Some of us just moved on and created our own site and are still at it fwiw...many thanks to all that contributed behind the scenes, you know who you are.

"End Human Bankruptcy"an idea whose time to come.
There are many Possibilities and New Horizons.It took me a long time to get this far and The sands of Time
are moving through the hour glass.As long as one of us is still alive we do not have to declare human bankruptcy.There is no Bail Out for human bankruptcy!!!!!
I once saw a sign that said something to the effect:We need something that does not make any sense to have a world that works for everyone.
To give up now would be feudal.Having been a democrat and coming from a democratic family I am a registered Independent.I get to make choices.
Do I know what it takes to" End Human Bankruptcy"?No but I am looking for answers!!!

The site was fun, sometimes informative, but Adam is right.

I was a regular here during the summer of 08, I loved this place. I have some very fond memories on the weekends having to much "liberty juice" and listening to the shows while I surfed the web.

But sites like DailyPaul, RonPaulForums, YAL.org, CampaignforLiberty, infowars, and many others just won out. We are preaching to a small crowd, sadly. BTM never did anything to make themselves stand out, except for the TV idea and it never happened.

Any Joe schmo can get his own show on blogtalkradio and promo it around the web. I think that is something they could still do, instead of becoming the media, they should harness some of the new stuff coming out.

It seems to be the whole business model just never had a real chance to catch on. Was it going to be the libertarian Politico or Digg? Or the right wing DemocracyNow TV channel?

It is a good blog, with some great bloggers, but in the end the competition won out.

Didn't know all this was going on. I have to agree with MilitantLibertarian, though. With so much freaking media out there, anyone who wants to catapault to the top of the popularity pile needs a portfolio of outlets.

Of course FOX is despicable, but is Shelly's use of that outlet really selling out? If it is then that logic must be extended to include it's guests and hosts, like Paul, Schiff, Rockwell, Napalitano, etc. Or even you for giving FOX ratings when it suits you, or maybe for the computer you're using if the manufacturer indulges in, let's say, "less than ethical" practices. Where do you draw the line? In a society infected to it's core in corruption, you pretty much have to be Amish or live under a rock in order not be involved at some point or another in your daily life.

As for the infrequent use, for me it's quite simply the fact that I have things to do and other sites to visit or maintain or socialize on...there's simply not enought time to accomplish everything I want to do in one day, or even a year. I'm grateful for the fact that a few thousand readers have taken the time to read the ramblings of no one in particular. I haven't even had an issue with spam or offensive comments.

Shelly, good job from where I'm sitting, as to anyone who has been involved in building BTM. All it needs is a few interested people with time and resources to take over the reins and get creative.

In just a moment, I will explain to everyone, whether they want to believe it or not, exactly why this website has to sunk to crap.

This is probably one of the best articles I've read on this website in a LONG time. You just said, quite well, everything I've been thinking for the past year. My only purpose in even coming to this website anymore is to get an opposing humanistic/atheistic criticism for my articles before I post them elsewhere on websites where they'll actually do some good.

A friend of mine and I, who used to visit this website frequently and be involved with the programs, we're discussing BreaktheMatrix on Fox News. I said, "Originally, this website was dedicated to revealing the truth of Fox News and their propaganda, and now they've sold out to them for publicity?" You hit the nail on the head Adam. It's pathetic.

I'd love to make more comments on the specifics of what you said, but you put it so perfectly, I couldn't possibly add to it.

Here why this website, as well as many other "so-called liberty-based" websites are failing:
They WILL NOT discuss the principles of the issues.

Ron Paul was, and in some cases still, is the only thing holding these people together. Think about it for a minute: when Ron Paul left the running... why did everything fall apart? I thought this was about Truth, Liberty, and Justice?
Wrong... it was about Ron Paul. I've come on here trying to discuss the principles of the truth, liberty, and justice, and the people DO NOT want to hear it. For asking questions and about those issues, 95% of the responses I have received have been childish, illogical, attacks, rather than open debate and discussion.

Since all people on here want to talk about is money, let me give an example from a name you all respect: Milton Friedman.
Watch the following video carefully.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_gU50mfehI
This used to be shown on breakthematrix frequently. The atheist, liberal, hippie kid is asking a question about vehicle production, trying to prove that capitalism fails. Milton Friedman wisely points out that he's missing the fundamental principle of the question. The question begs, as Friedman points out, where do the resources come from? Because they have to come from somewhere.

I, in another format, have tried to explain to people that you all aren't getting at the fundamental principles of the issues that seem to concern you all so much. I was going to start running for state office a year ago, until I started asking myself some non-biased questions about the fundamental principles of Liberty. It didn't take me but a few months of study to find the answers.

