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Politics : Libertarian Discussion Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: miraje who wrote (232)	6/30/1998 1:44:00 PM
From: Henry Volquardsen	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 13060

What does the Libertarian Party need to do to become a mainstream political alternative? Lie and promise a free lunch for everyone.

To: miraje who wrote (232)	6/30/1998 1:47:00 PM
From: capitalistbeatnik	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13060

Somebody had it right here a few days ago....nothing radical is going to happen until the educational system is taken behind the barn and that fat diseased cow shot in the head. People raised for twelve years on good feelings and self-esteem and all the great things government can do for you are not going libertarian. Also, I see no impulse among the majority of women in the US for a libertarian government. Women tend to expect government to act like a compassionate mother when in practice it acts like a brutal or apathetic father. It's no accident that the US ceased being a libertarian country around the time the 19th Amendment was passed.

To: miraje who wrote (232)	6/30/1998 2:14:00 PM
From: MeDroogies	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13060

My feeling is to use our basic belief structure as a basis of building more mainstream models of political realities. For example, read my earlier post on public school education. I don't believe we can just eradicate whole portions of the "public" spectrum and expect people to come hopping on board. We need to be realistic and make small steps (or big ones where practical) toward our goal. At all times, the market should be used as our guide. Public corporations are fine, AS LONG AS they are not subsidized AND they either are non-profit organizations OR profit-making alternatives to private ventures. Example: privatize the TVA and AMTRAK....well, it isn't quite so easy, is it? We'd like to see this... obviously. But maybe we set them up as public/private institutions and slowly evolve them into private holdings... Taxes - don't just eliminate the income tax. Move to a flat tax, start lowering it, set up a VAT. Slowly ratchet the two until the income tax is gone and the VAT is the only remaining tax...(replace VAT with Asset tax or whatever you fancy) WE MUST BE ACCOMODATING! At present, most Libertarians are still staunch demagogues. I find that to be important to have (we always need focus), but it is frightening to the unenlightened. Open up the gates to a sheep pen, and they are reluctant to run out. I believe the populace can think and act responsibly...problem is, they haven't been given the chance, yet. Use Russia as an example. Rampant crime is NOT a result of capitalism, but of the fact that people aren't used to having to make their own decisions yet. With time, the criminals will go mainstream. So called "Robber barons" are a part of the accumulation phase of capitalism. They are the infantile predecessors to a fully developed market. The same goes for being able to make informed, free choices. People will feel like they are being cheated, at first. Some will be. In the end, they will come to understand how to operate more effectively.

To: miraje who wrote (232)	7/1/1998 6:16:00 PM
From: freeus	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13060

what does the LP need to do to become a mainstream political alternative? Excellent question. Harry Browne said "With just 200,000 dedicated, contributing Libertarians I can make a good race of it in 2000. Without at least that I wont run." And I disagree with the post that said scale down our philosophy. Harry Browne said "If we cant offer something radically different, people will not be willing to give up what they see as free checks for our ideas. " Thats why he said "Would you give up your favorite government program if you knew you would never have to pay income tax again?" However the LP has come a long way. I joined in 1989 and people thought I was very strange. They laughed at me. Now people do not laugh at Libertarian ideas. In fact some of those ideas have made it all the way to Congress. (For a while remember Newt was pushing a "contract with America including the elimination of the income tax and regaining property rights" )He caved because he is a statist who cares nothing about whats right but only about getting elected. Libertarians must continually remember we are for individual rights and ending of the income tax and should not retreat from these or whats the point? Freeus The national is now working on an excellent plan to bring the LP to national significance. I'll see if I can find some of their literature and post it. Or one of you can. Freeus