The Future of LRC
by Burton S. Blumert by Burton S. Blumert
In his 1975 film Love and Death, Woody Allen plays a conscript in the Tsar’s army, which is desperately fighting against the vastly superior forces of Napoleon.
In one scene, Woody and a fellow soldier peer down on the horrors of the battlefield: dense smoke and the hideous cries of man and animal; French and Russian bodies, some still alive; twisted canons and carriages; desolation and despair.
Woody’s friend, with broken voice, wails, "God is testing us."
Woody, unflappable and whiney, responds, "Couldn’t He have made it a written?"
2008 has been that sort of year: economic crash, wars, threats of wars, mad dollar printing, police state tactics, bailouts of the power elite, growth of the malignant DC, not to speak of all the blabbing criminal politicians.
Then there was the shining light of Ron Paul. Ron called forth millions of Americans and citizens of other countries too, young and old, from all walks of life, who cared about sound money, personal freedom, economic freedom, and peace. He rallied them, energized them, educated them, and inspired them. He built the future.
LewRockwell.com could have stood aside. We could have kept our tax-exempt status. But Lew and I felt that would be deeply wrong. So we threw ourselves into the fight, and neither of us regrets a minute of it.
Of course, we were smeared along with Ron — by the minions of oil plutocrats, by the tools of neocon billionaires, and by statists of all stripes. But if that was the price we had to pay for speaking the truth, so be it. Neocon David Horowitz even said LRC was “in bed with terrorists” for opposing perpetual war in the Middle East. But as Lew pointed out, “if we were ineffective, they’d ignore us.”
Ron Paul, as you know, has taken the libertarian movement to levels never seen before, and kept it focused on Austrian economics, honest money, and non-intervention. That bothers not only the establishment Republicans and Democrats, but also the "libertarians" who shill for the Federal Reserve, the Pentagon, and the rest of the regime. I say: Good. It is important that people reveal their true colors.
Ron, as he is the first to say, could not have done it alone. He had the foundation that Murray Rothbard, Lew Rockwell, and LRC writers helped build. It’s called the "division of labor." LRC helped prepare the kindling for the fire of freedom. Ron is the leader who lit it at just the right time, and fanned it into a mighty bonfire.
No, I haven’t forgotten your role. The most important part of this message is coming up.
Because contributions to LRC are no longer tax-deductible, we got clobbered. We took on advertising, which has helped close the gap, but there’s still a gap, especially with the podcasts (a runaway success), and our increased traffic. LRC is the most powerful beacon of liberty on the Internet, and the Internet is the most important communications medium in history.
While on the subject of the podcasts, please, please, don’t tell Lew how good he is as an interviewer. Sure, he gets great guests, but Lew draws the best from them. (If Lew ever does find out how good he is, we may lose him to "Meet the Press.") Only kidding, fellas.
In the early days of LRC, readers approached our site as they would an oasis. They came to be refreshed, energized, and informed. Today, you had better show up at LRC every day. Your life and freedom depend upon it.
Fascism roams the District of Parasites. The Fed has plunged us into an economic cataclysm. The conservative neocons have combined with the liberal neocons (and even the DC “libertarians”) to cheer the regime and its new Duce. And they all agree on the importance of silencing LRC. They know our reach. They know we change minds, and create activists. That is why they want to shut us up, and do not hesitate to use the basest tactics in their campaign of fear and hate.
We will not be silenced. All over America and the world, millions are clamoring for the unvarnished truth about the economic crisis, the imperial crisis, the state crisis. We will answer the call with principle, passion, and intelligence, if you make it possible.
We will serve all those hungry for the truth in this age of lies. We will not let the Capitol Hill gang of thieves toast our demise. We will expose the warmongers, torturers, spies, and inflationists, the liars and the crooks. Yes, we have our work cut out for us, but we would be voiceless without your help, (you didn’t think I’d forget you, didja?).
For almost 11 years, Lew Rockwell and his magnificent writers have battled the bad guys. Now is not the time to hesitate, stumble, or fade. If freedom is to survive, we must teach the truth, clearly and fearlessly. Please, help LRC fight on in 2009, harder, more widely, more effectively. Your descendants will bless you for it, and so will all who love liberty. And so will I.
In February, I celebrate my 80th birthday. It’s bad taste to announce your own birthday and make it sound as if you’re fishing for gifts. Well, I am guilty of bad taste and your financial support for LRC would be the best birthday gift ever.
These are really tough times, and things may not get better soon. But how much more important, then, is this work? LRC deserves your support even more. We will make you proud of our efforts. Do not let the torch be extinguished; it must blaze higher and brighter. Please help. And, remember, there is a bonus.
You will have made this 80-year-old a very happy man.
