Bill Winter from the Advocates for Self Government interviews former LP presidential candidate Harry Browne on his new book, Liberty A-Z: 872 Libertarian Soundbites You Can
Use Right Now.
Browne, an investment advisor and #1 best-selling author before turning to
politics, used his renowned communication skills to craft the soundbites,
using facts, humor, metaphors, and aphorisms. The book, he says, is his
gift to libertarians, to help them better persuade Americans about the
benefits of liberty.
Q: What's the secret to creating the perfect soundbite?
A: If there's a secret, I haven't discovered it. But I think the perfect
soundbite should (a) be brief; (b) make a point in a self-evident way that
the listener isn't likely to have heard before. If there's also humor, so
much the better -- but a clear, persuasive point shouldn't be sacrificed
just to make a soundbite funny.
Q: You were a political neophyte when you first ran for president. How
difficult was it to give 15-second answers to very complicated questions?
A: I had never been involved in politics, but I had been selling my
investment books on radio and TV for 25 years. I knew that I couldn't sell
anything in a brief interview by giving a course in investing; everything
had to get across in a very few words. I didn't have an organized
repertoire of soundbites for selling investment books, but it quickly
became obvious that I needed them to "sell" political ideas.
Q: When did you decide to start collecting your soundbites?
A: If I'd had to rely on 3x5 cards, I never would have written them down;
I would have relied on my imperfect memory, and I'd now have two or three
soundbites. But the computer changes everything. With a computer file, you
can categorize and sort easily.
I believe I started keeping track within two or three months of the
beginning of my first campaign in August 1994. I strongly recommend that
others do the same -- whether or not they are candidates for office.
Q: If you had to select one favorite soundbite from this book, which one
would it be?
A: Perhaps the perfect soundbite is the one on abortion: "Given the
government's record with the War on Poverty and the War on Drugs, we can
assume that a War on Abortion would lead within five years to men having
abortions." I have used it frequently and it has actually resulted in some
instant conversions -- not to libertarianism, but at least to the idea
that government is not the way to solve any problem. I've used it on
Christian radio stations and been met with agreement.
Q: Is there one particular soundbite that never fails to get a laugh, or
to get most people to express agreement?
A: Perhaps the abortion soundbite above. Notice, however, that you
shouldn't expect a soundbite to convert someone immediately. The purpose
is to change the terms of discussion. The soundbite calls attention to a
facet of the subject that's been overlooked (such as that government never
solves any problem, so why are we discussing having government solve this
one?). If the soundbite is good, it will steer the discussion away from
irrelevancies or statistics, and into the heart of the matter.
For example, suppose someone pushes for government to get further into
health care or to solve a current scandal through regulation. Statistics
will be offered to support the "need" for government to do something. But
all this overlooks the point that government doesn't work. So rather than
debate the statistics, use a soundbite to remind the person that his plan
to cure the problem through government is bound to fail.
Here, for example, is a soundbite to make that point: "Whenever you turn
anything over to the government, it is no longer a scientific, medical,
commercial, or ethical matter; it is now a political issue -- to be
decided by people like Bill Clinton, Teddy Kennedy, George Bush, and Trent
Lott -- whoever has the most political influence. Is this what you want --
to transform a serious issue into a political boondoggle?"
Q: Which soundbite did you find most difficult to craft?
A: This calls attention to an important point. When you proselytize or
campaign, you can't be expected to know everything about every issue --
let alone the best way to change people's minds in a few words. But if you
keep discussing a subject with others, keep studying the subject, and
write down every succinct idea that occurs to you, eventually you'll
develop a good soundbite.
I have always been for open immigration. For years, I focused on the
welfare state as the magnet that attracts undesirable immigrants. It was
only a year or two ago that I realized that I could make the point much
faster with the "government doesn't work" argument.
That inspired a much more effective soundbite: "Government doesn't work,
and government immigration policy won't work any better. The government
can't keep drugs out of America, and it won't keep out anyone who really
wants to get in. The net result of tighter immigration laws will be higher
costs to the taxpayer, more opportunities for corruption in law
enforcement, less freedom for Americans, and harassment of American
businessmen -- while illegal immigration continues unabated."
Q: What do you say if a Libertarian tells you he doesn't agree with your
language or argument in one particular soundbite?
A: Craft your own, using the soundbites in the book as starting points.
Don't ever use a soundbite you're not comfortable with or not prepared to
back up. Mark the ones in the book that work for you and ignore those that
don't.
Q: For whom do you think this book will be most useful?
A: For libertarians first -- because it will save them a great deal of
time. But the soundbites are educational as well as sales tools, and so
the book as a whole also is a useful tool. Give it to a friend who's on
the fence about freedom. It's easy to read, since there's no involved plot
or complicated thesis. Let him realize that "closing the borders" won't
solve anything, that the FDA kills more people than it saves, that
government isn't the answer to anything -- and that the obvious cure for
our ills is more liberty.
Note: Liberty A-Z: 872 Libertarian Soundbites You Can Use Right Now is
available for sale at: www.TheAdvocates.org. The trade-size paperback, 192
pages, costs $13.95.