Wars, and from unjust deployments that do nothing to keep America safe. I did not serve my country only to return and allow politicians to continue to erode at American’s rights to pursue their life, liberty, and happiness. My vote is with Dr. Jo Jorgensen.

Les Deffner is currently serving the cause for Liberty  as:  State Director, Illinois for Jorgensen-Cohen Campaign; Campaigns Coordinator, Libertarian Party of Illinois; Chairman, Lake County Libertarian Party; State Central Committee Rep, IL 10th District, and Precinct Committeeman.

#WhyYouShouldVoteForJoJorgensen

The Halloween Economic Quiz 

What was Adam Smith’s metaphor of what drives individual market participants in a free market economy?

The Invisible Hand

What is an insolvent thrift which continues to operate?

Zombie S&L's

What is a metaphor in game theory which demonstrates conflicts between group goals and individual goals?

Prisoners dilemma

Candidate George Bush used this description of candidate Ronald Regan’s proposed economic policies in 1980:

Voodoo Economics

What was a tax problem of the late 1970's?

Bracket Creep

What determines the autonomous level of business investment according to John Maynard Keynes?

Animal Spirits

What is the gradual loss of economic freedom to the government?

Creeping Socialism

What was Alan Gleenspan's description of potential economic catastrophes averted during his term as the Fed chairman?

Atomic Erosion

What was Milton Friedman’s metaphor for the destabilizing effects of monetary policy?

Fool in the Shower

What is a shipping term which describes a cost borne by the buyer?

Phantom Freight

President Harry s Truman once requested one of these.

One Armed Economist

What is a stock market term describing a special calendar event?

Triple Witching Hour

What is a Keynesian notion in which workers are fooled by rising nominal wages while real wages actually fall

Money Illusion

What is a gloomy prophetic motion that population growth will outpace food production?

Malthusian Nightmare

What is a theory of how price and quantity adjust to reach market equilibrium?

Cobweb Theorem

What is an unflattering description of complacent US taxpayers?

Boiled Frogs

Editor In Chief

Jennifer Imhoff (ID)

Copy Editor 

Mark Johnson (ME)

Managing Editor

Liz Solomon (TX)

Contributor

Nick McRae

Les Deffner (IL)

Jennifer Imhoff(ID)