Minnesota State Fair Recap

What a success! Thank you to the thousands of people we met at the State Fair! Many of the folks from outside of the twin cities area often times feel they are a lone voice, chatting with them gave them a sense of camaraderie and empowerment. They have a tougher task ahead of

2013-09-04T12:30:04-05:00September 4th, 2013|0 Comments

Was It Worth It?

I grew up in a generation whose culture taught us that being anti-war was weak and unpatriotic. Then my generation went to war. We went to Iraq and Afghanistan, and our brothers began to come home in body bags. There is nothing weak about that. The reality of war is hard. It is painful, and the costs are high.

2013-07-18T18:25:59-05:00July 18th, 2013|0 Comments

Libertarianism 101: How to be a Proper Corporate Shill

There are an excess of benefits to being a libertarian in 2013. First, there's the whole minor party status thing. Then you consider the huge number of ladies that fill our ranks which makes Ladies Nights at any local bar look tame. But, if I was to pick just one thing that makes being a libertarian great, I'd have to say it’s the corporate sponsorships, the fat bonus checks, and court side seats that make fighting for liberty so great. Would be critics of libertarianism try and discredit the movement by claiming that we've been bought and paid for by corporations to create pseudo-economic arguments in their favor. If only they knew the half of it.

2013-07-17T18:00:00-05:00July 17th, 2013|0 Comments

Liberty Golf Tournament

Help send the message of Liberty to the Minnesota State Fair! Come out for 18 holes of golf with MN Party Chair David Arvidson and members of the Executive Committee at one of Minnesota’s premiere 18 hole championship golf courses one week before we return to the State Fair. Each player will receive an official “Liberty Towel” golf towel, cart use, range time, and burgers and brats catered by Deer Run.

2013-07-17T17:51:40-05:00July 17th, 2013|0 Comments

The Watering Hole – Liberty in the Park 2013

What started as a pretty dismal morning did indeed bloom into a beautiful day filled with freedom and fellowship. Liberty in the Park hosted by none other than the Libertarian Party of Minnesota, took place this last weekend (July 13th) at Burnes Park in Hopkins. Considering that this was a quasi-political event, I was surprised that guests were not on the defensive but were quite approachable and amiable. I met with several new faces and count each liberty encounter as a treasure.

2013-07-16T13:14:39-05:00July 16th, 2013|0 Comments

Safety From Yourselves?

Celebrating Independence Day has always been a thrilling event for me. Family, backyard barbeques, and the best yet, fireworks. Growing up we had the luxury of a car that could take us to Hudson, WI for the purpose of buying fire crackers, bottle rockets, and other non-ground effect pyro-technics. I know not many in Minnesota had the benefit of a motor vehicle to get what the law considers contraband, but strangely enough, there were many in Burnsville who did. But all satire aside, I have always found this law to be erroneous and non-competitive for Minnesotan businesses.

2013-07-05T12:19:42-05:00July 5th, 2013|0 Comments

You are NOT complicit: Bullet to the Brain of Libertarian Purity

Libertarian purity is the stuff of legends. It’s right up there with phoenix tears and virgin blood as far as mythological alchemists are concerned. As part of the purification ritual of ‘true’ libertarianism, the acolytes must not shower for over a year. The justification being that tap water is under the control of the government monopoly. This grave infraction is punishable by having to sew a large red "S" into your clothing. "S" is for Statist.

2013-06-27T13:44:36-05:00June 27th, 2013|0 Comments

In Defense of Miss Utah

Reality T.V. has a strange grip on our culture today and it seems a litany of shows each year try to capture a new niche market. Unfortunately, reading Mises, Hayek and Rothbard has not made me immune to the hypnotic pull watching a bunch of kids living in a house, contests of eating bugs and other disgusting items, or what appears to be an American past time, the beauty pageant. So, when my wife and the in-laws turned on the tube Sunday night, I found myself watching the finalists of the Miss USA Pageant being grilled about modern social and economic issues.

2013-06-18T12:27:36-05:00June 18th, 2013|0 Comments

The 7 reasons I thought I was a Democrat (and the reasons I’m not anymore)

After 17 years in the primary and collegial school systems it’s not hard to come out with a few unexamined opinions regarding political parties and their politics. I love gays, immigrants, students, helping the poor, democracy, workers, and the environment. A.k.a. what the average guy or gal on the street thinks of as a “Democrat”. But when examining the rationalizations given for specific legislative solutions, I began to re-examine those key issues that “made” me a liberal. If I wanted to build a world with more equality, more prosperity AND more freedom, the answer was not going to be more government.

2013-06-10T15:55:31-05:00June 10th, 2013|0 Comments