This article, by Walter E. Williams, describes, in scary clarity, the erosion of rights and freedoms that has been happening in our country without so much as a whimper. Think about all the stuff lately: seat-belt laws, prohibiting smoking in private businesses, federal laws taking away any sort of privacy w/ banking, etc. etc. It almost seems as if we're being "softened up" for something much more sinister.
Here's the article:
http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/walterwilliams/2005/10/19/171797.html
I really wonder what is in store for us in the future.
19 October 2005
16 October 2005
What is Moderate Libertarianism?
blogger's note: this piece ran a couple months ago, but I wanted to get it up again. Thanx, MBM
What is Moderate Libertarianism?
Thus far, the East Metro Libertarians have been very fortunate in our exposure and media attention. Two front-page articles in as many weeks and a 10 minute radio interview w/ Tim Bryant on WGUA 1340 is hopefully just the start. It seems that many people are rallying behind the East Metro Libertarians in a very big way. There seems to be a feeling of excitement in the air. Why? The answer seems very simple, yet at the same time can be very complex. As we have mentioned in all of our media exposure, we are, by and large, "moderate" libertarians. This concept seems to really appeal to people...it grabs them. But, what exactly is moderate Libertariansim? I've been working, off and on, on kind of a moderate libertarianism manifesto, as it were, and in the meantime I would like to lay down the main, basic points.
Moderate Libertarianism
We believe in complete individual rights so long as those rights do not forcibly interfere with others. Live and Let Live
We hold the Bill of Rights in sacred regard.
We believe in State Rights as envisioned by the Constitution.
We are , by and large, Strict Constitutionalists.
We are basically social liberals.
We are basically economic conservatives.
Whereas "hardcore" libertarians believe in a drastic (in the range of 50-100%) reduction in the size and scope of government, we tend to think in the range of 10-50%)
We are Federalists in the truest sense of the word, but anti-federalists in the context of history.
We understand the we are a Republic, not a democracy.
We are Jeffersonian Democrats
We don't think our borders should be completely open, we believe that strong and secure borders are essential to our nation's security.
We believe our military's chief concern should be national security, and not policing the entire globe. However, we believe in a very strong military and understand that evil and hate has infested itself in various parts of the world, and from time to time, we will have to do something about it.
We think many aspects of our current Federal Government are good things, and we believe that many aspects of our current Federal Government are horrendous. The same can be said of state, county, and municipal governments.
We hold the 2nd amendment in very high regard, and support strong gun rights
We hold the 4th amendment in equally high regard, and are dismayed by the state of the police state in America.
Strongly guarded property rights, being essential to the endurance of our Republic, we believe that eminent domain abuse and other improper takings, are a grave threat to our future.
Abortion, Gays, Affirmitave Action and many other issues are total non-issues to most of us. And a lot of us believe that the current politicians look on with glee that we are so polarized by many of these issues.
We think the 2-party system achieves the same results as the aforementioned bullet, in that they keep us preoccupied and polarized while the power-hungy pols take more of our money and freedom.
We belive that a change is inevitable, that we are right and they are wrong, that our cause is a righteous one, and we will prevail. We are eternal optimists.
We think Reagan was a great president.
We think FDR was a socialist.
Some of us think that JFK was the "last gunslinger"; the last true champion of the common man and that he may have gotten a bullet in the head for it. And while we're at it: Why have we not risen up and demanded the full and total truth about JKF?
Why have we allowed ourselves to be at this point?
We are ready to make a change. In a peaceful and legal way, we will change this country.
We are moderate Libertarians.
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