We’ve had a good man elected to the NSW parliament.
It’s not every day you can say that with a straight face.
John is awake, or at least awake enough, and although I would like someone in government to say something about childhood vaccination (a subject still off limits even among the dissidents), especially considering that Bobby has now led the charge, I suspect that John has the potential to eventually get there. He has young daughters and at some point, the penny is likely to drop, hopefully before they are due their HPV vaccine, the most Australian of vaccines.
I was listening to his maiden speech on YouTube the other night, and just as he started talking about the government’s Covid lies, the video was removed, because of “Community Standards”. I experienced the Censoring Industrial Complex in real time.
The speech can be found here on the LDP channel for now, but I put it in the masthead as I expect it to eventually vanish from YouTube.
And so, because of YouTube’s censorship, we now have this Substack article dedicated to John Ruddick’s speech.
It’s magnificent!
If I were advising him, I would have done away with the Anarcho-Capitalism section and dialed up the mass employment-based vaccine discrimination happening in the State. But putting my critiques aside it was well worthy of its standing ovation. Well done John and welcome to the NSW parliament!
My favourite part was:
The Story of William Buckley and Mass Delusions
Let me tell you the story of William Buckley, an escaped convict who was warmly adopted by an Aboriginal tribe in the Geelong area. Buckley spent 32 years living in the Australian bush and then walked into the Port Phillip Bay Colony in the 1830s. Buckley expected to be punished by the English for being an escapee, but the English were fascinated by his account and employed him to foster good relations with the Aboriginals. Buckley then wrote a gripping book which contains an episode where his tribe and the surrounding tribes were in immortal panic.
These tribes held the supernatural belief that the world was held up by a powerful man who used ropes to keep things in place. At the end of the world, there was panic because the word had gotten around that the strong man was getting weary. And if every tribe didn't immediately send him all their food, tools, and weapons, the world would definitely implode. Buckley's tribe and the others around furiously obeyed and handed over everything they had and then raced atop a mountain hoping it might provide some protection if the implosion came. Buckley wrote of this episode: "But who the old juggling receiving thief was, I could never make out. However, it is only the same sort of robberies which was practiced in other countries of what is called Christendom."
Buckley was correct. Mass delusions are a universal phenomenon.
Here is a high-level summary of his speech:
COVID-19 Response Criticism: Ruddick criticizes the government's response to COVID-19, arguing that the fatality rate in New South Wales was not high enough to warrant the measures taken. He suggests that the lockdowns and vaccine mandates were excessive and that Sweden, which did not enforce such measures, has had Europe's lowest increase in excess deaths over the past three years.
Vaccine Skepticism: He expresses skepticism about the COVID-19 vaccines, suggesting that they have not been as effective as claimed and may have contributed to an increase in excess deaths. He also criticizes the government's push for multiple vaccine doses and the dismissal of alternative treatments like Ivermectin.
Government Debt and Economic Policy: Ruddick criticizes the recent state and federal liberal governments for accumulating significant public debt. He also expresses disappointment with the Liberal Party's acceptance of a net-zero carbon economy, which he views as a reckless folly.
Libertarianism and Anarcho-Capitalism: Ruddick identifies as a Libertarian and discusses the principles of Libertarianism, including skepticism of government, belief in the morality of capitalism, and the desire for a smaller state. He also discusses the concept of anarcho-capitalism, which advocates for a government-free society based on voluntary interaction.
Climate Change Skepticism: He questions the consensus on climate change, suggesting that the science is not as settled as claimed and that the movement has been hijacked by a money-making scheme.
Foreign Policy and Defense: Ruddick expresses concern about the arms buildup in the Asia-Pacific region and advocates for Australia to lead a campaign to de-escalate superpower tension in the region. He also calls for the release of Julian Assange.
Animal Welfare and Environmentalism: He suggests that environmentalism should focus more on animal welfare, protection of endangered species, and preservation of native forests.
Government-Free Society: Ruddick outlines a vision for a government-free society, suggesting that many government services could be replaced by private firms and that welfare could be provided through private charity. He acknowledges that this is a radical view but argues that it is worth exploring.
