[12 Aug 2005|06:00pm] [ mood | artistic ] Ares Alliance announces Grand Opening by Alan R. Weiss alan at ebenchmarks dot com http://www.lneilsmith.com/ares-alliance.html has all the details, including the full-color Press Release and the Slide Show. P R E S S R E L E A S E For Immediate Release Ares Alliance announces Grand Opening L. Neil Smith book and film treatment follows successful Ceres model Ft. Collins, Colorado and Austin, Texas—Building on the momentum of "The Ceres Project,", which generated more than $50,000 in working capital over only 2 1/2 months from libertarians of every stripe and hue, the same team has announced "The Ares Alliance" to develop the follow-on book and film treatment based on L. Neil Smith's work in progress, Ares. Smith, the most prolific and most successful living libertarian science fiction writer, has written more than 23 books, won three Prometheus Awards, and is the subject of a draft campaign for the Libertarian Party's 2004 presidential nomination. A long-time Libertarian (including participation in the founding of the Party itself in the 1970s) and a staunch 2nd Amendment defender, Smith has promised to deliver his best work ever in Ceres and Ares, and well as to craft a blockbuster film treatment suitable for major studio backing. "We were so impressed by the response of individuals to 'The Ceres Project,' I felt we owed it to people to let them in on the big secret: while Ceres is a follow-on to Pallas (Smith's seminal tale of the struggle between libertarians and statists set on the asteroid Pallas), Ares fits between Pallas and Ceres and completes the epic cycle,", says Smith. "I'm gratified by the response, absolutely astounded by the level of participation, and dedicated to turning out the best work of my life. I owe it to libertarians everywhere, and I owe it to the investors who put their faith and trust in me." "The Ceres Project allowed ordinary libertarians and fans of L. Neil Smith to participate in the funding of the book and film treatment by creating an investment club," explained "Ceres Project" and "Ares Alliance" Chairman Alan R. Weiss. "By investing $5000, $2500, or as little as $1000, we gave individuals a way to share in building a libertarian future by creating a significant work of art, based on the known talent and track of record a real hero, L. Neil Smith,", Weiss said. "We are going to use the same successful method of raising working capital with Ares, because in doing so we can go to the major publishers (and not just science fiction publishers) with a breakthrough book with major libertarian themes and persuade them that these are the books to publish. Nothing works with the book people like a proven, built- in market backed by real dollars, and we intend tom promote Ceres and Ares as tier-one properties,", said Weiss. "The best part is that for 'The Ares Alliance," we are dropping the lowest level to only $500!" As with "The Ceres Project", participants in "The Ares Alliance" invest a certain amount of dollars, and agree to wait a certain period of time for the book and film treatment to be produced. These "deliverables" are then sold to a publisher and a film producer or studio for the highest bid, and each investor gets their principal returned as well as a percentage of the profits based on their level of investment. Products producing return may also include e-books, comic books, audio-books, and other media depending upon the level of investment. In case the deliverables are not sold, each investor is guaranteed by contract to receive at least their principal back. All guarantees are backed by the assets of the project itself. Not many science fiction writers can actually create a new world populated by heroic, but real people—and convey a sense of dynamic ideas about society and technology that you would want the future to become. L. Neil Smith has done just that with Pallas, arguably his best book ever (until the upcoming Ceres and Ares). Pallas tells the story of a child inventor who grows up to become a hero amidst the largely, but not exclusively, liberty-loving colony on Pallas asteroid. While the enemy is obvious, the plot twists and turns are not. In science fiction, it's the IDEAS that count, and this book abounds in ideas. L. Neil Smith continues to move forward into the unexplored frontiers of libertarianism and freedom. Both Ceres and Ares already have initial chapters and complete character outlines, as well as plot outlines available for review and inspection by interested investors after signing a standard non-disclosure agreement. "It's true that I have taken at least one important concept from Ayn Rand: in order to sell liberty, you must paint a picture of a better tomorrow," says Smith. "If you are going to fight a cultural war against statism, against totalitarianism, against the forces of regression, you have to have a culture. I think my books deliver the sort of culture that libertarians would love to live," he said. More information on "The Ceres Project" can be found at http://www.lneilsmith.com/ceres-project.html Information on "The Ares Alliance" will be available at http://www.lneilsmith.com/ares-alliance.html following this release. For more information, contact: Alan R. Weiss, for The Ares Alliance 512-219-0302 alan at synchromeshcomputing dot com