It still shocks me how many people hate talking about it. Don't believe me? Try looking up the most popular threads and discussion on this website and tell me what you see. You'll notice they're always talking about the fundamental issues, not the crap we see every day. More specifically, you'll notice that the most read, and commented, discuss God, Creation/Evolution, and Right vs Wrong.

BTM will never do this, but I'll say it anyway: You wanna' see this website explode with activity again? Start discussing the fundamental principles of the issues, rather than focusing on 'money' and 'how you feel' all the time. Try REALLY breaking the matrix, instead of hiding behind the name.

As a final thought, to anyone who hasn't read my 4th edition of this article:
http://www.breakthematrix.com/content/Most-Important-Issue-in-the-Freedo...

______________________________________________________
CreationLiberty.org
"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root." - Henry David Thoreau

I don't spend nearly the time here as I did in the beginning. I have a lot of reasons for that, mainly being that what is generally promoted here, by the site's participants, and what I work towards are not usually the same thing.

Namely, if anything on this site, at least up to about six months ago, was remotely "conspiranoid" or had any kind of link to Alex Jones or those like him, it was trashed. Not by the site's owners, but by the self-appointed "conspiracy cops" who trolled the site looking to vote down anything that didn't have quotes from Ron Paul all over it.

I think Ron Paul is great and everything, but he's not all there is to the liberty movement.

The second reason I stopped spending much time here is because I just don't have the time to spend. I have better, more productive things to do. I have my own blogs, my own sites, my own places to go.

I think that the largest hurdle BTM has and likely still faces is its lack of integration with other, established social networking/media sites. I learned early on that I was getting far more feedback and constructive conversation through Twitter and Facebook than I'd ever get here.

I think Shelly is great and I don't think she sold out to join Napolitano's crew over there. I'm glad to see that Fox is willing to at least give Internet time to people like him. I am an avid follower of Shellys' websites and YouTube (and it's not just because she's hot, either). We have a lot of like-minded information to spread and work together promoting. For the record, I enjoy Shelly's information so much that I elected to pay what I can towards advertising on her site.

I rarely come to the site unless I have something specific to do here. Usually it's something liek today, which is to post an article that may or may not get noticed. Probably it won't, but it was worth a try.

Anything done for free has to eventually either fail or succeed and become "not for free." BTM is a not-profitable endeavor by its creators and management. Obviously, they aren't making money from the site, so eventually, it's going to have to give.

I think it was a great idea and a great endeavor. I disagree with the censorship except where it's blatantly attack-based, but that was not my decision to make and I don't think it really hurt the site the way it was implemented. The question is whether BTM is really in any position to continue as anything more than it is now.

Both users of the site and its owners need to answer that question for themselves. I've already mostly given up on BTM, but that was my decision and wasn't because I felt anyone had "sold out." I did it because I only have so much time and I feel that my time is better spent elsewhere.

--Aaron
The Militant Libertarian
http://www.AaronsEnvironmental.com

that some will be able to differentiate between a critique of what a public representative of an organization does from a personal attack!

One of the goals of the site was to offer an alternative to Fox news -- where the public face of the site now works.

To try and say that acknowledging that enormously blatant irony is a personal attack is Orwellian.

The site has been left to decay and is filled with Spam -- many people volunteered to monitor the spam and seemingly were ignored.

Nobody has bothered to offer an explanation as to why the site was left to rot. I wouldn't mind one. In the meantime I'll try and figure it out on my own.

Thanks for reminding me to take personal responsiblity Uncle Rahn. If I had more to offer perhaps the site would've done better. Is that fair?

Anyway, I'm just shooting the breeze with myself and the 3 people that still frequent this site. Not every opinion and thought is popular but thanks to virtual reality there's not that much harm done to voicing them.

I wish you would still post here!

Well BTM certainly did not go as planned, or maybe it did. I don't know I wasn't in on the planning. I do know that many, many of the things we said are now being repeated by the MSM... not ALL of the message mind you, but some of it leaked through. Perhaps it is conceit to think we had anything to do with it, but I do believe we certainly helped to spark what is now known as the Liberty Movement. Maybe it was what we needed to do, and that's that. Personally I tried with all I had and I hope some of it was worth it. Attacking Shelly for the failings of BTM is silly IMHO. Shelly is still out there spreading the message, still giving of herself. When asking why BTM failed first look in the mirror, I have.

The message of Liberty is still the reason we even visit this site. I guess what I want to say is don't knock what others do, just do what you do.

