It didn't take the righties who have co-opted control of the Libertarian National Committee from laying out their new agenda for the Libertarian Party, and it's headed exactly where centrists and radicals alike have been warning -- neocon talking points.
Go here and read the new LP Birthday Agenda from Bill Redpath. I'll wait for you.
The list Redpath produces looks like something from FreedomWorks -- a right-wing Republican think tank headed up by former congressman Dick Armey (where can I sign up?!?). It's all about phoney "free markets" (which haven't existed in this country for almost 100 years), some swipes at the UAW (with no swipes at AIG or other companies who have received handouts several orders of magnitude larger than the UAW has demanded in its history.
Also informative and interesting is what is missing.
The leader of the party founded largely in opposition to the Vietnam War will not oppose foreign wars of occupation. This is not a surprise -- Aaron Starr and others on the LNC who pushed Ms. Keaton out the door are outspoken proponents of foreign military interventionism. Keaton's involvement in AntiWar.com, not her free-spirited banter, were the real "unacceptable situation" to these jokers.
The leader of the party founded largely in defense of individual liberties cannot even be bothered to put in a single line about civil liberties, opposing the USA PATRIOT Act, stopping warrantless wiretaps, halting unreasonable searches and seizures motivated by race, defending the rights of individuals to speak out against the government, nor eliminating the abuse of secrecy laws.
On your individual rights, the chairman of the Libertarian Party couldn't be bothered to comment on a commitment by his National Committee to work towards the repeal of anti-gay laws, racial preference/discriminatory laws, an end to the War on Some Drugs, an end to the War on Sexual Liberties (howdy Starchild) or even hint at them.
As a national board member of perhaps the largest and most active Libertarian Party organization outside of the party structure itself, Outright Libertarians, I'm utterly mystified to see the degree to which -- despite netting positive press and fighting off the media hounds for these jokers -- our issues have been completely and utterly ignored.
I personally won't be making THAT mistake again.
I hate to say I Told You So, but, as in the Ron Paul newsletters and countless other bizarre Libertarian "close your eyes and WISH and we'll magically win" episodes, this latest incarnation of the LP is not only completely undifferentiated and boring, but it's not going to succeed. Angry white guys who hate gays and want lower taxes have the GOP. People concerned about vanishing liberties typically value ALL of them, not "just" the economic ones. And the vast majority of non-voters who represent our biggest opportunity for growth tend to be neither white nor male.
The New LP that the Glorious Organization of Republican Ex-members seeks to create is nothing more than the Republican Party with a couple of twists -- half the IQ points and twice the waistline.
It's your party. Do something about it now (and in 2010). I'm not going to anymore, I'm tired of shouting myself hoarse.
Go here and read the new LP Birthday Agenda from Bill Redpath. I'll wait for you.
The list Redpath produces looks like something from FreedomWorks -- a right-wing Republican think tank headed up by former congressman Dick Armey (where can I sign up?!?). It's all about phoney "free markets" (which haven't existed in this country for almost 100 years), some swipes at the UAW (with no swipes at AIG or other companies who have received handouts several orders of magnitude larger than the UAW has demanded in its history.
Also informative and interesting is what is missing.
The leader of the party founded largely in opposition to the Vietnam War will not oppose foreign wars of occupation. This is not a surprise -- Aaron Starr and others on the LNC who pushed Ms. Keaton out the door are outspoken proponents of foreign military interventionism. Keaton's involvement in AntiWar.com, not her free-spirited banter, were the real "unacceptable situation" to these jokers.
The leader of the party founded largely in defense of individual liberties cannot even be bothered to put in a single line about civil liberties, opposing the USA PATRIOT Act, stopping warrantless wiretaps, halting unreasonable searches and seizures motivated by race, defending the rights of individuals to speak out against the government, nor eliminating the abuse of secrecy laws.
On your individual rights, the chairman of the Libertarian Party couldn't be bothered to comment on a commitment by his National Committee to work towards the repeal of anti-gay laws, racial preference/discriminatory laws, an end to the War on Some Drugs, an end to the War on Sexual Liberties (howdy Starchild) or even hint at them.
As a national board member of perhaps the largest and most active Libertarian Party organization outside of the party structure itself, Outright Libertarians, I'm utterly mystified to see the degree to which -- despite netting positive press and fighting off the media hounds for these jokers -- our issues have been completely and utterly ignored.
I personally won't be making THAT mistake again.
I hate to say I Told You So, but, as in the Ron Paul newsletters and countless other bizarre Libertarian "close your eyes and WISH and we'll magically win" episodes, this latest incarnation of the LP is not only completely undifferentiated and boring, but it's not going to succeed. Angry white guys who hate gays and want lower taxes have the GOP. People concerned about vanishing liberties typically value ALL of them, not "just" the economic ones. And the vast majority of non-voters who represent our biggest opportunity for growth tend to be neither white nor male.
The New LP that the Glorious Organization of Republican Ex-members seeks to create is nothing more than the Republican Party with a couple of twists -- half the IQ points and twice the waistline.
It's your party. Do something about it now (and in 2010). I'm not going to anymore, I'm tired of shouting myself hoarse.
Comments
They must have changed it, then, because the first item on the list now is "The Libertarian Party will never use your money to bailout private corporations".