The Tatiana Moroz Interview: Five questions that will tell you a little bit about CVRP’s favorite Lady of Liberty
”Recently, I have been doing a lot of press, which has been a lot of fun. However, sometimes everything I have to say is not conveyed, so here I am laying out some info about how I got involved with the Ron Paul movement and why I do what I do….”
-Tatiana Moroz
It’s pretty obvious that you’re a Ron Paul supporter, but do your beliefs go beyond Ron Paul? Do you consider yourself a Libertarian?
I am not bound to any party. I try to form opinions based on the issues and the candidates, and that is how I have always felt. Without a doubt, I certainly have found myself identifying more and more with the Libertarian mindset for the past couple years. As far as I am concerned, mind your own business, be responsible for yourself, and don’t hurt anyone. I think that’s a belief system that people from all backgrounds and all over the world can identify with.
What were your social/political beliefs before you discovered libertarianism?
I have a distinct memory of being around 5 or 6 and going to my mom with my idea. I said something like, “Mom, why don’t we make a society where everyone works and they share what they make? This way everyone can have stuff equally and everyone will be happy and have enough.” My mom, who is from Warsaw, Poland and moved her in the late 70′s, said, “Sorry Taniusz, but that’s Communism, and it doesn’t work”. I found out at an early age just how influential music could be on the way the world worked. I grew up listening to Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan (although my father is a fantastic singer who was offered an appearance on Johnny Carson), I can thank my mom for getting me into the old singer-songwriters from the 60′s and 70′s). I remember thinking the music from that generation was so vibrant, and in no small part because of the turmoil and the revolution taking place back then. People were inspired, and in turn inspiring one another to change and grow. I was jealous, and disappointed that my own generation seemed so disinterested. I voraciously read 1984, Brave New World, Animal Farm, and Fahrenheit 451 in high school, and I was motivated to find a solution to the problems of mankind’s organization. I would think a lot about how society was organized, and I wanted to make things better. However, I saw through the ruse and didn’t trust in any politicians or political parties. The music of the early 2000′s then took a downward spiral. Too much Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, and not enough quality and substance. This infuriated me to no end. I guess the point here is that I saw all along how important music was to define the goals and progress of a generation, and so I chose music over an acting career, or even journalism or writing. Music has the power to transcend so many barriers and bring people together. It has the power to create genuine change better than any one person in office. Plus it feels wonderful!
Who has influenced you the most, and what have you been reading lately?
I recently went to the ISFLC in DC over President’s Day weekend. I really enjoyed the lectures, especially by the Cato Institute. As a somewhat new student to Austrian Economics and formal Libertarian teachings, I admit I was a little overwhelmed. Here is a whole generation of bright students who already had a firm background in Rothbard, Mises, and more. I realized I was not as fortunate. Most of my education has come from films, audiobooks, and friends who are further along the path. My friend John (a former Marine who served in Iraq) knows a lot about all of this, and would come over and talk with me for hours about “how things really work”. He inspired me to delve deeper into Ron Paul as well, who I think is a living example of how we should conduct ourselves and what a life of true principle really looks like. I think Dr. Paul’s teachings are a good summary of all the great thinkers before him, and is a great introduction into how to organize things. That mindset has given me a renewed faith in mankind. I think it solves the problems I used to mull over in my teenage years and provides a real solution to people’s differences. When I go to the Liberty events, I see people from all backgrounds coming together with one common goal. I think this is something that can be shared worldwide. The US used to inspire people from other countries. I would like to see us get back to those roots, starting with the Constitution.
A couple weeks ago, I spoke with another singer-songwriter from the movement, a good friend of mine, Jordan Page. He mentioned that what we are dealing with is not really a revolution, it’s a Renaissance. He’s right. We are not exactly reinventing the wheel here. The founding fathers saw the importance of freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the rights to private property, the right to peacefully assemble in protest, and the right to a fair trail. All of these things are vanishing before our very eyes, at an alarming rate. They also made provisions ensuring that wars would be not entered into lightly at the whim of the executive branch. They made sure that war had to be declared through Congress. So when I speak of Revolution in my new song “Evolution To Revolution,” I suppose I misspeak to a certain degree. I am trying to get people to realize that we already have the road map of how to get back to what made the US prosper and become the envy of the world (the US Constitution). We are conscious beings, and we have the power within us to direct the course of history.
