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Well, A lot of people don't know anything about Libertarians,
so maybe I should start by explaining that a bit. Libertarians
want a smaller government. They think that with a smaller
government, life would be just plain better. They believe that
everyone should be free to do as they wish as long as it
doesn't interfere with other people's rights to do the same.
This sounds very good, but technically, so does communism. If
the libertarians could really pull this off, I would be a very
happy man.
Now then, onto the
candidate. This particular candidates "Wants" is
what makes me question the Libertarian's ability to pull of
the whole "Freedom government" idea.
Taken from http://issues2000.org/Harry_Browne_Budget_&_Economy.htm
Browne would eliminate funding for the following:
- Agricultural programs
- Arts funding
- Education
- Environmental programs
- International aid
- Medical research
- NASA
- National Parks
- Scientific research
- Transportation and Highway Infrastructure
- Welfare.
Browne would greatly decrease funding for the following:
- Defense
- Law enforcement.
Ok... Hmm... This is quite
curious... "Let's let people do as they wish as long as
they don't take that right from others, but let's at the same
time make the police force small enough that we couldn't stop
the people that do go too far." Make any sense to anyone
else? For this policy to work, 99.99999% of America's
population would have to be happy with not interfering with
other peoples rights. Call me cynical if you want, but I don't
have that kind of trust in humanity.
I'm even more concerned about what
he'll cut funding to all together. As much of a grudge that I
have against the public school system, they need educational
funding to try to straighten their sorry little asses
out.
As for NASA, while I think they
should have a fairly low priority, I would like them to
continue existing so that by the time we completely kill the
earth, we have an option other then "Let's sit on this
toxic waste dump of a planet and wait to be killed by solar
radiation coming through the almost non-existent ozone
layer." I mean, humans really are a higher breed of
locusts, when you think about it, but since I am one of the
locusts, I have a certain interest in having the breed able to
continue swarming long after our natural habitat is destroyed.
And eliminating federal funded
medical research? I'm still hoping that a cure for AIDS will
be found someday! Chances are it wont be found very quickly
with only private funding.
Now
in the perfect world, I would hop on the Libertarian
band-wagon in half a second, but as it is, even though it
looks like me and Browne have a lot of the same opinions, I
just don't think America could handle someone THAT liberal
yet. Maybe one day, but right now I can just imagine the
shit-storm that all this would unleash.
Not that it matters, even if
Browne could somehow get elected (And don't get me wrong, I
would probably vote for Browne on my "Lesser evil"
policy) I doubt he would be able to pull off all that he wants
to do. The President is only one man and would probably get
voted out if he tried to pass any law that was too
extreme.
Harry Browne as President would
work in a perfect world, but look at Howard Stern's pay-check
and tell me if you think this world is perfect.
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