A chance to tell Ben Bernanke how we feel

Hi All,

Here is a chance for Phil Berg and everyone to tell Ben Bernanke how Libertarians feel about the Federal Reserve. The Commonwealth Club is hosting him on Wednesday, October 14, 6:30 pm, Ralston Ballroom, Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco. He will be interviewed by Michael Moritz, Managing Partner, Sequoia Capital. Cost is not all that high, $40 Non-member General Admission; $30 Commonwealth member, $10 Students with ID.

The announcement says that "Bernanke and his colleagues used every federal capability to keep the U.S. economy afloat." If you have a problem with that, here is your chance.

Google the Commonwealth Club, and click Events or do a search for information.

Marcy

Hi Marcy,

You might want to tell Phil and the others to be mindful of any protocols for speaking in turn, else Bernanke might pull a "Jorge Ramos" on them. (Since the "public," which might include some within our ranks, tends to quickly forget current events, here's a reminder: Jorge Ramos was the Latino reporter who The Donald told to move back to where he got there from … Univision, after Ramos fired off questions out of turn.)

Still, it certainly seems like it will be an interesting event. Will it be worth 40 Federal Reserve Notes? Can't say for certain. As for the announcement which says, ""Bernanke and his colleagues used every federal capability to keep the U.S. economy afloat" I can't say I have a specific problem with that. But I would like to ask Bernanke, and maybe Phil or the others might ask in my stead, is whether he thinks The Federal Reserve under his leadership did a better job in planning the U.S. economy than the Soviet Politburo did in planning the economy of the old (RIP) Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics? If he answers in the affirmative, ask him how he thinks his fellow travelers went wrong and what he would had done to keep the old USSR's economy "afloat." I would also ask him how are things going in Venezuela.

Are you going to attend, Marcy? I would like to attend with you, but I can't promise. I think I may be attending around the same time a fundraiser to re-elect Obama in 2016.

Check it out.

Alton

---In lpsf-discuss@yahoogroups.com, <amarcyb@...> wrote :

Hi All,

Here is a chance for Phil Berg and everyone to tell Ben Bernanke how Libertarians feel about the Federal Reserve. The Commonwealth Club is hosting him on Wednesday, October 14, 6:30 pm, Ralston Ballroom, Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco. He will be interviewed by Michael Moritz, Managing Partner, Sequoia Capital. Cost is not all that high, $40 Non-member General Admission; $30 Commonwealth member, $10 Students with ID.

The announcement says that "Bernanke and his colleagues used every federal capability to keep the U.S. economy afloat." If you have a problem with that, here is your chance.

Google the Commonwealth Club, and click Events or do a search for information.

Marcy

Hi Alton,

Ha! Sorry you cannot attend the Bernanke event, but your assistance with Obama's reelection for a third term (and taking a stand on how outdated the US Constitution has become) is more important. I will probably attend, even though my significant other objects to my spending $40 of family money propping up dictators. It might be interesting to listen to what Bernanke has to say as source of an article for the LPSF website or Facebook, or a Letter to the Editor.

Marcy

Hi Marcy,

Attached is a campaign poster to re-elect Obama in 2016. I had it custom made as satire, but it has led to some serious discussions especially about the Constitution. When people tell me that Obama couldn't run for another term because of the Constitution, I ask them, "What's the Constitution between friends?"

Still, as you know the Constitution, like the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield, "gets no respect." I mean, really, the Constitution is supposed to limit the government's powers, but it seems to me that our kind, benevolent, beneficent, omniscient overlords know no limits to their powers and do whatever they please.

As such, I'll bet that should Obama decide to run for a third term, no one will stop him. There may be some listless legal challenges in court, but they will go nowhere. Just like the legal challenges in 2008 to Obama's eligibility to run since he is clearly not a "natural born citizen." And the craziest part is should he run for another term, he will win. Indeed, he is the best candidate the Democrats have for 2016. But don't tell them that.

As for your probable attendance to the Bernanke event, yes, I could understand why your SO would object to your spending 40 Federal Reserve Notes "to prop up dictators," but it is, after all, a "once in a lifetime event," isn't it? Will you get a "selfie" with him? Maybe an autograph? But whichever, I do hope your attendance will produce "fodder" for articles and letters that you will write.

