Matt Welch and Nick Gillespie Answer Your Questions Via Google Hangout!

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Comments

[$park?]

What in the name of sweet potatoes is all that background noise?

[Ryan60657]

Darth Vader having an orgasm?

[wef]

Can I direct my donation to some noise suppression technology?

[$park?]

I have to say, the intro track was quite... bizarre.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Does this thing have a director? How are you switching cameras? PRODUCTION VALUE!

[Thane Eichenauer]

Better a poor production than no production at all.

[Caleb Turberville]

I, for one, liked The Declaration of Independents.

[SugarFree]

My eyes are up here, Nicholas!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Here is the question I ask everyone but no one answers.

Which would be more productive, completely overhauling the U.S. Tax Code or the federal, state and local regulatory environment?

[mad libertarian guy]

The regulatory environment. With regulations, insiders have to avenues to fuck the rest of us, the politicians and the regulators via regulatory capture (which, despite how the left would have us think about it, is a failure of government, not of the market).

They don't have any direct access to "the tax man" which could be used by insiders to sweeten their deal, only to the politicians themselves.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I can't disagree.

[GILMORE]

Reason 24/7: please to remind me what purpose it serves?

I don't understand the value of Twitter either so forgive me. I'm Internet 1.0

[SugarFree]

Twitter only has a value to those that are using it. It's not for old geezers like us. "How do I reach these keeeeeeds?"

[GILMORE]

I'm in the prime of my life. I simply don't see a pressing need to make human relations *more* trite, trivial, inane and distracting than they already are.

*I consider Facebook the current nadir - and cannot conceive how when people seem to have reached new lows...they must strive *to go DEEPER!*

[Gojira]

Question:

Would you say that you are completely in the tank for Obama, or only mostly?

As a follow-up, what cocktails exactly do they serve at your Orange-line Cosmotarian liberal bleeding heart parties?

/snark

[sarcasmic]

Serious question: If a man is speaking in a forest, and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong?

[Big 'Orra]

My wife said "yes, yes he is."

[Fist of Etiquette]

If I created a system where I combined term limits with sunset provisions so that every law would have to be periodically renewed (or not!) by different groups of legislators, would you riot against me or laud me as a genius?

[Episiarch]

What is the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything? Come on, you guys KNOW THIS.

[Killazontherun]

The answer is not an easily divisible even number, that is for sure.

[$park?]

HA HA! Pro Liber-tate. I believe it's pronounced Libertatay.

[Episiarch]

ProLibervajayjay.

[Fist of Etiquette]

"He or she..."

Stop pigeonholing shim!

[Episiarch]

Pro Liber-vajayjay.

[Pro Libertate]

Okay, in what entirely actionable way did they offend me?

[Episiarch]

They libeled you? Slander? You tell me, you're the parasite lawyer.

[SugarFree]

Slibel.

[Pro Libertate]

Shows what you know, because it's libander.

[Episiarch]

Libander?

[Episiarch]

GAHHHHHH

[Pro Libertate]

I need a transcript.

[$park?]

Matt Welch doesn't know Latin pronunciation.

[Pro Libertate]

Oh, is this from the "No, fuck you, cut spending" one they did before? Or was the entire history of Western civilization insulted yet again?

[$park?]

They pronounced your handle Pro Liber tate, just a few minutes ago.

[Pro Libertate]

Ah. Well, John Cleese says he'll come up from his house in Santa Barbara in his Roman centurian outfit to help them with that.

What was the question/answer?

Also (this is another Nick question), why is the Vitruvian Man behind Nick? Is it the original?

[SugarFree]

Beloved Commenter Warty is being talked about now.

[Pro Libertate]

Beloved? Wow, you'd think "Nearly Banned" would be his adjective.

[SugarFree]

They love bad boys.

[Episiarch]

"Hideously Appalling Commenter Warty"

[GILMORE]

$park?| 12.11.12 @ 3:28PM |#

Matt Welch doesn't know Latin pronunciation

I don't know, he does a great Ricardo Montalban impersonation.

[Ryan60657]

Question:
Next year, would you consider adding these potential benefits to your donation levels?
For $400, receive a replica pair or Matt Welch glasses.
For $750, receive a signed replica of Nick Gillespie's jacket.

