There is a long tradition of third parties in American politics. Unfortunately, that tradition is one of losing horribly. Since 1971 (38 years ago today, as a matter of fact), the Libertarian Party has tried to push into the mainstream of American politics by showing itself to be organized, moderately funded, and focused on the issues Americans really fret about.
The Libertarian Party, while being the 'largest third party' (which is like saying you came in third in a two-way race), has seen a TREMENDOUS influx of new blood and donations from Americans disenfranchised by the two major parties. This new blood has reinvigorated the Libertarian Party (LP), and is allowing it to gain some standing in many places around the nation.
DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN...WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
There used to be a distinction between the two major parties, but those lines have blurred so much over the past 20 years it is hard to distinguish one from another. Since their policies often accomplish the same damage, the only real difference is rhetorical.
While Republicans cry for tax reform and smaller government, they continually push forward their own policies of debt-increasing spending, and higher taxes (shall we recall President Bush's 'Read My Lips' address to the nation?). Republicans state that they are for small business, but still push forward bills that support large corporations and help out their lobbyist backers. Truth is, they are as fiscally liberal as the Democratic Party.
Democrats are just as bad. Tax this, create a new agency to oversee that, and spend spend spend.
So, where do we look for succor from these money-wasters?
THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY
Lets talk about the fiscal perspective of most Libertarians.
As believers in the free market principles, the LP wants to lift the absurd amount of restrictions that are currently placed on business. Licensing requirements for non-degree jobs (insurance adjusters, carpenters, electricians, retail salespersons, etc) which restrict who can work in certain fields shrink the labor pool, which increases costs. Increased costs mean less demand, which means less revenue, which means.....
...can you see where this is going? The pattern is cyclical. The more fingers you poke into the market, the more it breaks down. When the market breaks down, tax revenue shrinks.
...But, do we really need so much taxation? The LP thinks not.
"Without taxation, how will the government function?" Good question! Taxation is a necessary evil, but not at the astronomical levels we currently have. The answer to needing less taxation is to lessen the requirement to tax. How do we do that? It is easier than you might think! We have so many agencies, departments, and committees that are completely USELESS or REDUNDANT that simply by placing a hiring freeze on the federal bureaucracy and taking the time to AUDIT exactly which departments are needed and cutting the dead weight will lessen the federal budget TREMENDOUSLY.
Numerous departments are simply redundant to state departments, where the responsibility actually lies. Allowing the states to step into their Constitutionally-appointed roles and managing their own affairs is a great first step in bureaucratic freedom.
This process doesn't happen overnight, but over time with proper management and an approach at thrifty government spending.
When it comes to the social aspect of Libertarianism, there is generally a 'live and let live' policy. If a crime is non-violent, and victimless, then it is not the role of the nanny state to police it. A Libertarian believes that it is the citizen's responsibility to monitor his or her own actions and make sure that they do not harm their neighbors or infringe upon the liberty of others.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT, AND I'M A REPUBLICAN/DEMOCRAT!
Well, people in the United States historically vote amongst one of the 2 major parties. There's at least a third (if not more) of each major party that actually shares MORE beliefs with the Libertarian Party than with the the GOP or Democrats! The majority of Americans are fiscally conservative and socially moderate or liberal. Once someone realizes that a small proportion of their chosen party (GOP or Dem), the more radical part, actually control their parties, they tend to find themselves displaced and looking into the Libertarian Party.
Not sure if what you believe is actually what your Party believes? Take this quiz and find out!
OK SPENCE, THAT IS GREAT. BUT DO THE LIBERTARIANS ACTUALLY HAVE A SHOT?
Well, as a candidate, I whole-heartedly believe that answer to be a resounding YES! As more and more concerned citizens begin to read and research their beliefs for themselves, and decide to become active in the political landscape, we will see more and more Libertarians taking office...on the local and state level, and then on the Federal level, as well.
Tea Party members, 9/12'ers, and other grassroots movements share MANY of the ideals of the Libertarian Party. If more of those folks could be reached and information on the Libertarian Party placed in their hands, I believe they would jump onboard immediately and help us 'fight the good fight.'
I think that 2010 is the Year of the Libertarian Party. We will see numerous local, county, and state positions across the country won by hard-working Libertarian Party candidates and their tireless volunteers.
I encourage you all to help that become a reality. Contact the Libertarian Party today and volunteer to help on a campaign, or take on the government yourself by signing up as a candidate!
www.lp.org
Showing posts with label democrat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label democrat. Show all posts
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Why Does Freedom Scare People?
THIS question has popped up a bit lately on various Facebook pages, blogs, and the like. "Why does Freedom scare people? Why can't they stand up to the government and DEMAND change?"