In the meantime, I have The Law by Bastiat and Tom Wood’s Politically Incorrect Guide to American History in my queue. I am listening to Henry Hazlitt’s Economics in One Lesson on audiobook and I just finished re-reading 1984 (so much scarier as an adult!)
Where am you in the libertarian world – small government, anarchist, voluntaryist, anarcho-capitalist, other?
I believe in small government. If everyone was similar, and had the same values, maybe some alternatives could be created, but I believe in a republic.
What songs/lyrics of yours do you consider best reflect your libertarian beliefs?
I mentioned “Evolution To Revolution” before. One of my most known songs is my version of “Masters Of War” by Bob Dylan which I covered for CVRP. This incredible song and its message is really important to me. I learned a lot from performing it, and from talking with so many brave veterans. They were courageous defenders of freedom, but they were disillusioned when they realized they were only over there to do the bidding of chicken hawks and corrupt politicians. They didn’t feel that the blood of their brothers and sisters was spilt for a purpose. The people I have spoken to feel that they are doing far more harm than good. The wars are endless and unconstitutional. There is rampant suicide among veterans and active duty military, and we as a nation need to listen to our troops we say we support so much. Instead of getting a yellow ribbon, or wearing an Army T-shirt, listen to what they have to say, and ask yourselves, “Why do they give more money to Ron Paul than any other candidate combined?” I am proud to be a part of the CVRP family and the writing team at CVRP2012.com is impressive, and gets to the heart of the soldier’s plight today. In fact, their stories have inspired me so much, that I am in the studio now recording a new song called “Playin The Cards” that is all about war and what it REALLY means.
“Let It Go” (to be released on my new album coming out in the next month) expresses how I think we all need to chill a little bit. There are a lot of stressful experiences in the life of the freedom fighter. However, I think we need to remember that we’re not going to change everyone’s mind, and arguing with every troll on Facebook is not going to get us to where we need to be. I think we need to remember that life is short and the pursuit of happiness needs to be kept firmly in our minds. If we can’t do this with a smile on our face (at least some of the time), then we are letting the bad guys win! Life is beautiful, and it’s a gift to be alive at this exciting time!
Finally, I think the song that best encompasses my message is “Make A YouTube Video”. The verses are about the frustration we feel as a seemingly helpless people. However, the message is about hope. For the first time in the history of mankind, we really do have “the power to ask the questions. We can finally the truth. Turn to each other, sister and brother, reach out to one another.” That is the difference between now and hundreds of generations before us. We have the INTERNET! Obviously mainstream media is so consolidated that it cannot be trusted for fair and balanced news. So we go online, anywhere in the world, and connect. We are not all so different, in fact, we are all quite similar. I have a great love for my fellow man, and I know that we can certainly come up with something better than what is being shoved down our throats. But when in the bridge I talk about a hero, I don’t overtly say Ron Paul. I want people to come up with their own conclusions. I am not the all knowing book of answers. Far from it. However, we are able to do our own research, and make up our own minds. The information is out there if you can only get people to be inspired to LOOK! I think that when people really think about libertarian ideas, they do realize that they provide a realistic solution that doesn’t force the tyranny of the majority upon anyone. But that’s not my selling point. I want people to remember their relationships with one another, to remember to trust in their friends, and to talk peacefully about how to get things right in this country, and the world. So to quote the song again “Call up a friend, send a message. Tweet it up, or make a YouTube video. Speak your mind, with education. The knowledge will start to grow. So make a YouTube video!”
Learn more about Tatiana: check out her music, lyrics, pics and videos at TatianaMoroz.com!
