Which is why I’m a “recovering Libertarian.”
The LP is way too concerned with intellectual purity and way too unconcerned with actually winning elections. It took me a few years in the work force after I graduated from college to figure that out. Then I switched (back) to being a Republican.
Just because “that government is best which governs least” it does not necessarily follow that no government all is a good idea—at least when you’re talking about imperfect, corruptable human beings.
I do think we need to re-open the whole issue of what America’s involvement in the world should be. It’s obvious we can’t go back to the “no entangling alliances” of the Founding Fathers, but I also don’t think we can forever afford or sustain being the world’s only trustworthy policeman, either.
I’m 100% behind an overwhelmingly strong national defense, I still tend to think that the Iraq War was on balance a good idea, and I’d like to see us go after the Taliban and Al Quada much more vigorously (if not ruthlessly) than we have. I think we need to drastically upgrade our human intelligence all around the world.
On the other hand, I’m starting to think that NATO is an idea whose time has come and gone. But I don’t know if the Europeans have the moxie to defend themselves any more. Maybe we should start sending them the bill.
We need to get energy independence ASAP in order to cut our dependencies to the cesspool which is the Middle East.
I think the future for the U.S. is a stable system of trade and security around the Pacific Rim, extending to India, and to South America rather than focused on Europe and the Middle East, which have been our obsessions until now.
I think the rumors of the demise of the U.S. as a superpower are greatly exaggerated—IF we can turn back the Democrats in 2010 and turn out Obama in 2012.
(Dang, I’m wordy today!)
The LP has absolutely nothing to do with what Governor Palin is trying to accomplish.