Libertarian Party Press Release - Page 5

HSB · #41 10-04-2006, 03:31 PM

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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.

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Yes, not having public schools is a bad thing. And yes not funding medical research is a bad thing.

But lets not go too far into politics.

HSB · #42 10-04-2006, 03:33 PM

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Guys. this thread is slipping close to politics. Let's get back on track and talk about what the Libertarians would do regarding online gambling.

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They'd leave it alone and laugh at anyone who wanted to mess with it.

Metric · #43 10-04-2006, 03:36 PM

The Dems are also much more likely to think banning your access to firearms is a great idea.

Copernicus · #44 10-04-2006, 03:37 PM

Before this gets moved to Politics:

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(reprinted with author's permission)

01. Taxes are way too high. hard to say, but they are being spent on the wrong things 

02. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a vital individual right. neither major party disagrees 

03. Freedom OF religion by necessity must include freedom FROM religion. disagree, and im an atheist 

04. The chief cause of societal problems today is government solutions. some are, some arent; nice rhetoric though 

05. Government should limit itself to the powers specifically granted to it in the Constitution. the MPs would argue it already does and the SCOTUS is there when it doesnt 

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. the MPs would agree but argue that "harming others" includes less than optimal contributions to society to justify many laws 

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

08. Malum prohibita (Victimless Crime laws) have no Constitutional basis and should be done away with. there is no such thing as a victimless crime 

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

10. Social Security should be privatized and forced to obey the laws. A government ordered ponzi scheme is still a ponzi scheme. totally wrong. the writer doesnt understand Social Security and SS financing 

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. there is also a right to privacy. when the two conflct privacy wins 

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. self contradictory. "Free immigration" obviates "illegal immigration". Quotas and controls are necessary to ensure a sovereign nation of laws. 

13. The welfare state doesn’t work. End it. Establish a $1 for $1 tax deduction for charitable contributions. and United Way will fund the military. Brilliant 

14. Our educational system is broken. End the federal Department of Education and return this issue to the states. its state and local governments that broke it. the Fed solutions may be wrong, but this isnt the way to get it fixed 

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. hey, another one right 

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. eye of the beholder. I guarantee you the founding fathers would not have condoned either gay marriage or flag burning. Amending the Constitution to clarify it doesnt cheapen it

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. another brilliant take. So those who want to fly under the radar because of criminal activities are free to do so while responsible citizens register 

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. the Constitution doesnt require the words "we declare war" or similar. War was declared with the authorization to enforce sanctions in Iraq 

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.

[/ QUOTE ] who decides who has a mathematical chance to win? whats the threshhold? 

My views are more libertarian than Republican or Democrat but if these represent the Libertarian Party official line, they need a lot of help to become credible.

Sh@i'tan · #45 10-04-2006, 03:44 PM

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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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Why is that?

OmahaGal · #46 10-04-2006, 03:48 PM

MMMoving right back to poker.

Libertarians would probably say, do what you want with your money, just don't ask us to bail you out when you screw up! Remove the safety net that has become a reason to screw up and people may find themselves back in line doing what is best rather than 'whatever'.

I do believe in charity for charity's sake and not for political gain. When American people reach into their wallets for a good cause, you can 'almost' be assured it will be earmarked and used for good purposes. That's what giving is all about. We keep our moral compass moving in the right direction this way rather than having it corrupted by political hacks and people who should be hung for treason.

It's about choice. People usually make good choices and Americans are known to be generous in spirit.

Copernicus · #47 10-04-2006, 03:50 PM

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MMMoving right back to poker.

Libertarians would probably say, do what you want with your money, just don't ask us to bail you out when you screw up! Remove the safety net that has become a reason to screw up and people may find themselves back in line doing what is best rather than 'whatever'.

I do believe in charity for charity's sake and not for political gain. When American people reach into their wallets for a good cause, you can 'almost' be assured it will be earmarked and used for good purposes. That's what giving is all about. We keep our moral compass moving in the right direction this way rather than having it corrupted by political hacks and people who should be hung for treason.

It's about choice. People usually make good choices and Americans are known to be generous in spirit.

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Agree and agree...maybe you should rewrite the 20 beliefs!

Siegmund · #48 10-04-2006, 05:17 PM

The OP quoted a Libertarian press release in which they took a position against last week's bill.

Those of you who aren't currently affiliated with the libertarians might be interested to read the email they sent to their members today. I was glad to see the positions they took - but had to also shake my head at how they twisted into just another plea for contributions from the faithful, rather than attempting to stir up, shall we say, non-financial activism. "The party of principle" is just as opportunist as the other parties.

Pasted email follows:

Oct. 4, 2006
FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY:

Dear Libertarian,

You'll have to excuse my tone in this message, but I'm not in a good mood at all at the moment. As a matter of fact, I'm damned angry.

This past weekend, the U.S. Senate, led by Republican politician Bill Frist, slipped last-minute legislation into a port security bill that essentially bans Internet gambling.

I'm not much a gambler myself and am only brave enough to hit the slots when in Vegas or Atlantic City. I've never gambled on the Internet NOT because I find it morally objectionable, but because I'm smart enough to know that I'll probably lose my shirt.

So if this doesn't affect my life, why am I so upset?

. . . Because Congress is, without question, restricting my freedom by telling me that I cannot spend my money a certain way or engage in a simple hobby within the privacy of my own home!

I am sick of Republicans and Democrats trying to set MY moral compass based upon THEIR interests.

Allow me to elaborate.

