Posted on 10/04/2003 9:12:29 AM PDT by TERMINATTOR
A strange thing is happening in California politics: The GOP is turning its back on a popular, conservative Republican to support a Hollywood actor who opposes nearly every social issue the Republicans claim to stand for.
Meanwhile, Libertarians across the state of California are making an unprecedented exodus from the Libertarian party's candidate and instead supporting California state Sen. Tom McClintock, a conservative Republican. Nothing like this has happened before in the Libertarian Party and it speaks volumes about the character and integrity of Tom McClintock.
Why is McClintock attracting so much attention from the "Party of Principle"? It's because McClintock is the only candidate who is prepared to veto the reckless spending spree that has overtaken Sacramento.
In a recent cover story that appeared in the Orange County Weekly, R. Scott Moxley explains why McClintock is admired and feared for his willingness to veto spending bills. "Ask Sacramento Democrats what they think of McClintock. They'll likely tell you the last man they want holding the veto pen to their spending habits is the relentlessly frugal 47-year-old conservative from Thousand Oaks."
I should tell you that the Orange County Weekly is anti-Bush, and anti-conservative. So a cover story endorsing McClintock is already generating "horror on the left and suspicion in establishment GOP circles," according to Moxley. But the message is too powerful to ignore: The spending spree has to stop and nobody has the guts to stop it, except McClintock.
When Gray Davis first ran for governor in 1998, California's economy was the envy of the world. As Libertarian nominee for governor, I campaigned against Gray Davis and the spending habits of the Democrats. I predicted back then that the California economy was going to collapse because of the rapidly expanding role of government in our lives and in our pocketbooks. (In fact, one popular radio host denounced me for my alarmist economic views.) Back then, nobody wanted to hear that, but now – five years later – California's fiscal problems are painfully apparent to everyone.
Here's how the Orange County Weekly sizes up the problem: "While California's population rose 21 percent during the Davis era, the Democrats raised state spending by a whopping 40 percent. They've added 44,000 new public employees to the state payroll and, in the midst of the current fiscal crisis, strapped taxpayers with an additional $700 million per year in ridiculously generous public-employee pension perks."
A group calling itself, Libertarians for McClintock, has posted a website which has an impressive list of California Libertarians who are endorsing Sen. McClintock. The site lists a number of issues with which the state's leading Libertarians are in strong agreement with McClintock.
Tom on the issues
Medical Marijuana: "The people of California spoke clearly on that subject. The federal government has no right to intervene." Tom says he voted for Proposition 215 in 1996, which legalized medical marijuana in California.
Cut Taxes And Spending: He was the first to call for repealing the car tax, beginning a petition drive to force a vote on the issue. Since then, all the other major candidates for governor have jumped on Tom's bandwagon, echoing his call to repeal the car tax.
Restore Choice In Education: "Two simple but far-reaching changes are needed to turn the system right-side up: first, restore to parents the ultimate choice over their child's teacher, subject only to academic qualifications and space limitations set by the teacher; and second, pay teachers according to the number of students they attract."
Limited Government Liberates People: "Jefferson observed that a government which attempts to do more than it ought will accomplish less. His America today is not experiencing a crisis of confidence in government; but rather a rediscovery of the limitations of government. To the existing establishment, that may be a crisis. But to the people, it is a liberation."
Right To Keep And Bear Arms: "The right is absolute. In a free nation, government has no authority to forbid me from speaking because I might shout "fire" in a crowded theater. Government has no authority to forbid me from using my fist to defend myself because I might also use it to strike your nose. And government has no authority to forbid me from owning a firearm because I might shoot an innocent victim."
Draft Registration: As co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, Tom led the fight to kill the bill requiring young people to register for the draft before they could get a driver's license. The bill was defeated in committee.
Free Trade: "Respecting the right of consumers to make their own decisions in the marketplace without having government interpose its judgment for theirs."
Slash Regulation And Bureaucracy: "This is the opportunity of our generation, this historic turning point, to roll back the taxes, the regulations destroying our economy, and to rein in our out-of-control bureaucracies.
