Gary Johnson, Benghazi, and Free Speech: Reason Mag's December 2012 Issue

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Gary Johnson, Benghazi, and Free Speech: Reason Mag's December 2012 Issue

Reason magazine's November issue is out and about on newsstands everywhere. The issue features a bevy of Election 2012-related pieces, including a behind-the-scenes look at Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson's record-setting run for the White House, Matt Welch's full-throated defense of free speech, and much more.

Reason TV correspondent Kennedy sat down to talk with Welch about the new issue.

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Comments

[Hyperion]

GJ needs to go back to NM and run for the Senate or HOR in 2014, as a Repulican, if any seats are up for re-election. If not, just do it in 16. One more Libertarin in DC can only be a good thing.

[CuriousGeorge]

not gonna happen

[Hyperion]

Why not?

[CuriousGeorge]

He's made it very clear he has no interest in doing that.

[BoxyBoxyBoxyBoxy]

That would certainly be good, if the Republican party establishment allows it. They have not exactly been cordial toward him, before or after the primary season ended this year.

[Fist of Etiquette]

One reasoner interviewing another? Incestuous!

Speech, I believe, is the last, the final right that we in the United States will retain. Maybe because it's so entangled with what our otherwise authority-loving fourth estate holds so dear, free press, that we will be able to hang on to it longer than the others. Or maybe I'm talking out my butt, BUT THAT'S MY RIGHT.

[Lewisite]

"Or maybe I'm talking out my butt, BUT THAT'S MY RIGHT"

After you file for a permit.

[Brutus]

As long as it doesn't create a hostile work environment.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

Stay the course and keep hammering. Now is not the time to sulk. Libertarians need to find a way to mainstream its message and to do this you need to keep refining your positions.

Start hitting campuses. Those numbskulls need more exposure to different ideas. Trust me, outside a precious few bona-fide intelligent students, the majority in university are fucking clueless drone.

God I hated the pseudo-intellectual, useful idiot liberal in class. Them and their fucking pumpkin seeds.

[Rufus J. Firefly]

'Drones.'

Swearing for dramatic effect.

[Hyperion]

You might actually be able to talk to some of them and convince them that if they are real liberals, then they should be Libertarian. Not statists progressives, which is what most really are today who call themselves liberal. There is nothing liberal about socialism or any other form of statism.

I have managed to convert a few, not many, but every one that you can save from the systemic destroyer of rational thought that is progressivism, the better off we all are.

[Episiarch]

I've had basically zero luck when attempting this (the few times I do). They nod and agree see your points and will admit that someone like Obama is just a scumbag politician and then five minutes after the conversation they've forgotten all about it and go back to the TEAM and pure emotion.

Frankly, an intelligent, rational person will soon talk themselves out of "liberalism" as the inherent contradictions and glaring illiberalism starts to pile up.

[John]

I have turned into a Alynskite populist with them. I have stopped trying to explain things. They don't get it. They don't speak the same language I do. They are too emotional and too irrational to understand.

But here is what they do understand or at least understand well enough to at least shut them up for a while; there own language turned back on them. Talk about how it is disgraceful no one from the 08 bank crash was ever prosecuted and how you can't believe the FBI can just read people's emails and how it is a national embarrassment that Harvard is sitting on $30 billion dollars when people in South Boston can't feed their kids or pay their heating bills.

[Hyperion]

Yes, but it would be worse if an evil Rethuglican had got elected again. I mean even if we lose all rights, even free speech, and are all impoverished to 3rd world status, besides the ruling elites that is, it would still be much worse if Rethuglians won. Rethuglicans don't feel. They don't have empathy. They will put the women folks vaginas in chastity belts, and the brown folks in chains. They really do think that, you know.

[John]

I was flipping channels tonight and came across a PBS thing on Woody Gutherie. They had all these old communists from the 30s and 40s talking about unions and living in the Village in lofts and singing songs and changing the world and so forth. What struck me is how little these people have changed in seventy going on eighty years. I have to respect the old commies at some level because at least they were doing something new. But the liberals of today are so pathetic. It is the same culture and the same ideas they had eighty years ago. Nothing has changed but they still think of themselves as being so cutting edge and hip. If it wasn't so destructive you would feel sorry for them.

[Hyperion]

What has really changed about the leftist ideology is that it has now been so thorougly proven unworkable on the world stage. It has been completely discredited as a real world solution, and yet they cannot let go of it.

Hopefully when the last crop of these old commies finally die off, the leftist utopia will be nothing but a bad memory from the pages of history books.

Too bad hundreds of millions had to die and countless others to suffer because of one really bad idea.

[alan_s]

Unfortunately, the old commies have been really good at raising up new ones.

[Hyperion]

I hear you, bro. I mean when you see the deafening silence from so called liberals about all the things that Obama has done, when they screamed so loud about Bush doing the same thing, you realize that it is all about being like their friends, being liked. It is only that, and nothing more. They really do not have an opinion of their own at all, it's like a hive mentality.

But, we keep trying anyway.

