I want to start a Libertarian movement in my country

Anyway, what do you want the state to do with this resource that they discovered?
And it would be preferable to have a local private company to extract the oil.

We also have Marijuana plants, but the government criminalized it creating a war on drugs and the only ones benefiting from it are Hezbollah & Amal making them have a monopoly over it.
If we want to achieve economic growth the Lebanese government should not only legalize it's usage, it should also be legal to harvest it, free from regulations, and freely used not only for medical usage.
 
Parlimentarians have illegally extended their mandate twice in 2013 and 2014 and now they are considering extendending for a 3rd time.
In Lebanon, we can only elect the parliament, and the parliamentarians elect a president, a prime minister, and the head of the parliament.
The head of the parliament has been extending his term since 1991.
The president has to be a Maronite Christian.
Prime minister, has to be a sunni Muslim.
Head of the parliament has to be a Shia Muslim.

What is your opinion regarding the compatibility of Islam and libertarianism?
 
We also have Marijuana plants, but the government criminalized it creating a war on drugs and the only ones benefiting from it are Hezbollah & Amal making them have a monopoly over it.
If we want to achieve economic growth the Lebanese government should not only legalize it's usage, it should also be legal to harvest it, free from regulations, and freely used not only for medical usage.

What are the best strains of cannabis grown in Lebanon?

I am trimming up some strawberry fire right now.
 
What is your opinion regarding the compatibility of Islam and libertarianism?
-The short answer is Yes, you can be a Muslim and a Libertarian, just like you have Christian Libertarians.
-The Long answer is No, the religion of Islam is against secularism and Individualism.
-Individualism & Liberty Violations:
[FONT=&quot]Treatment of ***** and transgendered folks:
Qur'an 4:16[/FONT]

If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and amend, Leave them alone; for Allah is Oft-returning, Most Merciful. -Supression of Freedom of Expression: Qur'an Sura 33:57-61:
Surely (as for) those who speak evil things of Allah and His Messenger, Allah has cursed them in this world and the here after, and He has prepared for them a chastisement bringing disgrace. And those who speak evil things of the believing men and the believing women without their having earned (it), they are guilty indeed of a false accusation and a manifest sin. O Prophet! say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon them their over-garments; this will be more proper, that they may be known, and thus they will not be given trouble; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. If the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and the agitators in the city do not desist, We shall most certainly set you over them, then they shall not be your neighbors in it but for a little while; Cursed: wherever they are found they shall be seized and murdered, a (horrible) murdering.
[FONT=&quot]Freedom of Expression
Sura 5:33:[/FONT]

The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement.
[FONT=&quot]-Sex:
Sura 17:32:[/FONT]

Nor come nigh to fornication/adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils). The penalty for premarital sex is 100 lashes, and for extramarital stoning till death. Masturbation is sinful and harmful to a person's sexuality according to Islam. -Discrimination Against Jews & Christians:
Qur'an 9:29: Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
[FONT=&quot]-Penalty for the Apostasy & Freedom of Thought:
Qur'an 3:90-91:[/FONT]

Surely, those who disbelieve after their believing, then increase in unbelief, their repentance shall not be accepted, and these are they that go astray. Surely, those who disbelieve and die while they are unbelievers, the earth full of gold shall not be accepted from one of them, though he should offer to ransom himself with it, these it is who shall have a painful chastisement, and they shall have no helpers.

Theocracy & Anti-Secualrism:
The Qur'an is the first and most important source of Islamic law. Believed to be the direct word of God as revealed to Muhammad through angel Gabriel in Mecca and Medina, the scripture specifies the moral, philosophical, social, political and economic basis on which a society should be constructed. The verses revealed in Mecca deal with philosophical and theological issues, whereas those revealed in Medina are concerned with socio-economic laws. The Qur'an was written and preserved during the life of Muhammad, and compiled soon after his death.[SUP][6][/SUP]
The verses of the Qur'an are categorized into three fields: "science of speculative theology", "ethical principles" and "rules of human conduct". The third category is directly concerned with Islamic legal matters which contains about five hundred verses or one thirteenth of it. The task of interpreting the Qur'an has led to various opinions and judgments. The interpretations of the verses by Muhammad's companions for Sunnis and Imams for Shias are considered the most authentic, since they knew why, where and on what occasion each verse was revealed
What are the best strains of cannabis grown in Lebanon?