[Fist of Etiquette]

THIS JUST IN: REASON EDITOR HATES THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.

[Pro Libertate]

Who is your favorite celebrity libertarian?

[Pro Libertate]

Oh, sorry: ". . .and why?"

[Ryan60657]

Who are the choices?
a. Kennedy

OR

b. Drew Carey

[Warty]

c. John Stagliano

[Pro Libertate]

Well, the correct answer is either Penn & Teller or Kurt Russell. Or, perhaps, Lobster Girl.

[Voros McCracken]

Reply 'me' and I'll send along a signed copy of may latest cholesterol results.

[sarcasmic]

Pen, because he's a raging asshole like me.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Voros McCracken (if that's even his real name)

[Voros McCracken]

Alright, where should I send my bloodwork?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Is Welch at a book signing?

[BakedPenguin]

Oh, he wrote a book?

[John Bravo]

Do you believe the US Government had any prior knowledge and/or involvement in the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon and WTC?

[Apatheist ?_??]

Do you think truthers are retarded?

[GILMORE]

How retarded do you think truthers are?

[Kyfho Myoba]

Why are Truthers retarded? How did Truthers get retarded?

[Heroic Mulatto]

JOOZ! JOOOOZZZZZ! JOOOOOOOOOZZZZZZZ!!!!!!

Happy Chanukkah all, by the way.

[$park?]

I'm sad now, they skipped over both of my awesome questions. Won't you please take a shot at one of them? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease.

[Warty]

Angry violent racist! That's me! I AM A GOLDEN GOD

[Apatheist ?_??]

How long do you think it will be until a southern state (Texas in particular) will legalize MJ at the state level? Do you think it will take longer than the Federal level?

[Caleb Turberville]

The books behind Matt are capturing my attention. Anybody recognize what they are? I could use a new book.

[GILMORE]

The good looking guy over his left shoulder, scalp-level (your right) is Vaclav Havel's "Living in Truth" which is very good. Matt lived in Czech Republic if I remember right. (they discussed this. i was there in 1992)

Also, i have now discovered that Matt still owns only 2 ties. (or only wears 2) Today was the purple yellow candy-cane stripe (i suppose that means its tuesday)

I feel bad my first Q re: Reason 24/7 was semi-trite (despite sincere...and which received an eye-roll of frustration from Nick... sorry dude!)

Im sure its an amazing resource. Just that I dont understand the need personally for multi-levels of 'newsfeeds'. H&R is my libertoid news-source, and 'Brickbats' seems to be a one-off similar feed... i just dont really get needing the attention span of a chipmunk to follow any journal properly. If people like Nick or Matt have 'important thoughts' on things, then i'd expect it to appear in a blog post. Its not like i'd track their 'tweets' in order to digest every passing comment they make. perhaps this is just a general time-management thing. i dont exactly see how most people are supposed to update themselves multiple times an hour on other people's ideas of what's important. If its important, i suppose i'd expect thoughtful commentary on it. but again, i'm old school.

i did appreciate the

[GILMORE]

derp

...appreciated the background on how people came to work for Reason. Its interesting.

[GILMORE]

although i might have heard matt giggling over the "answer"....that may have been darth vader orgasm echoes...but *imagine* maybe not everyones idea of ideal allocation of resources...

[Fist of Etiquette]

The president uttered the word terrorism or terrorist or something with terror in the root the day after the attacks! So ignore the two solid weeks of blaming Innocence of Muslims and realize Obama said it was terrorism.

[Warty]

Ha! Now I AM A GOLDEN GOD for real.

[Tim]

Behold the god who bleeds!

[SugarFree]

Warty finally got a Diva Cup.

[Episiarch]

Well, what do you wait for, god? Your robes?

[GILMORE]

Another question:

Where the hell do you find the people to work for you?

Is it like some thing where Nick arrives at a grad-school campus in The Jacket and offers an aspiring young jounalist a Blue Pill or a Red Pill? Or is it more of a mystic, Dalai-lama type of thing where the council of Reason-elders arrives at a person's door and says, "you are the 25th incarnation of the 4th phase of the great Goldwater..."