The Death of the West—or How to End the War, Daddy [12 Aug 2005|05:56pm] [ mood | busy ] The Death of the West—or How to End the War, Daddy by Alan R. Weiss Senior Observational Editor, NetPlanet News alan@ebenchmarks.com Special to TLE Patrick J. Buchanan is the only modern pundit in the popular (read: controlled) media promulagating the Old Right's view of Empire, foreign entanglements, and the cost of Empire. The only one. One could argue that Lew Rockwell and his band of inciteful writers do a great job, but they're not on the McLaughlin Group, are not quoted in the New York Times, and in general do not exist for, oh, say, 99.9% of Americans. Buchanan, in The Death of the West, puts forth a number of assertions, many (but not all) are backed up by facts. First, and most disturbing, is sheer birthrate. At the rate things are going, Western Civilization in Europe is going to die within 20 years or so due to declining birth rates of westerners compared to soaring birthrates and immigration my Muslims. France, Germany, Britain, Russia, Italy—all are doomed. His statistics are factual, and his conclusion that "one man, one vote" combined with these statistics and an utter unwillingness by western European governments to deal with the situation will result in a profoundly Muslim Europe—and Asia. I suppose they better learn to program their GPS units in their Bimmers and Volvos to locate Mecca. Parenthetically, he notes that Russia is likely to suffer a pull-back to the Ural Mountains, leaving most of its Asian/Siberian landmass in the hands of a resurgent—and crowded—China. While I recognize that Buchanan is filtering this through a profoundly Catholic pro-family mindset, his statistics are difficult to argue with. Second, what will either kill, or transform, western civilization is socialism as it relates to declining birth rates. Social programs cannot be funded by fewer and fewer productive individuals. In this, he points out that the American Social Security crisis is mild compared to western Europe. Japan, with an even more aged problem, is in far worse shape. Third, and perhaps the most important, is the importance of Antonio Gramsci. If you do not know who he was, you have no idea how politics in the 20th Century has been profoundly changed by this man. Buchanan's assertion that all modern so-called "liberalism" is the result of a Gramscian plot is simply incorrect, but his observation that the pattern has resulted in essentially the takeover of western civilization by socialism is dead-on. The implications for Libertarians are clear: culture, the arts, the media, the churches, the schools, the universities—all are more important than who wins the next election. Study Gramsci, or Buchanan's analysis of Gramsci, and you will clearly understand why this is so. Take over the non-governmental organs of power, and the government will naturally fall into your hands. Fail to do so, and Libertarians will never come to power, nor will they influence anyone in power. Fourth, America was never supposed to be an Empire, but that by being so we have stirred the hornet's nest of the Arab world and we are now facing the consequences. Our simultaneous abandonment of "Americanism" (cultural suicide) combined with overseas Empire that has turned us into the hated enemy of most of the world. Not some—most. His thesis is clear: every empire has fallen. We are no better. We shall fall. Whatever you may think of the relentlessly acerbic Mr. Buchanan, he makes many valid points: immigration is having an impact on this country not because they are "foreigners", but because they are not assimilating and the Reconquista of the American West by Mexicans is sapping cultural and financial resources. Our American Empire is bankrupting us, destroying the Constitution, destroying Federalism, and has brought the attacks to our footsteps. Our declining birth rate of assimilated Americans (not just whites) is imperiling the peaceful promulgation of our western values and culture, most of which has been highjacked by the Gramscian-like takeover of non-governmental organs of power. I fault Buchanan for his insistance upon Catholic morality as superior to all others (and his apologia for all past sins of his church, i.e. Pope Pius). I fault him for his relentless debasement of the right of free contract (i.e. homosexuals innate right to marry whomever they wish). I fault him for not speaking up more fervently about the death of the Constitution, and how the patRIOT Act has debased and destroyed that which we seek to preserve. I fault him for many things—but his analysis of the situation with respect to American Empire, the Old Right viewpoint of Albert J. Nock, Frank Chodorov, Rose Wilder Lane, and until very