I am trimming up some strawberry fire right now.
I don't know much about cannabis, I will ask my friend he knows about them.

How many people in your country are government informants?:cool:
I don't know

Step One: Start thinking like a Winner:



Corollary: Stop thinking like a Loser.

All the best!

Thx, but why the insult
 
If you're Lebanese and don't like what's going on in Lebanon then you can get the hell out.
 
Thx, for the advice

No problem!

I also would suggest dumbing down any message you want to present. A lot. Really, really a lot. The average IQ of your country is about 80. Average. None of these people can even understand the pronunciation of the word "libertarian," much less why they may want to pronounce it. I don't even know why they would. They probably wouldn't!

So actually, I would suggest one of two possible paths (not that you can't do both... if you have unlimited time and resources): either radically dumb the message down, or radically intellectually juice the message up. This second option is that you just ignore all the people in your country who are completely incapable of understanding libertarianism (as well as being incapable of pronouncing the word, which is going to be just downright annoying for you) and focus on the upper-class elites, who are capable.

Option One: Make Lebanese libertarianism synonymous with something really popular to the plebes in Lebanon. In your case, possibilities would be: Islam, and.... OK, just Islam. That's pretty much the only horse you've got. So hitch 'er up!

Option Two: Make Lebanese libertarianism extremely exclusive and high-level stuff that the elite and only the elite will be attracted to, or even have the equipment to understand. By refusing to compromise, water down, or even simplify, you will gain a cachet of exclusivity. By utterly refusing to attempt in the slightest to seem attractive to, or even palatable to, or even non-horrifying to, or even comprehensible to the idiotic masses, you will draw at least some curiosity from one group: powerful, intelligent, contrarian/independent young men in wealthy families with high IQs. If your ideas are as sensational as you think, this group will then adopt them. And, turns out.... that's the only group you need! True story.

There's your two game plan options. Choose wisely.
 
-The short answer is Yes, you can be a Muslim and a Libertarian, just like you have Christian Libertarians.
-The Long answer is No, the religion of Islam is against secularism and Individualism.

Right, so one could claim to be Muslim and a libertarian, but one cannot follow the tenants of Islam and be a libertarian.

That sounds like a pretty big problem, to me. What on earth can possibly be done to rectify it?

I mean, Christianity certainly isn't perfect and there has been a lot of violence perpetrated in the name of Christianity - but I'm not under the impression that Christianity is fundamentally at odds with having a free society. In fact, some people believe Jesus was an anarchist tax protester and that some of his words and teachings were later altered slightly to make him appear more statist than he actually was in order for the religion to be compatible with the power structures in place at the time, but that hints of his true teachings remain.
 
I live in Lebanon, and I don't know many libertarians where I live
I know only two guys on the internet and they created a Facebook page called "The Lebanese Libertarian Movement" and the page is still small https://www.facebook.com/LebaneseLibertarians/
We would like to expand and start doing something in practice.
Any suggestions and ideas are appreciated. :)

I'll tell you something. I like pretty much everyone here. A few times I've got on the bad side of some people. And sometimes some people get on my bad side. And, of course, a woman scorned, never forgets, no matter what. That's something else, though. End of the day, though, if any of em needed something, I'd be right there offering if they asked.

Now. Heh. That said, you have to be careful when asking 'libertarians' about libertarianism. A lot of people have some libertarian tendencies but not all of them are truly libertarian. Most are libertines. The younger ones anyway. Then you have the monarchists and whatnot. And mercantilists. And about a dozen other isms going on, all with their own tailored perception of libertarian.
 
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The problem with Lebanon is that political parties do not rely on Left-Right politics they rely on sectarian politics instead.
In Lebanon we do not have capitalism, sectarian families control the politics.
For example the Joumblat family have strong influence among the Druze sect, and soon enough Walid Joumblat the current leader of the Druze will inherent the leadership to his eldest son.
And in Lebanon your religious sect is stated on your Identification card, if u wanna get a job in Lebanon you need wasta (a form of nepotism in the Middle East) were an individual has connections to a politician.(This also applies to the private sector), Sectarian politicians have a monopoly over the private sector too.
When the politicians want to take a decision or implement a policy or pass a law or something it is debated on the basis of how much money they will gain and allocation of sectarian quotas.

