Why am I a Libertarian? Why not Republican? Why not Democrat?
Because I do not think the government is the solution. Most of the time, the government is the problem.
Marriage
I think marriage is too important for the government to screw up. Get government out of marriage. Let marriage be between two (or more) grown individuals and their god (if they believe in one) and whomever performs the ceremony (if they want one).
Radical notion: this would mean no more spouse support, and no more child support.
EGAD! You mean a person would have to pay their own way in life?!?!?!?
YEP!
Christians: you think you want government defining marriage? That's a gamble. What are you gonna do when someone gets into power who doesn't agree with you? Then you're screwed!
LGBT's: you really should not want government defining marriage. Too strong a chance someone will get in power that does not agree with you!
Guns
If you do not want a gun, do not buy one. No laws, prohibitions or other infringements.
Self defense, and the protection from tyrannical government is too important to let the government screw it up with regulation.
Radical notion: this would mean felons, untrained people, and civilians would have firepower.
EGAD! You mean anybody could own a gun?!?!?!?
YEP!
If you believe in natural selection, you know this will end well.
Taxes
I believe that taxes should be simple and as free of government regulation as possible. Understand that the consumer is the only person who ever pays a tax. Businesses pass the cost on to the consumer. So strip away all regulations and loopholes and exemptions. Strip away all income taxes, death taxes, etc. Make a simple consumer tax ("Fair Tax" is a good start).
Regulation
What government regulates, it destroys.
Another way to look at it: every law that prohibits Company A from doing something, is giving Company B an unfair advantage in some other way.
The government is too dysfunctional to be able to regulate anything. they haven't even balanced their checkbook in my lifetime.
Handouts
The government is too dysfunctional to be able to regulate anything. This especially includes welfare, Social Security, and other handouts. Don't call them entitlements - because to be entitled means you actually deserve whatever it is. No, these welfares are handouts, plain and simple. End them all.
Abortion
I can hear you now: "Oh, Usagi! The Libertarian party is in favor of abortion, and you aren't! How can you dare support them!??!?!?"
Easy, numbnuts: the Libertarian party supports limiting abortion to 1st trimester only. This would be a good first step in the total abolition of the murder of unborn infants.
You never win the war in a single battle, take each victory you can get. The Libertarian platform is better on abortion than what we currently have.
They will never win.
Yeah, as long as YOU keep compromising and "voting for the lesser of two evils" they won't I vote Libertarian, and can sleep soundly. My conscience does not burn with the thought of having voted for evil.
Or, to put it another way: I didn't vote for the socialist, pro-abortion, gun-grabbing, leftist, big-government, crony-capitalist, war-mongering, multimillionaire. I didn't vote for Obama, either. (You can easily turn this around and say "Romney, either).
Definition of "compromise:" an agreement where neither party is happy.
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I think that spousal or child support would be a contractual issue or a court decision during the dissolution of the marriage.
ReplyDeleteGuns -- simple; if an adult person is not to be trusted with a firearm then they shouldn't be trusted in public without someone to watch over them or they should be in confinement.
Absolutely agree with "Fair Tax" - side benefit once the corporations and special interest groups realize they are wasting their time lobbying Washington; we have fewer lobbyists and a legal system that is less convoluted.
I think we need to concentrate on getting Libertarians elected at local, district and county levels before pushing for national. We need to show the benefits of repealing laws, streamlining regulations and reducing the size of government. Right now the Libertarian party can't really point to any success stories like the other to parties can.
Bob, thank you for reading and commenting. I agree in principle with most of what you said.
ReplyDeleteHowever, marriage is not a business arrangement, and even if it were, the .gov is too incompetent to regulate it. Totally eliminate child support and spouse support. It is an antiquated practice from a time when women could not get jobs that paid the same as a man. Visitation is a separate issue, and should be 50/50 unless there is a substantial criminal record on the part of one parent over the other.
Guns - who is to say what other person is not to be trusted? Government certainly isn't capable of determining that. The Second Amendment does not limit the citizen in any way. We need to return to that principle.
Good point on the side effects of the Fair tax or comparable plans.
We do need to focus on getting Libertarians elected in as many offices as possible.
But... can you point to a success story of either the Republican or Democrat party? I can't.