Author Archives

Chris Spangle

Chris Spangle is the publisher and editor of We Are Libertarians, a news site and podcast that covers national and Indiana politics from the libertarian perspective. Spangle previously worked in marketing for the Englehart Group on behalf of the Advocates for Self-Government. He also served as the Executive Director of the Libertarian Party of Indiana and producer of the Abdul in the Morning Show. He now works as the web director of a nationally syndicated morning show.

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Announcing WAL Politics

A New Brand from We Are Libertarians

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From Chris Spangle:

Thanks for making 2017 our best year ever. We added 1,000 subscribers every month. Our Patreon nearly has 100 subscribers with $1000 a month funding our growth. As I look to the future, I am tweaking the online presence of what I do. The podcasts will not change. The We Are Libertarians website, Facebook, and overall brand will be very libertarian focused. I am launching the WAL Politics brand for political commentary. Why two separate buckets? In short, it is about setting clear expectations of what the masses are getting from my brands.

Over the past year, I’ve watched the outside world struggle with our opinion on current events. We lose 20ish people a day on the Facebook pages because it fails to match their version of libertarianism or it conflicts with their bias. People initially hit We Are Libertarians looking for information about libertarianism. I want this to continue to be an effective leader in growing the libertarian movement, my brand as a political commentator, and our community. The WAL website and Facebook will now be more libertarianism-focused.

Once we get them woke, then we will move them to the more day-to-day analysis of WAL Politics. This is where I will continue to post information I think people need, my view on current events, submissions from contributors, and it will be more news-focused. I’ve also run into problems getting credentials for political events because of the inherently partisan name of WAL. This gives me some cover when I eventually start covering events like Presidential primaries (when I can do this full-time).

My eventual end goal is to work at WAL full-time. The Chris Spangle Show is currently a feed where I’m teaching about podcasting, but it will end up a daily podcast in the vein of the Ben Shapiro Show. The WAL podcast will continue as it has been the last couple months. The numbers are up from 5,000 an episode in September to an average of 7,000 per episode, which puts us in the top 1% of all podcasts. I don’t dare change what is working.

Sincerely,

Chris Spangle

I hope you will follow All of our social media accounts:

WAL Politics

Learn more about us at https://www.walpolitics.com/
Twitter: WAL_Politics
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/walpolitics
Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVk3E5hPwSJDGYbSJ1qPz7w
spangle@walpolitics.com

We Are Libertarians

The ten principles of WAL: https://wearelibertarians.com/ten-principles-libertarians/
Our podcast airs Wednesdays and Fridays: https://wal.fireside.fm/
Learn more about us at http://wearelibertarians.com/
Snapchat/Twitter: WeRLibertarians
IG/Facebook: WeAreLibertarians
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/wearelibertarians
editor@wearelibertarians.com
Join Our Email List: http://eepurl.com/sJ3Zb
Join the Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/Egss9XX
Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wearelibertarians/
Donate at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wearelibertarians

Chris Spangle

https://chrisspangleshow.fireside.fm/
http://chrisspangle.com/
http://www.facebook.com/chris.spangle
http://twitter.com/chrisspangle
http://instagram.com/cspangle
http://www.youtube.com/ChrisSpangle
chris@chris-spangle.com

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The Real Story of Collusion Emerges in the Mueller Investigation

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A friend recently asked me to boil down the Russian-Trump investigations. What were the smoking guns? What had he supposedly done wrong? The truth is that no one has articulated clearly and accurately what Trump or his campaign had done wrong. I offered the following analysis:

Incredibly, the educated guess has become a reality due to leaks, likely from Republicans on various Congressional committees, which are exposing the seedy inner workings of the FBI and the special prosecutor’s investigation. One text, in particular, is a damning piece of evidence.

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Trump Declares Jerusalem the Capital of Israel

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Lookout fam… The internet is about to be filled with foreign policy experts.