Do the Druze still hold the belief that you must be born to Druze parents ?
 
I'll tell you something. I like pretty much everyone here. A few times I've got on the bad side of some people. And sometimes some people get on my bad side. And, of course, a woman scorned, never forgets, no matter what. That's something else, though. End of the day, though, if any of em needed something, I'd be right there offering if they asked.

Now. Heh. That said, you have to be careful when asking 'libertarians' about libertarianism. A lot of people have some libertarian tendencies but not all of them are truly libertarian. Most are libertines. The younger ones anyway. Then you have the monarchists and whatnot. And mercantilists. And about a dozen other isms going on, all with their own tailored perception of libertarian.
Right. And yet, there was -- and hopefully still is! -- a thread tying us all together. In our particular case, it was the great project of Murray Rothbard, as implemented by the hard work and tireless integrity of Lew Rockwell and Ron Paul, that binds us. Murray's great integrating vision was able to see the wholesome or worthwhile elements in a panoply of American traditions, movements, and intellectual Giants, and then his genius was able to stitch them into a system that could have great appeal to them all, to all these seemingly unrelated groups. Furthermore -- and this is where his genius goes beyond sheer inventive cleverness and reaches that rare height of the universal -- Murray's final creation in no way feels like a patchwork quilt, but like Michealangelo's Sistene Chapel, a unified and coherent whole, much greater that the sum of its parts.

But without the parts, already existing, already active and alive, it wouldn't have worked. Movements, especially political movements, cannot simply be created whole cloth out of nothing. They grow and morph out of existing movements. So, you need to figure out: what is your John Birch Society? Who was your Lebanese Mencken, your Jefferson, your Spooner? Where is your Young Americans for Freedom to proselyte in, your National Review to write in (and feud with), your Ayn Rand to love (and laugh at)? These are the kinds of questions you must answer if you are to discover whether it is possible to construct a Libertarian Movement in Lebanon.

And again, I wish you the best in doing so.
 
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Make youtube videos/make appearance in other people's youtube video, start a blog,

The world has become an "interesting" place. I started a blog some years ago. Possibly I am flattering myself as I am a horrible judge of my own merits (which is why I usually default to "everything I do sucks", so as not to lead myself astray in the direction of auto-stroking), but I think I have done a fair to middling job of it. Ten-thousand views since late 2009 is an abysmal result, telling me that either indeed I suck or the average man has no interest in, or capacity for my efforts. Assuming for conversation's sake that I do not wholly suck, it would then follow that people are not in much of a mood for the rigors of freedom.

You have to put yourself/your ideas out there somehow and if possible,

Done that. Not much response, which leads me back to the notion that "I suck". The other possibility is that I just suck at self-promotion. I've never been one to whip it out and start waving it around like the world's largest flag poll, screaming "hey everybody, look at me!"

pray that a Ron Paul type politician would come around to carry the idea to the masses.

Hell no. The ONE thing I don't like about Ron Paul is the cult that has arisen around him. It is essentially no different than the one that rose at the feet of men like Hitler and Jim Jones. What we need is not a Ron Paul, but fifty million like-minded and driven individuals of equivalent knowledge, capacities, drive, and habit. So long as we of the "liberty movement" retain this fetish for personalities, hoping for a new Moses to appear out of the mists to deliver us from our bondage, we shall remain in fact the Bowel Movement, for we are nothing more than that. The fact is that say that we want freedom, but clearly not enough to seize it. We only want it enough to "pray" someone comes along and gives it to us. Does this not remind us so very powerfully of those whom we claim to despise? Sadder and more ironically still is the fact that those at whom we look down our noses have been out there acting to get their hands on that which they say they want. Yes, they are almost equally guilty of wanting it given them, but that small difference between us - such as demonstrated by the rioters who tried to burn down Portland - is all the difference in the world because even though the goals were rotten and perhaps disingenuous, they DID get off the couch and into the action. Generally speaking, "we" do nothing beyond griping from behind a screen.

