The libertarians are coming for the frustrated and angry that the GOP can’t get. And they’re going to come after the Bernie Or Bust movement. With two ex Republican governors on the ticket they’re going to try and draw from both the Republican and Democratic party. Since the Republican party is as close to Libertarian as you can get, and some would argue that the Republican party was actually hijacked by Libertarians, how could they possibly appeal to the Bernie or Bust movement?
There are three main issues they are going to use to fool the Bernie or Bust movement. Let’s take a look at their party platform from 2014.
1) … We favor the repeal of all laws creating "crimes" without victims, such as the use of drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes, since only actions that infringe on the rights of others can properly be termed crimes….
2) … The United States should both avoid entangling alliances and abandon its attempts to act as policeman for the world. We oppose any form of compulsory national service.
3) … Intelligence agencies that legitimately seek to preserve the security of the nation must be subject to oversight and transparency. We oppose the government's use of secret classifications to keep from the public information that it should have, especially that which shows that the government has violated the law…
… We are committed to ending government’s practice of spying on everyone.
That’s the bait. You’ll hear it over and over again about their plans to legalize pot. That’s going to be a big draw And the other two will also appeal very well with many of the Sanders supporters and even some far left Clinton supporters.
That’s the carrot that you’ll see an awful lot of, especially if the Kochs decide to back Johnson/Weld instead of lying Trump. But let’s look at the things you won’t see about the Libertarians.
Libertarians want all members of society to have abundant opportunities to achieve economic success. A free and competitive market allocates resources in the most efficient manner. Each person has the right to offer goods and services to others on the free market….
For voluntary dealings among private entities, parties should be free to choose with whom they trade and set whatever trade terms are mutually agreeable….
Protecting the environment requires a clear definition and enforcement of individual rights in resources like land, water, air, and wildlife. Free markets and property rights stimulate the technological innovations and behavioral changes required to protect our environment and ecosystems….
All persons are entitled to keep the fruits of their labor. We call for the repeal of the income tax, the abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service and all federal programs and services not required under the U.S. Constitution….
We favor free-market banking, with unrestricted competition among banks and depository institutions of all types.…
Employment and compensation agreements between private employers and employees are outside the scope of government, and these contracts should not be encumbered by government-mandated benefits or social engineering….
Education is best provided by the free market, achieving greater quality, accountability and efficiency with more diversity of choice….
We favor a free market health care system.…
Retirement planning is the responsibility of the individual, not the government.
We reject the idea that a natural right can ever impose an obligation upon others to fulfill that "right."
So, if you’re not stoned and worried whether the government has tapped into your computer and is planning on drafting you into the army to fight in a foreign land, let me translate what the Libertarians really stand for.
No Civil rights, voter rights....
No government ability to stop discrimination.
No public education.
No free college education.
No public health insurance.
No Environmental Protection Agency.
No Department of Labor, Education, Commerce…. Without income taxes, no agencies at all!
No Breaking up Banks, in fact, the sky’s the limit!
No Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP…
No National Parks, Monuments, Wilderness areas, Wildlife refuges…
No governmental control on the “Free Market”. Welcome to the dog eat dog society.
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So as the courtship of the Bernie or Bust movement begins, maybe a question you might want to ask yourself is, is the Libertarian world the world Bernie Sanders has been fighting for for most of his life?