2008 Libertarian Party Platform Committee Recommendations
The 2008 Libertarian Party Platform Committee hereby presents the
following Recommendations.
1. To amend the Statement of Principles
We, the members of the Libertarian Party,
challenge the cult of the omnipotent state and defend the rights of the
individual. We hold that all individuals have the right to
exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live
in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly
interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner
they choose.
Governments throughout history have regularly operated on the opposite
principle, that the State has the right to dispose of the lives of
individuals and the fruits of their labor. Even within the United
States, all political parties other than our own grant to government
the right to regulate the lives of individuals and seize the fruits of
their labor without their consent.
We, on the contrary, deny the
right of any government to do these things, and hold that where
governments exist,
they must not violate the rights of any individual: namely, (1)
the
right to life -- accordingly we support the prohibition of the
initiation of physical force against others; (2) the right to liberty
of speech and action -- accordingly we oppose all attempts by
government to abridge the freedom of speech and press, as well as
government censorship in any form; and (3) the right to property --
accordingly we oppose all government interference with private
property, such as confiscation, nationalization, and eminent domain,
and support the prohibition of robbery, trespass, fraud, and
misrepresentation.
Since governments, when instituted, must not violate individual rights,
we oppose all interference by government in the areas of voluntary and
contractual relations among individuals. People should not be forced to
sacrifice their lives and property for the benefit of others. They
should be left free by government to deal with one another as free
traders; and the resultant economic system, the only one compatible
with the protection of individual rights, is the free market.
2. To amend the Platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Omissions”:
Our
silence about any other particular government law, regulation,
ordinance, directive, edict, control, regulatory agency, activity, or
machination should not be construed to imply approval.
3. To amend the platform by adopting the following new
plank titled “Self-Determination”:
We
support the right of political entities to renounce their affiliation
with any government, and to be exempt from the obligations imposed by
that government, while in turn accepting no support from that
government. Exercise of this right, like the exercise of all other
rights, does not remove legal and moral obligations not to violate the
rights of others.
4. To amend platform by adopting the following new plank titled
“Representative Government”:
We
support electoral systems that are more representative of the
electorate at the federal, state and local levels. As private voluntary
groups, political parties should be allowed to establish their own
rules for nomination procedures, primaries and conventions. We call for
an end to any tax-financed subsidies to candidates or parties and the
repeal of all laws which restrict voluntary financing of election
campaigns. We oppose laws that effectively exclude alternative
candidates and parties, deny ballot access, gerrymander districts, or
deny the voters their right to consider all legitimate alternatives.
5. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Franchise and Discrimination”:
We
condemn bigotry as irrational and repugnant. Government should not deny
or abridge any individual's rights based on sex, wealth, race, color,
creed, age, national origin, personal habits, political preference or
sexual orientation. Parents, or other guardians, have the right to
raise their children according to their own standards and beliefs.
6. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Free Trade and Migration”:
We
support the removal of governmental impediments to free trade.
Political freedom and escape from tyranny demand that individuals not
be unreasonably constrained by government in the crossing of political
boundaries. Economic freedom demands the unrestricted movement of human
as well as financial capital across national borders. However, we
support control over the entry into our country of foreign nationals
who pose a threat to security, health or property.
7. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “International Affairs”:
American
foreign policy should seek an America at peace with the world and its
defense against attack from abroad. We would end the current U.S.
government policy of foreign intervention, including military and
economic aid. We recognize the right of all people to resist tyranny
and defend themselves and their rights. We condemn the use of force,
and especially the use of terrorism, against the innocent, regardless
of whether such acts are committed by governments or by political or
revolutionary groups.
8. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Internal Security and Individual Rights”:
The
defense of the country requires that we have adequate intelligence to
detect and to counter threats to domestic security. This requirement
must not take priority over maintaining the civil liberties of our
citizens. The Bill of Rights provides no exceptions for a time of war.
Intelligence agencies that legitimately seek to preserve the security
of the nation must be subject to oversight and transparency. We oppose
the government's use of secret classifications to keep from the public
information that it should have, especially that which shows that the
government has violated the law.
9. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “National Defense”:
We
support the maintenance of a sufficient military to defend the United
States against aggression. The United States should both abandon its
attempts to act as policeman for the world and avoid entangling
alliances. We oppose any form of compulsory national service.
10. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Securing Liberty”:
The
protection of individual rights is the only proper purpose of
government. Government is constitutionally limited so as to prevent the
infringement of individual rights by the government itself. The
principle of non-initiation of force should guide the relationships
between governments.
11. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Retirement and Income Security”:
Retirement
planning is the responsibility of the individual, not the government.
We favor replacing the current government-sponsored Social Security
system with a private voluntary system. The proper
source of help for the poor is the voluntary efforts of private groups
and individuals.
12. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Health Care”:
We
favor restoring and
reviving a free market health care system. We recognize the freedom of
individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want, the
level of health care they want, the care providers they want, the
medicines and treatments they will use and all other aspects of their
medical care.
13. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Education”:
Education,
like any other service, is best provided by the free market, achieving
greater quality and efficiency with more diversity of choice.
14. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Labor Markets”:
We
support repeal of all laws which impede the ability of any person to
find employment. We oppose government-fostered forced retirement. We
support the right of free persons to associate or not associate in
labor unions, and an employer should have the right to recognize or
refuse to recognize a union. We oppose government interference in
bargaining, such as compulsory arbitration or imposing an obligation to
bargain.
15. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Monopolies and Corporations”:
We
defend the right of individuals to form corporations, cooperatives and
other types of companies based on voluntary association. We seek to
divest government of all functions that can be provided by
non-governmental organizations or private individuals. We oppose
government subsidies to business, labor, or any other special interest.
Industries should be governed by free markets and held to strict
liability.
16. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Money and Financial Markets”:
We
favor
free-market banking, with unrestricted competition among banks and
depository institutions of all types. Individuals engaged in voluntary
exchange should be free to use as money any mutually agreeable
commodity or item. We support a halt to inflationary monetary policies,
the repeal of legal tender laws and compulsory governmental units of
account.
17. To amend the
plank adopted through the previous recommendation by appending:
Government
regulation of financial and capital markets inhibits investment and
often creates marketplace advantage for those with political access, so
such regulation should be limited to prohibition of fraud.
18. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Government Finance and Spending”:
All
persons are entitled to keep the fruits of their labor. We call
for the
repeal of the income tax, the abolishment of the Internal Revenue
Service and all federal programs and services not required under the
U.S. Constitution. We oppose
any legal requirements forcing employers to serve as
tax collectors. Government
should not incur debt, which burdens
future generations without their consent. We support the passage of a
"Balanced Budget Amendment" to the U.S. Constitution, provided that the
budget is balanced exclusively by cutting expenditures, and not by
raising taxes.
19. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “The Environment”
Pollution
of other people's property is a violation of individual rights.
20. To amend the platform by adopting the following
new plank titled “Energy and Resources”:
We
support the development of an objective system defining resource rights
as individual property rights. We oppose all government control of
energy pricing, allocation, and production.
21. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Property and Contract”:
Property
rights are entitled to the same protection as all other human rights.
The owners of property have the full right to control, use, dispose of,
or in any manner enjoy, their property without interference, until and
unless the exercise of their control infringes the valid rights of
others. We oppose all controls on wages, prices, rents, profits,
production, and interest rates. We advocate the repeal of all laws
banning or restricting the advertising of prices, products, or
services. We oppose all violations of the right to private property,
liberty of contract, and freedom of trade. The right to trade includes
the right not to trade — for any reasons whatsoever. Where property,
including land, has been taken from its rightful owners by the
government or private action in violation of individual rights, we
favor restitution to the rightful owners.
22. To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Economic Liberty”:
A
free
and competitive market allocates resources in the most efficient
manner. Each person has the right to offer goods and services to others
on the free market. The only proper role of government in the economic
realm is to protect property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a
legal framework in which voluntary trade is protected. All efforts by
government to redistribute wealth, or to control or manage trade, are
improper in a free society.
23: To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Self-Defense”:
The
only
legitimate use of force is in defense of individual rights — life,
liberty, and justly acquired property — against aggression. This right
inheres in the individual, who may agree to
be aided by any other individual or group. We affirm the right to keep
and bear arms, and oppose
the prosecution
of individuals for exercising their rights of self-defense. We
oppose all laws at any level of government requiring
registration of, or restricting, the ownership, manufacture, or
transfer or sale of firearms or ammunition.
