Is is time to join Libertarian Party?

[ssr]

It's becoming more and more clear to me that the two major parties are veering off course from what I consider important to me. Both parties and all branches of government, executive, legislative and now judicial in huge chunks, are eroding away at our rights as individuals. The only difference between the parties is which rights they want to protect (somewhat) and which rights they want to restrict.

It is clear that the original concerns about including a Bill of Rights have born out to be true. The concern was that if we included a BoR that down the road people would begin to believe that only those rights are those that we are "granted" and that government can therefore infringe upon all others. that now seems to be the case. However, even those that are supposedly guaranteed are being eroded in huge amounts, blessed by the Supreme Court. We have completely lost the sense that the original intent was to guarantee individual freedoms, and we should err on the side of the individual.

Is it time to say "no more!" ?

The problem is, too many people nowadays want to be regulated and want the government to control things. People now seem to believe that because they are free to drive around and shop wherever they want to (for goods guaranteed to be safe by the government), then they are free.

 

[KriegHund]

Who knows what the future holds in terms of "No more"? Not I.

W can speculate though. Ill be old enough to vote come 2008. Im hoping Ill still be smart (or perhaps niave enough to think it makes a difference anymore) enough to vote 3rd party.

Well still have elections in 2008, right?

 

[Lupinus]

have to see what the repubs and dems throw out there. Libertarians are our best bet it is starting to look like.

 

[dasmi]

I turned in my Republican card a couple months ago. I don't agree with everything on the Libertarian platform, but I can no longer associate myself with the Republican party.

 

[Gordon Fink]

It’s already too late, but embracing freedom is still the right thing to do.

~G. Fink

 

[Standing Wolf]

Is it time to say "no more!" ?

We're never going to have a multi-party political culture unless we support multiple parties. I'd like to see a minimum of five or six clearly differentiated, fiercely competitive political parties in America instead of the Republicrat-Democan single party of big government we have now.

 

[Silver Bullet]

It's time for the Libs to infiltrate, influence, and control the Republican Party and leverage off its funds, election machines, and public recognition.

It worked for the socialists, infiltrating the Democrat Party.

 

[ssr]

Maybe it's not too late though. Maybe now people will become rightly disillusioned with both parties and move to what they truely believe. Maybe then we can begin to slowly turn this ship onto another course.

Maybe this can become a turning point in our history.

 

[Gordon Fink]

It’s time for the Libs to infiltrate, influence, and control the Republican Party and leverage off its funds, election machines, and public recognition.

It worked for the socialists, infiltrating the Democrat Party.

The fascists have already done so.

~G. Fink

 

[R.H. Lee]

If it makes you feel better. They're not going to win a national election anytime soon, so don't expect a lot.

 

[MrTuffPaws]

Do we have a choice? Unless something stupendous happens in congress, both parties have failed us and will continue to do so.

 

[WT]

The Libertarian Party still maintains their pro-drug platform, right?

In that case they can go pound sand.

 

[fjolnirsson]

Anybody interested, feel free to check out the link in my sig line.....

 

[CentralTexas]

Nice interpretation-

"The Libertarian Party still maintains their pro-drug platform, right?"

Nope, & never had a "pro-drug" platform, pro-freedom yes, pro-drug no.
Say, your party still have that pro-fascist tell other adults what to do platform?
CT

 

[SpookyPistolero]

My conscience won't let me vote the way I have been anymore. Win or lose at least I won't have to say I helped put the tyrant in office. I am really seeing how rediculous a two party system is.

 

[Silver Bullet]

The fascists have already done so.

I'm not sure who you're referring to or what definition you're using. One definition I've heard is where the people own their own property and business but under government control. Given that definition, the entity that comes to mind is the environmentalists who get laws passed telling folks what they can and can't do with their own land. It seems to me that most of the environmentalists (fascists) are associated with the Democrats.

If you're taking a broader definition, that of members of a totalitarianist government, I don't see where the Republicans are more guilty of that than Democrats. Democrats and their supporters seem to want to suppress free speech by controlling what is reported in the media and by censoring free speech under excuses such as "hate speech".

In either case, I don't see what precludes the Libs from infiltrating the Republicans.