I've personally attempted to get some ideas going here on RPF. The result? Nada, every time. I've seen others do the same with identical outcomes. I don't suppose this is a very popular position, but we have only ourselves to blame. Back ca. 2010 there was some push here to do X and at the request of some of the members I recruited the head of the NJ Libertarian party to the cause only to have the ball dropped utterly, the result being me wearing egg from head to toe. While I tend to be rather forbearing, I do not care for being made the fool, which was precisely what happened. Sadly, this is typical of the Bowel Movement, which is why it will likely never become a Liberty Movement. THAT is why the progressives are eating Liberty's lunch and why we are likely to die as effective chattel. This is why I roll my eyes now whenever I hear a call to action. Once bitten, thrice shy.

I don't know even bupkis about the practicalities of politicking, so years ago I asked for help in finding out how I might go about running for office here in WV. Not a single word offered by anyone. I am owed nothing and therefore have no basis to complain, but it is not inappropriate to point out that not a soul here came forward with even a single word of encouragement. It was as if I were shouting down a black-hole. How is such a reality supposed to offer even the least reasonable hope of anything better than the continued mad rush from anything even remotely resembling freedom? Perhaps I am blind, but I just don't see it.

Until the mode is fundamentally altered, and I hold not my breath in wait, the Bowel Movement shall go nowhere. Sorry if my prognosis is a downer, but I see nothing better at this time.
 
What we need is not a Ron Paul, but fifty million like-minded and driven individuals of equivalent knowledge, capacities, drive, and habit.
Well, that would be nice. But, I have a little bit different view. Call me romantic, but as I study and look at history, most of the advancements made, most of the steps forward for the European Mind have come from single individual geniuses. The story of history, at least all the edifying parts, is not the story of the masses, it is the story of Geniuses.

You need not despair at the impossible task of energizing 50 million people. That goal is insurmountable, but it's also not required. All it ever takes is one. Just one Voltaire.

I've personally attempted to get some ideas going here on RPF. The result? Nada, every time. I've seen others do the same with identical outcomes.... This is why I roll my eyes now whenever I hear a call to action. Once bitten, thrice shy.
The one to call to action is yourself. I, for example, have built a financial institution that will enable us to use gold as money. Michael Maresco rode a bicycle across the country. AF won northern NH for Ron Paul by buying newspaper ad space. Bill Greene went through the lengthy process of becoming a part of the Electoral College and cast his vote for Ron Paul. Lew Rockwell founded the Mises Institute and has been running it for the past 35 years. Curtis Yarvin (Mencius Moldbug) is building us a new, free internet; he's been working on it since 2002. Pericles wrote a book -- that takes a lot of effort.

The point is: these men are working hard, over long periods of time. It takes a sustained focus and effort to accomplish anything. It takes a long time. Libertarianism and Conservatism are K-Selected philosophies. We are K-Selected. So how are we going to win? By being K-Selected! The way to win is to play to your strengths. Push your advantage. Be true to your nature. And that means, in case you're not familiar with r/K theory: thinking long term. Working long term. Not being impatient. Fighting the war, not the battles.

I always try to be helpful, or at least supportive, when anyone has a Project, when anyone's actually trying to do something. So, whatever your ideas are/were, give the thread a bump and if I see it I'll try to help.

I don't know even bupkis about the practicalities of politicking, so years ago I asked for help in finding out how I might go about running for office here in WV. Not a single word offered by anyone. I am owed nothing and therefore have no basis to complain, but it is not inappropriate to point out that not a soul here came forward with even a single word of encouragement. It was as if I were shouting down a black-hole.
Aha, you've made it easy, here's one of your ideas right here!

It's easy, osan! I mean, running is really easy. Just go down to the courthouse or county building and apply! You fill out a form. That's it! And it's probably one of the easiest government forms you've ever filled out. OK, set! You're running!

Now winning, that takes other measures. Essentially, it's like anything else in life: just be smart and put in some work. You're intelligent, so you already have that big advantage. So just think about the problem, come up with a plan of attack, and execute. Picking a good office to run for is part of this process of using your intelligence, too.

You might enjoy this book:

 
No problem!

I also would suggest dumbing down any message you want to present. A lot. Really, really a lot. The average IQ of your country is about 80. Average. None of these people can even understand the pronunciation of the word "libertarian," much less why they may want to pronounce it. I don't even know why they would. They probably wouldn't!

