Clint Eastwood: I'm A Libertarian

NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100 Washington DC 20037 ----------------------------------------- For release: February 18, 1997 ----------------------------------------- For additional information: George Getz, Deputy Director of Communications Phone: (202) 333-0008 Ext. 222 -----------------------------------------

WASHINGTON, DC -- Watch out liberals and conservatives -- Dirty Harry is a libertarian.

In an interview in the March issue, the Oscar-winning actor and director candidly affiliated himself with the growing libertarian movement when he was asked: "How would you characterize yourself poli- tically?"

The laconic Eastwood answered, "Libertarian" -- and then went on to explain the philosophy in simple terms: "Everyone leaves everyone else alone."

He also took a swipe at the Republicans and Democrats, noting that neither of those political parties "seems to have the ability to embrace that sort of thing."

"Talk about making my day," said the Libertarian Party's National Director, Perry Willis. "Having Clint Eastwood declare him- self a libertarian is better than a fistful of dollars. We hope his announcement will have a sudden impact on the public's awareness of the libertarian philosophy -- and the Libertarian Party, too."

However, voters shouldn't expect to see "Dirty Harry For President" bumperstickers appearing soon; Eastwood flatly rejected a career in politics. "Being a politician is about the last thing I'd want to do," he said. "It's a lot of work and a lot of frustra- tion."

But if the star of the new movie "Absolute Power" ever changes his mind, Willis says he'd love to sit down and talk to him.

"If Mr. Eastwood ever decides to join the Libertarian Party or seek public office on our ticket, we'd be happy to discuss with him how that could advance the cause of liberty in America," he said. "Until that time, however, we're delighted that he's on our side philosophi- cally."

The 66-year-old Eastwood has been an increasingly outspoken critic of government abuse in recent months -- echoing the Libertarian Party's criticisms of the federal government's role in the bloodbath at Waco, Texas, and the shooting of Randy Weaver's family at Ruby Ridge, Idaho.

In an essay he wrote for the January 12, 1997 issue of Parade Magazine, Eastwood noted: "Abuse of power isn't limited to bad guys in other nations. It happens in our own country if we're not vigilant."

For example, he wrote: "At Waco, was there really an urgency to get those people out of the compound at that particular time? Was the press going to make it look heroic for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms? At Ruby Ridge, there was one guy in a cabin at the top of the mountain. Was it necessary for federal agents to go up there and shoot a 14-year-old in the back and shoot a woman with a child in her arms? What kind of mentality does that?"

And Eastwood displayed a keen cynicism about the lure of political power. "Those in power get jaded, deluded, and seduced by power itself," he wrote. "The hunger for absolute power and, more to the point, the abuse of power, are part of human nature."

Eastwood joins a growing number of individuals in the entertainment industry who have identified themselves as libertarians. Included on that list are TV star John Laroquette, humorist Dave Barry, author P.J. O'Rourke, movie actor Russell Means, magician Jillette Penn, author Camille Paglia, TV reporter John Stossell, and comedian Dennis Miller.

Since 1954, Eastwood has appeared in dozens of movies and become one of the leading box office draws in the world. His films include "A Fistful of Dollars" (1964), "Dirty Harry" (1971),"Any Which Way You Can" (1980), "In the Line of Fire" (1993), and "The Bridges of Madison County" (1995). His 1992 Wester"n Unforgiven" earned him Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. His one foray into politics was as mayor of Carmel, California, from 1986-1988.

>> ...the LP is that it has distorted itself to appeal to the only group willing to vote for it in large numbers - stoners in college...

I dunno about that - stoners aren't reliable voters.
Libertarians are often first associated with their position on drug laws, particularly marijuana laws.
Early in my political awareness, I bought into that narrow view and didn't really pay much attention to all that they stood for (and we're talking way back in the '70s here).
Over time, I learned more about the philosophy they are following and liked it for the most part, but still didn't like the bit about the drugs.

