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America's Largest 3rd Party, And Most Misunderstood Party
Published on November 1, 2006 By Sean Conners aka SConn1 In US Domestic
Back in the 90's, I found myself disgruntled in the political world. I had registered Republican when I turned 18 in 1985, but over the years it seemed that neither of the 2 parties adequately represented my views. There were things I liked on both sides, but just as much I didn't like. this wasn't all policy based. Both parties had people I liked, and people I didn't. Both parties had members do things I approved of, and just as many who had broken my trust.

Furthermore, both parties just seemed too big for their own britches. Both parties seemed to be more about power and control than looking out for me and my neighbors. I started to consider other options.

I looked at the Greens. They were really enviromentally concious, which I liked, but were just too "left" for me on way too many things. Nice people, and they probably wouldn't be so militant about the environment if people heeded their wise advice more often, but I thought most of em were a little too "conspiracy minded" to be taken too seriously on other issues that mattered to me.

I looked at the new Reform party started by guys like Ross Perot. I liked the idea of some government reform, but they were a little too "right wing authoritarian" for me and a little too eager to kick everyone's ass who disagreed with em for me to join up.

I considered no party affiliation at all, and almost went there, until I looked at the Libertarians a little deeper.

My 1st reaction to the party name was that they were some fruit loops who were anarchists in sheep's clothing. But then I looked further. And in the end, I signed up. Not because I agreed with them on every single thing. But most of their theories held water, at least in broad strokes in my mind. I sitill don't agree with them all the time, and sometimes think they are poor at getting their message out. But to this day, i've never regretted my party choice.

What is a Libertarian? What do they believe? Well, not everyone in any party believes everything on the platform. But their platform is basically about freedom and liberty for everyone. Nice thoughts, huh? But what do they really believe? Maybe this will help explain...

From the Libertarian National Comitee website...

Frequently asked questions about the Libertarian Party



What is a Libertarian?



Libertarians believe that you have the right to live your life as you wish, without the government interfering -- as long as you don’t violate the rights of others. Politically, this means Libertarians favor rolling back the size and cost of government, and eliminating laws that stifle the economy and control people’s personal choices.



Are Libertarians liberal or conservative?



Libertarians are neither. Unlike liberals or conservatives, Libertarians advocate a high degree of both personal and economic liberty. For example, Libertarians agree with conservatives about freedom in economic matters, so we're in favor of lowering taxes, slashing bureaucratic regulation of business, and charitable -- rather than government -- welfare. But Libertarians also agree with liberals on personal tolerance, so we're in favor of people’s right to choose their own personal habits and lifestyles.



In a sense, Libertarians “borrow” from both sides to come up with a logical and consistent whole -- but without the exceptions and broken promises of Republican and Democratic politicians. That's why we call ourselves the Party of Principle.



How large is the Libertarian Party?



By almost every objective measure, the Libertarian Party is the third-largest political party in America. We’re active in all 50 states and have more than 200,000 registered voters, which is more than all other third parties combined.



What kind of offices do Libertarians hold?



Around the USA there are Libertarian mayors, county executives, county council members and even a Libertarian sheriff! Libertarians also serve on school boards and in hundreds of local offices. In 2004 our candidates for U.S. earned over 1 million votes for the third time in a row, which is a feat no other third party has achieved.



These elected Libertarians are already hard at work saving you money and protecting your civil liberties. In fact, Libertarians saved Americans over $2.2 billion in 2004 alone.



What kind of people join the Libertarian Party?



People like you. People who used to be Republicans, Democrats, and independents – from all walks of life. They joined us because they realize that we’re the only political party working for their personal and economic liberty.



Another question we sometimes hear: Is political extremist Lyndon LaRouche in the Libertarian Party? No. LaRouche has never been associated in any way with us. He runs for office as a Democrat.



How can I join the party?



Ask yourself: Is government too big or too small? Are taxes too high or too low? Does the government regulate my business too much or too little? Does the government control my personal life too much or not enough? If you agree, like most Americans, that government is too large, too expensive, and meddles too much, the Libertarian Party is for you!



Now it’s time to take action. Join the Libertarian Party today – and become part of the new choice in American politics!


I couldn't have said it any better myself. I guess that's why I copy/paste'd it, lol. If you want to learn more, check the link below.



Comments (Page 1)
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on Nov 01, 2006
How does this sync with your support of universal health care, continued taxation, continued social security, etc? Does it seem odd to you that you agree with Libertarians where Democrats would usually agree, and differ where Democrats usually differ? Looking at the platform you came up with, I'd say you differ with Libertarians on some very defining issues.