I am sick of corrupt politicians . . .

who take bribes from corrupt lobbyists for votes on Indian casinos;

who have a colleague behind bars for getting rich off of defense contractors;

who have another colleague who liberally sends sexually explicit messages to young boys who are, sadly, working to observe proper leadership;

who share leaders that actively cover up the activities of a sexual predator roaming the halls of Congress;

who vote to send our young men to fight and kill other young men over non-existent weapons of mass destruction;

who continue to place our young men in harm's way without even having defined what it would take to succeed in Iraq;

who spend our tax dollars at an alarming rate while, at the same time, take away our freedoms in bunches with Orwellian named programs such as the PATRIOT Act, Real ID Act, and (here's a new one) the Public Expression of Religion Act.

To publicize our stance on this new gambling law, we just put out a press release and here are a few key points:

Supporters of the legislation accuse online gaming companies of being involved in money laundering operations and, according to the Washington Post, even fronts for terrorist groups.

"This goes beyond the absurd," exclaimed Shane Cory, executive director of the Libertarian National Committee. "Using the supposed War on Terror in defense of this legislation designed to legislate morality is sickening. Using this same reasoning, Congress should close Vegas as 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta made a least two trips to the 'Sin City' before setting out to murder thousands of Americans."

In addition to citing money laundering and terrorism as excuses for the new Internet restrictions championed by Republican politicians, proponents also state that online gambling targets children and gambling addicts.

"Once again, we see politicians in Washington attempting to protect us from what they see as wrong in this world. I have news for them: Americans are smart people who can take care of themselves AND their children," continued Cory. "In restricting Internet activities, I think it would make much more sense to ban instant messaging within Congressional offices rather than ban the online hobbies of millions of tax-paying citizens."

Since I can be more candid with you, I didn't "exclaim" the quote above. It was more like a hands-shaking, red-faced, no-children-within-earshot, verbal rant.

As a Libertarian, I am furious and you should be as well.

But being furious without resolution will not help any of us. In the press release above, we closed with this:

The Libertarian Party is working to stop poor legislation such as the ban on Internet gambling by electing principled and reasoned Libertarian leaders to public office at the local, state and federal levels of government.

Electing Libertarian leaders is our job. We don't do any good screaming into the darkness, and we must work our hearts out for every vote that our candidates gain.

So what should we do?

We could call up Frist's office and yell at his staffers but that won't do any good (I did that this morning myself and, instead of satisfaction, I just feel guilty for berating the poor guy who took the call).

We could call the White House general number and demand that the president not sign the bill, but we all know that won't change a thing. Bush would sign someone else's TPS Report if it were placed in front of him.

Here's what we can do and, as members of the nation's third largest political party, what we should do:

* First, if you want us to succeed, take a queue from our candidate for U.S. Senate in Washington, Bruce Guthrie. Bruce recently loaned his own campaign $1.2 million! I'm not asking you to mortgage your home as Bruce did but I am going to ask you to dig deep. . . and I'm willing to set the example.

This morning I contributed nearly half of my own paycheck, $1,000, to the LP.

If you can match my donation, your contribution will be greatly appreciated (and if you're not already a life member, you will become one).

If you can match up to 10% of my donation, $100, your contribution will be greatly appreciated.

If you can't do that, please match at least 1% with a $10 donation.

Help us move forward with our mission of electing Libertarians by clicking here to donate.

Now, I know that there are at least 20 of you on this list capable of making the maximum annual donation of $26,700. If you're one of those donors, click here or call me directly at 1-800-Elect-Us.

With an extra influx of donations before Election Day, we will be able to hire additional temporary staff to assist with campaign support. I've also recently deployed our communications director, Stephen Gordon, to help with the top campaign in our Candidate Tracker. With your help, we can do more.

* I also want you to do something else. Our new GOTV (get-out-the-vote) tool is ready to take registrations. Go to www.BallotBase.org today and register and then set aside time for our 100 Hour Push before Election Day. If you can schedule a few vacation days or plan ahead to make the time, we need your help. Click the link above for more information.

* Finally, your state Libertarian Party and Libertarian candidates around the nation need your help. Contact your state party and ask them how you can assist (I know of one specific need for Nevada residents). After that, hit the Candidate Tracker to learn about out great candidates who need your help.

I know that I am asking you for a great deal. I wish this was not the case but we are the underdogs and we have to fight twice as hard and give twice as much in order to see just a hint of progress.

I cannot even promise anything in exchange for your efforts. I can't guarantee a victory or a change for the better. I can't offer you any assurances. All that I can say is that your efforts provide all of us with hope. Hope that, within our lifetimes, we will see progress towards greater liberty.

I appreciate all that you do.

Best Regards,

Shane Cory

Executive Director

Libertarian National Committee

P.S. Please don't forget to show your support with a contribution. Click here to donate.

AlexM · #49 10-04-2006, 05:19 PM

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Smaller Government... Fewer Taxes... More Freedom...

You know, I thought that is what the Republican party stood for. I don't know how well the Libertarians deliver on this, but the Republicans sure as hell are not anymore (if they ever really did).

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As a percentage of GDP, the federal budget grew less under Clinton than under any Republican president since Nixon.

Copernicus · #50 10-04-2006, 05:21 PM

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Smaller Government... Fewer Taxes... More Freedom...

You know, I thought that is what the Republican party stood for. I don't know how well the Libertarians deliver on this, but the Republicans sure as hell are not anymore (if they ever really did).

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As a percentage of GDP, the federal budget grew less under Clinton than under any Republican president since Nixon.

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thanks to the Reagan peace dividend and ill advised gutting of defense and intelligence budgets we are now paying 3x over to rebuild.