Libertarian Successes: Ruddick cites several examples where he believes Libertarian views have been vindicated in hindsight, including the benefits of free enterprise, opposition to Middle Eastern wars, and support for marriage freedom.
Here is John’s book.
Make the Liberal Party Great Again by John Ruddick | 9781925642568 | Booktopia
And here is John’s Twitter account.
John Ruddick MLC (@JohnRuddick2) / Twitter
So, I guess, I’ll end with a thank you to YouTube and its censorship, without which I may have not found the motivation to produce this amplifier for John Ruddick and his speech.
This is what turning a lemon to lemonade looks like.
And here is the full transcript:
Welcome Address and Guest Introduction
I welcome into my gallery this evening the family and friends of The Honorable John Ruddock, including the Honorable Ross Cameron, the former Federal member for Parramatta; the Honorable David Clark, former member of the Legislative Council; Mr. Tim James, member for Willoughby; Ms. Tanya Davies, member for Badgers Creek; Mr. Craig Kelly, former Federal member for Hughes; Dr. John Humphries, founder of the Liberal Democratic Party; Mr. Paul Barker, National President of the Liberal Democratic Party; Mr. Robert Cribb, former President of the New South Wales Democratic Party; Mr. Nathan Thomason, former President of the New South Wales Liberal Democratic Party; Mr. Lyle Shelton, National Director of the Family First Party; Mr. Michael O'Neill, leader of the Informed Medical Options Party; and, most importantly, Mr. Ruddick's family, Kelly, Daisy, and Ruby Ruddick, and Sai Shin Zhao. You are all most welcome.
It is now 6 p.m., and according to the resolution of the house, proceedings are now interrupted to enable the Honorable John Ruddick to make his first speech without any question before the chair. The member has the call. Thank you.
Honorable John Ruddick's Inaugural Address
Mr. President, there was another occasion I was to speak, and the strict convention then, as now, was that I'd be heard without interjection. That was my inaugural speech at the Youngerbrook Council a few blocks from here in 1994. I think this was just before your time at that forum, Mr. President, but despite being a newbie, I launched into the most bitterly contentious factional brawl of the day. That no interjection thing was wantonly discarded. Thus began 27 years of a highly dysfunctional relationship between the New South Wales Liberal Party and John Ruddick: multiple candidacies for the Young Liberal presidency, multiple candidacies for state and federal party president, endless violation of that party's prohibition against speaking to the media, dozens of unsolicited emails to the entire membership about one righteous cause after another, multiple expulsion attempts, or deftly dodged two constitutional reform battles that went on for years, climaxing in an apparent triumph early. To see, the factions soon devised ways to skirt the new rules. And to top it all off, Mr. President, in 2018, I wrote a book explaining how everything the Liberal Party organization was doing was completely wrong. But I do sincerely thank my colleagues here from my former party for their warm welcome to this place.
There's no surer way to mend years of factional strife than quitting for good and joining a better party. I feel like Switzerland, at peace with all.
Shift of Loyalties and A New Beginning
I first heard of the Liberal Democrats in 2012 when Clinton Mead, who's here tonight, was elected mayor. I avidly read their website and said, "Hallelujah." A few times, I was tempted to defect but didn't quite bite the bullet. I was still betting that the best bet for small government was reform of the Liberal Party. However, in mid-2021, that changed.
State and federal Liberal governments did four things that made me throw in the towel. The first was the authoritarian covert police state. This was all in response to a bad flu. A bad flu is a bad flu. It's happened from time to time, but we treated COVID as though it was Ebola.
The COVID fatality rate in New South Wales was 0.13, at the upper end of what we expect each winter, maybe a little bit more. But to call COVID a pandemic was an insult to pandemics. The average age of a COVID fatality in Australia is higher than the average life expectancy. The New South Wales government locks citizens in quarantine just for being near a COVID-positive person.
Spoiler alert: the Liberal Democrats are a libertarian party. We Libertarians are plotting to take over the world so we can leave you all alone. Libertarianism can be summed up in two words: power corrupts.
Inherent Morality of Capitalism and Skepticism of Government
We believe in the inherent morality of capitalism simply because it is what people will spontaneously do when left alone. The worst atrocities in history were not the result of drought, flood, pestilence, or plague, but of big government throwing its weight around like an elephant stomping on ants.