24: To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Crime and Justice”:
Government
exists to protect the rights of every individual including life,
liberty and property. Criminal laws should be limited to violation of
the rights of others through force or fraud, or deliberate actions that
place others involuntarily at significant risk of harm. Individuals
retain the right to voluntarily assume risk of harm to themselves. We
support restitution of the victim to the fullest degrees possible at
the expense of the criminal or the negligent wrongdoer.We oppose
reduction of constitutional safeguards of the rights of the criminally
accused. The rights of due process, a speedy trial, legal counsel,
trial by jury, and the legal presumption of innocence until proven
guilty, must not be denied. We assert the common-law right of juries to
judge not only the facts but also the justice of the law.
25: To amend the platform by adopting the
following new plank titled “Abortion”:
We
recognize that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold
good-faith views on both sides. Taxpayers should not be forced to pay
for other people's abortions, nor should any government or individual
force a woman to have an abortion.
26: To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Personal Relationships”:
Sexuality
or gender should have no impact on the rights of individuals.
Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual practices
and personal relationships. Government does not have legitimate
authority to define or license personal relationships.
27: To amend the Personal
Relationships plank to say:
Sexuality
orientation,
gender,
or gender identity should have no discriminatory
impact on the rights
treatment
of individuals by
government, such as in current marriage, adoption, immigration, or
military
service laws. Consenting adults should be free to choose their
own
sexual practices and personal relationships. Government does not have
legitimate authority to define or license personal relationships.
28: To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Personal Privacy”:
We
support the protections provided by the Fourth Amendment to be secure
in our persons, homes, and property. Only actions that infringe on the
rights of others can properly be termed crimes. We favor the repeal of
all laws creating "crimes" without victims, such as the use of drugs
for medicinal or recreational purposes.
29: To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Expression and Communication”:
We
support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship,
regulation or control of communications media and technology. We favor
the freedom to engage in or abstain
from any religious activities that do not violate the rights of others.
We oppose government actions which either aid or attack any religion.
30: To amend the platform by adopting the following new plank
titled “Personal Liberty”:
No
individual, group, or government may initiate force against any other
individual, group, or government. Individuals
should be free to make choices for themselves and to accept
responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make. Our
support of an individual's right to make choices in life does not mean
that we necessarily approve or disapprove of those choices.
31. To delete introduction paragraph to
existing section “I. Individual Rights and Civil Order”:
No
conflict exists between civil order and individual rights. Both
concepts are based on the same fundamental principle: that no
individual, group, or government may initiate force against any other
individual, group, or government.
32. To delete plank I.1 “Freedom and
Responsibility”:
The
Issue: Personal responsibility is discouraged by government denying
individuals the opportunity to exercise it. In fact, the denial of
freedom fosters irresponsibility.
The
Principle: Individuals should be free to make choices for themselves
and to accept responsibility for the consequences of the choices they
make. We must accept the right of others to choose for themselves if we
are to have the same right. Our support of an individual's right to
make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or
disapprove of those choices. We believe people must accept personal
responsibility for the consequences of their actions.
Solutions:
Libertarian policies will promote a society where people are free to
make and learn from their own decisions.
Transitional
Action: Repeal all laws that presume government knows better than the
individual how to run that person’s life. Encourage private sector
dissemination of information to help consumers make informed decisions
on products and services. Enforce laws against fraud and
misrepresentation.
33: To delete plank I.2 “Freedom of
Communication”:
The
Issue: We oppose any abridgment of the freedom of speech through
government censorship, regulation or control of communications media,
including, but not limited to, laws concerning:
a) Obscenity, including "pornography", as we hold this to be an
abridgment of liberty of expression despite claims that it instigates
rape or assault, or demeans and slanders women;
b) Reception and storage equipment, such as digital audio tape
recorders and radar warning devices, and the manufacture of video
terminals by telephone companies;
c) Electronic bulletin boards, communications networks, and other
interactive electronic media as we hold them to be the functional
equivalent of speaking halls and printing presses in the age of
electronic communications, and as such deserving of full freedom; d)
Electronic newspapers, electronic "Yellow Pages", file libraries,
websites, and other new information media, as these deserve full
freedom; or
e) Commercial speech or advertising. We oppose speech codes at all
schools that are primarily tax funded. Language that is deemed
offensive to certain groups is not a cause for legal action.
