Nick Gillespie: "Enjoy Your Rights While You Still Can"

December 30, 2010

On July 17, 2010, Reason's Nick Gillespie gave the keynote speech at the Independence Institute's 8th Annual "Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms Party" in Colorado. He was asked to speak on the theme of "enjoying your freedoms while you still can."

The Denver Post's Chuck Plunkett wrote up the event, saying of Gillespie's appearance:

This year’s ATF featured Nick Gillespie, editor of Reason.com and Reason.TV, an urbane sophisticate who, until Saturday, had never fired a gun, and who failed to hit a single flying clay disk in the few rounds he attended before sneaking away to crib out his presentation on a hotel memo pad. (Note to politicians: Real thinkers write their own material.)

Gillespie is a true intellectual, who can, before finishing his lunch, discuss how “The Great Gatsby” might be written today, switch to a riff on free-market reasons for supporting a value-added tax, reference economic studies that detail the “self-correcting” tax distribution in European countries that have applied a VAT, chart from memory the nation’s deficit spending patterns since the Great Depression, and all while handling a pretend-I’m-interested discussion with a political candidate whose conversation is limited to repeating the phrase, “It’ll be a real dog-fight, in every sense of the word.”

Gillespie was introduced by the group's leader, Jon Caldara, who hosts the lively and entertaining public affairs show "The Devil's Advocate" on Colorado Public Television. (Gillespie appeared on the show during his visit. Go here to watch.)

Approximately 20 minutes. Go to Reason.tv for downloadable versions. Note: There are wind-related issues with audio throughout.

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|12.30.10 @ 4:46PM|#

Please support the gay struggle against heterosexual power. We, the gay brotherhood, are determined to rule the world. Join us verbaly and economicaly. Make people change there mind about us and tell them to se us as natural leaders. We have great influence in media and will change the agenda to put down the heterosexual sociaty. Never buy products or services from heterosexuals. Always talk well about homosexuals - we never commit a crime (at least brothers in media will never wright about it). Disturb hetrosexuals, steal their ideas and "own" their belongings.

|12.30.10 @ 5:07PM|#

I am intrigued by your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter

|12.30.10 @ 5:22PM|#

Does criticism of poor spelling count as not, "Always talk well about homosexuals....?

|12.30.10 @ 7:37PM|#

Do you have a blog we could check out?

|12.30.10 @ 7:39PM|#

no homo

|12.30.10 @ 7:42PM|#

Holy shit, there really is a "gay agenda"! I'm joining the Moral Majority today!

Moral Majority |12.30.10 @ 7:52PM|#

Holy shit Epi joining? We are joining the Log Cabin Republicans

|12.31.10 @ 8:11AM|#

I joined that whole "Homosexual Agenda" in the hopes of more, and better, oral sex. This has not panned out.

Who do I write to complain?

|12.31.10 @ 1:56PM|#

Please support the gay struggle against heterosexual power.

Do you have a children's discount?

|12.31.10 @ 2:12PM|#

Great!
I can feel my sphincter hurt in anticipation already.

Paul|12.30.10 @ 4:47PM|#

switch to a riff on free-market reasons for supporting a value-added tax

Canada just got rid of theirs in what was described as a "major tax revolt".

Canada got rid of a tax. What does that tell you?

|12.30.10 @ 5:03PM|#

I have this vision of Canada and Europe becoming liberal, free-market enclaves, while we become Japan or maybe Greece.

Portugal|12.30.10 @ 5:12PM|#

Dare to dream.

|12.30.10 @ 8:47PM|#

Keep it up Canada. Then you get us. Yay?

|12.30.10 @ 7:38PM|#

That we should immediately institute it. We could SO do it better. We've got the Right People In Charge.

Mr. FIFY|12.31.10 @ 11:05AM|#

Better than that, Silentz... we have Top. Men. in charge.

Bob|1.1.11 @ 12:13PM|#

the Right Assets for Progressive Equality are in charge. (RAPE for those of you who are slow)

Ted S.|12.31.10 @ 6:28AM|#

They got rid of the GST?

Do you have a link for that?

Mango Punch|12.30.10 @ 4:48PM|#

Note: There are wind-related issues with audio throughout.

No PDF of the hotel memo pad you wrote the speach on??

The Tsars Did it Too...|12.30.10 @ 7:24PM|#

Transcript or it didn't happen.

LarryA|12.30.10 @ 11:05PM|#

At least it's real wind interfering, not the Congressional version.

Fist of Etiquette|12.30.10 @ 5:06PM|#

Good story at (I think) around the 13:30 mark, about how our parents drove us around, untethered to any seat, and how horrifying the thought of doing that today is (despite the fact that we all survived). It is in us these days to worry about every little thing, or think somebody should be worrying. Maybe it's because, as Gillespie asserts, we think we have so much more to lose today, or maybe it's because we now have instant access to information, and the stories that seem to stick with us are the bad ones.

