Libertarians call for permanent US government shutdown

The Libertarian Party of the USA sees things differently. They have called today for a permanent shutdown of most of the federal government. Would such a move change America? I wonder if many would notice any difference.

Here's what Libertarian Party Executive Director Wes Benedict said.

"Just think how a permanent government shutdown would allow so many Americans to regain the blessings of liberty.

"Education would blossom as the Department of Education ended its War on Learning, no longer wasting our money and preventing educational innovation with one-size-fits-all centralized mandates.

"Job opportunities at companies big and small would multiply, providing opportunity and choice for American workers.

"The world would enjoy peace as we withdrew our forces from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Our government spends almost as much on the military as the rest of the world combined. Millions of industrious men and women who work for the military and its contractors could be focusing on building up our economy, rather than tearing down others'.

"Crime would plummet as the government's War on Drugs ended, no longer sustaining a giant violent black market and overfilling our prisons.

"The life of many poorer Americans would improve as welfare programs stopped, no longer trapping low-income families in an endless cycle of government dependency.

"All Americans would feel a huge burden lifted every April, as they were no longer required to wrestle with a byzantine and oppressive IRS.

"But most importantly, Americans would once again be free of unjust and unconstitutional violations of their unalienable rights."

Food for thought.


Libertarian Party Press Release

Liberty Bell to ring in Norwich?

The Norwich North by-election will be upon us soon or maybe I should say the result will. The campaign is already under way. One party has got my attention. It is the Libertarian Party. On their website the Libertarian candidate Thomas Burridge, who is only 18 years old, says this.

"Most sensible people will be saying, what the hell does he know about anything?

This is what I do know. The last twelve years of Labour has left my generation in massive debt. My generation will be paying off the excesses of the last twelve years for the rest of our lives. And we may even pass this debt on to our as yet unborn children. Did we have any say in the spending splurge that led to this debt mountain? No we did not.

Currently the Tories and Labour are arguing about cutting a pifling 5% off our current bloated state spending. The LPUK are talking about scrapping the whole rotten system. They will get rid of the high personal taxes, squalid services, corrupt Parliament and start again.

I may not win this time, but I will be back in five years, and in another five years and in another five years. By then the guilty ones will still be enjoying their gold-plated pensions or will be long dead, but the debt will remain.

I am from the Debt Generation and I believe only the LPUK has fresh answers for a new generation."

He sees the stark truth and feels he represents the "Debt Generation". Isn't it a crying shame that the main parties seem to be in utter denial about this, more so Gordon Brown, who appears to think that increased spending will never have to be paid for?

Bob Barr weighing up Libertarian presidential run

Bob Barr, the former Georgia Congressman and Libertarian Party luminary is deciding on whether to enter the presidential race. Apparently he should know in the next few days whether he is going to go for it.

Speaking about the disagreements over the Iraq War and the fiscal policies of the current administration, Barr said, "Ron Paul tapped into a great deal of that dissatisfaction and that awareness. Unfortunately, working through the Republican party structure, it became impossible for him to really move forward with his movement. But we have to have ….a rallying point out there to harness that energy, that freedom in this election cycle."

I doubt if Ron Paul will publicly commit to such a candidacy as Barr's, but he may not be too upset if his legions of supporters transfer their allegiance come November. If Barack Obama somehow fails to win the Democratic nomination, it could give the Libertarian block a sizeable chunk of the vote. Three party politics is still far off for Americans, but this may be the year that something stirs in the backwoods!