INSIDE: Al Gore Poster - The REAL Inconvenient Truth! OR F F R S E E W D O O L 7272 M B NZ $8.50 September-November 2006 R National National Rational That is the extent of Nick Smith’s Wet Green vision: more government and less freedom; more rights for trees, rocks and mud puddles, and fewer rights for human beings. Maximum controls, and the avoidance of The Great National Party ‘unnecessary’ freedom. A “consensus” achieved by wholesale sell-out – a Environmental competition as to who can shackle industry most effectively – such Sellout is the extent of the Wet Bluegreen is the new ‘wet’ Green vision. -Peter Cresswell, page 10 ALSO in this issue: NOT Darnton Vs Clark update! • Civil War In New TAXPAYER Zealand? • The Australian Who Is Too Liberal! FUNDED Editorial Lindsay Perigo Stepping Down ... and Stepping Up! Lindsay Perigo says goodbye! Twelve years and seventy-one issues after He was alluding to a pattern here: several of reason-and-freedom advocacy to American launching it, I have decided to step down as years ago I anointed him Libertarianz leader airwaves for the fi rst time. Whatever, FreeRad editor of The Free Radical. in my place … and one of the projects on my editor or not, I’ve no intention of being idle for agenda now is a Lanza bio to coincide with my second fi fty years! When I say, as I often do, that The Free Radical the 50th anniversary of Mario’s death in 2009. is the world’s sassiest, ‘KASSiest’ Objecti- I’ll be doing this in collaboration with Lanza’s The future will be interesting for Mr. Cresswell libertarian magazine, I mean it. It is. It has a son, who’ll be granting me access to hitherto too. My fi rst assistant-editor David Cohen grunt and humour lacking in all the others. It unseen and unheard archival material for the went on to become an all-purpose iconoclast is, in George Reisman’s words, “a magazine of purpose. And no, I shan’t be relinquishing this at National Business Review. Damian Christie rare courage and intellect.” It is, in Paul Holmes’ project to Cresswell! is now a reporter for TVNZ’s Close-Up words, “angry, funny and intelligent—just like its programme. Deborah Coddington became an editor.” I am inordinately proud of my baby. So Nor shall I be retreating from Sense of Life ACT Member of Parliament. Chris Sciabarra why am I relinquishing fatherhood? Objectivists (SOLO). Au contraire. SOLO went all Brandroid on me. Peter Cresswell is the fi rst assistant-editor to linger for long enough to become the editor. Lord knows where that Twelve years and seventy-one issues after launching it, I have decided might lead! to step down as editor of The Free Radical. I would be remiss not to single out for honourable mention Graham Clark, FreeRad’s is now the baby of whom I’m most proud. long-standing and long-suffering designer. Simply, I have reached a stage in life where I Several months ago, Jason Roth, fresh from When I launched the thing in May 1994, out of want to focus on doing my own polemics rather a skirmish with robotic Randroidism, pleaded Wanganui, I laid it out myself in Quark Express, than pooling that of others. Of course, one can for Objectivism sans anal-retentiveness. It had, with the guidance of my then-partner, graphic do both—one can and one did. But in middle and has, perhaps escaped Jason’s attention designer Tom Eslinger. It was then tweaked age—and, as I perceive it, at the height of my that that’s exactly what’s on offer at SOLO. Part by the local Wanganui printers to whom we powers—I want to be ruthlessly selective in of me is surprised that in all the time I’ve been entrusted it. Later, we gave the operation to how I use those powers. I don’t wish to spend eschewing “anal-retentiveness” some Randroid Kale Print, where eventually Graham took time on what I call “fi ddly stuff” of the kind that makes up much of an editor’s workload. That’s not to denigrate the job or diminish the I wish Peter Cresswell bon voyage. I know it’ll be one hell of a ride for importance of fi nding a suitable successor. In all concerned. Make no mistake, I’ll be there for it, more visible and that regard, I’m delighted to announce that Peter Cresswell has agreed to step into the rambunctious than ever. breach. PC has been something of a revelation to me—possibly even to himself. For several hasn’t popped up to call it an “anti-concept” charge of it. He was a leftie at the time. After years I thought that beneath that gruff, blokey, or “arbitrary” or some such. But part of me is being exposed to FreeRad articles for months unsophisticated contrarian exterior was … not