 

[DeseoUnTaco]

Well, here in California, yes. California is always going to give 100% of its electoral votes to the Democratic presidential candidate. It will always have Dem senators. The elections for the seats in the House are non-competitive due to gerrymandering. The elections for the state assembly and senate are also 100% non-competitive due to gerrymandering (not a single one changed parties in the last election). So how you vote here will not have any impact on the outcome of the elections or who's in power. That's just the way it is. Given that situation, I'll vote for freedom. I have a choice of voting for freedom and losing, or voting for non-freedom and winning. Well, I'm going to lose either way, so at least I would like to lose doing the right thing.

Also, if more people started voting Lib (nation-wide) it would start scaring the Republican party and it would start changing their platform. They would have a panic attack if the Libs got even 2% of the vote and they would start asking themselves, "what do we need to do to get back those votes." Look at how close a lot of national elections are these days. Well, if they want to get the Lib vote they're going to have to take some strong positions on taxes, guns and the War on Drugs.

 

[rick_reno]

Not for me, the Republicans, under George Bush are doing such a good job. How could anyone want to look elsewhere?

 

[ZenMasterJG]

The Libertarian Party still maintains their pro-drug platform, right?

In that case they can go pound sand.

+1 for CT... the Libertarian party has never been "Pro-drug."
The LP *IS* against using law to enforce personal standards of morality, and nanny laws (helmet laws, seatbelt laws, and drug laws.) We don't feel the State has any buisness telling you what you can and can't do in the privacy of your own home, so long as it doesn't infringe upon the rights of others.
The LP is "pro drug" in the sense that its against the war on drugs, which costs us millions (or, more likely by this point) billions of dollars, while not producing any results. Raids on speakeasys never stopped the sale or use of alcohol during prohibition, the war on drugs will never stop the black market from producing the substances that people want. Prohibition for nearly 70 years hasn't stopped the black market. A police state won't even stop the black market.

/End of libertarian rant.

BTW, welcome to the Libertarian Party. The benefit of that card is you can go on crazy-sounding rants like that one

 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

We don't have nearly enough options. But our form of government naturally devolves into a two party system. That isn't going to change any time soon.

Way I see it, I have only three options:
1: Republicans, whom I agree with about half the time
2: Democrats, whom I never agree with
3: Libertarians, who don't amount to a hill of beans now, and won't for the forseeable future

Option #1 is the only one that makes even a little bit of sense to me.

I suppose there's also a fourth option: drop out and stop caring. The farther the Republicans drift from true conservativism (classical liberalism, lassez faire capitalism, etc), the more appealing this becomes.

I wish the Libertarians all the luck in the world. I truly hope they make a difference some day. But for the time being, the Libertarian Party is just a bunch of wishful thinking.

 

[ZenMasterJG]

Seriously Headless. I sincerly hope to see a 3rd party President in my lifetime.
That'd be awesome. And hopefully way less unlikely then im starting to think it is.

 

[Flyboy]

Way I see it, I have only three options:
1: Republicans, whom I agree with about half the time
2: Democrats, whom I never agree with
3: Libertarians, who don't amount to a hill of beans now, and won't for the forseeable future

Option #1 is the only one that makes even a little bit of sense to me.

I suppose there's also a fourth option: drop out and stop caring. The farther the Republicans drift from true conservativism (classical liberalism, lassez faire capitalism, etc), the more appealing this becomes.

I wish the Libertarians all the luck in the world. I truly hope they make a difference some day. But for the time being, the Libertarian Party is just a bunch of wishful thinking.

Even if we accept that the Libertarians won't accomplish anything--which I don't, for reasons I, and others, have detailed here and elsewhere--I fail to see where the fourth option is better and/or more productive than the third. Trying, even when the odds are slim, has a higher expectation than not trying at all.

 

[GunGoBoom]

No, it's time to join a party that makes sense - this one!

http://www.constitutionparty.com/

Don't give your votes to the 2 factions of the Uni-Party!

 

[Live Free Or Die]

I'm as libertarian as they come, but I haven't joined the Libertarian party. I'm happy to vote for Libertarian candidates that I feel aren't crackpots. To be honest that means I probably vote for about 60% of eligible Libertarian candidates. I refuse to vote for someone solely on the basis of his party affiliation. In general I'll vote for whichever candidate is closest to a classic liberal (in the 18th-centry sense). I have no use or tolerance for any candidate showing even the slightest hint of authoritarian tendencies, so that sadly rules out the vast majority of all Dems and Republicans.

I guess I just don't see the point in joining the Libertarian party (or any other party for that matter).

 

[Cactus]

Join the Libertarian Party? Why not! Hundreds of people already have.