The truth is that no one knows how the Arab street will react in the short-term. The long-term? There will never be peace as long as Israel exists and the governments of the U.S., Russia, and China are willing to ship weapons to Israel and Muslim nations by the billions. America will have a vastly diminished role in the Mid-East peace process, but so what? We are only involved in it so President’s can be the “one” that solves this problem. It is a vanity project. The sky is not falling and the world is not coming to an end.

This is Trump delivering on promises to his base. Trump is the first President to not pretend that he is everyone’s President. He is the President of his base. He is just not faking that he cares about the opinions of his opposition

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The Childish Thinking of Gun Control Advocates

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Liberals give me grief when I say it’s wise to wait a day or two to comment on a mass shooting event out of respect for victims, and to give themselves time to learn what happened. We now know that the Texas shooter should have been in jail or prevented from getting a gun. Various levels of government failed to keep 26 citizens alive, so it’s juvenile to argue that more of what failed will prevent the next mass shooting.

What stopped more deaths? A well-armed citizen protecting his community. If ever there was a tragedy that should give the left the imperative to stop reacting and reasoning like children, this was it.

The criminal justice system doesn’t actually protect the victims of domestic violence. How about we fix that?

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Prayer Isn’t Welcomed in the Midst of a Tragedy?

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I ranted a couple years ago on We Are Libertarians about the trend to switch prayers to “healing vibes” on social media. Somehow, prayer became a shameful act to display to social media friends despite Barna research saying 94% of Americans have prayed once in the last 3 days. Pew says 55% of Americans pray daily. In the wake of the Texas shooting, prayer has been mocked by progressives and Hollywood. Using their favorite weapons, shame and bullying, they are trying to silence public displays of the freedom of speech and religion.

Prayer to whomever or whatever is an act of contrition and reflection in an effort to become a better person. Some faiths say that signal of obedience makes God move in places he might not have before. Moments of tragedy are the best times to do a self-inventory and ask where we can change ourselves to be more loving and giving.

The vague “do something” where no policy is prescribed actually does nothing. It is vanity to show off for friends. Mock prayer, Keith Olbermann, but it is more effective than anything you’ve done in your “career.”

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Our Flag and Anthem Are Bigger than Just Our Military

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I love and respect our Flag, Anthem, and nation because of American values embodied in the Declaration, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Our founding principles gave liberty and freedom an opportunity by flipping the relationship between ruler and citizen upside down. In America, citizens rule, and the government has to ask for permission when it wants to interfere in our life.

Our Founders knew our desire to give up our power and wrote down the values that would keep the spirit of Americanism alive.

The very first thing written? The freedom to speak and petition (protest) your government when citizens feel an injustice is taking place. Never again would a citizen be punished for doing their civic duty: speaking up when the government forgets its place. Nothing is more American than an American peacefully protesting injustices within the government. In my mind, there was no greater patriot in the 20th century than Martin Luther King Jr. Without firing a shot, he changed the hearts and minds of the American people, and they, in turn, changed our government.

Most of the Founders didn’t want a standing Army. They felt the homeland could be best protected by armed citizens who could protect their families, communities, and states. They didn’t dream Americans would have military bases in 170 countries while operating 7 fronts as we do today. I think many of the Founders would be absolutely puzzled that we are arguing over the common sense principle of self-protection coming under attack this week.

I think they’d be equally as shocked that half of our country have narrowed Americanism and the flag down to honoring a standing military and military intervention. Our Flag and Anthem mean so much more than the war powers of our current government.

I do believe our Flag and Anthem represent the fallen and our veterans, but not our policies. In my mind, Americanism is directly opposed to much of what this current government does. It stands for free markets, freedom of association, the right to peacefully live our lives without government agencies harassing us or killing us. Yes, it means honoring the memories of every person that gave their life for this unique experiment, both in and out of uniform. Many thousands of Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep this a shining beacon of hope. That includes those fighting in foreign wars as well as Americans like Emmitt Till.

I’m surrounded by political and religious refugees from Burma. They are wonderful neighbors, and they are adding a lot to our community. Storefronts that sat vacant for years are now thriving, for instance. America represents hope to them. They will lay down tonight in their secure and clean home without the fear of Burmese government agents killing or stealing from them. They will send their children to good schools tomorrow while they make more money than they’ve ever had in their life.

