The Liberal Case for Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party
Barack Obama is going to win the presidency. While the end of the current era of Republican mismanagement may be good news in many respects, this is no cause for complacency for anyone concerned about American liberty and America's place in the world. Senator Obama, despite his eloquent call for reform, has demonstrated that he, like other politicians, is ever ready to trim his sails to gain a few votes. A vote for Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party would be the best way to tell President-elect Obama that the American people are serious about real change in Washington.
Sen. Obama's rhetoric is uplifting and positive, but the Senator who showed genuine foresight and courage in opposing the Iraq war spent most of the primary season edging away from his initial tough stand. Will he order the troops to exit Iraq? Will he bring them all home, or simply shift them from Iraq to another foreign country?
Similarly, it would be hard for Sen. Obama not to be an improvement over the Bush administration on civil liberties. However, here, too, Sen. Obama has demonstrated his willingness to trim under pressure.
President George W. Bush violated the law when he ignored both the Constitution and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Congress should have held him and his appointees accountable for their law-breaking. Moreover, telephone companies that aided and abetted executive branch law-breaking should have been left liable in the courts.
Yet, Sen. Obama folded, backing a "compromise" that gave the administration most everything that it wanted. No individualized warrants or evidence of law-breaking is required to authorize government spying on U.S. citizens' phone calls and emails. No administration officials paid the slightest cost for engaging in illegal conduct. No private firm suffered the slightest inconvenience for helping the government violate their customers' constitutional rights. This was the moment for Sen. Obama to prove that he possessed a true dedication to civil liberties, and he failed.
Of course, we all hope that, as president, he will feel freer to stand up for American liberties. But there also will be voices advising him to use the executive powers so freely expanded by his predecessor. Will he be strong enough to resist this Siren's Song? No one knows, but one thing is known: If freed from the limiting forces of public awareness and involvement, President Obama would follow a long line of presidents who talk of enhanced individual liberty, but practice a policy of increased government power.
In other words, the best way to encourage Sen. Obama, if he is elected president, to follow the straight and narrow is to actively and clearly demonstrate that we, the American people, are concerned both about our civil liberties and his commitment to protect them. The way to do that is to vote for Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party.
Only one party has consistently stood up for the Constitution and against expansive executive power: the Libertarian Party. Only one party has consistently demanded a quick and full withdrawal from Iraq: the Libertarian Party. Only one party has demanded that all administration officials, legislators, and bureaucrats be held accountable for violating the law or the Constitution: the Libertarian Party.
Sen. Obama's impending big victory will tempt liberals to relax and celebrate. Yet the time of greatest danger will be the transition, when Sen. Obama will be deciding on who to appoint and what direction to take. The best way to safeguard our liberties is to let him know that his election victory comes with an important "but" -- in the form of a strong showing by Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party, who have placed the protection of American liberties and America's reputation in the world at the core of their campaign.
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There is NOTHING liberal about the Libertarian Party.
Not in the modern sense of liberal, which used to mean personal liberty, but now means leftism.
I have a memory
THAT is why I would never vote for Bob Barr
Thanks. Couldn't have said it any better.
While I'm not a Libertarian and will never be one I do appreciate Bob's understanding of the Constitution unlike many politicians who simply do not believe in it at all. I believe that quite a few politicians have never even read it.
Well, there again, we have another person running for president who doesn't get it. The elderly who have worked their entire lives, and paid into a system DESERVE to live out their golden years with some dignity. Working people who are 40 or more have ALSO paid into a system their entire working life, and expect that system to be there for them when (IF) they arre lucky enought to retire. I know that smaller government and less taxes sounds good on a bumper sticker, but I submit to you Bob that the ONLY job that government has is to look out for the people, without that, there is no need for any of you to go back to Washington. That is what people like you and other rich people in this country don't get, and it's also why Obama will win on Tuesday. Not all people in this country were born with the opportunities that you were...we have to take the jobs that we can get, and I don't plan on living in a cardboard box when I get too old to work anymore.
Vote OBAMA
I am sorry but libertarianism just won't work in this day and age with a society this large. While a few things make sense at first, when you really look into it you see that this philosophy if applied to the US would be a disaster of epic proportions.
This deregulate everything (we saw how that works), get rid of government and, everyone for himself idea would only work for a select few (namely the rich, white, and healthy). Everyone else would starve, go broke, lose healthcare, and not be able to afford simple things. Get rid of or dramatically reduce government and privitize everything approach would be ta mess.
While I admit the current government has its problems throwing it out is not the answer, fixing it is. Libertarianism is like if you broke your wrist, they would have you chop off your arm as a solution.
This is just way too extreme.
EXACTLY. Couldn't have said it better myself. There are other people in this country too who aren't. rich.
I agree. The Libertarian party appears attractive until you start to think about the consequences of their positions.
The consequences being we'd be in an even worse mess than we are now, you mean? "Let the market correct itself"...
That depends on how you define "work". If you value personal liberty, then it "works" by definition. If you are eager to trade your liberty for a false sense of security, then it "doesn't work".
To be truly free, you need to feel secure.
America's solution..
As evidenced by their votes, Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain believe that these federal 'bailouts' should occur. They also believe that federal spending should increase in general. The National Taxpayers Union released a report on September 25th. It analyzes each of the three candidates in their 'first year' federal budget spending proposals as President. Barack Obama would 'add' $292,954,000,000 to annual spending! John McCain would 'add' $92,437,000,000 to annual spending! Bob Barr would 'cut' $200,928,000,000 from annual spending!!!
