The problem with the Libertarian Party is that it is a political party. A true libertarian would not pledge allegiance to a party, but should recognize that his or her personal views carry the value of a vote that needs to be earned.
Our government has become a true cesspool of corruption between elected representatives and the wealthy masters who they serve. A party that controls a majority, can demand more bribery money for their support. I have no doubt that the Libertarian Party would become equally corrupt if it came to power.
The real strength of the American people is the collection of individuals, not the strength of the group. We must demand that our elected representatives be accountable to us, the people, not a political party.
Another foundation of our strength is that we have a Constitutional Republic bound by a constitution to protect individuals or minorities from the masses. Anyone who has read or studied the U.S. Constitution has to admire the debates of our forefathers while creating such a revolutionary document, even with bitter disagreements among themselves about the shared, but limited, powers of government and where they should lie. Thomas Jefferson stood out for me as the leader of personal liberty in regards to the creation of our Constitution.
As a political party, Libertarians will never have any real power, and will be doomed to locking horns with the Green Party to keep control of a very distant (and irrelevant) third place in party politics.
However, if the party was scrapped, and it became a Libertarian Movement, there would be significant attention paid to their efforts by both parties, but specifically the Republicans who would strive to win Libertarian votes. The movement could also appeal to moderate Democrats who were willing address the concerns of Libertarians.
In time, the movement could rapidly grow in numbers as both Republicans and Democrats left their respective parties, registered as independents, and joined the Libertarian movement. The appeal? A real voice in controlling the actions of the government. Politicians from both parties would have to answer to the movement, which under proper leadership, would push for libertarian values under the umbrella of centrist control. This would reduce the outer fringe elements of political influence, and restore some voter control over our elected legislative bodies.
It is my belief that the single most destructive element to individual liberty in the United States is the corrupted two-party system where each party is solely focused building party strength by demonizing the members of the other party.
This is the primary cause of political division in this country. They have put the majority of Americans into an “us versus them” box, regardless of the party to which you belong.
The real fight is the “us” (the citizens) versus “them” (the government). Another party is just more division; however, a true movement of enlightened, freedom loving Americans who demand a government that serves us and obeys our Constitution, could actually start a true political revolution.
* Mark Tyndale is a retired homicide detective from the Sacramento Police Department, where he worked for 25 years. He also served in the U.S. Air Force for 6 years as a law enforcement/K-9 handler. His 31 years of law enforcement experience has given him the wisdom to become libertarian in beliefs; but he is not a member of the Libertarian Party. He is a registered independent voter.
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Very interesting idea.
[…] End The Libertarian Party and Start the Libertarian Movement! Mark Tyndale, November 16, 2017November 16, 2017, Activism, Culture, Featured Articles, Guest Opinions, Philosophy, Politics, Democrats, libertarian […]
Clearly the author has never been involved in any political party and has no idea how the duopoly makes what he wants to accomplish almost impossible. Yes the two party system must be broken but it will take major electoral reforms such as Ranked Choice Voting to throw the bums out. As long as the Ds and Rs have total control of who you can vote for and people fear the so-called spoiler effect things are not going to change. If you want to make a difference get involved in electoral reform. In the meantime the Libertarian Party, which at least can sometimes actually get the old party candidates to discuss issues rather than just sling mud, is our best hope. It is just a tool to be used as best as it can. It has nothing to do with pledging allegiance to a party. What you pledge when you join the LP is that you support the Non-Aggression Principle (NAP).
The real path forward is to get a few more states to adopt apportioned votes in the Electoral College instead of winner-take-all. Nebraska and Maine already do this – 2 state-wide electoral votes, and 1 for each Congressional district. If you can get enough states to move to this model – say 40-50 electoral votes – you now have a chance for a third party to have political clout, even with the Electoral College majority of the votes clause in the Constitution. Of course, the unintended consequence of having 3rd parties dominate national agendas – like Europe parliamentary governments – is there.
Californians (including many Democrats) seriously considered apportioning their electoral votes with the intended result of forcing Presidential candidates to campaign in California instead of just raising money there. However, the DNC got wind of what was happening, and shut it down to avoid losing the Democratic Party lock on California’s electoral votes.
It would help if swing states were to take the first step, with no constitutional amendment required. But swing states already enjoy lots of political attention.
The real issue is that most Americans do not hold Libertarian values, despite their protestations. Until more can be persuaded, neither an electorally successful Libertarian Party nor a hijacked Republican Party is going to happen.
Based on a number of polls I’ve seen it appears that about 20% of voters (people?) hold Libertarian values. In a PR system using Ranked Choice that should potentially allow the election of 1 Libertarian in a 5 member district. I don’t know what the comparable numbers are for the Green Party or any others.
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[…] End The Libertarian Party and Start the Libertarian Movement! – November 16, 2017 […]
Not sure if that’s an effective approach. However, I do like what the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance has been doing. It would be nice to see libertarians take a pro-environmental stance to lure Green Party members over who do not want a bigger government but responsible management and use of natural resources. Just like how Libertarians address the issues of crony capitalism (albeit with a lack of understanding left-wing market anarchism), there’s a potential to advance the platform on environmental issues. Respect property rights of others, also means that the land, air, and water we consume must be protected from degradation. We can’t have the runaway system that we did during the industrial revolution and unfortunately that’s what image is portrayed in people’s minds about the LP. We need a new fresh approach instead of being fiscally conservative, socially liberal (it’s not enough). Corporations, industry, and government need to be held accountable for damaging the environment and squandering natural resources. If the LP could evolve its platform to address those issues (as well social issues, (think Bleeding Heart Libertarians) it would certainly help. You are correct in the aspect that it’s possible the LP could end up just being another corrupt political party if it doesn’t hold true to its core values and principles. However, the platform needs a bit more depth. Just my two cents that are not worth much.
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