When I stand for the Anthem, my eyes water because of the hardship my great-great-great grandparents endured in leaving their German hometown and moving to a strange land so that one day their ancestors could be prosperous, healthy, clean, and endowed with all the rights given by our Creator. It’s for my Grandfather that nearly died in Okinawa fighting an Imperial menace that threatened the lives of millions of Americans. It’s tears of thanksgiving to God that I live in a country where I can start a media outlet that openly criticizes the ruling class without any fear of retribution.

So yes… the Flag and the Anthem ARE about soldiers that fought and died for this country. It’s about so much more. If Mike Pence and Donald Trump and any person reading this want to reduce it to only that, then they’re being decidedly unpatriotic. They’re being a propagandist, and that is UnAmerican.

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Conspiracy Theories Abound in An Absence of Motive

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Many conspiracy theories are circulating the internet over the Las Vegas shooting. This is one.

As you read it, your brain will say “Huh. I can buy that.” Then you’ll hear little pieces of evidence that seem to fit that theory. Then you believe it as you see others around you talking about it. Our fellow animals confirm things in our pack. We are also pattern creatures. Our brains love patterns because it saves calories which equals survival.

Conspiracies pop up because the killer fits no pattern. He isn’t in some box where we can classify him and ignore him. Religion, politics, revenge, money or clear mental insanity don’t seem to be his motive. He brought 23 guns into one of the safest areas of the world with the most surveillance. The security at the venue, the police, and government agencies all acted exemplary.

There is nothing to criticize or blame. There’s no motive. There’s nothing that could stop it. There’s nothing that can fix it.

That’s when the existential dread sets in. What if I turn into the monster? What if that old man in the Chili’s on Saturday’s is the next killer? We begin searching for predictability.

Americans take for granted the relative safety that blankets us. In both history and the rest of the world, we’ve never been more likely to return home at the end of the day. We are still humans with danger detectors in our brains, and they are going off.

I am reminded of a friend involved in a domestic violence situation. She was struggling to understand how her ex-husband could turn into a hunter. Her counselor said, “You are a rational being. Our minds are incapable of making sense of the irrational thought. There is no answer, and that is uncomfortable for us.”

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Announcing Our New Subscription Service!

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Every month, I set a goal for a new way to improve We Are Libertarians. This month, it is redoing our Patreon and donation system. Our main product is, and always will be, the Thursday night podcast. We now average 7,500 downloads with a peak episode of 12,000. (I have heard Tom Woods is at 20,000.) We are adding 1,000 new listeners a month. It still isn’t good enough for me. I want to be at the top of iTunes. I need your help to do it.

The only way I am able to improve this new media empire is through the cash our listeners donate each month. It’s become an entity that requires $100s a month to operate. This doesn’t include compensation 10 to 20 hours a week Greg and I spend on prepping, building, editing, and podcasting the content you’ve come to love. It’s our love too.

In 2016, I just simply said that I couldn’t cover the cost anymore, and started taking donations by telling the truth: “If you’d miss us if we disappeared, then we need you to pitch in or else we will have to.” 

Over 100 of you have. We now have 46 people that donate once a month. After concluding the building of our video program, a subscription service to properly thank them was my next project.

I’ve tested, demo’ed and researched software, and Patreon just kept coming back as the best choice for us.

As of today, we are offering Patreon rewards for monthly subscribers. You can see them here.

If you are a PayPal subscriber, you will have to cancel your current recurring payment and switch to Patreon to get the rewards. If you don’t do this, your card will still run, but without the goodies.

If you are a Patreon subscriber, you must amend your pledge to the new monthly pledge. We are switching from a per-episode plan to keep confusing down for those unfamiliar with Patreon.
If you are NOT a subscriber, then what are you waiting for? For many new libertarians, We Are Libertarians is the first podcast they hear. We are on the front lines of spreading the libertarian message and finding a sense of belonging for the politically homeless. Be a part of that change.