You can read the cover letter of the report at http://www
You can read more about Bob Barr in general at http://www
Help the Third Party Political System 'grow' in America by voting for Bob Barr for President of the United States!!!
Hey Bob,
Since you are a former U.S. Attorney, do you believe that the $700 billion bailout is looking, as it does to me, like the biggest embezzlement case in world history?
AIG has already blown through $123 billion while still throwing lavish parties and paying big bonuses to CEOs and other execs who should be in the unemployment line. As a taxpayer, I am livid with rage at the cavalier way these companies are treating the bailout funds.
And in the wake of this, what would you do to either recover the bailout money from irresponsible banks and investment houses or reshape the economy so that this bad idea doesn't cause longterm economic stagnation and makes us less vulnerable to the economic machinations of China, et al?
With the obvious fracture in the Republican party, I'd love it if the real conservatives migrated to the Libertarian Party. Mr. Barr and the Libertarian Party need to work on the infrastructure, to make it more attractive to mainstream Republicans, to isolate the neocons and religious zealots, the fake conservatives.
Although I strongly support Barack Obama, I feel there should be a viable third party, organized and in all 50 states, to give us a choice if the two major parties let us down. This country is large and diverse enough, but until the Libertarian Party is viable nationally in all 50 states, people will not take them seriously.
I really wanted to support Bob Barr in this election.
But then I went to his website to see what his stance was on global warming and it said something to the effect that it needed more study!
Well, I was looking for a candidate who had the courage to stand up and say: this is bunk and we have to abandon it as public policy or it will ruin us!
But, no. Barr had to go with the flow.
So I'm between a rock and a hard place. Both Obama and McCain believe in catastrophic man-made global warming (that's why we hear very little of it during the campaign).
Had Barr ran on this one issue -- and stated his emphatic opposition to it -- he would have gotten 15% of the vote...at least!
Sorry Bob. I this election we can't afford to spare any votes. Remember Nader in 2000.
I do remember Nader in 2000. Infact, I'm using it as a model. Telling my McCain leaning friends that don't like him, or only like Palin, "Why haven't you considered Bob Barr instead?" I, personally, believe this country needs a strong 3rd party to bypass government lockups like we've been having since partisanship began going strong in the 1990's.
I've never understood why Libertarians (and small-government Republicans for that matter) don't just go up to Alaska, and disappear into the wild like Chris McCandless.
That's certainly consistent with minimizing government.
So why do they insist on running for office in something they oppose?
Do we hire CEOs who promise to close the company because it's wrong to run companies?
Madness.
This is the Libertarian Party's opportunity to make inroads into the Republican support, assuming the Republicans cannot return to the traditions of the old right. Personally I think a party along the Social Democratic tradition tempered by a strong Libertarian opposition, and vice versa, would be ideal for America.
I think Bob Barr left the Reps to the Libertarians because of his concern about erosion of civil liberties. I recall that from his numerous interviews about the subject. All I can say is that he should not stop talking about the issue.
He didn't leave, he was voted out !!
Although there are elements of libertarianism I like, such as a gold-backed currency, and the elimination of the Federal reserve, and a few other ideas, there are serious flaws in other areas of libertarian logic, and it is that the unregulated marketplace will always do the right thing. If there ever were a case that proved this flaw it has been recent events on wall street. Yes, we need free enterprise or we would be impoverished, but we need a well regulated one.
What about the Libertarians platform on healthcare? They do not have one, it's every man for himself in the jungle of the marketplace. Could you imagine if your house was on fire and you called the Fire Department and they person answering the phone asked you for a CC number or asked you who was your insurer, while your house burns and spreads in the neighborhood? No, the Libertarians don't go that far, but why should healthcare be any less of a Government supported right than having a fire department or police department? Michael Moore is absolutely right that the profit motive should be totally removed from the health care equation. Yes, this creates other problems, but they can be dealth with, one by one, with pragmatic solutions.
Libertarians are against the minimum wage, but look at countries that do not have one, and you will find sweatshops whose employees must live eight people to a room in order to afford housing.
Thaddeus Gadfly
Thankyou for your thoughtful comment Thaddeus. I used to be a Libertarian, even worked for the Harry B. campaign until the infighting within the LP became too much.
I agree with all of your comments about the strengths and weaknesses of the LP. One friend once said libertarians were "Republicans for drugs". I kind of felt like a "democrat with guns" instead.
Ultimately, given their "let them eat cake" social polices and clinging rigidly to an unregulated market, even in this crisis, I can't continue to support them.
Gold backing is a good common sense idea, but not so good practically. Gold backed currencies are less flexible, meaning you can't use currency value to fight inflation and oppose recession.
What is required is some form of standardization, some internationally accepted, non-partisan, internationally accepted standard that does not have the real problems of tangible, scarce gold. We could base on the amount of energy hitting the earth via solar radiation; that could have the advantage of letting us create wealth by increasing energy efficiency
Otherwise, I'm with you on your take on Libertarian ideas, Thaddeus.
Many economists suggest returning from a fiat currency to a precious metal backed currency for three main reasons
to keep a check on the M3 money supply which contributes to inflation and devaluation
to moderate the ups and downs of the currency markets
and most importanlty to prevent currency manipulation
Pretty much what I said, but as of now my post hasn't appeared. They just seem far right to me. Lower taxes, deregulation, ending programs that have saved American families for decades. Sound familiar?
Mr. Barr, in the upcoming GOP civil war, I do hope that your party emerges as a viable contenter in future elections. Perhaps you may also want to post on the Republican leaning sites. I respect what you have done this election year and I wish you the best of luck - especially in GA!
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