When the Right’s Wrong, What’s Left?

truthnews ^ | 6.10.03 | Gary Nolan

[freepatriot32]

When I changed parties a few years ago, many of my Republican friends couldn't believe it. After all, I'd been a Republican since my first vote.

I had long dreamt of the day when the Republicans would win control of the House and Senate. In 1994 I got my wish. I was certain the policies Ronald Reagan espoused would soon become a reality.

Spending and taxes would fall faster than sweat from a fat man's brow on a hot day in Juarez. Freedom from government regulation would reign across the land. Political expedience in the legislature would come to a screeching halt.

I'm not sure when I realized I'd been hoodwinked. Maybe it was the passage of one of those expensive Bud Schuster highway bills, or the failure to get rid of the National Endowment for the Arts. It could have been the failure to cut corporate welfare, or the constant caving by the Republican leadership.

It might have been seeing prominent Republicans fighting for more gun control, tobacco legislation and "campaign finance de-form." The neo-cons had taken over the party and I was through. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, the party left me.

I joined the Libertarians, the party with principle. Some of my friends have come to agree with me. Others cling to the faint hope that Republicans will someday live up to their small-government rhetoric. But personally, I feel you'd be safer trusting a rabbit to deliver a carrot than to trust the new Republican Party to stand by the Constitution.

Think I'm being too harsh? Here's the neo-Republican record.

The much-hated Clinton "Americorps" program has received hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding.

The Department of Education, once a target for elimination by Republicans has a new benefactor, the Republicans. In his first budget, President Bush asked for a 72% increase for primary, secondary and vocational education. With the passage of the "No Child Left Behind Act," the federal government is more involved in local education than ever before.

How about the despised "Gore Tax" - the hidden tax the phone companies are forbidden to list on your bill? The tax Republicans once called "unconstitutional." It's still on the books.

Did the tobacco lawsuits end? Actually, the Republican attorney general has pursued this extortion plan just like his Democrat predecessor, Janet Reno.

Think Republicans oppose federal interference in state and local affairs? Think again. Federal officials, paid for with your tax dollars, have been actively campaigning against state and local medical marijuana initiatives.

But since these initiatives keep winning by 2:1 margins, a "conservative" Republican has now introduced legislation that would allow federal agencies to spend your taxpayer dollars on advertising to influence the outcome of such initiatives.

The nose of the camel is already inside the tent and we'll soon be seeing the camel's other end.

The list goes on and on. More money for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, steel tariffs, and billions of dollars from hard working Americans sent to Africa to fight AIDS.

It's not too difficult to understand where the Republicans went wrong. They were taught by the Democrats that getting elected is a simple matter of buying the vote. What better incentive to gain votes than promising free health care, job training, education and cheese?

The neo-cons have compromised a once-great vision of small government - a government not involved in nation building; a government that respects the rights of individuals; a government that is fiscally sound, with low taxes and even lower spending. The Republicans are now the party of neo-tax cuts, no spending cuts and deficits.

Now we have a larger government than even Bill Clinton asked for, the "Patriot Act", and more debt than you can shake a bankruptcy file at. I do know what's right and I do know who's left. Libertarian thinkers, they're right and they're all that's left.

Gary Nolan is a candidate for the Libertarian Party nomination for president.

[Abcdefg]

What is the proper role of government? I think it is to be found in the Constitution and it doesn't include about 70% or more of what goes on today.

[jjm2111]

Libertarian bump. If President Bush signs an extension of the AWB, I'll be voting Libertarian too.

[Jeff Head]

WHEN TRUTH BECOMES TREASON

This was written when Clinton was in power and Kosovo was happening.

Jeff

[dirtboy]

This isn't the NY Times - Op Eds should not be posted as Front Page News...

[thoughtomator]

Small-l libertarians, yeah... the LP though is a god-awful vehicle for sensible small-government policies though, and its complete inability to take a principled stand on, say, abortion, does not augur well the prospect of having a LP candidate in a serious office.

If these guys were serious, they wouldn't be wasting precious resources on a fantasy Presidential campaign, they'd be using that money to build local and regional organization and influence.

The complete lack of pragmatism in the LP is a fatal flaw. Until that is corrected, expect most serious libertarians to work through the GOP.

[cspackler]

Thanks, Chris... you beat me to it. Where's that "Awww geez" picture when I need it.

[mvpel]

That's all well and good, but out here in California you've got people wanting to elect Riordan, for cripes sake! That's not what I'd call "working through the GOP."

[caisson71]

Libertarians are unelectable. Politicians with too many principles are unelectable or if elected become ineffective. Politicians who do best are the ones who have basic principles and can compromise on issues.
Idealistic political supporters are often misled because they fail to understand the nature of principles, issues and compronise in politics. Switching parties seldom satifies those too idealistic. It does, however, make them feel good and that they are finally making a difference - for awhile. There's nothing nice or cute in being an effective politician.

[thoughtomator]

I'm not familiar with Riordan... I think I heard the name a few years back, didn't he run for Governor or something in 1996?

[Paleo Conservative]

2002 prmary which he lost.

[thoughtomator]

What's his relevance to the topic then?

[rj45mis]

I think you fail to realize something here. The Libertarians have not had the occasion to find out what concessions and compromise is necessary to, first of all get elected, as well as get vital legislation passed. It can't be all one way. The 50/50 vote split in 2000 is a perfect example of the balance that needs to be considered.

[Damocles]

Yeah, a representative government sucks that way.

Even those I vehemently disagree with are provided equal representation under this fantastic form of government. (not sarcasm)

Compromise is not a dirty word.

[MHGinTN]

Gary Nolan is a candidate for the Libertarian Party nomination for president. If you'd have posted that at the beginning, I could have avoided the 'wading through the irrational sludge' of the author trying to dissemble the bloated federal budget. While I agree the government is way beyond blaoted with waste, I don't consider the 'no answers just slams' approach of Libertarians. Generalizations that don't give detailed approaches to fixing things are easy to write, but vacuous manipulations.

[k2blader]

I joined the Libertarians, the party with principle.

Haaa!!!

[Hot Soup]

Compromise is not a dirty word.

No, but it is very often misused. Many conservative voters and "conservative" politicians don't seem to be aware of the fact that a true compromise isn't just giving the enemy less than he demands, it involves getting something as well.

[Paleo Conservative]

What's his relevance to the topic then?

He's a big time RINO whose wife and daughters are DemocRATS. I guess some other RINOs want him to run for governor if Davis is recalled.

[Digger]

I do not believe that the Libertarian party is the answer but he sure hit a home run with the other part of his message. I'll guarantee you that an organization totally opposite of the National Endowments of the Arts will be ripped to shreads if Hillary is the pres. So why can't this guy do it? Atrocious!