Miss many of you very much, hope life is treating you well.

Love you all, that hasn't changed.
Peace.

In Liberty
Unc

What good is Freedom of the Press
If The Press will not Press for Freedom!

is more responsible than any division between libertarains and paleoconservatives. THanks for educating me on what a paleoconservative is!

Before my departure, some people may remember, I predicted the membership would plateau somewhere around 20k and the site would begin to die out, but not for the reasons you've cited, Adam. Shelly, if anything, has been and continues to be one of the main reasons this place is not a total wash...yet. All hope is not lost, however. There is still some wiggle room to refocus and turn this thing around, but, as I said way back then, if the clearly partisan libertarians continue to insist on attaching the "Libertarian" sobriquet to everything this site is supposed to be about, it's all over but the cryin'.

The Ron Paul movement was never a libertarian cause. It was and still is a paleoconservative cause. Unlike libertarians, paleoconservatives do not subscribe to the ideology of a particular party line and that was the foundation this site slowly but surely moved away from.

a very generous statement.

if it wasnt for BTM and a few others the R3volution and TP's would have never even been started and certainly not the 912 project or party.-my favorite quote has to be from Kissinger(if I remember correctly) which was associated with the Rockefeller STOP THE INTERNET bill or whatever it was, he said-" these bloggers are effecting generations to come"

take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go... Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.-Jas3.4

to mention lots of reasons why BTM appears to have failed! The most important reason is that it wasn't able to offer up a better alternative to what was currently available. I'm trying to determine the reasons for this with some guess work and speculation.

I think there have been many blog posts by Shelley where I, along with dozens of others, thanked her for her tireless effort. As far as I know she was the technological builder and maintainer of the site and probably put in more hours than most or all others! Without her input the site might not of gotten off the ground.

Beyond that, her image attracts the attention of some people that might not be aware of or interested in libertarian issues. If I was her I wouldn't work for free!

My last point isn't meant to be personal, just a remark that the demise of BTM may get a footnote in the long history of controlled opposition.
Most are aware that Rupert Murdoch is a Globalist kingpin advancing the cause of the NWO through the false left/right paradigm and divisive cultural wedge issues. He'd much rather have a show like freedom watch under his staff's watch and control in order to exert an influence on the content, participants,etc.

I've only watched the show a couple times, but it seems like every time Ron Paul speaks there's some technical glitch that makes everyone look silly!

I just posted yesterday a thought I have not seen anyone else say or write not that I am capable of knowing every thought, statement, what have you that has been made....

My thought is "how we have allowed ourselves to become mesmerized into accepting that there is only one way to reform Health Care. Medicaid/medicare is the system (while it is based on a socialistic philosophy) is the program established to provide health care for those who can not afford it....

Why don't we fix that system to provide what it was established to do in the first place. They already take our money for that billions upon billions....It needs to audited and correct the loopholes that permit abuse of the system...that is more than enough work right there....WE DO NOT NEED another new beauracracy, which intends to cut large amounts of money from medicaid to pour into another unproven system

if each of us were to go back to when medicaid started to tax our salaries...our jaws would drop as to how much money we have given to this system... now we just want to throw it out (not entirely) but pretty much go to some unknown health reform that so far will prove to be many more times more expensive to sustain than medicaid/medicare..

God help us all....

poulianna

The eye of G_d is watching us....

Shelley -- didn't know you were still around. You should at least make Rupert pay you!

Don't you think it's ironic that you're working for the corporation that this site originally intended to oppose?

As far as anyone can see, the site's been left to rot away. I don't think the judge did much for Btm.

I know you put a lot of time into the site! Nothing personal. Anyway, what you do isn't really my business - you're right about that.

Ron Paul is just a politician -- he stands for getting elected! As far as he goes, I'm kind of miffed that my donation to his presidential run is being used to buy his son a Senate seat...

Wow - nice, Adam.

Re: My cheerleader "job" at Fox news & "selling out"... not that it's any of your business, but it's not a paid gig. I saw it as an opportunity to get BTM in front of a wider audience, and I respect Judge Napolitano, Ron Paul, Lew Rockwell and Peter Schiff. How is it selling out if I'm on the show, but not selling out for Ron Paul to be on the show? So throw stones if it makes you feel better, but do your research first.

Re: the logo changing... It changed well before Freedom Watch. We got a lot of feedback from our members that it was off-putting, and decided to try something different.

And finally.... it sucks to have dedicated 18 months of my life to working my ass off full time for FREE for something I believe in and then have someone say a bunch of crap like this. But I guess you must have your reasons.