Whatever the case, letting the state do that worrying for us seems like it should be a good idea, right? If only agents of the state would limit their actions to just having sleepless nights over it.

Logfile|12.31.10 @ 2:13AM|#

I'm not defending laws requiring seatbelts, but let's be fair. Driving a car at speed is a dangerous thing. You're here because some asshole didn't hit your parents' car while it was flying down the highway with you in it. Not everyone survived, plenty of people out there have died in car accidents.

Fist of Etiquette|12.31.10 @ 4:47AM|#

You're here because some asshole didn't hit your parents' car while it was flying down the highway with you in it.

To be fair, that's pretty much true regardless of seatbelts. But that's not so much the point of Gillespie's story.

blubi|1.1.11 @ 4:44PM|#

And I wonder how I survived as a child without seatbelts, childseats, DUI laws...We run around without adult supervision, drove bicycles without helmets...
Nowadays it sounds like hitting the beaches at Okinawa without a scratch.

hmm|12.30.10 @ 6:57PM|#

I refuse to watch without The Jacket.

So I give you Ezra Klein telling us the Constitution is old and meaningless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPNe6-f4b-Y

hmm|12.30.10 @ 7:32PM|#

Some things in nature and culture should not be messed with or altered. The Jacket is one of those things.

Tncm|1.1.11 @ 1:53PM|#

Engaging in childish ad hominem attacks against your opponents physical makeup is way better than challenging any of their ideas or positions. You truly are a god of educated debate, Rather.

|12.30.10 @ 7:23PM|#

Grand slam.
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/io.....rtant.html

hmm|12.30.10 @ 7:31PM|#

Now that is funny.

Almanian |12.30.10 @ 7:39PM|#

This is very good - thanks for the link!

The Tsars Did it Too...|12.30.10 @ 7:47PM|#

Reason should hire him as house "automotive journalist".

Warty|12.30.10 @ 10:42PM|#

It is important to remember that there are three main parts to the Constitution. First there is the first part. Then comes the middle part of the Constitution. Finally, there is the last part. In the first part of the Constitution we are introduced to the colorful characters, who can often be juxtaposed. This first part helps to, i.e., set up the "tone" for the rest of the Constitution.

See, Dan T., this is what satire is.

prolefeed|12.31.10 @ 10:52PM|#

Threadwinner! You win one internets.

hmm|12.30.10 @ 7:34PM|#

Munger weighed in on Klein's stupidity.

http://mungowitzend.blogspot.c.....html#links

|12.30.10 @ 7:41PM|#

this is bullshit i totally stole this link from drudge before you did!!!

hmm|12.30.10 @ 7:46PM|#

Grats? I don't cruise drudge. It makes my head hurt...

|12.30.10 @ 7:44PM|#

I'm continually amazed at how much that do-nothing douchebag gets all kinds of "gravitas" when all he's done is write an echo chamber blog.

Naomi Klein|12.30.10 @ 8:32PM|#

it's the last name

Klein Bottle|12.30.10 @ 10:16PM|#

It does take a certain geometric genius to pontificate with cranium in posterior.

mhm|12.30.10 @ 11:28PM|#

Whoever you are, you rock!

hmm|12.30.10 @ 11:28PM|#

That was a confused hmm...

mmh|12.31.10 @ 12:23AM|#

Why?

hhm|12.31.10 @ 12:23AM|#

I don't get it either

|12.30.10 @ 7:57PM|#

I'm continually amazed at how much that do-nothing douchebag gets all kinds of "gravitas"

He orchestrated the 2008 Obama win....and then watched helplessly as the Tea Party stomped on all of his attempts the keep the tide from rolling in.

I don't know about gravitas...perhaps in 2009 he had some. But now he is an interesting fringe figure and a sweet sweet sweet lefty tear dispenser.

|12.30.10 @ 9:17PM|#

Wow, OK man that really makes a LOT of sense. Wow.

www.anon-web-tools.edu.tc

Rick H.|12.31.10 @ 9:05PM|#

Spammer die.

|12.30.10 @ 9:35PM|#

"Is your church ATF approved?" - Turner Scott Van Blarcum

TallDave|12.30.10 @ 10:15PM|#

So... who thinks Nick will wear his leather jacket on the cruise?

|12.30.10 @ 10:26PM|#

Is Nick Gillespie really an "urbane Sophisiticate"?

And yes, he needs his jacket. Absent that, he must constantly say "friendo" or "eeyyyy" to his daily speech.

Slap the Enlightened!|12.31.10 @ 10:12AM|#

I think the modern term is SWPL.

|12.31.10 @ 12:50PM|#

4chan - prole
Dave Chappelle - SWPL

Binky|12.30.10 @ 10:56PM|#

Use 'em or lose 'em.

Hobie Hanson|12.30.10 @ 11:22PM|#

Only a few hours after Ron Bailey proudly poo-poos the hysteric predictions of a small fraction of environmentalists, Nick Gillespie shows up with a post titled "Enjoy Your Rights While You Still Can," and the commentariat gobbles it up like so many goats munching on shoelaces. Maybe you should change your magazine name from Reason to Irony.