Yes, I'm sorry I cannot attend. But if you do attend, do ask "Uncle Ben" to pay homage to "Uncle Joe" for me.

Thanks much.

Alton

BTW, Marcy and all, do make as many posters as you wish and plaster them all over SF. We do want to re-elect Obama, don't we?

---In lpsf-discuss@yahoogroups.com, <amarcyb@...> wrote :

Hi Alton,

Ha! Sorry you cannot attend the Bernanke event, but your assistance with Obama's reelection for a third term (and taking a stand on how outdated the US Constitution has become) is more important. I will probably attend, even though my significant other objects to my spending $40 of family money propping up dictators. It might be interesting to listen to what Bernanke has to say as source of an article for the LPSF website or Facebook, or a Letter to the Editor.

Marcy

(Attachment Obama graphic for poster, July 4, 2015.jpg is missing)

Hi Alton,

Great poster! I will consider making some bumper stickers out of it at FedEx Office, and betting I can get people to use them in great excitement. Ignoring the Constitution has become so pervasive that examples can be found throughout all political spectrums, in my humble view, so I agree with you that supporters of a third term would abound.

The other day, someone posted a video on Facebook I thought explained the present state of things well. Robert George, professor at Princeton, together with Prager University, made "We are Losing Liberty." The best line, I think, is "Liberty can be taken away, but it can also be given away." Professor George's point is that all the liberty we could ever want is built into the Bill of Rights. I presume a follow up to that would be that if we understand something/anything that benefits us to be a "right" or a "liberty," we would assume it to be "protected" under one of the sections of the Bill of Rights, and thus, we give away a little bit more liberty as envisioned by our Founding Fathers.

BTW, Prager University is an interesting institution. Here is how it describes itself:

"Prager University is not an accredited academic institution
and does not offer certifications or diplomas.
But it is a place where you are free to learn."

Professor George's video is currently on the main page of Prager, but here is a link to the video on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIfgD6_hofI

I will report on Uncle Ben's talk at the Commonwealth Club, unless I decide that avoiding household discord
might be a better option than enjoying some fun double speak.

Marcy

Unless you have a mind to interrupt the proceedings, cause a scene, and get thrown out, I wouldn't go, as you probably *won't* have a chance to tell him how you feel. The Commonwealth Club doesn't let audience members question people like Bernanke directly. Questions have to be written down, and then they are screened. Those selected are read to the speaker by the moderator. I'm sure that's one reason bigwigs like him like speaking at the Club -- little chance of really having to face the music.

  The Obama 2016 meme does not seem to me a good one to spread. Not that I think anyone would seriously try to push that yet, there would be too much resistance. But more exposure runs a risk, I think, of normalizing the idea and making it seem less far-fetched. If a U.S. president were to actually attempt such a thing and were not firmly stopped, it would be crossing a critical line in the road to serfdom.

Love & Liberty,
                                ((( starchild )))

Oh totally agree about chances of getting a question to Ben would be nill! My real thought was really to go as a "reporter". A nice well behaved reporter.

Double totally agree that we might be actually normalizing the idea of a third term by distributing Obama 2016 material. As I said, I bet a lot of people would actually sincerely think it a great idea. So I confess I was being cynical, as I hope Alton was.

BTW, speaking of 2016, I have a feeling that our National LP is planning to skip 2016 elections. Nobody for President that stands out so far.

Marcy

   Unless you have a mind to interrupt the proceedings, cause a scene, and get thrown out, I wouldn't go, as you probably *won't* have a chance to tell him how you feel. The Commonwealth Club doesn't let audience members question people like Bernanke directly. Questions have to be written down, and then they are screened. Those selected are read to the speaker by the moderator. I'm sure that's one reason bigwigs like him like speaking at the Club -- little chance of really having to face the music.

   The Obama 2016 meme does not seem to me a good one to spread. Not that I think anyone would seriously try to push that yet, there would be too much resistance. But more exposure runs a risk, I think, of normalizing the idea and making it seem less far-fetched. If a U.S. president were to actually attempt such a thing and were not firmly stopped, it would be crossing a critical line in the road to serfdom.

Love & Liberty,
                               ((( starchild )))