Skepticism of government doesn't make you a conspiracy theorist, it makes you a history buff. The relationship between the state and citizen is a yin and yang. The bigger the state is, the more stunted citizen potential; the smaller the state, the more dynamic the citizens.
Switzerland as a Libertarian Example
Today's gold medalist in the libertarian Olympics is Switzerland. Now, it's not a libertarian utopia, but for generations, the Swiss have enjoyed the least intrusion from government and thrived on all fronts.
The Swiss economy is the second most deregulated in the world, behind Singapore, and has one of the highest per capita incomes. Switzerland has the fourth lowest tax rates in the OECD. Free speech is constitutionally guaranteed, unlike Australia.
Switzerland is a true federation. It has a population similar to New South Wales, but power is devolved down to the 26 states, or what they call cantons. Most political power is held by the cantons who experiment and learn from each other.
Our state governments are largely welfare dependents of a central government far bigger than what the now-forgotten but noble federation skeptics who dominated this chamber in the 1890s feared. They feared that federation would lead to contentious laws.
Swiss Approach to Laws and Healthcare
In Switzerland, laws are decided by citizen-initiated referendums. The Swiss government has nothing to do with healthcare except for giving low-income earners a voucher, which they use to purchase insurance from a dynamic private marketplace. Over 99% of Swiss have health insurance, and surprise surprise, the Swiss enjoy the best health stats in the world.
The Swiss are cautious with social reforms, but cannabis is becoming legal. Libertarians make no moral judgment on the rights or wrongs of cannabis. Indeed, we want public debate, but we do not want a busybody government threatening punishment over cannabis use. So, to the Honorable Jeremy Buckingham, can I say when you need a vote on this issue, you've got one locked in.
Firearm Ownership and Switzerland's Tradition of Peace
Swiss households have one of the world's highest firearm ownership rates, but Switzerland also has the world's lowest murder rate. Those firearms deter criminal behavior, government overreach, and invasion. So, to my colleagues in the Shooters Party, when you need a vote on that issue, you've got another one locked in too.
What Libertarians like most about Switzerland is its 500-year-old tradition of staying out of war. Except for resisting Napoleonic incursion, Switzerland has not been invaded.
When the armies of death marched across Europe during World War I, World War II, and the Cold War, they didn't think to invade Switzerland. Ukraine's Vladimir Zielinski recently addressed the Swiss Parliament and demanded the Swiss renege on their ancient tradition and fund his side of the war. Half the Swiss Parliament walked out and rightly urged all sides in that conflict to agree to peace talks immediately.
Perhaps Switzerland is so successful because it hasn't sent its finest young men out to get slaughtered every second generation. The Swiss are, however, stellar global citizens. In the 19th century, a Christian businessman from Geneva, Jean-Henry Dunant, was on his way to a meeting in Italy when he came across a horrific site: 40,000 dead and wounded at Solferino, where a battle had just been fought.
No one was providing any care. Dunant canceled his travel plans and spent days doing all he could to alleviate suffering. Deeply disturbed, he returned home, called a meeting of other Christian businessmen, and gave the world the Red Cross, which today has 16 million volunteers.
The Red Cross was not an initiative of the Swiss government but of private individuals and is the most successful charity in human history.
Concerns about Arms Buildup and Foreign Policy
This is a state parliament, Mr. President, but please indulge me to make a point about a foreign policy matter that has the potential to cause catastrophe to New South Wales. Libertarians are concerned about the endless arms buildup in the Asia Pacific. Our leaders tell us China is muscling up, an expansionist. Chinese leaders tell their citizens the West is muscling up, an expansionist. Both are correct. I fear a July 1914 succession of events that sees the Asia Pacific stumble into a pointless war. With today's weapons and Asia's population, the death toll from such a war could exceed World War II. Assuming Australia wasn't reduced to rubble in the process, we would be overwhelmed with millions of refugees. I am sympathetic to former Prime Minister Paul Keating's concerns about our monstrous spending on weapons that are not designed to defend but to attack. The most dangerous person on Earth, we are told, is Julian Assange. But if journalist Assange was free to publish his criticisms of the war machines, we would all be safer. #FreeAssange.