Superiority Of Individual Over Collective Decision-Making: "In any human enterprise, individuals making their own decisions according to their own lights produce a far higher level of prosperity and a far wiser and more just allocation of resources than decisions made collectively and administered centrally."
There is an old saying that character is destiny. Certainly the past decisions of the other top contenders in the recall election are still shaping their destiny. Quite frankly, we are being asked to place our trust in those who have repeatedly demonstrated themselves to be unworthy of our trust. Or, we can stop fooling around and vote for a man who has a long track record of walking his talk and standing up for the rights of the individual against the tyranny of "collective decision making."
What is so "liberal" about that? That's exactly what our founders wanted. Haven't you read Washington's farewell address as he left office? Our founding generation did not think that the "world's" problems were America's problems. They clearly felt by and large that keeping to ourselves like Switzerland was the safest and most moral foreign policy for America. There are so many quotes from our founders supporting that form of foreign policy that I don't know where to properly begin.
Times have not changed. The West has always been threatened by Islamic aggression. In case you haven't noticed, the defining moment in our history where we started to go from being seen as a good, liberal republic to an empire was our involvement in WWI. When America was a republic that left other countries to govern themselves we were seen as a good nation by most of the world and most "national liberation movements" saw our system of government as a role model for them to follow.
Had the United States let the European powers burn each other to the ground in WWI it is very possible that the rise of NAZIism, Fascism and Communism would never have happend. And with that sir or madam, we'd probably not have had the Soviets training terrorists in the Middle East in the 60s. The history of the 20th century is a stark warning about not following our founders' advice.
Libertarianism is not a monolithic movement. It is dynamic like the socialist movement which has several parties, factions and a plethora of independent voters. Where we differ from conservatives in this regard is that we often tend to be wary of jamming political orthodoxy down peoples' throats. Only the radicals among us do that. Generally if a libertarian says to another that they hold views which sometimes lean a bit toward conservatism here and socialism there, they won't get any or at least much flack.
I openly admit that I am not an orthodox libertarian. I am staunchly pro-death penalty, strong military with a large number of forward deployable units, closed borders, limited immigration and have a mildly leftist distrust of large economic interests be they labor or capital. I've met socialists who are political libertarians. I've met conservatives who have similar leanings. As I said, we're a very diverse movement with many factions. I have voted Republican when I felt it was appropriate to do so over Libertarian. It comes from our belief that voting for the best candidate is a patriotic obligation.
BTW, Dan, are you going to the Arnold rally at the Capitol on Sunday?
If the KKK links to the Republicans' national website, does that create a firm link between the two? The LP and libertarians in general are not anti-war. One of the stated aims of the LP is to dismantle the world's nuclear weapons stockpiles. If we had a libertarian president and NK were seriously threatening us as they are now, we'd have gone to war against them, not Iraq.
The libertarian opposition wanted to know what this "irrefutable evidence" of Iraqi NBC weapons was. As citizens, we always have a God-given right to know why our leaders are committing us to war. It's time to pull out of Iraq and move on to North Korea. Let the Iraqis form their own government. Chances are, that if it isn't a good liberal republic modeled on our government that if they ever want one, they'll end up establishing one. You can't force an unwilling nation to adopt such enlightened ideas.
pro-guns, pro-property rights, pro-military, pro-limited government, pro-privacy rights, need any more?
Im afraid its more complicated that. Yes, its my own body but these particular things tend to hinder positive environments for people, property values, crime rates and exploitation of women.
If you believe prostitution is harmless to society, then you are holding too simplistic of a view.
Drugs is a different argument but im going to watch football.
It spreaks ill of McClintock that the loony Libertarians support him.
I'll have to dig out my tie-dye t-shirt and put on my Lennon shades for that one.
Legalization of prostitution. Is that principled?
Legalization of sex with minors. Is that principled?
Advocating incarceration of those who don't live according to your wishes is hardly principled.
Well, it CAN be. It depends on what wishes we're talking about. One of my wishes, for example, is that some thug not rob me of my possessions. But I see your point.
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