Libertarian Party Press Release

[Vex]

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I also know that the Libertarians have some more extreme views that I can't get on board with, such as the Drug legalization and other things.


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The Libertarian philosophy is simple: live and let live. Each person should have the right to do as he pleases so long as he harms no one and doesn't limit others' freedom to do as they please; however, each person must also be responsible for the consequences of his own actions.

People like you, who believe in limiting personal freedoms because of personal distaste, are why we're in this whole online gambling pickle in the first place. It is the height of hypocrisy to believe you should be able to gamble your money away but not spend it on some recreational pharmaceuticals.

MOST people who use drugs recreationally never have problems because of it. MOST people don't end up strung out in rehab, broke and broken. Also, MOST people who gamble don't end up gambling away everything they own and wind up homeless and begging.

Live and let live. It's not extreme -- it's simple.

[sightless]

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Im a libertarian now.

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[HSB]

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Live and let live. It's not extreme -- it's simple.

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That's a bit of an oversimplification though. I don't pretend to know what all Libertarians but some--Penn Jillette for one--take it to the extreme of thinking we shouldn't have public schools or fund any medical research.

[RikaKazak]

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The republicans, like democrats enjoy elitist power.

I am one of the many 'unenrolled' and really wish Libertarians would become stronger.

Government needs to get out of our lives and do their only job....protect our constitution and our citizens from foreign invaders. The last 20 years have been a joke!

I want democracy in its truest form.....majority, majority, majority voices without suppressing or oppressing the minority. Not the other way around. Now we have an oppressive minority where special interests seem to have taken over. It's really unAmerican! The majority were use to having their wishes yeilded to by elected officials - we seem to have lost their ears to special interest groups.

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well said

[rando]

"20 Things You Must Believe to be a Libertarian"

See if you're still interested after reading this... not a whole lot of people will believe all twenty. I'm pretty close to 20 of 20. #1 is somewhat specious - they would be too high if gov't were the way Libertarians would have it, but are not high considering all the things the gov't currently spends money doing...

(reprinted with author's permission)

01. Taxes are way too high.

02. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a vital individual right.

03. Freedom OF religion by necessity must include freedom FROM religion.

04. The chief cause of societal problems today is government solutions.

05. Government should limit itself to the powers specifically granted to it in the Constitution.

06. If you harm or endanger no others, what you do is not the business of the government. A man’s damnation is his own business.

07. The Drug War does more damage to society than the drugs, and violates the Constitution as well.

08. Malum prohibita (Victimless Crime laws) have no Constitutional basis and should be done away with.

09. Government should have to obey the same laws it expects citizens and corporations to obey. Especially regarding the environment and labor.

10. Social Security should be privatized and forced to obey the laws. A government ordered ponzi scheme is still a ponzi scheme.

11. Freedom of speech includes the internet, and political conventions. Citizens should not be forced to stand in outdoor prison cells euphemistically called “Free Speech Zones” to state their opinions far from media or officials.

12. Free immigration strengthens America. Illegal immigration should be punished, legal immigration should be free, fair, and easy. However immigrants should not expect free handouts. All they should get is what anyone should get, a fair chance to rise as far as their abilities let them.

13. The welfare state doesn’t work. End it. Establish a $1 for $1 tax deduction for charitable contributions.

14. Our educational system is broken. End the federal Department of Education and return this issue to the states.

15. The tax system is in dire need of reform. Limit deductions to a very few. Your yearly taxes should be easy enough that a small postcard size form is all that is needed to figure them out, be you a billionaire or impoverished.

16. Amending the Constitution is a very serious thing and should not be advocated lightly or for mere matters of policy. Banning gay marriage or flag burning via amendment is not only wrong, but the attempt cheapens the Constitution itself.

18. The government should not be allowed to infringe the rights of citizens by collecting databases of legal activities by citizens. National ID cards or chips, V-chips, clipper-chips and the like should be choices by free individuals, not enforced by law.

19. The Constitution means what it says. We should not be going to war without an explicit declaration of war by congress as provided by the Constitution. Reacting to attack is fine, planning and executing an invasion sans such a declaration is not.

20. Free and fair debate is essential to a democratic republic. Any candidate on the ballot in an area large enough to give them a mathematical chance to win an election should be allowed in any debates, appearances, or forums.

[RikaKazak]

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Im a libertarian now.

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I think it's the party that best fits me too.

