Posted on 06/07/2004 1:23:17 AM PDT by dpwiener
WALNUT CREEK, CA -- California Libertarians mourn the passing of former President Ronald Reagan, a great fighter for individual liberty, personal responsibility and, arguably, the most libertarian-leaning President in modern history.
Libertarians applauded Reagan for his attempts to control the size and power of government. As he said in his first inaugural address, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem.”
Reagan knew the dangers of government run amok, quipping “We don't have a $1 trillion debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a $1 trillion debt because we spend too much.” Libertarians pine for the days of “only” a $1 trillion debt; today, the officially reported debt is well over $7 trillion and climbing by over $500 billion per year.
In a statement consistent with the Libertarian view, Reagan said, “You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man's age-old dream -- the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order -- or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism.”
His ultimate victory against totalitarianism was exemplified by his famous 1987 speech in Berlin: “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” By the end of the year Gorbachev left office (1989), the dream of millions came to fruition with the end of the Berlin wall.
Aaron Starr, chairman of the Libertarian Party of California proclaimed, “On behalf of Libertarian Party members in California and freedom loving people everywhere, I honor the memory of this great man and extend our deepest sympathies to Nancy Reagan and her family.”
Those scum. < /sarcasm>
If nothing else, Ed Clark's 1980 LP presidential campaign served to keep John Anderson out of the presidential debates.
Since the LP was then on all 50 state ballots and Anderson was not, the National Organization of Women (which sponsored the debates) couldn't come up with any rational metric which would have allowed Anderson to participate while excluding Clark.
So rather than include the LP's Clark in the debates, they simply dumped Anderson.
"Order" is too vague; the antheap dwellers are always happy to claim that the activity they want to ban is inconsistent with "order."
Since the LP was then on all 50 state ballots and Anderson was not, the National Organization of Women (which sponsored the debates) couldn't come up with any rational metric which would have allowed Anderson to participate while excluding Clark.
Actually, it was the League of Women Voters who sponsored the debate, not NOW.
There were two debates in 1980. John Anderson did qualify for the first debate and did in fact participate in it. The debate was September 21, 1980 in Baltimore and was moderated by Bill Moyers of PBS. Jimmy Carter refused to participate in that debate, because of Anderson's inclusion -- so it was only Reagan and Anderson who were present.
The League of Women voters did exclude Anderson from the second debate on October 29, citing a decline in his poll numbers below the minimum threshold.
Perhaps you could put aside your irrational fear and loathing of libertarians (libertyphobia?) for a moment and read the article.
It shows that libertarians have noting in common with the ultra-left, as so many keyboard cowboys here would have you believe.
Ronald Reagan was a conservative, who believed in libertarian principles.
The first nationally televised debate debate was between Reagan and Anderson, Carter declined to appear
Since the LP was then on all 50 state ballots and Anderson was not, the National Organization of Women (which sponsored the debates) couldn't come up with any rational metric which would have allowed Anderson to participate while excluding Clark.
It wasn't the NOW gang, but the "League of Women Voters" who sponsored those debates. With your historical revisionism, now you can see why most people consider the Libertarian Party, the party of pot.
But he was a Conservative and not a Christian bashing Libertarian.
Where did you get the idea that libertarians are Christian bashers?
I see plenty of Christian bashing going on here in the Creation vs Evolution threads.
I guess that makes "conservatives" Christian bashers as well.
"REAGAN: If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism." - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1148585/posts
Perhaps I should apologize....Your response just seemed like a knee-jerk reaction to the article, rather than a well thought out post.
Libertarians are not the enemy here. Look at some of the DU posts about Reagan, or read some of the liberal media's slant and compare them to this tribute.
The fringe left-wing is the enemy.
Regarding Reagan's position on abortions-on-demand: In 1967, then-Gov. Ronald Reagan signed a bill that virtually decriminalized abortion. It permitted abortions during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. This was six years before Roe v. Wade. Later on in his political career Reagan became much more pro-life. But there is no question that he chose not to veto a law which subsequently resulted in a large upsurge of abortions in California, and which likely helped pave the way for Roe v. Wade.
Regarding Reagan's position on open borders: In announcing his presidential candidacy in Nov. 1979, he had proposed a “North American accord” in which commerce & people would move freely across the borders of Canada & Mexico.
Regarding Reagan's position on drug legalization: In August 1979, Reagan dedicated one [radio] program to marijuana. While he warned of the many health risks, he did say, "If adults want to take such chances [using marijuana], that is their business." When he became President, Reagan turned into an extremely hard-line drug warrior.
I hope these quotes help your recollection. Losing one's memory is a terrible thing.
When you questioned the motives of Libertarians, and brought up several issues which you believed would bolster your line of attack, I thought that it was appropriate to respond with a few facts to assist your "recall" (as you yourself phrased it). No, Ronald Reagan was not a libertarian (I wish he had been), but he did have a strong streak of libertarianism in his philosophy. It's easy to understand why many libertarians admired both him and his rhetoric in support of individual freedom.
Despite whatever flaws President Reagan may have had, he left our country and the world a far better place than he found it.
I feel proud to live in Simi Valley, the home of the Ronald Reagan Library.
Yawn...
Oh gimme a break. Yes, it was the League Of Women Voters, my mistake.
Even Jimmy Carter took note of the LoWV's arbitrary non-standards for inclusion:
"...The League of Women Voters set an arbitrary standard--I never did argue with it--that any candidate to be involved in the debate ought to have at least 15 percent in the public opinion polls. It was an arbitrary standard, but so be it. They were trying to exclude Barry Commoner, who is primarily an environmentalist, and, I think, Mr. Ed Clark, who is a Libertarian. And there are a hundred other candidates, you might be interested to know, in running for President. But they were trying to draw some lines. I don't think any public opinion polls now would show John Anderson to meet the League's standards that they set for themselves. I didn't have anything to do with it...
(from Public Papers of the President, Carter, 1980, pages 2272 to 2273)
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