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Harry Browne

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Harry Edson Browne was a prominent American writer, investment advisor, and political activist. He became a leading figure in the modern libertarian movement. Libertarianism is a political philosophy that focuses on personal freedom and limited government. Browne believed that society should rely on voluntary cooperation rather than government force. He spent his life advocating for individual liberty and self-reliance. His work reached many people through his books, radio shows, and political campaigns.

HarryBrowneLPCon1998
HarryBrowneLPCon1998

Browne's early career involved service in the United States Army. He was inducted into the service on May 5, 1953. He traveled to Camp San Luis Obispo in California to study cryptography. Cryptography is the science of using secret codes to protect information. In October 1953, he was sent to the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. This location was used for the 1954 Operation Castle hydrogen bomb tests. He later served in Eniwetok to complete his duty. He was released from active service in 1956 and honorably discharged in 1961.

As an author and editor, Browne focused on spreading "Americanist" ideas. In 1961, he became the owner of American Way Features, Inc. This was a service that provided content for newspapers. His own column, titled "The American Way," appeared in over 200 newspapers across the country. He also served as an editor for a magazine called Freedom Magazine. Browne eventually turned his full attention to his feature service in 1964. He wanted to promote a specific way of life through print media.

Browne was also a highly successful investment advisor. He developed a specific strategy known as the "permanent portfolio." This method was designed to handle four different types of economic conditions. The goal was to find profit during good times and protection during bad times. He published several books on finance and economics. His book "How You Can Profit From The Coming Devaluation" came out in 1970. Another important work was "Fail-Safe Investing," published in 2001. He even consulted for the Permanent Portfolio Fund to use these strategies.

In politics, Browne ran for President of the United States twice. He was the presidential nominee for the Libertarian Party in 1996 and 2000. During the 1996 election, he received 485,798 votes, which was 0.5% of the total. In the 2000 election, he received 384,516 votes, or 0.4% of the total. His campaign was unique because he refused to accept federal matching funds. Matching funds are government payments given to campaigns to help them compete. Browne believed accepting this money would go against his libertarian principles. He wanted to stay true to his message against government spending.

Browne's literary impact was significant and widespread. He authored 12 books that sold more than 2 million copies in total. One of his most influential books was "How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World," published in 1973. This book provided a blueprint for individual liberation. It taught readers how to embrace self-reliance and reject societal constraints. He also wrote thousands of articles for various websites and blogs. His writings often explored themes of liberty, economics, and anti-war views.

In his later years, Browne remained a very active communicator. He hosted two weekly radio shows on the Genesis Communications Network. One show, "The Libertarian Conversation," focused on politics and listener calls. The other, "The Money Show," focused on financial topics. He also worked with the Free Market News Network. There, he hosted an internet television show called "This Week in Liberty." He was a lifelong learner who owned over 400 books. He spent much of his time reading and taking detailed notes.

Browne passed away on March 1, 2006, in Franklin, Tennessee. He was 72 years old at the time of his death. He died from ALS, which is a neurological disease. At the time of his death, he was working on a new book. This book was titled "The War Racket." It was intended to examine the concept of government war programs. His wife, Pamela, has since released several collections of his speeches and writings. These include audio and e-book versions of his most important works.

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