My dad has been one since the papa bush re-election (he let go into the poll with him and watch him vote)....I always thought his ideas were a little "strange" but instead, he was VASTLY more informed than me and it was me being the idiot.

God I wish I would of listened to my father more when I was young.

[Xhad]

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One problem I had with the Libertarian Party was that they are going to seem too extreme for the average person to get behind.

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To be honest that's MY problem with them too. Most people who go libertarian are seduced by the "leave me alone" government but don't necessarily realize that their vision of government is basically police/military and nothing else. Most people agree that there are at least a few other things government is good for, just that controlling every aspect of the individual's life is not one of them.

EDIT: That said I really wish there was a legitimate threat to the parties in power right now. I definitely wouldn't mind if the libertarians displaced the republicans considering dems and libertarians agree on the most obvious stuff and could help keep each other's extremes in check.

[LesJ]

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"20 Things You Must Believe to be a Libertarian"

See if you're still interested after reading this... not a whole lot of people will believe all twenty. I'm pretty close to 20 of 20. #1 is somewhat specious - they would be too high if gov't were the way Libertarians would have it, but are not high considering all the things the gov't currently spends money doing...

(reprinted with author's permission)

01. Taxes are way too high.

02. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a vital individual right.

03. Freedom OF religion by necessity must include freedom FROM religion.

04. The chief cause of societal problems today is government solutions.

05. Government should limit itself to the powers specifically granted to it in the Constitution.

06. If you harm or endanger no others, what you do is not the business of the government. A man’s damnation is his own business.

07. The Drug War does more damage to society than the drugs, and violates the Constitution as well.

08. Malum prohibita (Victimless Crime laws) have no Constitutional basis and should be done away with.

09. Government should have to obey the same laws it expects citizens and corporations to obey. Especially regarding the environment and labor.

10. Social Security should be privatized and forced to obey the laws. A government ordered ponzi scheme is still a ponzi scheme.

11. Freedom of speech includes the internet, and political conventions. Citizens should not be forced to stand in outdoor prison cells euphemistically called “Free Speech Zones” to state their opinions far from media or officials.

12. Free immigration strengthens America. Illegal immigration should be punished, legal immigration should be free, fair, and easy. However immigrants should not expect free handouts. All they should get is what anyone should get, a fair chance to rise as far as their abilities let them.

13. The welfare state doesn’t work. End it. Establish a $1 for $1 tax deduction for charitable contributions.

14. Our educational system is broken. End the federal Department of Education and return this issue to the states.

15. The tax system is in dire need of reform. Limit deductions to a very few. Your yearly taxes should be easy enough that a small postcard size form is all that is needed to figure them out, be you a billionaire or impoverished.

16. Amending the Constitution is a very serious thing and should not be advocated lightly or for mere matters of policy. Banning gay marriage or flag burning via amendment is not only wrong, but the attempt cheapens the Constitution itself.

18. The government should not be allowed to infringe the rights of citizens by collecting databases of legal activities by citizens. National ID cards or chips, V-chips, clipper-chips and the like should be choices by free individuals, not enforced by law.

19. The Constitution means what it says. We should not be going to war without an explicit declaration of war by congress as provided by the Constitution. Reacting to attack is fine, planning and executing an invasion sans such a declaration is not.

20. Free and fair debate is essential to a democratic republic. Any candidate on the ballot in an area large enough to give them a mathematical chance to win an election should be allowed in any debates, appearances, or forums.

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Is this list of 20 of their website and/or "official" in any way. A cursory glance gives me 19 out of 20, it looks like.

Les

[kidpokeher]

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Live and let live. It's not extreme -- it's simple.

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That's a bit of an oversimplification though. I don't pretend to know what all Libertarians but some--Penn Jillette for one--take it to the extreme of thinking we shouldn't have public schools or fund any medical research.

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Like those are bad things? Extreme, hardly.

[bkholdem]

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I'm very much a person with libertarian ideals, but I only vote for them in specific circumstances. My vote is too powerful to use as an ideological weapon most of the time, and I want to do more than protest everytime I step foot in voting booth.

I typicaly vote for the candidate that I matches my views best or who I feel will do the best job with an actuall chance of being elected. This usually ends up being either a democrat or a republican, but on rare occasions it is a libertarian or an independent.

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So if you were in the room when the decloration of independence was proposed you would have told them "naw, i'm sticking with the british rule as you guys dont have a good chance of pulling this off?"