recently the Libertarian Party, is dead-on correct. "Libertarians" such as Eric Raymond note that "we are at war", that 9/11 was a clarion call to arms, and that having been attacked we have every right to fight the war and win. What Raymond ignores is that, by having American armed forces in well over 100 countries, (including ass-deep into Saudi Arabia and the middle eastern tribal politics), "we" have largely brought this upon ourselves. No, not the bombing of the World Trade Center—that was an act of cowardice, of terror. But we have embroiled ourselves in the 13th Century because of oil. Who would give a damn about Saudi Arabia otherwise? I don't see us fighting to secure access to Persian rugs. Now, I use the word "we" and "us" loosely here. If Eric Raymond, Mike Lorrey, and other so-called "libertarians" believe we are at war, then I issue the challenge: shoulder an M16 and stand your post. Don't be a coward—go for it. Volunteer, enlist, and fight the war you so desperately believe we must win by only force of arms. Curiously for an atheist, I take a Catholic tone as I end with this: America, we must repent for our sins of Empire. We must remember the words of Madison, Washington, Jefferson: free trade with all, foreign entangling alliances with none. Sure, we must defend ourselves. Terror is the province of the weak, the cowardly, the anti-libertarian. But there are many ways to do this, including this one: leave. Pull out of the Middle East immediately. Now. Defend our *homeland*, allow the citizenry to be armed, cocked, and locked. Renounce Empire, and eliminate the corporate fascism in the energy business so that free market alternatives can flourish. The sooner we get off of the oil-drug, the sooner we can tell those sheiks and mullahs to go drink hydrocarbons. Or, perhaps, to become our friends, instead of our puppetmasters. As for foreign aid, our bribes aren't sticking. Eliminate all foreign aid—immediately—and stop meddling in other people's business. Alan R. Weiss just returned from the 2nd Annual Free State Project Porcupine Festival in Northern New Hampshire, where he noted he openly carried his sidearm all week long, drank indifferent rum, and partied like it was 1776. He is CEO of two companies, meets the payroll on time, is married with three nearly-adult teenage kids, and treats his labrador retrievers kindly.

Dear Libertarian Party [03 Jul 2005|06:07pm] [ mood | energetic ] Dear Libertarian Party by Alan R. Weiss alanrweiss78726@yahoo.com Exclusive to TLE Dear Libertarian Party, In your "Iraq Exit Strategy—America's Path Forward", you have wrenched the Libertarian Party away from real solutions towards a policy guaranteed to fail, and in doing so you have proven you have no real "libertarian" solutions to the foreign interventionist quagmires that the American governments over the past 50 years have buried the Ameican public in. "By removing our troops from Iraq and relocating them to various bases in the Middle East, we remove the insurgency's common enemy. The insurgency consists of many different factions with no central leadership." WRONG: The Islamic fanatics do not want American imperialists to control the middle east in general, and frankly the LP has forgotten the admonitions of Washington, Madison, and Jefferson: free trade with all, foreign entangling alliances with none. There is no excuse for an American empire. Instead, we must bring troops home from all countries, and simultaneously restore the full meaning of the 2nd Amendment. American empire has resulted in the Statue of Liberty now being a symbol hated, instead of being loved. "After U.S. troop withdrawal begins, a direct-aid program will begin for the Iraqi government. The U.S. government will disperse funds directly to the Iraqi government to be used strictly for the creation of viable infrastructure. The Iraqi government will exercise complete control over the spending of funds and the contracting of projects. Giving Iraqis complete administrative and fiscal control over rebuilding their infrastructure will allow them to tap into local "know-how" that only Iraqis possess." WRONG: You have absolutely no right to hijack the Libertarian Party's long-standing tradition of no foreign aid to any country. You certainly have no right to prop up the American taxation system to pay for it. At what price would you sell my liberty down the river? "A direct aid program will give Iraq the best chance of becoming a stable, democratic, free-market-oriented country. It is imperative that the Iraqi economy be fully developed as quickly as possible. Vast, persistent unemployment would create a fertile breeding ground for terrorists." WRONG: Direct aid can never be insulated from graft. Direct aid is just a bribe. And the breeding ground for terrorism is due to American government not keeping their word and leaving after they overthrew the Iraqi regime of Hussein. I am immensely glad I did not renew my membership in the Libertarian Party. You have proven that you have no real vision for a libertarian