http://thejournal.parker-joseph.co.uk/…

November 4th 2008

A COPY OF ORWELL’S ‘NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR’ SENT TO EVERY MP

An Internet grass-roots campaign will this week deliver a copy of George
Orwell’s prophetic novel ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ to every Member of
Parliament.

The books will be inscribed with the words, ‘This book was a warning, not a
blueprint’, and will arrive at Parliament on or before November 5th — a
date of well known historical significance for that building.

—————

Outraged by the continual attack upon civil liberties within our nation, a
fortnight ago the Libertarian Party proposed reminding those in Westminster
who they were elected to serve, and in whose interests the laws that they
pass are meant to function.

Spread purely by word of mouth, a campaign to send each Member of Parliament
their own copy of Orwell’s dystopian classic met with overwhelming support
on the Internet, with many more books pledged than the 646 required to
ensure that every one of our elected representatives receive a personal
copy. The Libertarian Party contributed just 75 books itself, with the
remainder coming (directly, or via campaign donations) from people of all
political parties, and of none.

The UK Libertarian Party leader, Ian Parker-Joseph, explained, “As the
people of Britain become ever more spied upon and ever more heavily taxed,
as the government attempts to control how much we should smoke, eat and
drink, as the state legislates to regulate ever more the minutiae of our
lives, the Libertarian Party want to remind people that we have the power,
and that our elected representatives work for us.

“The Libertarian Party would like the people of Britain to remember that the
state is the servant of the people, and not our master. Moreover, we wish to
remind those in Westminster of this fact.

“Many constituents of these MPs will be adding their own personal messages
to the books that they are sending,” added Mr Parker-Joseph, “and it is a
sad reflection of how far towards Orwell’s vision our country has already
slipped that some members of the public have expressed fear at the potential
consequences of simply sending their MP a 60 year old novel. One
correspondent wrote to me:

<< I told my wife I was taking part in this campaign and her and the
children’s answer was “don’t do it, you will get into trouble and have them
after us”. I have been told on numerous occasions by my wife that you cannot
win against the State so “why argue with them, why complain?”

She believes that you cannot fight against the Government or powers that be
and that if you do you will be watched and eventually “they” will come and
get you so it is best not to complain, make waves etc. >>

“What sort of society are we living in where people are so afraid of their
government? Something is very, very wrong here” concluded Mr Parker-Joseph.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1) The Libertarian Party was founded on November 21st 2007 and officially
launched on January 1st 2008. The party’s website can be found at:
http://www.lpuk.org
2) Further details of the party’s policies can be found in our manifesto:
http://www.lpuk.org/pages/manifesto.php
3) Libertarianism is a political philosophy based on support for individual
liberty.
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism
4) The Party’s blog regularly examines how the UK is slipping into the
totalitarian vision portrayed by Orwell. See, for example, here:
http://lpuk.blogspot.com/2008/10/1984-arrogant-tom-harris-mp-just-doesnt.html

Tom Harris, MP for Glasgow, received his copy of the book a few days ago. In his blog, Harris railed against the intended message in his blog:

[T]here seem to be an awful lot of people out there - perhaps dozens of them - who seem to get strangely exercised at the prospect of a “police state”. Except that what they define as a “police state” is a million light years from what Orwell himself described. CCTV cameras in the street? That’s just like Nineteen Eighty-Four, when families were monitored in their own homes, 24 hours a day! Can’t use racist terms to vilify people any more? Well, surely that’s thought crime, just like Orwell predicted!

What rubbish. As I’ve written here before, this is all paranoid fantasy, and why so many people get off on it, I’ll never know. I recently had the latest in a series of requests from constituents regarding CCTV. Requests to have the cameras removed? No, no, no… Requests for more cameras…

We live in a democracy, and just because those — including my anonymous benefactor — who get excited about such things are unhappy that Labour is in power, that does not make us anything other than a democracy. And democratically-elected governments govern with the consent of the people. Yes, even this one!