So how dissimilar to Libertarians can you be and still call yourself one, I wonder? To me, it sounds like you're a Democrat who wants legal pot.

on Nov 01, 2006
you are certainly entitled to your skewed, distorted opinion baker
on Nov 01, 2006
and sure, i disagree with them on several things. but i agree with them on many as well. you are gonna read it your way tho,,,i can't help that. i don' tthink you understand that just because i may have a view, or a thought,,,that every one of those are "written in stone." and unlike you, i am willing to listen to different points of view. a lot of the libertarian platform is "in a perfect world" the way they'd like to see things. some of mine are more real world based. and that article, if you botehered to pay attention, was about starting a discussion. per usual, you distort and exploit things out of context and without regard to anyone or anything.
on Nov 01, 2006
What about it is skewed and distorted? One of the cornerstone principles of the Libertarian party is an end to all government control of our health, welfare, religion, morality, property rights, finances, etc. It just seems difficult to believe you align yourself to a party platform that differs with you on such fundamental issues.

You seem like a moral Libertarian, sure. But at the end of the day the moral aspects of Libertarianism are satellite issues revolving around the main ideal. They are for legalized drugs, prostitution, etc., BECAUSE of their belief in no government oversight and control.

So when you say you support taxation, mandatory, universal health care service for kids, government control of our social security, etc., this seems to fly in the face of Libertarian ideology at its most basic. You see these issues all separately, but in reality if you look at their platform carefully you'll see that all those ideals fall into place because of a single, unified theme.
on Nov 01, 2006

I'd be interested in reading anything about how your views differ from the Democrats.  If you claim to be a libetarian, that is fine, but if in the end, if you are only changing the label, what's the point?

I almost joined the Libertarian Party myself, I even had pen in hand, ready to sign.  Then I read the ONE thing that you have to put your name to when you join.  That was the Libertarian Oath.

First of all, I think "Libertarian Oath" is so oxymoronic it borders on satire.  But more importantly, putting the oath on the signature line will always keep me out of the party.  If you go by the oath then even the Revolutionary War was immoral because it was definitely an example of initiating military force to achieve social and political goals.

 In fact, anyone who detests tyrany should refuse to sign that oath, since it states that the signer might fight back, but would never initiate force against the tyrant.

on Nov 02, 2006
This was an interesting read, and since I know zero about your politics over there, I found it informative, thank you.

I came across the cartoon on the net, thougt you might find it funny? Perhaps you could explain it in simple terms to me?

Libertarians Strange Bedfellows




on Nov 02, 2006
ok, 1st off,,,funny cartoon jennifer, thanks for sharing!

2nd, baker, feel free to point out that i support universal healthcare and am a libertarian. i also support social security and some other goverment programs. that is because they are designed to help the least amongst us. my religious beliefs trump my political beliefs there. i believe in the principle, if you can help someone who is helpless, do what christ would do (imho) and help them.

the libertarians believe, on their platform, that most , if not all goverment assistance programs should be done away with. i don't see it as practical. maybe someday, but not today. that is for many reasons, not the least of which is that today's business leaders can't be rusted to pick up the slack, imho.

if given the choice of having the goverment help, or having a person suffer becasuse of a political platform plank, i choose helping. no, it may not be the ideal way, but if mouths are fed, medicine is given, etc, i can support it.

there are many platform planks i do support by the libertarians. and like i said before, i have never regretted my decision to carry their card. that doesn't mean i am drinking their kool-aid, it just means i am comfortable with them.

real world politics involves compromise. theoretical politics allows us to be more idealistic than is sometimes practical. i see things my way. others see it theirs.

and that's politics, and that's america.

on Nov 02, 2006
Those aren't just planks, though. All those planks hinge on the central ideal that you've stated more than once that you don't agree with. They don't believe these things in a splintered way, they believe them BECAUSE they believe the government shouldnt' be in charge of any of this.

As I said, it seems pretty obvious that you agree with Libertarians where the Dems agree, and you disagree where the Dems disagree. That said... why not just be a Democrat?
on Nov 02, 2006
As I said, it seems pretty obvious that you agree with Libertarians where the Dems agree, and you disagree where the Dems disagree. That said... why not just be a Democrat?


you are misreading or misinterpreting something here baker. you are so hell bent on painting me a democrat, you can't see anything else.

i'll give ya a few examples of things i have disagreed with concerning the democrats. ....

1st...the PMRC thing in the 80's was a big turn off for me. It wasn't an exclusive democratic thing, but tipper and several other democrats were involved. and it turned me off big time. remember, i'm a musician. when hillary and rick santorum teamed up to stop video games recently, i was equally turned off.

2nd...any democrat who voted for the Iraq war was wrong imho. i was mighty dissapointed in the spinelessness of the democrats when the war drums were being pounded.

3rd...democrats are too liberal on abortion rights. yes, roe v wade is established law and should be respected. but the democrats are too adamant in their "hands off anything" approach to abortion. i don't agree with the right wing either btw there. my position is more science based than anything. but please don't get into a pissing contest about 1 scientific report or another...it's a complicated issue and i'm not trying to get into a debate about it. let's just say i disagree withthedemocrats for this discussion's purposes.