And how much do they have to pay you for the priviledge? Do you demand they cut off an appendage when they shame you, like in the Yakuza? How did David Wiegel last so long?

And has Matt gotten any new ties this year? I haven't been keeping track.

[albo]

How do we stop that massive crony capitalism in DC, most recently in the current administration's love of green energy giveaways?

Is this a party politics problem, a too-big government problem, or a statutory problem?

[hamilton]

When are you doing a Boston meetup? Or just coming by and getting drunk?

[ConHugeCo]

Who is Spain? Why is Hitler? When is Right? and Balls!

[Episiarch]

Matt, when did you stop beating your wife?

[John Bravo]

Rand Paul? Sanctions on Iran, new NDAA, Romney endorsement...3 strikes.

[Calidissident]

The new NDAA does not contain the provisions authorizing indefinite detention. That was already passed last year

[Apatheist ?_??]

On your profile pictures why are you the only two incapable of looking into the camera?

[Fist of Etiquette]

I can answer that. It has something to do with soul stealing.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Yes, by all means insult the intelligence of the people you're trying to win over. That having been said, everyone is an idiot.

[sarcasmic]

Why does the Jacket's camera look right up his nose?

[SugarFree]

So he can be surrounded by a halo of light.

[Pro Libertate]

Serious question again (I haven't watched all of these videos, I'm afraid, so disregard if asked and answered): What do you think, in general, about the right of secession? If a state can secede, why not a city, or a neighborhood, or even an individual?

[$park?]

UNICORNS CAN FLY! HOW DARE YOU SAY OTHERWISE!

[Ryan60657]

Question: Can you please explain "Lobster Girl" to newbies?

[SugarFree]

Original thread that Matt and Nick mentioned.

[SugarFree]

Tune in for Tulpa being a whiny little shit about Lobster Girl. It's positively kenscultzian.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Tulpa being a shit? I'm shocked.

[SugarFree]

[slides fainting couch to the Archduke]

[Pro Libertate]

Wrong again, SF.

[SugarFree]

Traitorous cur!

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'm extremely popular to pretty much everyone and I am somewhat drawn to the marginalized libertarian movement.

[John Bravo]

Do you answer legitimate questions or just talk about book covers and other meaningless soundbites?

[Episiarch]

Is this a legitimate question?

[Warty]

There you go, Johnny. THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE

[Fist of Etiquette]

There, they answered your question. Someone owes someone an apology.

[Truck_Party]

I just saw a headline from Buzzfeed that said "Young libertarians voted for Obama." Do you want to laugh or cry?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Does Gillespie know we can see the derisive looks he's giving some of these questions?

[hamilton]

He has non-derisive looks?

[SugarFree]

If he does, I'm not interested in seeing them.

[Episiarch]

I fucking hope not.

[Warty]

"Sweet Clyde! Laugh derisively at him!"

[$park?]

Well that figures. Two champions of libertarian philosophy who don't want to get into the boring philosophy aspects.

[SugarFree]

Matt, Nick... is there anything particular about being libertarian journalists that make you not want to get out of bed in the morning, that just completely exhaust you?

[Tim]

Jacket jokes.

[Tim]

"The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right... and who is dead. "

[Episiarch]

You committed one of the classic blunders: never go up against an Irish-Italian libertarian when DEATH is on the line!!!

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

(keels over)

[albo]

Libertarians should focus more on building political power at the state and local level and less on taking whacks at the federal government. Change local hearts and minds first, and maybe the movement will grow.

Agree or not?

[Kyfho Myoba]

Libertarians should focus on building personal power for when the SHTF so that they can at least survive.

Our liberty will not be achieved electorialy. It will be achieved primarily economically, and somewhat slightly militarily.

[Fist of Etiquette]

If someone bolds their question, will you answer it on camera?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Questions: Is it easier to implement libertarian changes at the local (city) level first?

[Ryan60657]

Who adds least to political journalism/insight: MSNBC or Fox News?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Police Collect 1,700 Guns in 'Pixels for Pistols' Program goo.gl/fb/o53W2

[Archduke Pantsfan]

linky http://www.chrisd.ca/2012/12/1.....rys-photo/

[Tim]

Kirk or Picard?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Summer Glau or Jewel Staite?