The two American presidents in my lifetime who the experts said would be the most dangerous on the world stage were Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. But both defied the foreign policy establishment and reached out to historic adversaries, became friends with once hostile leaders, and calmed geopolitical tension. Now, Libertarians are not pacifists. When a delusional regime says they want world domination, like the Nazis, Imperial Japan, or the Soviet Union, then they obviously leave us no choice. But we agree with Winston Churchill: "Jaw-jaw is almost better than war-war." Australia is a proudly Western nation with Asia-Pacific geography. We are therefore best placed to lead the campaign to de-escalate superpower tension in the Asia Pacific.
Irrational Mass Delusions and Separation of Church and State
Another reason Libertarians don't like big government is that mankind is, from time to time, subject to irrational, harmful mass delusions, especially when melded with big government. COVID is merely the latest case study. One of the benefits of separating church and state was that if a religious grouping did get delusional, at least the delusion was contained and not magnified by state power.
The Story of William Buckley and Mass Delusions
Let me tell you the story of William Buckley, an escaped convict who was warmly adopted by an Aboriginal tribe in the Geelong area. Buckley spent 32 years living in the Australian bush and then walked into the Port Phillip Bay Colony in the 1830s. Buckley expected to be punished by the English for being an escapee, but the English were fascinated by his account and employed him to foster good relations with the Aboriginals. Buckley then wrote a gripping book which contains an episode where his tribe and the surrounding tribes were in immortal panic.
These tribes held the supernatural belief that the world was held up by a powerful man who used ropes to keep things in place. At the end of the world, there was panic because the word had gotten around that the strong man was getting weary. And if every tribe didn't immediately send him all their food, tools, and weapons, the world would definitely implode. Buckley's tribe and the others around furiously obeyed and handed over everything they had and then raced atop a mountain hoping it might provide some protection if the implosion came. Buckley wrote of this episode: "But who the old juggling receiving thief was, I could never make out. However, it is only the same sort of robberies which was practiced in other countries of what is called Christendom." Buckley was correct. Mass delusions are a universal phenomenon.
Global Warming Orthodoxy and Questions
Is the global warming orthodoxy yet another mass delusion turbocharged by big government? We're not allowed to question the global warming science, but if we can't question it, is it science or propaganda? Those who insist on questioning it are not just told they're wrong. They're heretics who must be punished. Since the 1980s, we have been bombarded with predictions of rising temperatures, rising oceans, and shrinking ice caps. But these predictions are not materializing. At most, there's been a zigzagged one-degree Celsius rise in 150 years. This is a remarkably stable era for temperature compared to the geological record. And every time there's a natural disaster, we're told, "Oh, this is proof of global warming." But in every case, a sober analysis reveals these calamities are in line with natural cycles. Surely, if we're going to embark on re-engineering the world's energy supply, we should ask the hard questions.
Anarcho-Capitalism and a Government-Free Society
Okay, Mr. President, we're into the final stretch, and yes, I've saved the best for last. I want to make the most radical statement said in this chamber's 200-year history. There is an element in my party that advocates for an entirely government-free society, a movement founded by Murray Rothbard known as anarcho-capitalism. It could also be called libertarianism on steroids. Anarcho-capitalists believe the best use of this beautiful chamber is as a museum, privately owned of course. It is, at first glance, a shocking view, but one I am increasingly open to. Would a government-free society based on voluntary interaction be more humane, safer, vibrant, diverse, and successful? I think it might, and it's definitely worth exploring.
Anarcho-capitalists are not revolutionaries. They certainly don't want social chaos. Even when my party wins towering majorities at the 2027 state election, government would be something that would be steadily phased out over decades and with democratic consent. Government gets its power over the people courtesy of its control over a massive supply of weapons. Elections merely confer control over those weapons. If someone, for example, refuses to pay a humble parking ticket, eventually the government will force payment or incarceration under threat of violence. This is what underpins the state: legalized coercion. Or government executive action is done by people who are paid to act by money taken from taxpayers under duress.