So actually, I would suggest one of two possible paths (not that you can't do both... if you have unlimited time and resources): either radically dumb the message down, or radically intellectually juice the message up. This second option is that you just ignore all the people in your country who are completely incapable of understanding libertarianism (as well as being incapable of pronouncing the word, which is going to be just downright annoying for you) and focus on the upper-class elites, who are capable.

Option One: Make Lebanese libertarianism synonymous with something really popular to the plebes in Lebanon. In your case, possibilities would be: Islam, and.... OK, just Islam. That's pretty much the only horse you've got. So hitch 'er up!

Option Two: Make Lebanese libertarianism extremely exclusive and high-level stuff that the elite and only the elite will be attracted to, or even have the equipment to understand. By refusing to compromise, water down, or even simplify, you will gain a cachet of exclusivity. By utterly refusing to attempt in the slightest to seem attractive to, or even palatable to, or even non-horrifying to, or even comprehensible to the idiotic masses, you will draw at least some curiosity from one group: powerful, intelligent, contrarian/independent young men in wealthy families with high IQs. If your ideas are as sensational as you think, this group will then adopt them. And, turns out.... that's the only group you need! True story.

There's your two game plan options. Choose wisely.

I would go for option two, because I know a party in Lebanon called "Seven", they don't have a certain ideology, their beliefs are working on improving the basic living standards and conditions for the Lebanese, the board of directors are upper middle class, and the secretary general is a founder and CEO of an advertising company, we did discuss a bit on implementing free market capitalism. When I see them next I will debate and discuss free market capitalism.

"Seven" are cultural progressives which means that they support scientific advancements and innovations, the believe in gender equality, LGBT rights, secularism, only one or two support Hezbollah. They are open to new ideas so I will have a full discussion soon enough on Libertarianism.

Do the Druze still hold the belief that you must be born to Druze parents ?

Not exactly, according to the Durzi doctrine, if your father is a Durzi but your mother isn't then you have to follow your mother's religious beliefs, similar to Judaism.

If you're Lebanese and don't like what's going on in Lebanon then you can get the hell out.

Immigration is not easy to afford.

Right, so one could claim to be Muslim and a libertarian, but one cannot follow the tenants of Islam and be a libertarian.

That sounds like a pretty big problem, to me. What on earth can possibly be done to rectify it?

I mean, Christianity certainly isn't perfect and there has been a lot of violence perpetrated in the name of Christianity - but I'm not under the impression that Christianity is fundamentally at odds with having a free society. In fact, some people believe Jesus was an anarchist tax protester and that some of his words and teachings were later altered slightly to make him appear more statist than he actually was in order for the religion to be compatible with the power structures in place at the time, but that hints of his true teachings remain.

Many Muslims believe that Muhammad & Omar were socialists/communists and they were the richest but redistributed their wealth to the poor and underprivileged, and in Islam you have to pay at least 2.5% of your income to charity or as a tax if living in an Islamic country.
During the Islamic golden age, free market capitalism was relied on, and it made them prosper, but the thinkers, scientists, and managers were closet ex-Muslims.
I can argue with Muslims about the economy during the golden age.

I'll tell you something. I like pretty much everyone here. A few times I've got on the bad side of some people. And sometimes some people get on my bad side. And, of course, a woman scorned, never forgets, no matter what. That's something else, though. End of the day, though, if any of em needed something, I'd be right there offering if they asked.

Now. Heh. That said, you have to be careful when asking 'libertarians' about libertarianism. A lot of people have some libertarian tendencies but not all of them are truly libertarian. Most are libertines. The younger ones anyway. Then you have the monarchists and whatnot. And mercantilists. And about a dozen other isms going on, all with their own tailored perception of libertarian.

I am not an anarchist I am a minarchist , but I should also explain to people the different schools of Libertarianism.
 
In my opinion, you need to focus on education before you even worry about political success. The basis of libertarianism is private property, and that would solve much of what ails your country right now. Getting people to understand property rights and how private property is what has driven wealth creation through the history of the world will eventually open people to politicians pushing that message.

In this country, a country that was founded on mostly "libertarian" values, there is almost no political stomach for that message, so in your country, people will need to understand what it means before you ask them to vote for it.
 
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