Libertarian Principles

From Page 3-4 of "What it means to be a libertarian," by Charles Murray
"As socialism gained influence in the twentieth century, it became intellectually fashionable to mock freedom, first in Europe and eventually in the United States. What does freedom amount to, the left asked, in a world of poverty? The equal freedom of rich and poor to sleep under bridges? As the century progressed, the same dismissiveness toward freedom, especially economic freedom, spread from intellectualls into mainstream politics. This thing called freedom, we were told, is what the rich talk about when they don't want to face their responsibilities to the poor."
Page 101-102
"[To] the question of whether people should be allowed to harm themselves. They must. Some people sincerely think their friends who drink martinis and eat rare steaks are doing themselves harm. They may be right by certain medical criteria. But they are in no position to strike the larger balance that the martini-drinking steak eater must strike for himself. What are the pleasures worth relative to the costs? I think the other fellow is harming himself. He sees it as paying a cost he is willing to pay.

The Economy the Media Isn't Telling You About

Cesar Conda explains that Bush's economic policies pulled America out of the Clinton recession. Larry Kudlow mentions the good economic news that the media is avoiding.

Will the Republicans be as united as the Democrats?

David Limbaugh's latest column analyzes the Bush versus Kerry race.

The Third Party Temptation

As conservatives and libertarians total up the instances where the Bush administration and the Republican Party compromised their principles, many are tempted to vote for a principled right wing third party. During the 2002 campaign, Thomas Sowell wrote a column for these disgruntled conservatives and attempted to persuade them to vote Republican.

Voters who are familiar with the way America's electoral system works shouldn't need persuasion. In many of the democracies of continental Europe political power is allocated in proportion to the vote received by political parties. In that case, there is a significant difference between receiving 10 percent of the vote and 15 percent. But, America's electoral system is one of winner take all for the candidate receiving the most votes. It isn't even necessary to receive a majority of the vote in a multi candidate race.

Many Democrats blame 2000 Green Party nominee Ralph Nader for delivering the electoral votes of New Hampshire and Florida to George W. Bush. In fact, many Republicans believe that "GREEN" stands for "Get Republicans Elected Every November."

In 1990, I cast my first and last vote for a minor party candidate, a libertarian candidate for California's 35th US Congressional district named Jerry Johnson. When George Bush (41) decided to break his no new taxes promise and Jerry Lewis, the Republican Congressman of California's 35th Congressional district, voted for the Bush tax increase, I decided to cast a protest vote for the libertarian candidate.

But, on reflection, I don't believe votes should be based on emotion. Nor do I believe that votes should be based entirely on principle without regard to political reality. There are two political parties that win elections in America. And a vote for any other political party is similar to not voting at all.

So, I say to all of those who support an aggressive war on terrorism over pacifism, those who support the free enterprise system over the regulatory state, those who support a criminal justice system that holds criminals accountable for their crimes and those who support the bedrock values that make a free society possible to vote a straight Republican ticket this November.

Reread Thomas Sowell's column if you still aren't sure.

Will Bush Lose His Job Over the Jobs Issue?

The latest employment data could have a significant impact on Bush's reelection chances. According to the household survey, more Americans are working than ever before. According to the payroll survery, 2 million jobs have been lost during the Bush administration. Which survey does the media pay more attention to?

A Time to Lead

One forgets that Bush was the first elected President to lose the popular vote in more than a century. How did Bush transform a presidency that threatened to be a lame duck on inauguration day to a national cause? The National Review reviewed John Podhoretz's latest book, which explains the boldness of Bush's leadership on issues ranging from tax cuts to terrorism.

The Liberal Media is Delusional

John Podhoretz has written an excellent article on how the press's ideological conformity prevents it from accurately describing the shape of the 2004 campaign.

Politicians Discuss Politics, not Economics

The more one listens to the Presidential candidates campaign the more one realizes that political campaigns are incapable of containing discussions regarding economics. When politicians lie to the voters they get elected. When politicians tell the truth it's called a "gaffe" and they apoligize profusely, hoping they haven't caused an early end to their career by speaking the truth. Thomas Sowell describes his view of the economist's role in educating the public, not just economics students, during an election year.