future. You're like "Republicans" and "Democrats", and you have ceded the high ground in foreign relations. Haven't you learned anything? Compromising in Core Beliefs never garners sustainable support. The purpose of the LP is to drive the discussion towards real libertarian solutions. You have just admitted that you have no solutions—just more of the same. I call for your immediate resignation—all of you who have made the slogan "The Party of Principle" a mockery. The very notion of a "National Libertarian Party" with any authority to speak for Libertarians must now be called into question. Resign—immediately—or face removal, the destruction of the Libertarian Party, and public humiliation. Alan R. Weiss is CEO of EEMBC Certification Laboratories and Synchromesh Computing in Austin, Texas. ECL: http://www.ebenchmarks.com EEMBC: http://www.eembc.org Synchromesh Computing: http://www.synchromeshcomputing.com

SCOTUS Above Us [26 Jun 2005|06:06pm] [ mood | discontent ] SCOTUS Above Us by Alan R. Weiss alanrweiss78726@yahoo.com Correspondant, NetPlanetNews.com Exclusive to TLE In TLE (Number 261, February 29, 2004), I wrote what I thought was a decent essay called, "SCOTUS Among Us." I said, "In reference to Groh v. Ramirez, 02-811 : Well, well, well. The infamous 9th Circuit Court of Appeals finally got one right, and the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS, sort of sounds like scrotum) in a NARROW vote (5-4) upheld the Constitution, specifically the 4th Amendment. This time. 5 votes to 4. THAT is how razor thin your rights are in this country. One bloody vote away from being—what? Destroyed? Held in abeyance? What IS the word to describe the constant pressure, the inexorable tide, the repetitive nausea of the United States Gooferment—OK, I'll pick a word—ablating the Bill of Rights? Slivver by slivver, piece by piece, the supreme artifact of the Founding Fathers is being ablated, ground down to dust, by the three generations now in power in this country: the Oldies of World War II, the Baby Boomers of the Post-War, and the Generation X'ers." Some days, I wish I wasn't right so often, because this time my warning on how dangerous the Supreme Court actually is has come true. Nevermind that I confused the 9th Circuit Court with the Supreme Court—I figured, correctly, that there really is no difference since the arcane judiciary plays by its own rules, including rarely overturning circuit courts these days. This time, the vote went 5 - 4 against us, and it was The Supremes themselves who did the dirty work of making property rights an entirely laughable concept in this kleptocracy of ours (those of you who have been raided by the IRS already know the truth). The Kelo vs. New London case proves my point, once and for all: democracy is simply the voting away of your rights, your property, your control, your very life. Apparently, your rights aren't razor thin any longer. They're gone. By a vote of 5 - 4. What is so—weird—is that Joe Bannister, a former IRS agent and CPA turned tax protestor (read: true patriot) just WON his case against the Infernal Ripoff Service. If you didn't have respect for "the law" before, what can you make of the shear ... breathlessness!—of the randomness that passes for "justice" these days. But then again, he hasn't faced the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) yet. Since Marbury vs. Madison, as big a power grab as Julius Cesear's and wholly unconstitutional, SCOTUS has viewed itself as the "judge" between the Executive and the Legislative Branch, and the judge of how to interpret the Constitution. It is time to consider, deeply, the elimination of this dangerous tool of those who would violate your natural rights. Alan R. Weiss is of EEMBC Certification Laboratories and Synchromesh Computing in Austin, Texas. He is Economics Editor for TLE/NPN.

My dear friends, [27 Feb 2005|06:03pm] [ mood | contemplative ] I will be, more or less, OK. The Total Perspective Vortex hit me - hard - today. Friendship and its betrayal, business, the fuckerment, romance, , the utter hopelessness of any chance at liberty anytime soon, my old folks, my wife, and the current vectors of my life... And more, more ... all at once. When the bubble bursts, I have to think a new way to grow new bubbles. Resiliency is hurting, hurting badly, and yet perservering. Those of you who asked about me - why, I cannot express how much it means to me, especially right now. Neil, thank you for calling. Mark, I just got your voice mail - yes, lets meet in San Francisco. You too, Russell, if we can make it so timewise. Mary Lou, thank you for the kind offer - please take care of your momma. She needs you. I am appalled that I worried some people so. Chagrined? Embarrassed? Why yes, yes I am. Also grateful. And humbled. I am going to try and arrange for that which I explained to a few people who wrote me, in the order I suggested it. The third item was sleep. Tomorrow is another day. yvt, Alan P.S: I thought no one read my crappy little blog. Wow.

