Do you think the Libertarian party could play a major role in U.S. politics.......?

Question

If they would modify their position on the legalization of drugs?

Answer 1

Become the pro-pot party. Now thats an issue voters can get energized about. No one cares about the deficit or the war but Give me pot or give me death would rally California to the cause.

Answer 2

I'm in agreement with donthateme regarding the morality of changing your platform not on ethical considerations but rather on how you can appeal to more people. But, as a practical matter, I don't think it matters even a little bit. Republicans and conservatives find the Libertarian party distasteful because we want to keep the government out of people's private lives. That means that yes, abortions would be legal. So would gay marriage. So would most of the "traditional family values" aspects of the platform the republican party preaches (but rarely practices). Throw in the fact that Libertarians DESPISE corporate welfare and would like an open border system, and most republicans won't touch us with a ten foot pole. Then you have the democrats and the liberals. While they might agree with us regarding social freedoms they are abhorred by our economic policies. No welfare? No Medicaid? No medicare? No food stamps? No social security? No universal health care? How will people feed, house, and take care of themselves without a massive, inefficient, federal program to do it for them? Libertarians stand for personal responsibility and charity that is freely given, so most democrats won't touch us with a ten foot pole.

So what's the point? The point is that legalizing drugs is actually a pretty small issue. The big issues are social and economic freedoms, and how much the various sides feel you should have. Until people are willing to accept that freedom means responsibility and the possibility that people are going to do things you don't like, the Libertarians will have a difficult time playing a major role in U.S. politics. If you truly want to help the LP find a more effective voice, check out the Libertarian Reform Caucus.

Answer 3

If Libertarians were to modify their policy on the legalization of drugs, they would cease to be libertarians. In case you don't know, libertarian is for as little government interference as possible. This includes ridiculous drug laws and tax laws.

If we as a party were to drop that in order to play a bigger part in the US political landscape, then we would be doing exactly what the democrats and republicans are doing and that is pandering to some stupid mass of people in order to get power. That is not the kind of political party I wish to affiliate with and a major reason I consider myself a libertarian.

So no, I don't think its a good idea to give up on a fundamental principle because you want to attempt to get more power. Educating the people about all the issues would make the libertarian party more powerful, but then the big-boys don't want an educated populous because they would be voted out on their asses.

Answer 4

Drugs wouldn't even be the issue if the leaves said Pfizer.

The issue now is people see the Libertarian party as a step backwards in politics. I pray to the Gods that someday people will play out in such a way as to help modify the US into a place where different thinking will be accepted more openly.

Until the politicians need the change, things wont change. Like the stepdown from the Kyoto compromise because the elected officials don't want to have to get rid of their SUVs. Its disgusting how little accountability these people have.

Answer 5

At the moment, it is virtually impossible for any candidate to make it to the top without Corporate spending. No matter how they dislike doing it, there is just no other way to make money, and it takes a fortune in advertising and campaigning to run for office these days.

Few corporations would donate to the Libertarian Party. We have a two-party system and it will not change until the people themselves get together to vote as a bloc to change things.

As far as drugs go, most people are fed to the teeth with the War on Drugs, but it supports the government with hefty fines and confiscations. Remember, too, our prison systems have been privatized and they are a profit-making bunch these days. A simple arrest for marijuana possession sends kids to court, with a $200 fine, a $90 Probation Evaluation fee. If they go to jail, they have to pay the $65 daily jail charges. Then, if put on Probation, they must pay $35 monthly, as well as about $12 weekly or more frequently for urine testing.

When you realize that most of our young people are either jobless or working underpaid entry-level jobs, this is quite a burden for a puff or two of pot, but it does keep the coffers full because the parents usually foot the bill.

No politician in today's world would sign a bill eliminating this Money Pot.

Answer 6

The Libertarian party could be a viable force in American politics if it organized itself better. It collects all the kooks and nut cases dropped from ballots by the two major parties and since they are the loudest, they become the 'voice' of the Libertarian party. Correctly organized, (by organized, I mean have a valid platform ameniable to the majority of all citizens - not based on drug use or some other rabble rousing rallying cry) manned by rational, intelligent individuals, it could make a difference and become a major player on the political stage.

