Election Analysis
Just before the election Dick Armey wrote in the Washington Post
we go from the big ideas and vision of 1994 to the cheap political
point-scoring on meaningless wedge issues of today -- from passing
welfare reform and limited government to banning horsemeat and
same-sex marriage?
Good Question. As someone who watched excitedly as Newt Gingrich
became the first Republican speaker in four decades, I partly agree
with Armey when he says:
party's principles, became enamored with power and position, and began
putting politics over policy.
Yes the Republicans clearly forgot their principles between 1994 and
now. They delivered only small tax cuts. Then broke their promises to
cut from the budget entire cabinet departments. Instead they've gone
on the costliest spending binge of all time. Non-defense spending has
increased more during the Bush years than any other President. They
fortunately let the Clinton gun ban expire, but that required no
action on their part. There has been no significant attempt to roll
back gun control since the Republicans took control of Congress.
However Republicans principles are not exactly Libertarian principles.
Republicans are generally pretty bad on most civil rights, instead
preferring "law and order." The PATRIOT ACT was certainly not
unexpected. However what they have done recently regarding torture,
habeas corpus, and Posse Comitatus is extreme even for them.
Of course the biggest issue is the War. Republicans again break with
Libertarians and seem to like to wage war (except when it is one of
Clinton's wars). We all know the Iraq War is fast becoming a complete
and total disaster. Most Libertarians realized this would be the
case. Unfortunately Republicans don't seem to be figuring it out.
So the Republicans betrayed their principles of lower taxes, less
spending, and restoring our 2nd amendment rights. However they
delivered on their promises of less freedom and fewer civil rights.
In fact they over delivered here. Finally they got us involved in a
costly and increasingly unpopular war. For a nation that loves peace,
prosperity, and freedom, it is no wonder the Republicans lost this
election.
So what do the Democrats promise us? Of course they will get us out
of the War. They will restore our civil rights. Finally they'll
increase taxes, increase the minimum wage, and "reform" healthcare.
But what is their track record?
Clinton certainly gave us enough small wars and we still have troops
in Bosnia and Kosovo. I seriously doubt they'll take the necessary
action (i.e. deny money for the war) to force Bush to withdraw from
Iraq.
How about the restoration of our civil rights? Most of the current
Democrats voted for the PATRIOT ACT and did little to fix it when it
came up for renewal earlier this year. They had enough votes in the
Senate to filibuster all of the other revocation of our civil rights,
but did not do it. Finally Democrats all too often fall for the trap
that it is government that grants you rights and that there are no
natural rights. It is this thinking kind of thinking that is most
scary to anyone who loves freedom. At best I think we'll see some
moderate "reforms" to restore some of our rights but it won't
significantly undo what the Republicans have done. [Update: I just
saw the next Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, on CNN's
Situation Room. The betrayal has already begun. Pelosi says
impeachment is off the table. Also off the table is cutting funding of
the Iraq war. That was quick! Ok yes impeachment is a bit extreme,
but ending the Iraq war was the whole point.]
So finally we're left with the Democrat's big government agenda.
Increase taxes, increase the minimum wage, and "reform" healthcare.
Since most of the Bush tax cuts were temporary, I'm fairly certain the
Democrats will let them expire (it requires no action on their part so
it is fairly certain to happen).
I think they will succeed in increasing the minimum wage. Most places
pay a lot more than the current minimum wage so it will end up being
mainly a feel-good measure that has little effect. Yes it will force
some companies out of business and make it more difficult for young or
unskilled workers to get jobs, but fortunately this is not an
extremely large segment of the population.
Finally healthcare "reform." Hillarycare will be back along with
several proposals to move us at varying speeds towards fullblown
socialized medicine. This was where the Democrats overreached the
last time they were in power. I have a feeling they will do it again.
In a few more years, people will realize that the Democrats didn't get
us out of the war fast enough, won't restore our civil rights, and
have gone out of control with their "liberal" big government programs.
We'll have another election this time with the Republicans winning
big. Of course they'll once again become corrupted by the political
power and in a few more years the Democrats will have a big electoral
victory who will also once again become corrupted and lead to a big
Republican victory, and so forth and so on ad nauseum.
There is only one solution to this vicious cycle of the two parties
promising freedom, prosperity, and peace, while delivering oppression,
expensive bloated government programs, and war. That solution is the
Libertarian Party. Only by rejecting big government's so-called
solutions, can we ever start returning to traditional American
Constitutional government. Voting for a party that supports some
economic freedoms but supports oppressive government in other areas or
a party that supports some civil rights but supports big government in
economics will end up getting us nothing but more big government
oppression. Only the Libertarian party supports all of your rights
all of the time. Voting for such party is the only way we'll ever fix
the current disaster.
Of course for voters to be able to vote Libertarian, the party needs
to have candidate. If you are a Libertarian or anyone who wants to
see change, you need to run or otherwise get involved. There was only
one Libertarian candidate this year. That was Bill Wood up in 10th
Congressional District (about as far away from Richmond as you can
get). That needs to change for next year, when the entire General
Assembly and a number of Board of Supervisors (Henrico is one of them)
and City Councils are up for election. To run, please contact your
local Libertarian Party.