[Episiarch]

How are Morena Baccarin and Gina Torres not part of that question?

[Archduke Pantsfan]

They lost in the semis

[SugarFree]

Baccarin is hotter than all of them combined. Glau's attractiveness was all youth, Staite is attractive solely do to her relative attainability, and Torres would break you.

[Brett L]

Torres would break you.

I'd pay good money to have her try.

[Caleb Turberville]

Kirk against the Klingons, but Picard against the Borg.

[atlashrug]

Gentlemen, Ron Paul's and Gary Johnson's libertarian push appealed to the younger generation. What strategies do you feel should be pursued in making libertarianism appeal to middle aged and senior Americans?

[hamilton]

"dicking over" was more apt than "dickering over" Nick.

[$park?]

Warty, Pro Lib, SugarFree ... I guess we see who the real favorites are

[Ryan60657]

What about me?

[SugarFree]

Maybe they don't want to try to pronounce "dollar-park-yen."

[Tim]

[runs from room sobbing]

[Warty]

Who objects to Lobster Girl?!?!?!?!?! DESTROY THEM!!!

[NoVAHockey]

I just made a donation b/c of her. That should be good for a posting tomorrow too.

[Ryan60657]

I saw NoVAHockey's name pass through the ticker at the top of the page.

[hamilton]

I bet it was KMG. Or actually more likely maybe Kerry Howley phoning in an objection.

[Ryan60657]

KMG?

[hamilton]

Shit KMW I mean. Though I could have meant the gangsta.

[Ryan60657]

I thought KMW posted the original lobster girl. She at least wrote a post with the lobster girl photo -- see link someone posted a page or two above this.

[A Mathematician]

If I asked you, "Will you have sex with me?" would the answer to that question be the same as the answer to this question?

lol tautologies

[Truck_Party]

Saw that right after I posted the question. Any chance that any GOP'ers without the last name Paul will make a states' rights argument with the new marijuana legalization in Washington/Colorado?

[Fist of Etiquette]

What's next for facial hair? Fu Manchu? Chinstrap? Hitler? Friendly Mutton Chops? Van Dyke? Give us a hint.

[Episiarch]

Neckbeard all the way.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

Braided pit hair.

[Caleb Turberville]

Has Suderman made his cameo yet?

[Fist of Etiquette]

SOFTBALL QUESTIONS.

[Warty]

Hey guys, I have an idea. Let's ask Nick and Matt HardQuestions and post the results on youtube!

[Episiarch]

Here's my question: will you guys please, please un-ban LoneMoron? Please? We miss him.

[Fist of Etiquette]

You joke, but I made an impassioned plea about the echo chamber that registration has wrought here. EVERYONE GETS ALONG, IT'S AN UNBEARABLE UTOPIA HERE NOW.

[Episiarch]

Another question: will you guys please, please ban FoE?

[SugarFree]

Every barrel needs a bottom, Epi.

[Lord Humungus]

you know who else needed a bottom?

[Fist of Etiquette]

That's more of a request disguised as a question.

[Episiarch]

See? THIS IS WHY.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Team Jacob or Team Edward?

[hamilton]

Vaguely serious question: libertarians won't get anywhere without grabbing teh Youths. But they are all, like, yay gay rights and MJ and attributing this all to the Democrats and Obama, without looking at dronez and shit. So how do you get them to figure out that the libertarians are way ahead on the issues they care about, including the ones that they don;t know they care about yet like throwing money at old folks?

[Tim]

Is that Castro looking over your shoulder Mr. Welch?

[Matt Welch]

Yes. "Fin de Siecle a la Havane," is the book.

[The Late P Brooks]

In the coming libertarian dictatorship, which group will suffer more: women, or the underprivileged?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Death panels will take care of the seniors.

[Ryan60657]

The Jacket needs to focus when Welch asks questions...

[$park?]

I think Nick is just trolling Matt now.

[SugarFree]

Matt said "do-do." [hurr]

[Voros McCracken]

Lobster Girl Redux. NSFW?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Did you spend this entire webcast photoshopping that?