Goodbye [27 Feb 2005|10:41am] I have decided to vanish, to become a cypher, a rumor, a ghost, a memory. None of cyberspace is real, and I have grave doubts of the reality of a life spent working most of the time and worrying about the utter obliteration of liberty and freedom in meatspace the rest of the time. It appears that my life has been wasted chasing canards, dreaming of that which will never be. My "friends" have abandoned me except when they want something from me. I am that person people turn to when they want help, and my generosity in time, money, and energy is rarely if ever returned. It is all so superficial, and I am trapped by the superficiality of it all. When room exist for profundity, there is nothing we can do about it bring about the profound. I railed against existentialism. What irony. Nothing I have done is of any substance in the long run. So be it.

"Another One Bites the Dust" [13 Feb 2005|06:05pm] [ mood | cynical ] "Another One Bites the Dust" by Alan R. Weiss aweiss@austin.rr.com Exclusive to TLE A few days ago, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Angela Keaton of The Liberated Space radio program (broadcast on KOOP-91.7 FM Austin). A copy can be found at http://txliberty.dyndns.org/inetpub/wwwroot/webfiles/LS050203.wma The topic: "Why Alan R. Weiss is dropping out of the Libertarian Party." Do you want to know why? Because, quite simply, it is in my opinion a waste of time. Because in nearly 30 years they haven't done squat. We haven't won a significant election, and we have no real prospects for doing so. We're reduced to trying to influence a race or two, and even then its not worth spending one's time doing this when none of the other parties are going to actually pay attention to our issues and concerns. We including "me", because although I won my race and served office, I had no help from the Libertarian Party. Oddly enough, I found I didn't need any. Because they are in the process of yet again watering down the principles to try and attract voters (which, as my dear friend L. Neil Smith has repeatedly and statistically shown, never works and only annoys the pigs). Pandering to anti-immigration and pro-war sentiment really just makes the LP a sort of Republican Party Lite, but without the fun of actually being successful at it. Because they can't figure out that Americans aren't philosophical, and they aren't ideological, they're practical. Solving problems is ostensibly what politicians are "hired" to do, and yet Libertarian politicians have a real lack of practical solutions to everyday problems. Running candidates who aren't leaders in their own fields, and haven't demonstrated success in their own lives, is ridiculous. Why should they elect (and follow) such a person? Because they say the right things? Because holding the next convention in Portland, Oregon, is like holding it in Moscow—or Washington, D.C: yet another city that despises gun rights and practices victim disarmament. Portland may be OK for lesbian caffeine-addicted bookstore workers, some of whom are my friends (come to think of it), but it is terrible place for taxpayers, commuters, the environmentalists (really!), business owners, gun-owners, and practically anyone else who wants to live free. Because the National LP office continues to drain funds from local and state parties that can better use it to win office, something National has proven to know absolutely nothing about. It certainly can't seem to run a simple poll and, er, ask its members where the next convention should be held. So much for being responsive to one's customers. Do what we say, not what we preach? Aren't we the Party that's supposed to understand customers? Wouldn't know it by the number of "povertarians", and you wouldn't know it by how capriciously the secret-ballot-loving LNC behaves. Because when faced with a principled, extremely hard-working, and dedicated Presidential candidate in Michael Badnarik, they did very little to help the campaign, and yet they continue to kiss Harry Browne's ass—an ass that has proven to be nearly criminal in its disdain for the money of individual contributors. Because they ignore or cluck at well-intentioned, exciting new liberty-themed efforts such as The Free State Project, providing little or no encouragement (let alone support). Apparently the LP can't deal with competition. Or cooperation. How ironic. Because, in the end, we must change the culture of this society and individual opinions, and a focus on books, movies, films, music, and especially education of young people is far more important and likely to succeed than continuing to run well-meaning but unappealing candidates to an audience ill-prepared to accept our messages. Until our customers, the voters and citizens of this country, are receptive, we're trying to "sell" a product that no one wants to buy. Demonstrably so. We must therefore create demand—or go out of business. Does this mean I am all of sudden going to Vote Republican? Vote Democrat? Not on your life. It simply means that I am going to focus much more attention on cultural and educational projects. I organized The Ceres Project and The Ares Alliance to help fund