Answer 7

the two the Dem's' and re pubs' can hardly agree on something even whilst they want the comparable ingredient. till you bypass to c-span you will no longer see lots insurance of one/3 occasion applicants. great companies make extensive contributions to applicants they help,you're constrained in how lots you are able to donate to a candidate in my opinion. companies set up committees and communities to help and fund applicants. the main modern-day financial disaster regulations have been written via the banking marketplace for congress to make into regulation and it bit them interior the butt. the different difficulty is that some human beings vote for one million occasion each and every of the time,the two via fact they help that occasion each and every of the time and have faith it rather is the sole occasion to do whats ideal,or they are upset with the different occasion for some reason. the two events want it their way and could compromise some to get their way. If what I study on the cyber web final night is even one million/2 authentic,this election won't count besides. If we've yet another attack like 9/11 or a important catastrophe earlier the elections F.E.M.A . will take administration and George Bush will substitute into the authentic ability of government. If it occurs after the elections and earlier the hot president takes place of work,i do no longer understand what is going to ensue. G.W. signed an govt order for the continuity of government and F.E.M.A. will take over and droop the form and the President stands out as the cohesion govt. Congress and the wonderful courtroom will nevertheless exist yet could have little or no voice,the President has the wonderful say in all concerns. there became additionally yet another website speaking related to the formation of the North American Union (Canada,U.S. and Mexico forming a union like the E.U. and the U.S. shape would be long previous.

Answer 8

We would all benefit from a libertarian society. Paramount issues are to end aggressive foreign policy, restore our civil liberties, and halt the rapid expansion of government. If we get that far we can have thorough and true analysis of government programs and it will be easy to show that government never delivers as promised. Many of these are just academic topics because they would not be priorities, but listing the issues mentioned in this question:

Drug War : Has cost billions, put a million people in jail, especially minorities, and is the root of most crime in this country. All of this for no statistically significant change in drug use. This can not be the pillar of an LP run, but eventually a libertarian society would have to address it.
Lead paint on toys: The companies were not caught by the government they were caught by private parties and paid severely for it.
Our food supply: if UL can protect your house from burning down we could replace the FDA if we wanted to. It can be shown that the FDA does not protect you now.
Mortgage fraud: this is a problem caused by several government programs backing risky loans
Terrorism: caused by US policies. The cure is more toxic than the disease.
Education: extremely inefficient and ineffective; too much government influence in the system.
Discrimination: Government putting people into groups and giving them special protections doesn’t end discrimination it just perpetuates the groups hating each other.
Energy: free market would have solved energy problems a long time ago if government was not in the way protecting their friends.
Our Infrastructure: gas tax is really a usage fee, if we used 100% of it for infrastructure we would be fine.
Military protection of our country – look at Switzerland, 500 years of peace and prosperity, defense only.
Social Security/Medicare/Medicade - listen to David Walker, there is no way we can afford these things in their current form, you already owe $350,000 in debt for them – if we do not change course government will be 75% of the economy by 2025, your grandchildren will be enslaved with more crushing debt than post WWI Germany (leading to the rise of Hitler).

Several leading poles indicate that Americans agree that government is way too big and way too intrusive and that they would be willing to give up some services to get government out of their lives and let us make our own decisions. Until we have a titlewave of public opinion wash all of the politicians out of office, government will continue to creep bigger and bigger. In fact it has doubled in size overall almost every 2 years for my entire life. When will it end?

Answer 9

That's like asking if the NAACP would be more effective if they stopped advocating for racial equality.

One can not be libertarian and accept any government interference on personal choices - that goes for drugs, abortion, prostitution, pornography, and even zoning laws or smoking bans.

They do not believe in compulsory public education. They do not believe in social security or medicare. They do not believe in pollution standards, product safety laws... I could go on and on.

If we were and always had been a libertarian society we would be living in a crime-ridden third world polluted cesspool of have and have-nots. Only half the population would be literate and American productivity, which is the economic envy of the world, even with all of the regulatory baggage, would be on a par with other nation that is largely made up of a poor, illiterate underclass. The Internet and this very forum would not even exist.

Answer 10

The Libertarians probably represent the beliefs of a large number of Americans. The problem is that they are a third party in a system that has made it virtually impossible for third parties to gain any ground, for reasons too numerous to list here. We need a drastic restructuring of our current electoral system in each state before third party candidates will start getting elected posts in larger numbers.

I doubt the drug thing is very large on people's minds at this point in time.

Answer 11

No.

Their position (like the republicans) of a small federal government and low taxes, for example, just doesn't work in 2007. One hundred years ago it was a fine position to have.

The fact remains that a "normal" citizen needs protection beyond a "Buyer Beware" mentality.

Lead paint on toys from China and other imports.
Our food supply. Both imported and home grown.
Mortgage fraud.
International and home grown Terrorism.
First class education.
Discrimination.
Energy.
Our Infrastructure.
Military protection of our country.
Social Security/Medicare/Medicade

These, along with others, are areas that the Federal government needs to be involved in for the protection/betterment of its citizens. They all require money and taxes and to bring up "States Rights" is an "old school" way of thinking.