We strongly oppose the government's burgeoning practice of invading
newsrooms, or the premises of other innocent third parties, in the name
of law enforcement. We further oppose court orders gagging news
coverage of criminal proceedings -- the right to publish and broadcast
must not be abridged merely for the convenience of the judicial system.
We deplore any efforts to impose thought control on the media, either
by the use of anti-trust laws, or by any other government action in the
name of stopping "bias."
The Principle: We defend the rights of individuals to unrestricted
freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the right of individuals to
dissent from government itself. We recognize that full freedom of
expression is possible only as part of a system of full property
rights. The freedom to use one's own voice; the freedom to hire a hall;
the freedom to own a printing press, a broadcasting station, or a
transmission cable; the freedom to host and publish information on the
Internet; the freedom to wave or burn one's own flag; and similar
property-based freedoms are precisely what constitute freedom of
communication. At the same time, we recognize that freedom of
communication does not extend to the use of other people's property to
promote one's ideas without the voluntary consent of the owners.
Solutions: We would provide for free market ownership of airwave
frequencies, deserving of full First Amendment protection. We oppose
government ownership or subsidy of, or funding for, any communications
organization. Removal of all of these regulations and practices
throughout the communications media would open the way to diversity and
innovation. We shall not be satisfied until the First Amendment is
expanded to protect full, unconditional freedom of communication.
Transitional Action: We advocate the abolition of the Federal
Communications Commission.
34. To delete plank I.3 “Freedom of
Religion”:
Issue:
Government routinely invades personal privacy rights based solely on
individuals’ religious beliefs. Arbitrary tax structures are designed
to give aid to certain religions, and deny it to others.
Principle:
We defend the rights of individuals to engage in (or abstain from) any
religious activities that do not violate the rights of others.
Solution:
In order to defend freedom, we advocate a strict separation of church
and State. We oppose government actions that either aid or attack any
religion. We oppose taxation of church property for the same reason
that we oppose all taxation. We condemn the attempts by parents or any
others -- via kidnappings or conservatorships -- to force children to
conform to any religious views. Government harassment or obstruction of
religious groups for their beliefs or non-violent activities must end.
Transitional
Action: We call for an end to the harassment of churches by the
Internal Revenue Service through threats to deny tax-exempt status to
churches that refuse to disclose massive amounts of information about
themselves.
35. To delete I.4 “Property Rights”:
The
Issue: The right to property and its physical resources, which is the
fundamental cornerstone of a free and prosperous society, has been
severely compromised by government at all levels. Public Policy
instruments including eminent domain, zoning laws, building codes, rent
control, regional planning, property taxes, resource management and
public health legislation remove property rights from owners and
transfer them to the State, while raising costs of property ownership.
Public ownership of real property, beyond that which is explicitly
authorized in the Constitution, and claims against resources both owned
and unowned (such as the oceans or waterways) is illegitimate and
creates scarcity and conflict where none would otherwise exist.
The
Principle: Only individuals and private entities have the full right to
control, use, dispose of, or in any manner enjoy their property without
interference, until and unless the exercise of their control infringes
on the valid rights of others. Resource management and planning are the
responsibility and right of the legitimate owners of land, water and
other natural resources. Individuals have the right to homestead
unowned resources, both within the jurisdictions of governments and
within such unclaimed territory as the ocean, Antarctica and
extraterrestrial bodies.
Solutions:
All public lands and resources, as well as claims thereto, except as
explicitly allowed by the Constitution, shall be returned to private
ownership, with the proceeds of sale going to retire public
liabilities. Resource rights shall be defined as property rights,
including riparian rights. All publicly owned infrastructures including
dams and parks shall be returned to private ownership and all taxing
authority for such public improvements shall sunset. Property related
services shall be supplied by private markets and paid for by user
fees, and regulation of property shall be limited to that which secures
the rights of individuals. There will be no legal barriers to peaceful,
private, voluntary attempts to explore, industrialize and colonize any
extra-terrestrial resources. The federal government shall be held as
liable as any individual for pollution or other transgression against
property or resources.
