Free State Observer

I joined the Libertarian Party in early 2002.  Although I had known of the party for years, had had libertarian leanings all my life, had been voting since I was 18 and never joined either the Democrats or the Republicans, it took me a while to formally join the LP.  The primary reason was simple fear.  I had always been a willfully nondescript, blend-into-the-crowd citizen who paid my taxes, stopped at red lights, waited my turn in line, and although I was increasingly cognizant of the foul stench emanating from the cities of Sacramento and Washington D.C., I figured that if I just kept my head down and my name off “the list”, I could avoid more than the normal amount of abuse from the political powers-that-be.

What was different about early 2002?  Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, it’s easy to look that up:

1/29/2002 In President George W. Bush’s state of the union speech, he identifies Iraq, along with Iran and North Korea, as an “axis of evil.” He vows that the U.S. “will not permit the world’s most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world’s most destructive weapons.”

6/2/2002 President Bush publicly introduces the new defense doctrine of preemption in a speech at West Point. In some instances, the president asserts, the U.S. must strike first against another state to prevent a potential threat from growing into an actual one: “Our security will require all Americans…[to] be ready for preemptive action when necessary to defend our liberty and to defend our lives. source: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/iraqtimeline2.html

There comes a time in each man’s (and woman’s) life when he must stand up and be counted.  I believe that it is wrong / evil/ verboten/ naughty/ bad BAD!/ not kosher/ most non-triumphant to attack, invade and/or occupy other sovereign nations.  I chose to state this by putting my name on “the list” and being counted as a Libertarian.  Up until two days ago, this is what the official Libertarian Party platform had to say on the matter of foreign intervention:

Foreign Intervention
The Issue: Intervention in the affairs of other countries has provoked resentment and hatred of the United States among many groups and nations throughout the world. In addition, legal barriers to private and personal aid (both military and economic) have fostered internal discord.

The Principle: The United States should not inject itself into the internal matters of other nations, unless they have declared war upon or attacked the United States, or the U.S. is already in a constitutionally declared war with them.

Solutions: End the current U.S. government policy of foreign intervention, including military and economic aid, guarantees, and diplomatic meddling. Individuals should be free to provide any aid they wish that does not directly threaten the United States.

Transitional Action: Voluntary cooperation with any economic boycott should not be treated as a crime. End all limitation of private foreign aid, both military and economic. Repeal the Neutrality Act of 1794, and all other U.S. neutrality laws, which restrict the efforts of Americans to aid overseas organizations fighting to overthrow or change governments. End the incorporation of foreign nations into the U.S. defense perimeter. Cease the creation and maintenance of U.S. bases and sites for the pre-positioning of military material in other countries. End the practice of stationing American military troops overseas. We make no exceptions to the above. source: http://www.lp.org/issues/printer_platform_all.shtml#foreinte

At this year’s LP national convention, held in Portland OR on June 30 and July 1, a reform caucus successfully gutted the party platform of the majority of its content.  This is what the LP platform now has to say on the subject of foreign intervention:     .

As I understand it, the reform caucus had several proposed new platform planks that failed to get adopted, thus leaving the platform in its current pathetic gap-ridden state.  In the spirit of giving the benefit of the doubt, I looked up what they had hoped to get passed. Here is their new plank on foreign intervention: http://reformthelp.org/platform/intervention/p1.php  Note this gem: “Benefits: The government of the United States would still be free to act to counter would-be conquerors or mass murderers, or those who attack Americans.”  “Would-be”.  Preemption.

These are the times that try men’s souls, as Thomas Paine opined several hundred years ago.  I have loved being a member of the Libertarian Party.  I’ve met many fine people through the organization, and have been proud to stand beside them.  However, I will no longer be affiliated with it, as I no longer have any particular reason to do so.  I have met far more libertarians through the Free State Project than I ever did through the LP.  Organizations such as the Advocates for Self Government work to educate people on the precepts of libertarianism, the most fundamental of which is ZAP, the zero aggression principle (i.e. no preemption).  I’ll put my energy, money and hopes into these organizations.

Happy Independent Day!