Yay democracy (republican democracy?)!! Even if it turns to tyranny it’s OK because obviously the people want it… it’s a government of the people, right?!

Obama won and here is the break down, with 95% reporting:

• Vote%: 52%
• Votes: 62,117,243

Congratulations. Mob rules again. Not learning from times past we again get two wolves and a sheep deciding whats for dinner. People talk about a wasted vote? Those 48% which voted for McCain and others and those above 50% for Obama were wasted. The 48% get NOTHING. For all the time and money spent for a goverenment they don’t want at best and passionately hate at worst. A single man being chosen to head the executive branch of 300+ million people does not work. At what point will the general population realise this? At what point will there be a significant secession movemet?

Sept. 11th, 2008:

• John McCain’s interview: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
  • Says outright he’s against compulsory service.
  • Advocates growing the military several times.
  • Claims private industry provides services better, wishes to create partnerships with business instead of having the government take on those roles.
  • Points to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security as bipartisan cooperation that is needed to gain trust and support of the public.
  • “It’s not about the individual, it’s about the cause we serve.”
  • “I think the all voluntary force is having difficulty recruiting and retaining because we are too small and we need to expand the size of our military and we need to do it as rapidly as possible. And we got to perhaps offer additional incentives.”
  • Apparently, without knowing what the Serve America Act does, McCain says he would sign the bill as president.
  • Would rather have the private sphere perform the voluntarism and only have the government provide incentives.
• Barack Obama’s interview: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
  • “Each and everyone of us are going to have, are going to make commitments in terms of improving fuel efficiency in our cars and homes. And the government is going to be in partnership with citizens to make that happen.”
  • “America is the greatest country on earth but it didn’t just happen on its own. It’s not a gift only. Although it is a great blessing we’ve received. It’s a responsibility. And part of what makes America work is the fact that we believe in individual responsibility and self reliance but we also believe in mutual responsibility, in neighborliness, in a sense that we are committed to something larger than ourselves.”
  • Speaks of growing the military. Getting those in urban areas to be equally represented in the military.
  • Wants more people in the military and non-military service regardless of whether there is a war.
• Interviewed a City Year ‘volunteer’ but my questions and pins on my book bag (”Taxation is theft”, “Ron Paul 2008″) scared them off. The Service Nation handler asked me to turn off the camera, that he didn’t want any problems, that it was a positive event. The City Year ‘volunteer’ said he couldn’t speak on the topic as a representative of City Year.

Sept. 12th, 2008:

• I spoke with a fellow blogger regarding my reason for being at the summit. She was there on behalf of the Case Foundation which is a Service Nation Coalition member.
• Richard Stengel, managing editor of TIME, effectively asks “why not have compulsory service?” during presidential forum. The tone of the questions and the fact it’s brought up more than once indicates to me he is in favor of mandatory service. In his own brief speech he talks of the most known part of the Declaration of Independence but casually bypasses arguably the most important line. Focusing on “consent of the governed” instead of “that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Implying, IMO, he prefers a positive law democracy vs natural law republics.
• Jon Bon Jovi speaks on his private charities. Many examples of service and voluntarism given were in fact actual privately performed.
• Vartan Gregorian, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York tells us [Part 2]: “We’re not here as Democrats or Republicans or as libertarians, socialists, Green party members, or members of other organizations. We are here today first and primarily as Americans.” Claims being a citizen is the highest achievement.
• Admiral Michael Mullen [Part 2]: “the soldiers in Iraq are protecting our democracy at home. They are there because of what happened on 9/11.” I thought Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. How is it that our invasion of Iraq is protecting us? “There is no greater reward than working for something greater than yourself.” “Keep singing (God Bless America), keep waving (flags), and keep serving!” Yay nationalism/fascism!
• Michael Bloomberg [Part 2]: “We are the beneficiaries of those who give their lives to defend us.” “Service should be asked of everyone and should be open to everyone. So we are creating new programs.”
• University president’s [Part 2]: Speak of giving out grants to those who volunteer at school. Making voluntarism mandatory parts of the education process.
• Alan Khazei: Misuses/misrepresents the Emancipation Proclamation. Need a new role for government. Funding public/private mix of service. “Getting government to do what works.” Speaks of Gandhi, abolitionists, and others. All of who worked against government.
• George H. W. Bush
• Bill Clinton
• Town Hall [Part 2,3,4,5,6]

These are all the videos I’m going to upload… at least for the time being.

