The Libertarian Party when not destroying its credibility with the Antiwar Movement, actually does take stances. Not that you would know from recent Libertarian Party press releases.
North Carolina State House candidate Susan Hogarth thought seven years was long enough without an official Libertarian Party statement. Alas, after a series of correspondence with LNC representatives and staff, Hogarth discovered she would have to wait a bit longer. “The resolution will be totally ignored unless it fits into a news cycle. Define that how you may but the words “Afghanistan” isn’t at the top (or anywhere in) the front page of Drudge or Google News,” wrote one staffer.
Drudge? Google? Should I be offended? It is not as if there isn’t one Antiwar.com employee on the LNC or any contributing writers on the Barr Campaign.
For those of you who can’t wait for another gruesome news cycle, here’s the resolution:
WHEREAS the government of the United States should return to its
historical libertarian tradition of avoiding entangling alliances,
foreign quarrels, and military adventures; and
WHEREAS the stability and security of Afghanistan lie outside the
jurisdiction of the government of the United States; and
WHEREAS the Libertarian Party recognizes that the only legitimate
role of the military is to defend America against direct attack or the
imminent threat of attack;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Libertarian National Committee
calls on the government of the United States to withdraw the armed
forces of the United States from Afghanistan, without undue delay.
The Libertarian Party has been infiltrated and discredited by the CIA.
Bob Barr is CIA!!!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Barr#Early_career
That explains all the antiwar discredit, the sabotage of the Ron Paul press conference, etc.
What I don’t know is how Barr ended up being the candidate…
Who elected him? Does anyone have any clue?
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Angela,
Thomas Knapp mentioned on his blog recently that the 50 state parties could possibly dissolve the LNC. I am fully convinced that there is nothing else to do. Sometimes it just gets to a point when it is easier to burn down the house than it is to fix it. What happened with Browne was bad enough. I think the same people are still there. EVERYBODY has to be fired.
A resolution such as this should have been introduced many years ago.
Chris–the Browne people were, say what you will, were completely committed to peace. What we have now are people so far removed from anti-intervention principles that it is actually controversial to submit anti-war resolutions in the LP.Â
Jose–I’m an LNC rep and a supporter of the staff so I suppose I am as much to blame as anyone else for this disgrace. Of course, given that some LNC reps wanted to censure me for my “lack of disclosure” of my work at Antiwar.com, should give you pause about the sorts that are really running things neo-con hacks like Richard Vigurie and Perot reject Russ Verney are not up to the task of understanding basic foreign policy.
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“neo-con hacks like Richard Vigurie and Perot reject Russ Verney are not up to the task of understanding basic foreign policy.” Get’em, Angela!
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Libertarian Party, foreign policy? Their VP nonimee is WAR. That tells ya all ya need to know!
That VP offer to RP…. Was that (1) an attempt at damage control or (2) a deliberate insult masked as a complement or (3) something else????There was NO DOWNSIDE to Bob Barr making an appearance with the Green, Constitution, and Nader candidates….Yeah – it probably wasn’t gonna do much good – but it couldn’t hurt….and I believe the LP and Greens work together on petition drives for ballot access….. The LP should not be looking down its noses at any third party…
I tell ya, Stevec, I’m done with the LP. Last winter I re-registered RepubloCon (from LP) to be able to vote for RP and I never bothered switching back. Now I get all the postage paid envelopes from the RepubloCons asking for money. I have a lot of fun with that.
I’m sorry but third party runs at PODUS are just plain dumb. Libertarians should be running for sheriff and greens should be running for county commissioner
we should pick fights we can win.
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PS just like the war party has taken over the Democratic leadership counsel I have noted the CATO crowd has reduced Libertarianism to the argument that corporations should be free to pollute and steal my clean air and water.
Libertarianism and the War
Over at Cato Unbound, it’s Cato unhinged
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I was a Republican…. I left them to join LP…….. Then I rejoined Republicans just to vote for RP….. I want stay LP but I might not go back to LP…… I’m hesitant to go CP because I don’t like Alan Keyes or Jerome Corsi…. I may just go INDEPENDENT so I’m registered but not Rep and I may just become a Non – Voter….Angela had a good interview with her housemate Brian Doherty about the virtues of NON VOTING. He breaks it down very very well…… But alas she took it down.
This season it may be worth a listening to.
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Thankfully in my state I don’t need to be a party member to vote in their primary I’m a dennis Kucinich type socialist who voted for Ron Paul
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give me less police state less war state and more free clinics
Steve, where’s angel’s interview with doherty? link?
‘scuse me, Angela.
I’ve got them hidden but that was b/c of Antiwar PD’s redirect from my site. I will repost everything. Meanwhile, if you google around SMiles of Elfis.net should have them up at Anomaly Radio.
ok, i’ll give it a whirl. thanks.
I couldn’t find the audio link for Doherty…it should be OCT 2004 or thereabout…..http://angelakeaton.com/audio/Here’s Brian Doherty’s REASON Artcle…..http://www.reason.com/news/show/32846.html
Lets just call ourselves Paulites:I never liked the LP anyway. But then again, I don’t like any of the parties.    http://www.house.gov/paul/
Day 11, still no press release.Â
AK:I was meaning to ask, how was your trip with Roz?  Did Mr. Rantel accompany you guys? I know its hard for him to get away w/ his busy scheduele and all.
BTW, I like Ms. Hogarth’s resolution…..as a matter of course it should be non controversial…it is (in the good sense) rather conservative….
http://www.lp.org/news/press-releases/lnc-passes-afghanistan-resolution
How about this:
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Libertarian National Committee calls on the government of the United States, including all officials thereof, to lay down their arms and pretensions of authority, and to march immediately to the Grand Canyon, where they shall be required to dive in to its deepest gorge head first.