books and films by L. Neil Smith, our leading libertarian writer today. I am participating in a new online radio and television network that is starting up, to spread ideas about liberty and what a better future can really look like. I am helping others, such as Angela Keaton, real on-air talent, get the word out. I'm helping individual candidates whom I think are worthy, such as the Steve Adams for Austin City Council race. By the way, has the local Travis County LP helped Steve very much? Nope. And yet, Steve has contributed substantially to the local LP. Sad. Most importantly, in a system stacked against any third party, having a third party is not a particularly defendable argument, is it? I am not going to pay to attend another Libertarian Party convention in another socialist hell-hole, and I'm not contributing another slug-dime to a National Party that treats its members like piggy-banks without any return on investment. I'm sure as hell not going to spend my most precious resource—my time—on it. Some have said, "well, Alan has left the LP for a few weeks. I've heard this before." Maybe. Maybe I will be back. I know that my good friend Steve Gordon is working on a plan to revise the LP big-time, a near total re-boot. A total re-boot, a Libertarian Party 2.0, is definately needed. Nothing we have done has really worked. But until some things change, and until such a time as we can the hearts and minds of individuals so that a candidate has a fighting chance of winning, and until the LP realizes that pandering to anti-immigration and pro-war sentiment sacrifices some of our core values—buh bye. Alan R. Weiss is CEO of EEMBC Certification Laboratories and Synchromesh Computing ECL: http://www.ebenchmarks.com EEMBC: http://www.eembc.org Synchromesh Computing: http://www.synchromeshcomputing.com

The Economics of Sitting Ducks [13 Jun 2004|06:08pm] [ mood | full ] The Economics of Sitting Ducks by Alan R. Weiss Economics Editor, NetPlanetNews.com alan@embedded-benchmarks.com Exclusive to TLE All these people demanding war, let them shoulder an M16 and stand a post. If that were the case, Americans would quickly find a different way to prosecute the war on terror. All these people who insist "we" must "fight this war", do so by proxy with soldiers underpaid and clearly undertrained. Those soldiers are not only victims of bad policy, they're economic victims, too. When those soldiers, made sitting ducks by an moronic policy of "nation-building", are killed, their families receive a pittance, except for the standard symbolic flag and letter. The amount they receive is a $6000 death benefit (which is taxable!), $1750 for burial costs (did anyone say, "pine box"?), and a flag most likely made in China. If there is a surviving spouse, they get $833 until they remarry, and if there are children, its $211 per month per child until they are 18 years old. Lets do the math, average case: a young man of 24 is killed in action because the American Army, instead of being a fierce, offensive weapon of awesome power, is stuck in some desert burgh pinned down by Iraqi's with cheap sniper rifles. He's married, and his wife and he have one five-year old child. They get ($6000 * .75 tax bracket—yep, this "benefit" is taxable as income!) + $1750 burial cost + ($833/month x 120 months until she remarries in 10 years) + $32,916 for the child. That's a grand total of $139,126. THAT is the value of this soldier's life in monetary terms. Looking at it in terms of lost income: how much could the soldier have earned out of the military in a civilian job? All that is lost, too ... figure $50,000 a year x 10 years (until the grieving widow remarries) is $500,000 lost. Some of that would have been taken as taxes by a government growing increasingly out of control—and some of this soldier's income would have been debased by inflation and the declining value of the dollar. But at least he would have been able to spend some of it. For comparison, the next of kin of those who died in the World Trade Center tragedy will get an averate of $1.185 million. The range is $250,000 up to $4.7 million, by the way. If you're looking for fairness, for reason, for logic, you're looking at the wrong place when you look to government. Congresscritters vote themselves pay raises, and our own citizens are prohibited in many states from defending themselves by carrying a sidearm. Moreover, we're much less safe than we were before those hideous bastard criminals destroyed the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. In prosecuting this war, the Administration, with the mewling complicity of a deballed Congress, has turned the Muslim world's anger full attention to us. While the rest of the world is too cowardly to recognize that the USA would not take an attack on its mainland lying down, it still demands billions of increasingly-debased dollars for its own protection. That, too, is the cost of this war. Does this make any sense to you? Alan R. Weiss, in addition to being the Economics Editor for NetPlanetNews.com, is Vice President, Free State Project, CEO, Synchromesh Computing and ECL, and longtime contributor and supporter to Mike Badnarik's campaign.

