An After-Tax-Day Free Gift

It's mid-April, so you may hear the common question, "did you get your taxes done?" Of course, that's not really accurate — your taxes will never be done, so the question should be, "did you get your tax paperwork done (on time)?" But no matter, we understand the question well enough. Despite taxation going on all year, those of us required to "play along" with the bloated monster that originated in the Sixteenth Amendment (tax code that is now around 3 million words, all from a 30-word amendment) are all too familiar with the annual ritual of trying to describe our earnings in the prior year. For the young with little financial complexity, this isn't too burdensome. For those of us who are older and/or have more complex financial scenarios, it can be a nightmare of sorting through our own paperwork and the byzantine tax regulations to try to get the right number, all with the cost and hassle of a potential future audit hanging over our heads. Such a pleasant experience! And what, other than mis-managed government programs, do we get in return? More taxes and the opportunity to repeat the process again next year!

That sounds like a raw deal to me, so here's a nicer reward. This one isn't offered by Uncle Sam, this one is offered by yours truly. Since you've now made it, one way or another, through the possibly-grueling task of preparing your 2011 taxes, it's time for a break! You should sit back, relax, and... read a good novel! OK, maybe not right now since it's the middle of the work week, but this weekend would be a good time to catch up on some relaxation time with a good book. And for that very purpose, I will give you a free copy of Lesson One: Revolution! for the Kindle. But don't worry if you don't have a Kindle, because there are apps for Windows, OS X, the iPad, Android, and more to read Kindle books. You can even use the "Cloud Reader" that Amazon provides to read the book in your browser.

Not up for a whole novel? Have other plans for the weekend? That's all right, you can get a free copy of Journey to Yandol, and other stories instead. It's a little collection of short stories (which are not really political in nature, unlike my novel and this blog). Most of them are pretty clearly "science fiction." And if you want both books for free, you can do that too!

To claim your After-Tax-Day Free Gift, just...

1. Wait until this Friday or Saturday (April 20th or 21st, 2012)
2. Go to the Amazon page for the Kindle edition of one or both books (see below); or, if you have a Kindle, do a search through your device as you would for any other book
3. Verify that the price is $0.00
4. "Buy" the book!

The links you'll find useful for this offer are:

• Lesson One: Revolution! (Kindle edition) - also available in: UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy
• Journey to Yandol, and other stories (Kindle edition) - also available in: UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy
• Find an app for your computer or mobile device to read Kindle books

I hope you take the time to download these Kindle books for free while that is an option. After this short promotional period, the prices will go back to normal. If you enjoy the books (or even if you don't), your honest review on Amazon would be appreciated!

Same-Sex Marriage in Washington: Is This Progress?

Today is an exciting day in Washington State. Proponents of gay marriage are happy that Governor Gregoire signed into law a bill that makes the state the seventh in the nation to allow gay marriage. Opponents, of course, are "excited" in a negative way, preparing to make a battle for "traditional marriage" in the state, presumably through the Initiative process or perhaps court proceedings. But I'm not excited, and if you've read this blog very long, you may know why: I think both sides are wrong.

You should ask yourself two questions: 1. What does it really mean to be married? 2. What is the proper role of government?

Ron Paul is more than Ron Paul

Before I get to the main topic of this post, I want to put in a quick plug for my book. For the rest of today, the Kindle edition of Lesson One: Revolution! will be available for free. It has been free since yesterday, and it made it into the top 10 free Kindle titles in Political Fiction. It's not strictly what might be considered a "libertarian novel" but I think libertarians might find it a worthy read.

Now... what do I mean when I say that Ron Paul is more than Ron Paul?

It's interesting to watch, as Republicans work their way through the primary and caucus process and start to approach the national convention, how clueless the Republican establishment is when they think about Ron Paul's campaign. They obviously think of Ron Paul's supporters as just a block of voters that can be convinced to vote for a different Republican as long as they, and Congressman Paul, get enough positive strokes. They clearly don't get it. They're not comprehending that the reason people are supporting Dr. Paul is not because of him, it's because of what he stands for. No amount of "positive strokes" to Ron Paul, or his supporters, will take the place of that deeper meaning to his campaign!