[Voros McCracken]

No. I actually did it years ago. It's a repost.

[Voros McCracken]

Spent this webcast getting ready for my workout, for which I am now leaving.

[Warty]

It takes an hour to grab your gym bag?

[Lord Humungus]

that's his workout.

[Episiarch]

Not everyone uses the same unwashed filthy clothes day in and day out like you, Warty. I know you like your underwear crusty but some of us find that it chafes.

[BakedPenguin]

Another Lobster Girl. Definitely NSFW.

[Lord Humungus]

if a libertarian was a tree, what kind of tree would it be?

[BakedPenguin]

Coca.

[The Late P Brooks]

Lobster Girl Redux.

Slowly, I turned.

Inch by inch.

Step by step.

[Lord Humungus]

Since statism and cronyism won big in the last election, is there any way forward for libertarianism? What does it take to truly make free minds and free markets?

[Fist of Etiquette]

What a load of crap. Only one mention during this pledge drive and I inexplicably get tied to Episiarch who is a well known idiot and nothing like me. I'm stopping payment on the checks.

[Episiarch]

Well-known?!?

[Lord Humungus]

how does one get the stench of STEVE SMITH off of a hiking jacket?

[SugarFree]

Just be glad you survived.

[GILMORE]

Serious Question #21897 =

What can we do to parry the establishment effort to constantly characterize 'libertarians' as both crackpot esoterics who have no relevance to contemporary politics, and who at the same time represent an existential threat to everything good in life, scheming to undermine the very underpinnings of American Society?

Both Progressive Liberals and Social Cons use libertarians as Boogeyman-pi?atas =

Liberals claiming we want to eradicate the 'social safety net' and return the economy to a robber-baron laissez faire corporatist exloitation of the working poor...

...Whereas Conservatives suggest that 'libertines' aim to destroy America by undermining Family Values through taking God out of public life, fighting for 'special rights' for deviants like homosexuals, believe people can (and should!) take any drugs they want, anytime, and have no sense of national identity or national security because they just want to open up borders and let the Mexican horde overrun us.

Probably a third common stereotype = "Libertarianns.... you know, like Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin..."

I see very little mainstream pushback against this sort of demonization, with maybe only people like George Will thowing a bone every now and then. Any thoughts on how to strip the word "Libertarian" of this kind of stigma? (particularly Glenn Beck..... yechhhk)

[Paul.]

Where Cavanaugh at?

[AAnderson]

Why don't you guys report on coal/oil subsidies? So much talk about comparatively negligible renewable energy subsidies, and yet barely anything on the coal/oil subsidies.

[Raston Bot]

Why are you no longer on RT? I get that Alyona works somewhere else now but they have a full stable of perfectly acceptable journalists that I would like to see on reason.

[RBS]

But are any of them as hot a Alyona?

[Raston Bot]

Yes.

[Raston Bot]

Is anyone still bothering to save Cleveland?

[Voros McCracken]

The Kansas City Chiefs

[GILMORE]

they stand little chance against the forces conspiring to destroy Cleveland. IT WILL BE CLEFT

[kibby]

I missed the first fifteen minutes of this when it originally played, so I was confused about all the talk about the madness at the beginning.

Yeah, I haven't laughed that hard in ages. Especially the faces that accompanied the creepy looping.

[GILMORE]

there was some serious avant garde french/bryon gysin bug in the system at work there. they forgot to turn the '60s deconstructionist art theory' knob off, apparently. i think that part should be preserved as a separate 'happening' piece. Yoko Ono would be proud.

As a side note = does anyone else think the whole 'internet 3.0' use of technology for this event kind of self-defeating and counterproductive? ( darth vader orgasms aside...an accidental WIN) If they'd simply posted a "Ask us questions" thing, then picked Qs and read what they wanted, it might have made slightly more sense/been more effective? Call me crazy... Again, i'm old school, and think the idea of, say, "kindles" is preposterously stupid, since books dont need batteries and already fit in my back pocket, and its not like i need a goddamn separate digital library strapped to my ass when my phone does the same thing in a pinch