surprised. Anyone who’s been around the on end in the course of his work, he became a gruff, blokey unsophisticated contrarian. Objectivist movement for any length of time has a convert, and is now one of New Zealand’s His early writing efforts for FreeRad were encountered precisely the referents in reality most active freedom-fi ghters! graceless and tangent-ridden—so much so to whom it refers, and knows that their grim, that then-assistant editor Deborah Coddington prim repressiveness is to be avoided like the I should also mention the invaluable back-room and I would roll our eyes and groan when plague it actually is. SOLOism is Objectivism support of Ken and Shirley Riddle, along with we received them. But he persevered, and with the courage of its convictions … and of the front-room support of all my writers, without became brilliant (or rather, revealed a brilliance the resultant emotions. Objectivism with its whom the magazine would not exist. that was quite startling). He started his own inescapable ‘KASS.’ I’ll be breathing fi re for it blog, and his brilliance exploded all over the with my last gasp! Over on SOLO, and also I wish Peter Cresswell bon voyage. I know it’ll screen. Perhaps, in a typically Kiwi way, the here in FreeRad, in my capacity as venerable be one hell of a ride for all concerned. Make bloke had been embarrassed by the reality editor emeritus! no mistake, I’ll be there for it, more visible and behind the exterior—the closet NEM (New rambunctious than ever. To paraphrase Enlightenment Man), the exceptionally acute One of the benefi ts of the Lanza project is Richard Nixon, there’ll soon be even and versatile (possibly genius-level) thinker, the that I’ll be spending more time in America— more Lindsay Perigo to kick around! sensitive esthete—but then fi nally decided to specifi cally, California, where I shall be able to let it all hang out. Perhaps my own teasing and keep an eye on those SOLO scallywags James Fear not, Free Rad readers. Lindsay may be taunting had something to do with it! Whatever Valliant and Casey Fahy, who’ve become gone from the editor’s chair, but not from these the explanation, The Free Radical can only among my dearest friends on earth. I certainly pages. As Lindsay says above, his fearless benefi t from the editorship of PC in full bloom. intend to be at the next SOLO Conference in prose will continue to feature here, and will more San Diego in February, 2007 [as should you regularly grace the web pages of his website for On accepting the mantle, PC joked that it would be, Dear Reader, Ed.]. I might also be able to Sense of Life Objectivists, solopassion.com, and not culminate in his writing a Lanza biography. pick up media work, and bring the Linz brand he will continue as Editor-at-Large. THE FREE RADICAL - Tested & Guaranteed Is it enough to say you stand for “the issues Contents 100% Free of Bureaucratic Nonsense that matter to mainstream New Zealanders”? What goals, what direction, what political principles or social ideals do those “issues” Inside Cover Lindsay Perigo 28 Graham Clark encompass? What solutions and what Stepping Down and Stepping Up Henry Marshall – Inventor intellectual values do they represent? What Lindsay Perigo says goodbye! Graham Clark highlights another native might we expect such leadership to deliver? genius, the ‘Bert Munro’ of heating. – Peter Cresswell, p.9 3 Bernard Darnton Darnton Vs Clark Update 30 Marcus Bachler As Ayn Rand pointed out, conservatives Bernard Darnton updates progress on his Thank You For Smoking! have a disposition towards compromise case against the Government’s pledge card “It would have delighted Adolph Hitler. that delivers more to freedom’s enemies spending. Thank you Scotland.” – comedian Mel than those enemies could otherwise hope Smith. to expect from their own efforts alone. 6 INTERVIEW - Jamie Whyte, Libertarians are not conservatives – they are Naughty Thoughts 32 Craig Ceely radicals for freedom. – A self-confessed obsessive about truth Walter Duranty Lives, and Writes Encomia to – Peter Cresswell, p.9 interviews another self-confessed obsessive Castro about truth. Truth is the winner on the day. Bilious sentiments about one of the world’s For the blood-soaked voices from the Stone son-to-be-departed dictators. Age the free and prosperous west is a 9 FEATURE: personal affront; their war on the west is the Rational Environmentalism V National’s 33 PC last gap of the Dark Age they’ve submitted Environmentalism My Favourite Conspiracy Theory … to themselves and wish to impose on the rest of the world.