Dear Mike Badnarik Supporters, Friends, and Future Friends [06 Jun 2004|06:01pm] [ mood | determined ] Dear Mike Badnarik Supporters, Friends, and Future Friends by Alan R. Weiss Economics Editor, NetPlanetNews.com alan@ebenchmarks.com Special to TLE I gave one of the nominating speeches for my friend, Michael Badnarik. It was more than just "an Austin thing." I meant it. "Hello, my name is Alan R. Weiss from Austin, Texas and the Free State of New Hampshire. I'm here to place into nomination the next President of the United States of America, Michael Badnarik!" [lots of applause] I can't remember what I said after that. Sorry. I had no written speech. I needed no written speech. It came to me effortlessly, the idea that Mike Badnarik has not only READ "Hope" by L. Neil Smith (which I mentioned in my speech), but that he IS Alexander Hope, the best hope we have to turn the tide of statism around. And I said so, so that all the world will know. I think it made CSPAN—if anyone has it, PLEASE let me know so I can pay you for a copy! Please? :-) Shock the world! Tell your friends that the Libertarian Party, the Party of Principle, has finally lived up to its slogan and has elected a man of extraordinary principle - a man uncomproming in his dedication to Liberty. Mike Badnarik is JUST the person to stick it to Twiddle-dee (John Kerry) and Twiddle-really-dumb (George Bush), just the person to teach the Media what the Constitution really means, and prove it. In the process, Mike Badnarik is saving the Libertarian Party from its disgraceful diseases of the past - the corruption, the mindless proprietary special interest in lining one's own pockets, and the grinding, cancerous slide into LINO ("Libertarian in Name Only") "compromise" with the Devil himself. Aaron Russo gave it a great run, and MANY Libertarians supported Aaron's passionate, emotional approach to defending Liberty. We can learn a LOT from Aaron Russo, and at the Victory Battle Planning Meeting I suggested we contact Aaron to ask for his help in creating 30 and 60 second TV spots. The idea was warmly received, especially by Michael. Gary Nolan was gracious and generous in his endorsement of Mike as he conceded the race. The Convention gave him a richly deserved standing ovation for his tireless stumping for Liberty. Mike and Gary see eye to eye on nearly ("nearly") everything, and in at the Victory Battle Planning Meeting, we Badnarik supporters got to meet our new teammates. We "Hope" to bring all Libertarians together to fight the scourge of fascism, socialism, statism, CONTROL by a Gooferment run amuck. I am, frankly, just a little excited. Alan R. Weiss, in addition to being the Economics Editor for NetPlanetNews.com, is Vice President, Free State Project, CEO, Synchromesh Computing and ECL, and longtime contributor and supporter to Mike Badnarik's campaign.