How many predictions of oppressive doom and gloom from libertarians have, to put it charitably, failed to come true?

|12.31.10 @ 12:09AM|#

The libertarians' hyperinflationary collapse of the U.S. economy serves a similar purpose to the leftists' global warming apocalypse: Cranks need to make their warnings as scary as possible to draw attention to themselves in a busy world and try to get their respective nutty agendas some traction.

|12.31.10 @ 5:01AM|#

Hyperinflation has happened before in different places and different times, the causes are also well known. What exactly makes the US immune to it as opposed to other places.

DesigNate|12.31.10 @ 2:31AM|#

That's because there's historical evidence to back up the idea that expansive governments take away people's rights. There's also historical evidence that the government interfering with the economy ends bad.

Mr. FIFY|12.31.10 @ 11:11AM|#

Hobie is such a sweet, trusting soul. The perfect liberal cheerleader/cog in the statist machinery/free advertising outlet for leftist pablum.

Oh, and the sun came up today.

|12.30.10 @ 11:30PM|#

Did they serve bean-and-broccoli burritos at the party?

El Duderino|12.30.10 @ 11:38PM|#

Filmed on location inside a fucking tornado, but otherwise a good video.

Chu-hua Zhu|12.31.10 @ 6:01AM|#

"Gillespie is a true intellectual"
Who thinks Fed liquidity injections were 'necessary and proper'.

War-mongering interventionist liberals. Sigh, this Mag has gone to shit since 2001.

Slap the Enlightened!|12.31.10 @ 9:45AM|#

It's become Rolling Stone without the album reviews. Unfortunately the album reviews are the only thing worth reading in Rolling Stone.

Chu-hua Zhu|12.31.10 @ 6:43PM|#

Yep, and like Rolling Stone it's editorial content is totally leftoid.

|12.31.10 @ 2:02PM|#

About time. Drink!

|12.31.10 @ 2:25PM|#

I'm cancelling my subscription!

Oh, wait, mine was free. Damn Kochtopus gets me again!

Chu-hua Zhu|12.31.10 @ 6:42PM|#

Are you sure it's not the Jews?

Some other guy|12.31.10 @ 10:24AM|#

So Playboy without the pictures

Wind Rider|12.31.10 @ 11:05AM|#

Although, come to think of it, being so deeply involved in such a massive and lucrative conspiracy sure hasn't translated into anything useful, such as Welch showing up to do my fucking yard work. Dammit.

Warty|12.31.10 @ 1:03PM|#

How...um...something to see my libelous comments in a libel suit.

By the way, Wind Rider, what's up with the naming names bullshit? Not cool.

Wind Rider|12.31.10 @ 1:52PM|#

Wah.

BakedPenguin|12.31.10 @ 1:40PM|#

They claimed we all espouse that there should be no law or law courts.

Since anarchists are a minority on this board, I wonder if their lies about our beliefs are actionable.

Wind Rider|12.31.10 @ 1:54PM|#

Wolk's legal dream team would likely be willing to pile on some billable hours to squeal about it in whatever legal forum delivers the highest per diem costs.

Chu-hua Zhu|12.31.10 @ 6:45PM|#

Belief in no coercive state /= no law/courts.

I wonder if the blatantly ignorant and/or deceitful representation of anarchists by liberventionists is actionable.

BakedPenguin|12.31.10 @ 7:10PM|#

It was a joke, dude. Jeebus.

Warty|12.31.10 @ 2:47PM|#

While reading that again, I noticed that Wolk's grammar (or his lawyer's) is atrocious. Aren't lawyers supposed to be good at writing?

BakedPenguin|12.31.10 @ 4:42PM|#

Warty, I don't dislike "John", but just consider his spelling.

Warty|12.31.10 @ 5:05PM|#

I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way. -Mark Twain

Apogee|1.1.11 @ 9:18PM|#

Aren't lawyers supposed to be good at writing?

Lawyers are supposed to be good at law as well, but that's rarely the case.

Yup|1.2.11 @ 9:26AM|#

As others have said... the jacket. Without the jacket he is powerless.

CE|1.2.11 @ 9:22PM|#

What rights? Is this an old post?

MadCap|1.4.11 @ 2:34AM|#

I can remember my father taking me to baseball practice back in the 70s with a can of beer in his hand. At the time you could still drink a beer and drive, you just could not be drunk. Today, their are cameras making sure you don't cross the line at the intersection, and you get groped at the airport... As Merl said, "is the best of the free life behind us now, are the good time really over for good?"

Peter Jensen|1.5.11 @ 5:10AM|#

Now how silly is that.

A group of self-proclaimed right defenders gather to booze up and fire guns because its "the closest thing to their college days", while claiming that "the State" doesn't treat them as adults.

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