Wendy McElroy on The Art of Being Free

"I want to live freedom," says legendary author and libertarian activist Wendy McElroy, "I don't want to just rail against the government.

McElroy's latest book is The Art of Being Free: Politics Versus the Everyman and Woman. In an interview with Nick Gillespie from last summer's FreedomFest, McElroy stresses the need for libertarians to work against the rise of the state in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. But she also argues that, like Henry David Thoreau, individuals should get on with the business of living."

McElroy blogs regularly at Laissez Faire Books' group blog. Check that out here and her personal website here.

Held each July in Las Vegas, FreedomFest is attended by around 2,000 limited-government enthusiasts and libertarians a year. Reason TV spoke with over two dozen speakers and attendees and will be releasing interviews over the coming weeks. For an ever-growing playlist, go here now.

About 4 minutes. Camera by Tracy Oppenheimer and Alex Manning; edited by Manning.

[flyinbry]

well spoken in few words -a rarity in today's world.

[sendtoanthony]

"The State is not inside me."

[flyinbry]

excellent interview. this lady is well spoken in few words.

[Stikibits]

1) Basically, the sale of automatic firearms, selective fire weapons and certain accessories such as sound suppressors ("silencers") is forbidden (as is the sale of certain disabled automatic firearms which have been identified as easily restored to fully automatic capability). The purchase of such items is however legal with a special permit issued by cantonal police. The issuance of such a permit requires additional requirements to be met, e.g. the possession of a specific gun locker.

[fishblades]

To bad I can't watch this because youtube suddenly decides to buffer everything I watch every 10 seconds.

[Jayremy]

Imagination doesn't matter if you aren't free to do anything with it. Imagination is merely freedom of the mind in a philosophical sense. Though in most cases people use the word liberty over freedom. The problem is our country doesn't take liberty seriously, yes in the US liberty is being squashed and many remain silent or cheer as it happens.

Imagination is what I always dream and kill much time doing, but at the end of the day I have to wake up and face the hell hole.

[Stikibits]

I'm using YouTubeOptions for Chrome.
I turned the buffering off, and it seems a little better, but that's just anecdotal and after a brief time using it.
It might be a little better off, I think.

[freesk]

Try to live your life so that government does not matter. Try to arrange your interactions so that to the greatest extent possible, the government is irrelevant. This means buying from local entrepreneurs, using silver and gold instead of banks, bartering instead of using fiat currency, living frugally so you pay less in sales taxes, and so that you can afford to earn less and thus pay less in income taxes. Boycott government, where possible. Peaceful revolutions are more likely to win.

[urbanpsych]

They are not saying that they should be let to do whatever they want anywhere they want. i think that it is something many statists don't understand.

> the more freedoms you have to compromise in order for society of function
this isnt true, it isn't compromise, it is cooperation.

i want to live around people.. people that share similar values. just like you would join a sheep's head club.

[CurtHowland]

"because we shifted responsibility for it to the private sector"
When?
So far as I have been able to tell, no one is allowed to fix a govt bridge, or patch a govt road.
And as far as I can tell, it's the govt roads and govt bridges and govt regulated infrastructure which is so fucked up.
There's a pattern here for those who can see it.
"Have you ever been to other countries?"
Yes.

[halloranedward]

The problem with this, is that there is no way possible for someone to be a capitalist on there own, or even to have a group of people, a town, a county, or a whole state, We have fed/state market orders, subsidies, govt owned businesses, govt chartered monopolies, and no commercial rights. only ending socialism will be capitalism. this is why romney lost, republican voters are all capitalist, but all our party leaders are socialist.

[redlightmax]

I avoid that problem by using Firefox and extensions like MP4 Downloader - you can then download YouTube videos as files and watch them with VLC player. No more buffering!

[Jayremy]

Life, liberty and property or in Thomas Jefferson terms life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I think it is evident here the 3rd for each case can be argued whether it is essential or not. Life is a pretty much a no-brainer, nobody has a right to deny you life by committing murder as they please. Liberty is about ALL people being left to do as they wish, to control their own life. In many cases you can pursue your happiness with have what you want with complete liberty.

[fishblades]

I have no idea. It just started in the last week and my connection is fine. Every other streaming site runs fine and even certain Youtube videos work. It's weird.

[Stikibits]

The Swiss are educated and understand the science and research of firearms in society.
The Swiss aren't living the delusions put forward by US gun-nuts, or Swiss society would be suffering the same gun deaths as the US.
The reality is completely different to the delusions foisted by gun-nuts.

[Stikibits]

Is that what it is?
I think there's software to prevent the buffering, isn't there?

[martyR]

Most libertarians don't expect absolute freedom. First of all, we all recognize that the limit to our individual freedom is other people's right to freedom. No libertarian thinks that we should be free to assault other people or damage their property. What freedoms are you talking about that need to be compromised? I don't see why one single freedom should be compromised unless it infringes upon someone else, and libertarians already recognize that as a legitimate limitation on freedom.

[Stikibits]

Why is the US awash in gun deaths and maiming?
1) The United States has a very high rate of firearm death

[Burnscann]

Is Nick opening up to Real libertarianism? To that which some "libertarians" are afraid to think about? .... Anarchism?

[LouisDamMikkelsen]

Blame your internet connection, not YouTube.