Anarcho-capitalism envisions a more moral society underpinned by voluntary action and agreements. Now, it's hard to measure the size of government today, but when federal, state, and local government is collated, it's likely around 50 percent of our GDP. This is getting us ever closer to George Orwell's nightmare. Now, it may well be that after a few decades of steadily shrinking the government, we get the government down to, say, 5 to 10 percent of the GDP. But then the democratic consensus is that we cannot cut any further. To find that sweet spot, we should set out on a journey with the goal of a zero percent government.
Here are some of the initial steps that we'd take: Firstly, Libertarians win every state and federal election over the next four years. Then, we'd abolish all forms of middle-class welfare. Few government programs are more perverse than taking money from taxpayers, churning it through the bureaucracy, and giving part of it back. We then transition to adopting a Swiss-style healthcare system, as I mentioned earlier. We abolish the Department of Education and replace it with a school voucher system, which has been successfully rolled out across the United States just over the last year or two. The police may be more efficient and responsive if they were private firms that people paid for via an insurance premium. Our court system is woefully slow, inefficient, and expensive. It mostly serves the wealthy. But what if those entering a contract agree to which private court has jurisdiction to settle disputes? Private courts would compete for business by building a reputation for wise, impartial judgment, and efficiency.
But how would the poor be cared for? The current big government welfare programs do not have a great record in lifting the poor out of poverty. Anarcho-capitalism would result in most people being significantly wealthier. Good people would come together, pool resources, and employ talented staff whose objective is not to tick bureaucratic boxes, but to genuinely get people back on their productive feet. It may even be possible to have a sufficient defense capacity organized by voluntary contributions and private businesses, but that's obviously questionable. What's not questionable is the superiority of innovative and efficient Uber over heavily regulated taxis. There are other government services that anarcho-capitalists believe will deliver an Uber-style upgrade in the quality of service delivery.
Anarcho-capitalism has a favorable view of human nature and an unlimited belief in our potential. One thing is for certain about this planet: all stars have a finite time span, and one day, our fabulous sun will stop shining, and we will need another planet. We need to maximize human brilliance and reach for other worlds in the millennia to come. A million years ago, one of our genius ancestors worked out how to start a fire, and since then, we've invented the internet, split the atom, and explored the solar system. What can we achieve in the coming million years? I'm increasingly attracted to the view that we will tap humanity's highest potential via a government-free, voluntary-based society.
Almost in conclusion, Mr. President, it is said within libertarian circles, everybody agrees with us in hindsight. Here are five examples: Western political parties spent most of the 20th century split between democratic socialism and Keynesianism. It was the fringe libertarians who articulated the benefits and the morality of free enterprise. Socialism in its various forms killed 100 million people in the 20th century, and Keynesianism gave us stagnation. But Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, Ayn Rand, and others in the 1960s and the 1970s began winning public support, which triumphed in the leadership of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. Between 1979 and the 2009 subprime crisis, free enterprise dominated the world's economics debate and lifted billions out of poverty.
Two, libertarians make no judgment on gay marriage, but we campaigned in favor of marriage freedom when Barack Obama and Julia Gillard were publicly opposed. Three, now I was initially wrong on this one, but the libertarians were against this century's catastrophic Middle Eastern wars of choice. For, we were against taxpayers recklessly bailing out banks in the subprime crisis and lumping us all around the world with debt, which has only ratcheted it up since. And five, we were instinctively on the side of minorities being bullied by the state and popular culture.
If we are correct in the rearview mirror, Mr. Speaker, surely libertarianism should be given some degree of defense going forward. So, Mr. President, can I ask my parliamentary colleagues who are now convinced that they too should become a libertarian to form an orderly queue out the front of my office, where I will help them complete a membership form? Thank you.
Thanks for being here.
Please consider a small paid subscription (donation). The money goes to help covid vaccine injured Australians.
I am always looking for good, personal GMC, covid and childhood vaccination stories. You can write to me privately: unbekoming@outlook.com
If you are Covid vaccine injured, consider the FLCCC Post-Vaccine Treatment
If you want to understand and “see” what baseline human health looks like, watch (and share) this 21 minutes
If you want to help someone, give them a book. Official Stories by Liam Scheff. Point them to a safe chapter (here and here), and they will find their way to vaccination.
Here are three eBooks I have produced so far:
FREE eBook: A letter to my two adult kids - Vaccines and the free spike protein
John Ruddick