Transitional
Action: Rescind all taxation of real property. Property, resources and
rights taken from their legitimate owners by government or by
government supported private action, shall be restored to the rightful
owners. Reverse the Supreme Court decision regarding eminent domain -
Kelo v City of New London. Repeal all legislation that transfers
property rights to the state, including those enacted in the name of
aesthetic values, risk, moral standards, cost-benefit estimates, the
promotion or restriction of economic growth, health or national
security claims. Sunset all federal agencies that own, regulate or
administer property, as well as agencies at the local level which
exercise control over private property and resources. Rescind and
oppose all international treaties that exercise government control over
unowned resources.
36. To delete I.5 “The Right to Privacy”:
The
Issue: Privacy protections have been eroded gradually over many years.
The Social Security Number has become a universal ID number, causing
rampant and massive identity theft. Government routinely keeps records
on the bank accounts, travel plans, and spending habits of law-abiding
civilians, for no other reason than they “might” commit a crime in the
future.
The
Principle: The individual's right to privacy, property, and right to
speak or not to speak should not be infringed by the government. The
government should not use electronic or other means of covert
surveillance of an individual's actions or private property without the
consent of the owner or occupant. Correspondence, bank and other
financial transactions and records, doctors' and lawyers'
communications, employment records, and the like should not be open to
review by government without the consent of all parties involved in
those actions.
Private
contractual arrangements, including labor contracts, must be founded on
mutual consent and agreement in a society that upholds freedom of
association. On the other hand, we oppose any use of such screening by
government or regulations requiring government contractors to impose
any such screening.
Solutions:
We support the protections provided by the Fourth Amendment and oppose
any government use of search warrants to examine or seize materials
belonging to innocent third parties. We oppose all restrictions and
regulations on the private development, sale, and use of encryption
technology. We specifically oppose any requirement for disclosure of
encryption methods or keys, including the government's proposals for
so-called "key escrow" which is truly government access to keys, and
any requirement for use of government-specified devices or protocols.
We also oppose government classification of civilian research on
encryption methods. If a private employer screens prospective or
current employees via questionnaires, polygraph tests, urine tests for
drugs, blood tests for AIDS, or other means, this is a condition of
that employer's labor contracts. Such screening does not violate the
rights of employees, who have the right to boycott such employers if
they choose. We oppose the issuance by the government of an identity
card, to be required for any purpose, such as employment, voting, or
border crossing. We further oppose the nearly universal requirement for
use of the Social Security Number as a personal identification code,
whether by government agencies or by intimidation of private companies
by governments.
Transitional
Action: We also oppose police roadblocks aimed at randomly, and without
probable cause, testing drivers for intoxication and police practices
to stop mass transit vehicles and search passengers without probable
cause. So long as the National Census and all federal, state, and other
government agencies' compilations of data on an individual continue to
exist, they should be conducted only with the consent of the persons
from whom the data is sought. We oppose government regulations that
require employers to provide health insurance coverage for employees,
which often encourage unnecessary intrusions by employers into the
privacy of their employees.
37. To delete plank I.6 “The Right to
Keep and Bear Arms”:
The
Issue: Governments at all levels often violate their citizens’ right of
self defense with laws that restrict, limit or outright prohibit the
ownership and use of firearms. These “gun control” laws are often
justified by the mistaken premise that they will lead to a reduction in
the level of violence in our society.
The
Principle: The Bill of Rights recognizes that an armed citizenry is
essential to a free society. We affirm the right to keep and bear arms.
Solutions:
We oppose all laws at any level of government restricting, regulating
or requiring the ownership, manufacture, transfer or sale of firearms
or ammunition. We oppose all laws requiring registration of firearms or
ammunition. We support repeal of all gun control laws. We demand the
immediate abolition of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Transition:
We oppose any government efforts to ban or restrict the use of tear
gas, "mace" or other self-protection devices. We further oppose all
attempts to ban weapons or ammunition on the grounds that they are
risky or unsafe. We favor the repeal of laws banning the concealment of
weapons or prohibiting pocket weapons. We also oppose the banning of
inexpensive handguns ("Saturday night specials") and semi-automatic or
so-called assault weapons and their magazines or feeding devices.