Sorry about the last few not having notes. Too lazy to watch them. You can find some notes I took during the event here.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/…

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, which includes Pittsburgh, instituted a 10 percent tax on alcoholic drinks this year. The local restaurant and bar owners obtained twice as many signatures as required to put a referendum on the ballot asking simply whether the tax should be reduced to 0.5 percent. The county council, trying to preempt this, created their own referendum asking whether to replace the drink tax with an increase in property taxes. Now the county solicitor is further attempting to stop the tax cut referendum by claiming that it’s illegal since it doesn’t raise taxes elsewhere to make up for the shortfall that would be brought about if the drink tax were to be reduced to 0.5 percent. Meanwhile, these same “public servants” prattle endlessly about the glories of democracy; but what good is democracy if the voters are only allowed to choose from the questions and candidates the powers that be permit to appear on the ballot?

Apparently, when it comes to taxes, they are only supposed to increase, or at least remain constant. Of course, for this to happen the taxpayers’ bank accounts have to decrease, but that’s okay. We peons should be expected to make do with less, but government never should.

Pennsylvania Constitution: Article 1, Section 2:

All power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority and instituted for their peace, safety and happiness. For the advancement of these ends they have at all times an inalienable and indefeasible right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such manner as they may think proper.

Looks like they may need Section 21:

The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.

http://www.time.com/…

At various times in American history, public service and private effort

went arm in arm. After Pearl Harbor, Rosie the Riveter and Uncle Sam exhorted people to help the war effort, and Americans responded. But since F.D.R., and especially since J.F.K.’s launching of the Peace Corps, national service has been seen by some as a Democratic or liberal idea. In the ’90s, Newt Gingrich argued that the rise of big government programs robbed people of their initiative to volunteer. After Bill Clinton signed the bill to create AmeriCorps in 1993, then Senator John Ashcroft called it “welfare for the well-to-do.”

But these days there is a growing consensus on Capitol Hill that the private and public spheres can be linked. Democrats understand the need to support programs outside of government; Republicans understand that voluntary programs can be helped by government. In his first State of the Union address after 9/11, President George W. Bush called for Americans to give 4,000 hours of service and established the USA Freedom Corps. One of the early critics of AmeriCorps, John McCain, has since become a devout supporter. “National service is an issue that has been largely identified with the Democratic Party and the left of the political spectrum,” McCain wrote in a 2001 Washington Monthly essay. “That is unfortunate, because duty, honor and country are values that transcend ideology…National service is a crucial means of making our patriotism real, to the benefit of both ourselves and our country.”

THE PLAN

So what would a plan for universal national service look like? It would be voluntary, not mandatory. Americans don’t like to be told what they have to do; many have argued that requiring service drains the gift of its virtue. It would be based on carrots, not sticks — “doing well by doing good,” as Benjamin Franklin, the true father of civic engagement, put it. So here is a 10-point plan for universal national service. The ideas here are a mixture of suggestions already made, revised versions of other proposals and a few new wrinkles.

1. Create a National-Service Baby Bond
2. Make National Service a Cabinet-Level Department
3. Expand Existing National-Service Programs Like AmeriCorps and the National Senior Volunteer Corps
4. Create an Education Corps
5. Institute a Summer of Service
6. Build a Health Corps
7. Launch a Green Corps
8. Recruit a Rapid-Response Reserve Corps
9. Start a National-Service Academy
10. Create a Baby-Boomer Education Bond

Voluntary? Really? How long would that last? How voluntary is the collection of funds to pay for all this proposed government expansion.

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