[Jordan]

They nod and agree see your points and will admit that someone like Obama is just a scumbag politician and then five minutes after the conversation they've forgotten all about it and go back to the TEAM and pure emotion.

Yep, that's been my experience as well. I had a very interesting experience arguing with an Obama supporter today. We were arguing about secession, and one of his arguments was that any state that succeeded would collapse without federal military support. I pointed out that there are no military threats, and he responded by asking what if Russia or China invade. I was speechless. Progressives really are pathetic.

[Jordan]

Argh, seceeded not succeeded...

[Hyperion]

That was a pretty stupid argument, but like you said, progressives are not well known outside their own circle for being really knowledgeable. Right, Russia is going to invade TX, lol.

The best thread I have seen all day was on Politico about this very subject. The proglodyes were out in force, each one of them trying to out stupid the other. They were saying things like 'well, you Texans, you can leave, but you can't keep any of that oil, or anything else you have down there, it's ours!', like they were going to peronally march right down there and do something about it. Although I am sure they think that their super Obama hero would just dawn a cape and fly in to save the day.

[Lewisite]

'Burns slant drilling corporation'
Oklahoma USA,

[Hyperion]

There is no reason for Libertarians to be down right now, over this election. Just the opposite.

Ls just cost both Rs and Ds congressional races in several states. Has that ever happened before?

Marijuana was just legalized in 2 states, and Seattle, WA has already dropped every pending MJ posession case. When has that ever happened before?

You have 20+ states getting petitions to secede from the union, and TX has 80,000 signatures already, lol. When have we ever seen that?

The shit is hitting the fans for the feds and the 2 party duoploy folks. They are going to have too many things on their plate to deal with and they are going broke. Freedom might just have a shot afterall, even if it has to get real ugly first. The federal monstrosity, IMHO, is reaching critical mass, after which it will start to fall apart under it's own weight.

[Lewisite]

I guess there could be some logic in 'infiltrating' a GOP when it's at its weakest, as opposed to trying to reason with the GOP when it is feeling strong, we all know how that turned out. They have tasted statism and now have a thirst for it, very difficult to get the shit back in the horse.

[Hyperion]

Well, their establishment guy just lost, just like we told them would happen. And they have to know it is the SoCon crap, they really cannot be that stupid. They need us Libertarians, and if they don't have us, they are really screwed because the SoCons are a dying breed.

[Lewisite]

They just don't have enough 'give a shits per square inch' just yet for serious reflection. Doubling down on their same old tired bullshit is the order of the day. I would think getting their ass soundly kicked by a chronic fuck-up like Obama would hit them between the eyes like a crowbar, but I won't hold my breath on an epiphany from the GOP, I fear they are just too god dammed stupid, who knows.

[Hyperion]

Plus they have the same old windbags like Limbaugh actually advising them to double down on exactly what is not working, so that isn't helping much.

I still have to agree with the Pauls that the best course for now is to infiltrate the GOP, like the progs did with the Dems. Then we can have at the final battle between freedom and statism. We will see.

[Lewisite]

"Plus they have the same old windbags like Limbaugh"

They need Limbaugh as a spokesman like they need ulcerative colitis, when it comes to attracting moderate independents.

"like the progs did with the Dems" --Like a Botfly

I agree 100%, It worked for them all too well.

[Mickey Rat]

"And they have to know it is the SoCon crap, they really cannot be that stupid."

The SoCon issues in this election was that government should not able to force people to purchase health insurance that included contraceptive coverage. "Social Liberal" is a positive rights position now.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Yep, the administration violates libertarian principles with the HHS mandate and Planned Parenthood funding, and got votes for it. If this discredits the socons, it discredits libertarians, too. If Repubs take home the lesson that they need to be socially liberal, that will mean endorsing the HHS mandate and ramping up PP funding.

[Eduard van Haalen]

And banning large sodas. Recall that Bloomberg is often called "socially liberal."

[alan_s]

"Freedom might just have a shot afterall, even if it has to get real ugly first."

That's the problem. Something catastrophic is going to have to happen for it to even have a chance now, which is what were all trying to avoid by attempting to reason with people. It's going to take the full power of market forces collapsing the system, and if Europe is any indication, freedom may not be the answer that people turn to even then.

[Paul.]

Keep going Matt. Keep hammering on the 1st amendment and Benghazi. This is a real story and we need reporters like you hammering this. Because the New York Times and NPR ain't gonna.

[General Butt Naked]

The issue features a bevy of Election 2012-related pieces, including a behind-the-scenes look at Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson's record-setting run for the White House, Matt Welch's full-throated defense of free speech, and much more.

Jesus, why didn't you say something about this Johnson feller before the election, Reason? Too busy thinking up clever alt-texts that'll impress the commenting hordes? Huh?

Dang, with all the Obama and Romney articles I just figured...

Way to ruin my day, assholes.

[Epicdelusion]

Gary Johnson is the MAN!!

[joey89924]

Them and their fucking pumpkin seeds.
http://www.hqew.net

[Alex the wolf]

The girl is hot