38. To delete plank I.7 “Conscription”:
The
Issue: Any form of coerced national service program is a type of
involuntary servitude. Examples include conscription into the military
and compulsory youth labor programs.
The
Principle: Coerced national service programs presume the government can
claim ownership of the lives of individuals. Such programs are a form
of involuntary servitude and are a clear violation of the US
Constitution 13th Amendment.
Solutions:
All forms of national service will be staffed by willing participants
without the need for conscription or other means of mandating such
service. When people perceive a just cause, history has shown that they
willingly volunteer to serve.
Transitional
Action: All schemes for automatic registration through government
invasions of the privacy of school, motor vehicle or other records
should be immediately eliminated. The still-functioning elements of the
Selective Service System should be abolished and all associated records
should be destroyed. The President should immediately pardon, providing
unconditional exoneration, for all who have been accused or convicted
of draft evasion, desertion from the military in cases of conscription
or fraud and other acts of civil resistance.
39. To delete plank I.8 “Reproductive
Rights”:
The
Issue: The tragedies caused by unplanned, unwanted pregnancies are
aggravated and sometimes created by government policies of censorship,
restriction, regulation and prohibition. Recognizing that abortion is a
sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on both
sides, we believe that government should be kept out of the matter,
leaving the question to each person for their conscientious
consideration.
The
Principle: Individual rights should not be denied nor abridged on the
basis of sex, age, dependency, or location. Taxpayers should not be
forced to pay for other people's abortions, nor should any government
or individual force a woman to have an abortion. It is the right and
obligation of the pregnant woman regardless of age, not the state, to
decide the desirability or appropriateness of prenatal testing,
Caesarean births, fetal surgery, voluntary surrogacy arrangements
and/or home births.
Solutions:
We oppose government actions that either compel or prohibit abortion,
sterilization or any other form of birth control. Specifically we
condemn the practice of forced sterilization of welfare recipients, or
of mentally retarded or "genetically defective" individual. We support
the voluntary exchange of goods, services or information regarding
human sexuality, reproduction, birth control or related medical or
biological technologies. We oppose government laws and policies that
restrict the opportunity to choose alternatives to abortion.
Transitional
Action: We support an end to all subsidies for childbearing or child
prevention built into our present laws.
40. To delete plank I.9 “Sexuality and
Gender”:
The
Issue: Politicians use popular fears and taboos to legally impose a
particular code of moral and social values. Government regularly denies
rights and privileges on the basis of sexual orientation or gender
identity.
The
Principle: Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual
practices and personal relationships. Government does not have
legitimate authority to define or license personal relationships.
Sexuality or gender should have no impact on the rights of individuals.
Solutions:
Culture wars, social friction and prejudice will fade when marriage and
other personal relationships are treated as private contracts, solely
defined by the individuals involved, and government discrimination is
not allowed.
Transitional
Action: Repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act and state laws and
amendments defining marriage. Oppose any new laws or Constitutional
amendments defining terms for personal, private relationships. Repeal
any state or federal law assigning special benefits to people based on
marital status, family structure, sexual orientation or gender
identification. Repeal any state or federal laws denying same-sex
partners rights enjoyed by others, such as adoption of children and
spousal immigration. End the Defense Department practice of discharging
armed forces personnel for sexual orientation. Upgrade all
less-than-honorable discharges previously assigned solely for such
reasons to honorable status, and delete related information from
military personnel files. Repeal all laws discriminating by gender,
such as protective labor laws and marriage, divorce, and custody laws
which deny the full rights of each individual.
41. To delete introduction paragraph to
existing section “II. Trade and the Economy”:
We
believe that each person has the right to offer goods and services to
others on the free market. Therefore we oppose all intervention by
government into the area of economics. The only proper role of existing
governments in the economic realm is to protect property rights,
adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal framework in which voluntary
trade is protected.
Efforts
to forcibly redistribute wealth or forcibly manage trade are
intolerable. Government manipulation of the economy creates an
entrenched privileged class -- those with access to tax money -- and an
exploited class -- those who are net taxpayers.
We
believe that all individuals have the right to dispose of the fruits of
their labor as they see fit and that government has no right to take
such wealth. We oppose government-enforced charity such as welfare
programs and subsidies, but we heartily applaud those individuals and
private charitable organizations that help the needy and contribute to
a wide array of worthwhile causes through voluntary activities.