Alan R. Weiss Endorses Michael Badnarik for President [12 Oct 2003|05:58pm] [ mood | excited ] Alan R. Weiss Endorses Michael Badnarik for President by Alan R. Weiss alan@ebenchmarks.com Special to TLE Now that the best possible selection has decided to forgo the torture of a political campaign to focus on spreading liberty the best way he knows how to (L. Neil Smith, otherwise known as Alexander Hope to those who have read Hope), I would like to take this opportunity to endorse someone I believe has a vision for the united States of America worth supporting: Michael Badnarik of Austin, Texas for the Libertarian Party Candidate for President. I have met Michael Badnarik on several occasions, have broke bread with him (actually, tasty Texas BBQ), and have had some long discussions with him. I believe his heart, I believe his motivations, and most importantly I believe that HE believes in what WE believe: LIBERTY is our birthright. Michael is a fighter. When something is obviously wrong, violates common sense and liberty, he doesn't turn and run. He fights, a gentlemanly, learned fight to be sure, but with surety and conviction. He is not "practical" about it. He is not sidetracked by buy-outs. He stands his ground, and he fights. I may not always agree with the battlegrounds he picks, but I sure as hell can't argue that he isn't right about what is sticking in his craw. He's fighting for you and me, too. Michael Badnarik's unvarnished, untarnished view of the Bill of Rights, and his insistance on ALL of those rights, without pussy- footing around and turning them into mush, is EXACTLY what the Libertarian Party needs - and exactly what America needs if it is to survive AND thrive in the 21st Century. An excellent public speaker, he cuts a dashing figure in his ever- present three-piece suit, white shirt, and red silk tie made for the media, but what the media doesn't know - yet - is that Michael Badnarik will never muddy-up his message to pamper their prejudices. His clear defense of liberty rings true. I hereby, heartily, endorse Michael Badnarik as the choice of the Libertarian Party, and with the grace of Divine Providence, the next President of the united States of America. Alan R. Weiss Austin, Texas

I Am A Nigger—(and so are you) -- An Assay of Truth [12 Aug 2003|06:04pm] [ mood | aggravated ] I Am A Nigger—An Assay of Truth by Alan R. Weiss alan@ebenchmarks.com Special to TLE I am a Nigger. And so are you. That racial epithet can serve us mightily as we remember our place in society. The bottom. You see, at the top is now the US President, the Cabinet, and the Republican Party. Since that's a mouthful, lets just call them "Massuh Repos." Ol' Massuh, he's fixin' to institute the DRAFT again in Texas (a Bill was introduced by a local Massah Repo into the State Legislature this year!). Is there anything that says "slavery" more The Draft, Nigger? Next up is the US Congress, backed by the Army of Bureaurats. They all live in The Big House up on The Hill. They pass laws on the tiniest of our earthly activities, rendering MOST of them illegal. Their distributed Minions in the State Legislatures across this country have passed MILLIONS of laws. YOU are a lawbreaker, and at ANY time they can swoop down and hold a nice fancy lynching for you, called a "Trial." The Trial will cost you, most likely, your life savings for your defense, your good name, and quite possibly your freedom and livelihood. Just as the old Black slaves felt that Massuh could punish them at ANY time, so can YOU be punished at ANY TIME, Nigger. THEY are First Class Citizens, full of the protection of The Man. They ARE "The Man." Corporate malfeasance is mildy rebuked. Innocent women and children in Waco, Oklahoma City, New York City, and other battle zones are slaughtered like animals. The proud military engine is turned on Third World hapless bystanders, even as the hapless FBI is turned on Americans. The degeneracy of the aristocracy slaughtered human slaves. What has changed today, Nigger? When you protest, when you stand up like a MAN (or a WOMAN) and protest, the Department of Homeland Security may open up the metaphorical firehose on you, drowning you in survelliance, suspician, possibly arrest. Does that remind you of Birmingham, Nigger? Does the firehose of The Man scare you? It should. If you don't like being called "Nigger", you Nigger, then why not say so? Why not stand and fight? Why tolerate it? If the Black Man and Black Woman can declare themselves FREE AT LAST (and yet throw it all away, just as White Folks have thrown it all away), well, so can you. If the biggest trick Ol' Debbil played on human beings is convince y'all that Satan doesn't exist, the biggest trick Massuh played on you is convince you that you ARE a Nigger. And you don't have to be White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, or ANYTHING else except "an American" to feel, these days, that you are a Nigger. Only YOU can get rid of that "feeling" by doing some "thinking." Alan R. Weiss Nigger P.S: As if I have to say this: I don't have a racist bone in my body. If you think so, you can't hope to understand what I mean, and for that I'm very sorry. I can only say that its time for ALL of us to reclaim the word and put it in its proper context: being a second class citizen in your own land. Alan R. Weiss is Chairman and CTO, ECL, LLC, of EEMBC Certification Laboratories, Austin, Texas http://www.ebenchmarks.com, http://www.eembc.org. Benchmarking * Certification * Software Testing and Product Analysis Strategic Consulting * Embedded Development Services * Support ECL, LLC is an equal opportunity employer (EOE).

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