But now as I've witnessed more of the reality that is life, I've come to realize they are mostly right about drugs too. And to be quite honest, I vote Republican over Libertarian only because the Libertarian seldom has a chance of wonning, and I can't stomach the idea of contributing to a Democrat's election. I don't think LP's slim percentages are a problem with the ideology so much as with things like money and exposure.

There's a message for Republicans when they lose by margins slimmer than the Libertarian candidate's percentage, though (as happened in the Oregon Governor's race just last year). I haven't yet voted Big L over GOP, but I gotta tell ya, with the GOP we have in this state, with the results I see every day after 8 or 9 years of GOP control of our legislature, I honestly don't think it would have made much difference.

Interesting. I just read an interview Eastwood did with the BBC after the election. In it was this:

Asked about Schwarzenegger's chances in his new job, Eastwood, 73, replied: "I think Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to make a good governor.

"Maybe he will make the right decisions and if he progresses forward I wish him the best of luck."

He joked: "I was the one guy who didn't run. I held office for a couple of years, I enjoyed that for a couple of years, so I don't want to get involved.

"It's nice in England where people just call you guv'nor."

Are there no "Cryptofascists" in the GOP?

I'm sure there are. What's your point? Why are you trying to defend Cusack or build him up as some sort of friend of freedom? It's pretty well known the man's a Democratic

Hollywood star John Cusack has attacked filmmaker Michael Moore for failing to support the Democratic party in the last American presidential elections. Moore, who won the Best Documentary Oscar at this year's Academy Awards for his anti-gun film Bowling For Columbine, threw his backing behind left-wing candidate Ralph Nader in the 2000 elections - but Cusack believes that he should have joined him in tactical support of Democratic candidate Al Gore instead - to ensure Republican George W. Bush was beaten. Cusack explains, "He lost a lot of credibility when he went and campaigned for Ralph Nader because he was dead wrong when it counted. I'm not a huge fan of the Democratic party, but I knew there was a huge difference between them and the Bush crowd. Don't tell me Al Gore would have handed out the contract to rebuild Iraq before he'd given the order to bomb it."
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As Election Day draws near, both parties are parading out their celebrity support in hopes of gaining voters.

So far, John Cusack, Jon Bon Jovi and Melissa Etheridge have been in southeast Wisconsin to show support for Gore.
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When it comes to the current administration, quirky John Cusack certainly seems to share the same sentiments as those of Michael Moore. In the past, Cusack referred to members of the Bush team as “f---ing crypto-fascists.”
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Of course it's okay for you to have everything fall apart," [Cusack says about Nader's showbiz supporters.] "But a lot of people have to deal with the world the way it is, and it would have been a lot less brutal for some people with [Al] Gore than it will be now under Bush. ... I'm not saying I loved Gore. But I'm saying I don't want that mother-f*cking Bush in the White House."
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I was raised Catholic until I was old enough, you know, to say no. My father was great friends with [peace activist] Phil Berrigan, who just passed away. So obviously, I was informed by his kind of radical, left-wing Jesuit mindset."
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“This dude who’s got control of the White House now, he’s gonna do a lot of damage,” Cusack says. “I think people are gonna respond to all the hypocrisy of this Bush administration. He’s sort of like this great sort of symbol of inversion to me – the inverse of the truth. It’s like the ethics of the new millennium, the new dawn: All you have to do is say something and it’s true. It doesn’t matter if it’s based on any core principle; it doesn’t matter if it’s based on any facts. The most important thing is the aesthetic. If you have a compassionate aesthetic, that‘s all we need to do. All you have to do is say ‘I’m Muslim.’ But you don’t actually ever go to a mosque. You don’t have to give up pork. You don’t have to do anything. You don’t have to believe in Allah. You just say it. And maybe wear a turban. That’s the level of the hypocrisy and stupidity that’s going on right now.”
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"Bush means Dick Cheney, Tom DeLay, and all these f*cking crypto-fascists are gonna get in and start carving up the pie and handing in all their markers to the Republican Party that's been itching to get back into power,"

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