42. To delete plank II.1 “Government
Debt”:
The
Issue: The national debt imposes debt upon Americans without their
consent, and loads our economy with a fiscal anchor that will burden
many future generations. Our escalating national debt is nothing less
than theft from our grandchildren.
The
Principle: The government should operate on a "pay as you go" basis,
and not incur debt.
Solutions:
A debt-free government frees up economic resources, allowing for lower
taxes, economic growth and lower interest rates.
Transitional
Action: Eliminate the national debt using an incremental approach,
being careful to avoid social disruption. We support the passage of a
“Balanced Budget Amendment” to the US Constitution that restricts
Congress from spending any more than it collected in revenue the
previous year. Eliminate earmarks, pork-barrel spending, and
other forms of political corruption. Congress should sell assets and
reduce spending on non-essential functions to pay off the national debt
as quickly as possible.
43. To delete plank II.2 “Corporate
Welfare, Monopolies, & Subsidies”:
The
Issue: Subsidies, government-granted monopolies, and other forms of
corporate welfare today exist as privileges granted by government to
those with political access. These destroy the level playing field that
free markets depend on, create a corrupt relationship between
government authority and special interests, and are unconstitutional.
Furthermore, the loans by government-sponsored entities, even when not
guaranteed by the government, constitute another form of subsidy.
The
Principle: Individuals must be free to be aggressive competitors and
form corporations, cooperatives and other types of companies based on
voluntary association in the market place, and must enjoy no
state-sponsored advantage. Those who best supply a good or service in
the market will enjoy natural dominance only as long as they continue
to benefit consumers. Subsidies and government-granted monopolies
protect the non-competitive from market forces.
Solutions:
Replacement of all government-granted monopolies and subsidies with
deregulated free markets and informed consumers will benefit both
consumers and producers, eliminate political favoritism, and maintain a
strict separation of markets and state authority. Genuine crimes
committed to create a monopoly, such as blackmail, bribery, fraud,
libel or slander are prosecuted as any other crime.
Transitional
Action: Eliminate all federal grants of monopoly or subsidy to any
private companies, such as utilities, airlines, energy companies,
agriculture, science, medicine, broadcasting, the arts and sports
teams. Repeal all anti-trust laws. All federal agencies whose primary
function is to make or guarantee corporate loans must be abolished or
privatized.
44. To delete plank II.3 “Public
Services”:
The
Issue: Federal, state and local governments have created inefficient
service monopolies throughout the economy. From the US Postal Service
to municipal garbage collection and water works, government is forcing
citizens to use monopoly services. These are services that the private
sector is already capable of providing in a manner that gives the
public better service at a competitive price.
The
Principle: A free and competitive market allocates resources in the
most efficient manner. Consumers of services should not have their
choices arbitrarily limited by law.
Solutions:
Libertarian policies will seek to divest government of all functions
that can be provided by non-governmental organizations or private
individuals.
Transitional
Actions: All rate regulation in utilities should transition to free
market pricing. End the Postal Service's monopoly and allow for the
free competition in all aspects of mail delivery. State and local
monopoly services should be opened to free-market competition. Local
and state governments can auction assets such as utility systems and
landfills to private industry, thereby immediately reducing the tax
burden on their citizens.
45. To delete introduction paragraph to
existing section “III. Domestic Ills”:
Current
problems in such areas as energy, pollution, health care delivery,
decaying cities, and poverty are not solved, but are primarily caused,
by government. The welfare state, supposedly designed to aid the poor,
is in reality a growing and parasitic burden on all productive people,
and injures, rather than benefits, the poor themselves.
46. To delete plank III.1 “Crime and
Victimless Crime”:
The
Issue: Violent crime and fraud threaten the lives, happiness and
belongings of Americans. Government's ability to protect the rights and
property of individuals from crimes of violence and fraud is
compromised because resources are focused on vice rather than on real
crimes. Laws that codify "victimless crimes" turn those who simply
conduct voluntary transactions and exercise free choice into criminals.
This results in the United States having one of the highest percentages
of the population in prison of any country in the world; yet real crime
remains prevalent in many parts of the country.