4th...some democrats tax too much. i am for simpler, less intrusive taxes. i am not for welfare for the rich either. this is a subject that is always a hot potato, so again, i don't want to get into a tax debate. but i do feel that there are too many democrats that aren't on the right page on taxes too often for my comfort level again, for the purpose of this discussion.

5th...democrats have gotten too "PC" with issues like religion and such. i don't subscribe to some right wing views that i feel violate church and state principles either.

we can debate these things, i'm sure, down the road as far as "what is the right view." i did not throw those up there to be nitpicked or debated. i just wanted to show you i don't subcribe to all the democratic values that you claim i do.

get over it baker, i'm a libertarian. do you really think you are gonna change my mind from your annonymous bully pulpit? i know you want nothing more than to cure your obsession with me and "prove" i am really am a democrat, but it just ain't so. my support for the democrats have more to do with checks and balances than anything else. if the dems get a piece of the power pie. you will see me hold their feet to the fire as much, if not more, than i do this disaster of a republican administration.
on Nov 02, 2006
. oops did not mean to reply here, thought it was someone elses article
on Nov 02, 2006
oops did not mean to reply here, thought it was someone elses article


lol...pulling back your libertarian stripes?

no worries mm, all are welcome...feel free to share your thoughts.
on Nov 02, 2006
The minor issues you cite there are nothing compared to the huge issues core to Libertarianism that you disagree with. Believe what you want, but you remind me a lot of a few other "Libertarians" I've known. They chose that label because it made them seem neutral, so when they tore into one party or the other it wouldn't appear partisan.

So you tear into Republicans, and we're supposed to go "Oh, well, this must be bad. After all he's a neutral third party..." The problem is, you're not. You're no more Libertarian than me, and frankly I know a lot of Republicans that espouse more Libertarian ideals than you do.

Call yourself what you want, but I'm not buying your suggestion that you aren't partisan. You're most certainly Dem-oriented politically.
on Nov 02, 2006
The minor issues you cite there are nothing compared to the huge issues core to Libertarianism that you disagree with


i said these are just a few examples,,,God , you are nauseating.

Call yourself what you want, but I'm not buying your suggestion that you aren't partisan. You're most certainly Dem-oriented politically


dude, i've said there are democratic positions i believe in. and yeah, i lean left a little, esp on some social issues. so what????????????

i lean right on NRA issues, tax issues, and some others. so what??????????????

again, get over it, i'm a libertarian, and the libertarian party is a far bigger tent than either of the 2 majors. i could really care less who or what you know about libertarians. i've been in the party for 10 years and i have yet to have anyone outside of this website, question my views. the people who know me, know what i stand for. you get a snippet of who i am, very little. you are taking my casual thoughts and writings WAY too freakin seriously dude...we have never even had an actual conversation on this, all you know about me is what you have nitpicked out of some "thoughts, views, opinions and rants" (the title of my blog)that are more like a diary, sometimes brainstorming, sometimes passing thoughts, sometimes whatever the fuck i feel like sayin. much of what i write is to start a conversation, not to change your mind. god no, everyone knows your mind can't be changed.

but as long as you want to use me as some sort of "lightning rod" till next tuesday,,,i'm game:)
on Nov 02, 2006
and baker...

did you even realize that when i say "what is a libertarian" i use examples from the party website and refer people there to learn more if they are interested.

i don't use my blog as "the textbook for libertarianism" because i don't believe in everything they do. i do think most of their views can be made a decent argument of and are well thought out, and i respect them.

if i held a libertarian view on everything, i might as well just use their website and just put up links or plagarize their work, like so many here do.
on Nov 02, 2006
The minor issues you cite


nonsense!

dude, does it ever occur to you that what is the most important issue to you...isn't to someone else??? of course not, because you seem to have a problem with anyone who thinks differently than you. to you, the world is made up of the good people who think like you and the bad ones who think any other way .

look at any poll if you want proof. at most , you might get 1/2 the people to agree on what is most important. that means 1/2 the people have other priorities.

you might not understand this, but my "art" and the art of others and their freedom to express it is one of MY core issues. over the years, i've seen republicans try to ban art, and democrats try to ban art. i've never seen a libertarian call for any ban.

on the other hand, where i want less and simpler taxes, they have never been a big issue in my life. i've paid my fair share and always had food on the table. and i am thankful for what i have. and trust me at least on this, i've led a pretty good life and enjoyed my fair share of luxuries. i also lived in my car for a week unvoluntarily. but that's a whole nother subject....

anyway, point is, taxes aren't my biggest issue by a long shot. i had plenty of money during clinton, as i have bush, as i have other presidents.

but if someone wants to start censoring my or someone else's art, that's a priority, because that's a huge part of my life and who i am.

so stop trying to tell me what is "core " to me, or even what should be. live your life, i'll live mine.

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