So, I have been rolling this around in my cabeza all day. Does Freedom truly scare people, or is it something else entirely? I came up with the following possibilities:
1. People truly are scared to have so much Freedom, and the responsibility that comes with it.
2. People aren't scared, but apathetic to change.
3. People are defeated spiritually, and feel that fighting won't do any good.
4. People ARE fighting, just not for what 'we' think they SHOULD be fighting for.
5. I'm totally off my rocker.
While number five is a distinct possibility, I decided to go a bit more cerebral and dissect this issue. Lets take it one step at a time.
1. PEOPLE TRULY ARE SCARED OF FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY
My initial reaction to this was 'nope, cannot be'...but the more I think about it, the more this option shows merit. Have you been involved in a car accident (or stopped to help at one), where someone required immediate First Aid or CPR? Most folks do not want to take the responsibility of stepping up and doing more than is necessary, for fear of failure or criticism. I believe the same applies to our system of government, as well. If the government has less interference in our lives, and thus less control, then we as private citizens have greater responsibility to maintain a standard acceptable to civilized society. So, taking the path of 'Fight or Flight', the majority of people choose flight.
2. PEOPLE AREN'T SCARED, THEY ARE JUST APATHETIC TO CHANGE
While I would hope this to be false, I think that there is a significant portion of the population that feels some apathy towards the government. The point at which this statement becomes unlikely, however, is the motive behind the apathy. The lack of caring is not about change itself, but about the inability to accomplish it. This leads me to my next point.
3. PEOPLE ARE DEFEATED SPIRITUALLY, AND FEEL THAT FIGHTING IS HOPELESS.
Continuing on from number 2, above, I would say that this is a very common trend. How many times have people told you "its just the way it is" or "what can you do?" This is what I like to call the JOHN GALT Syndrome. When a pervasive feeling of inability to control the events of their reality hits a people group, and they just let the minority (i.e. the Government) do whatever they choose, bad things happen. It is the nature of Government to press for as much control of the constituency as it can, and thus 'manage' the people. Considering our government, by design, is supposed to 'fear' the people, the fact that the reverse is happening is very disconcerting indeed.
4. PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING, JUST FOR DIFFERENT CAUSES THAN MINE.
I think this plays its part in the original question, as well. Obviously, not everyone thinks the same, or has the same moral code. The beauty of our system of government is that we can still work together despite our differences, and no particular group is left out. I do, however, see numerous references to 'Tea Party' gatherings, 'grassroots' movements, and the like, and most of them have large elements of libertarianism in their core beliefs. The problem there is, I think, most folks do not even KNOW what a libertarian is. The news media marginalizes everything but the two major parties (which is sad, considering those two parties are now so much alike it is hard to tell them apart...but that's a conversation for another blog post). The Libertarian Party, for instance, is always used as a punchline or footnote in political discussions.
CONCLUSION
So, I don't think the main problem is that folks in America are scared of Freedom or Liberty as much as they do not understand how fast they are losing it...and that they actually CAN fight for it. I believe that if more people would pick up the banner and lead the masses, those masses would jump in line and start speaking up more and more (again, we are seeing this with the Tea Party movement). Do you have it in you to step up and lead?
So, I have been rolling this around in my cabeza all day. Does Freedom truly scare people, or is it something else entirely? I came up with the following possibilities:
1. People truly are scared to have so much Freedom, and the responsibility that comes with it.
2. People aren't scared, but apathetic to change.
3. People are defeated spiritually, and feel that fighting won't do any good.
4. People ARE fighting, just not for what 'we' think they SHOULD be fighting for.
5. I'm totally off my rocker.
While number five is a distinct possibility, I decided to go a bit more cerebral and dissect this issue. Lets take it one step at a time.
1. PEOPLE TRULY ARE SCARED OF FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY
My initial reaction to this was 'nope, cannot be'...but the more I think about it, the more this option shows merit. Have you been involved in a car accident (or stopped to help at one), where someone required immediate First Aid or CPR? Most folks do not want to take the responsibility of stepping up and doing more than is necessary, for fear of failure or criticism. I believe the same applies to our system of government, as well. If the government has less interference in our lives, and thus less control, then we as private citizens have greater responsibility to maintain a standard acceptable to civilized society. So, taking the path of 'Fight or Flight', the majority of people choose flight.
2. PEOPLE AREN'T SCARED, THEY ARE JUST APATHETIC TO CHANGE
While I would hope this to be false, I think that there is a significant portion of the population that feels some apathy towards the government. The point at which this statement becomes unlikely, however, is the motive behind the apathy. The lack of caring is not about change itself, but about the inability to accomplish it. This leads me to my next point.
3. PEOPLE ARE DEFEATED SPIRITUALLY, AND FEEL THAT FIGHTING IS HOPELESS.
Continuing on from number 2, above, I would say that this is a very common trend. How many times have people told you "its just the way it is" or "what can you do?" This is what I like to call the JOHN GALT Syndrome. When a pervasive feeling of inability to control the events of their reality hits a people group, and they just let the minority (i.e. the Government) do whatever they choose, bad things happen. It is the nature of Government to press for as much control of the constituency as it can, and thus 'manage' the people. Considering our government, by design, is supposed to 'fear' the people, the fact that the reverse is happening is very disconcerting indeed.
4. PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING, JUST FOR DIFFERENT CAUSES THAN MINE.
I think this plays its part in the original question, as well. Obviously, not everyone thinks the same, or has the same moral code. The beauty of our system of government is that we can still work together despite our differences, and no particular group is left out. I do, however, see numerous references to 'Tea Party' gatherings, 'grassroots' movements, and the like, and most of them have large elements of libertarianism in their core beliefs. The problem there is, I think, most folks do not even KNOW what a libertarian is. The news media marginalizes everything but the two major parties (which is sad, considering those two parties are now so much alike it is hard to tell them apart...but that's a conversation for another blog post). The Libertarian Party, for instance, is always used as a punchline or footnote in political discussions.
CONCLUSION
So, I don't think the main problem is that folks in America are scared of Freedom or Liberty as much as they do not understand how fast they are losing it...and that they actually CAN fight for it. I believe that if more people would pick up the banner and lead the masses, those masses would jump in line and start speaking up more and more (again, we are seeing this with the Tea Party movement). Do you have it in you to step up and lead?
EPA Hamstrings Country Yet Again
Well, as many of you have already seen, the EPA is attempting to classify CO2 (that's Carbon Dioxide) as a poisonous substance. In doing this, it allows them to REGULATE it. So, lets look at this as the joke that it is...
1. Every time a person exhales, they are now not only a polluter, but a danger to their fellow humans (and the Earth).
2. Farmers and ranchers, who have an untold amount of livestock, are now industrial polluters, since they are 'pumping' untold tons of CO2 into the air every year.
3. Numerous other funny things.
Why do I say it is funny? Because CO2 is NATURAL. It is a part of the AIR! Plants 'eat' it to make oxygen. It puts bubbles in your soda or beer. Without it, we would die (not just from flat beer, but from a lack of fuel for plants to make new oxygen)!
"Oh, Joe, you're such a stupid Libertarian," you say, "the EPA doesn't want to get RID of CO2, they just want to make sure 'too much' isn't being pumped into the atmosphere! Al Gore said it is a culprit in Global Warming, which we all know to be true!!!!"
Silly, silly friend. The height of hubris is believing that Man can somehow do a better job than Nature when it comes to regulating the planet.
Yes, I'll concede that civilization outputs more CO2 than during our pre-Industrial Revolution ancestors. That, however, is not a reason to regulate a naturally-occurring gas.
This all boils down to one thing and ONE THING ONLY, friends: CONTROL. The Federal Government is using UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS to Shanghai yet another part of our liberty. Every step one of these agencies makes towards regulation is another chunk of our freedom being STRIPPED from us.
I urge you to call your Senators and Congressman and DEMAND hearings on this outrage. DEMAND that the ELECTED BODY debate and vote on whether these agencies of red-tapers should have the right to lay down laws as they see fit. FORCE THEM to put their reputation (and thus jobs) on the line and vote in FAVOR of less freedom!
1. Every time a person exhales, they are now not only a polluter, but a danger to their fellow humans (and the Earth).
2. Farmers and ranchers, who have an untold amount of livestock, are now industrial polluters, since they are 'pumping' untold tons of CO2 into the air every year.
3. Numerous other funny things.
Why do I say it is funny? Because CO2 is NATURAL. It is a part of the AIR! Plants 'eat' it to make oxygen. It puts bubbles in your soda or beer. Without it, we would die (not just from flat beer, but from a lack of fuel for plants to make new oxygen)!
"Oh, Joe, you're such a stupid Libertarian," you say, "the EPA doesn't want to get RID of CO2, they just want to make sure 'too much' isn't being pumped into the atmosphere! Al Gore said it is a culprit in Global Warming, which we all know to be true!!!!"
Silly, silly friend. The height of hubris is believing that Man can somehow do a better job than Nature when it comes to regulating the planet.
Yes, I'll concede that civilization outputs more CO2 than during our pre-Industrial Revolution ancestors. That, however, is not a reason to regulate a naturally-occurring gas.
This all boils down to one thing and ONE THING ONLY, friends: CONTROL. The Federal Government is using UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS to Shanghai yet another part of our liberty. Every step one of these agencies makes towards regulation is another chunk of our freedom being STRIPPED from us.
I urge you to call your Senators and Congressman and DEMAND hearings on this outrage. DEMAND that the ELECTED BODY debate and vote on whether these agencies of red-tapers should have the right to lay down laws as they see fit. FORCE THEM to put their reputation (and thus jobs) on the line and vote in FAVOR of less freedom!
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