Principle:
Government exists to protect the rights of every individual including
life, liberty and property. Criminal laws should be limited to
violation of the rights of others through force or fraud, or deliberate
actions that place others involuntarily at significant risk of harm.
Individuals retain the right to voluntarily assume risk of harm to
themselves in the exercise of free choice.
Solution:
The appropriate way for the federal government to address crime is
through consistent and impartial enforcement of laws that protect
individual rights. The law enforcement resources of the federal
government can be used most efficiently if limited to appropriate
federal concerns. Limiting law enforcement to true crime will restore
respect for the law and those who enforce it.
Transitional
Action: Immediately reform the justice system's mandatory sentencing
policies to ensure that violent offenders are not released from jail to
make room for non-violent offenders. Repeal criminal laws which work
against the protection of the rights and freedom of American citizens,
residents or visitors, particularly laws which create a crime where no
victim exists.
47. To delete plank III.2 “The War on
Drugs”:
The
Issue: The suffering that drug misuse has brought about is deplorable;
however, drug prohibition causes more harm than drugs themselves. The
so-called "War on Drugs" is in reality a war against the American
people, our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It is a grave threat
to individual liberty, to domestic order and to peace in the world.
The
Principle: Individuals should have the right to use drugs, whether for
medical or recreational purposes, without fear of legal reprisals, but
must be held legally responsible for the consequences of their actions
only if they violate others’ rights.
Solutions:
Social involvement by individuals is essential to address the problem
of substance misuse and abuse. Popular education and assistance groups
are a better approach than prohibition, and we support the activities
of private organizations as the best way to move forward on the issue.
Transitional
Action: Repeal all laws establishing criminal or civil penalties for
the use of drugs. Repeal laws that infringe upon individual rights to
be secure in our persons, homes, and property as protected by the
Fourth Amendment. Stop the use of "anti-crime" measures such as
profiling or civil asset forfeiture that reduce the standard of proof
historically borne by government in prosecutions. Stop prosecuting
accused non-violent drug offenders, and pardon those previously
convicted.
48. To delete introduction paragraph to
existing section “IV. Foreign Affairs”:
American
foreign policy should seek an America at peace with the world and the
defense -- against attack from abroad -- of the lives, liberty, and
property of the American people on American soil. Provision of such
defense must respect the individual rights of people everywhere.
The
principle of non-intervention should guide relationships between
governments. The United States government should return to the historic
libertarian tradition of avoiding entangling alliances, abstaining
totally from foreign quarrels and imperialist adventures, and
recognizing the right to unrestricted trade, travel, and immigration.
49. To delete plank IV.1 “Immigration”:
The
Issue: Our borders are currently neither open, closed, nor secure. This
situation restricts the labor pool, encouraging employers to hire
undocumented workers, while leaving those workers neither subject to
nor protected by the law. A completely open border allows foreign
criminals, carriers of communicable diseases, terrorists and other
potential threats to enter the country unchecked. Pandering politicians
guarantee access to public services for undocumented aliens, to the
detriment of those who would enter to work productively, and increasing
the burden on taxpayers.
The
Principle: The legitimate function and obligation of government to
protect the lives, rights and property of its citizens, requires
awareness of and control over the entry into our country of foreign
nationals who pose a threat to security, health or property. Political
freedom and escape from tyranny demands that individuals not be
unreasonably constrained by government in the crossing of political
boundaries. Economic freedom demands the unrestricted movement of human
as well as financial capital across national borders.
Solutions:
Borders will be secure, with free entry to those who have demonstrated
compliance with certain requirements. The terms and conditions of entry
into the United States must be simple and clearly spelled out.
Documenting the entry of individuals must be restricted to screening
for criminal background and threats to public health and national
security. It is the obligation of the prospective immigrant to
demonstrate compliance with these requirements. Once effective
immigration policies are in place, general amnesties will no longer be
necessary.
Transitional
Action: Ensure immigration requirements include only appropriate
documentation, screening for criminal background and threats to public
health and national security. Simplifying the immigration process and
redeployment of surveillance technology to focus on the borders will
encourage the use of regular and monitored entry points, thus
preventing trespass and saving lives. End federal requirements that
benefits and services be provided to those in the country illegally.
Repeal all measures that punish employers for hiring undocumented
workers. Repeal all immigration quotas.