The Statue Is Becoming A Lie

I feel sad for the US today.

At one time, at least the story is told here, our country was a shining example of "freedom" to the world. But now, the word "liberty" (which means the same thing, forms the root of the term "libertarian," and is used prominently in our Declaration of Independence) is treated as a "bad" or "uncaring" thing. Instead of us having the freedom to give, or not give, to the charitable causes we deem worthy, we're supposed to trust that supposedly-selfless elected officials (does anybody really believe in the altruism of politicians?) should be given as much power as they demand to deliver benefits to "worthy" causes, with little or no control by us regarding how our money is distributed. This is the lamp of freedom we hold up to the world?

Republicans vs. Conservatives

When I said previously that Libertarians should support Ron Paul's campaign for US President in 2012, I guess I should have been directing my comments to a different audience: Congressman Paul's own party members, i.e., Republicans. Their ongoing dismissal of him, which dovetails nicely with liberals' dismissal of him, highlights what seems to me a basic fact: The so-called Republicans of today are not really conservative. The main problem they have with Ron Paul is that he's too conservative — he actually believes and works toward the ideas that they just pantomime.

I disagree with the popular term "neo-con" to describe those who claim to be Republicans but whose actions, compared to true conservatism, don't match up. "Neo" just means new, but there's no such thing as "new conservatism." You're either conservative, or you're not. And if you're not, and you claim to be, you're not a "new" conservative, you're a fake conservative. The word for that is pseudo-con, not neo-con.

Ron Paul and the 2012 Election

Here's a quick political exercise for you:  To find the person who has the perfect political ideals, that one person whose views match yours to the utmost degree, go look in the mirror.  Come back here when you're done.

Got that out of the way?  Good.  Now that you know where to find the perfect candidate for any given office, we can talk about other options, the less-than-perfect candidates.

If you're a card-carrying, dues-paying Libertarian (or a little-l libertarian like me), you have to understand that there is no such thing as a perfect libertarian.  Well, other than that person you saw in the mirror.  When it comes to promoting and defending liberty, we all have our own nuances that we put on the word "liberty" and so we all have different ideas of what a libertarian should believe in.  Now, obviously, there's a limit to that.  You can't think that the government should make every decision for you and still consider yourself a libertarian.  But on the opposite end of the spectrum from "statist" there's still wiggle room.  If you want "perfect" look in the mirror; otherwise, accept that you have to make compromises.  Acceptable compromises, but compromises nonetheless.

With all that said, let me say that I consider myself the perfect Libertarian candidate for US President for the 2012 elections.

July Sale: Special Offer on Lesson One: Revolution!

I should clarify up front that Lesson One: Revolution! is not strictly a libertarian novel. It does present some libertarian viewpoints, but the main character is, as he repeatedly tells people, "not a Libertarian." No, he's more like a libertarian (or maybe a so-called Tea Party activist) gone awry — somebody who doesn't trust his fellow citizens to comprehend the desire/need to make use of existing political processes to restore liberty in the face of ever-growing government encroachment.

Anyway, with that said, I think libertarians (small 'l' and big 'L') might find the book to be an interesting read. (Obviously I'm biased, since I'm the author!) To give you an easy chance to find out for yourself, I'm "celebrating my July birthday" by putting the electronic editions on sale for the whole month. Previously sold for $7.99, the Kindle edition is just 99 cents for the rest of July. (It's also available for the Nook, for the same price.) If you don't have a Kindle, you can download free Kindle software for the PC, Mac, iPad, and other platforms. (Similar software is available for the Nook, also free, from Barnes & Noble.)

If you read it, please consider posting your thoughts as a comment here. Or, of course, you can always post a review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble's site. In any event, I hope you consider taking advantage of this super low price, and I hope you enjoy the book!