Community | September 24, 2010 | 93 comments

Libertarians say Republicans owe apology, not pledge, to America

source: http://www.lp.org/news/press-releases/libertarians-say-republicans-owe-apology-not-pledge-to...

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shanklinmike
In response to the recent Republican "Pledge to America," Libertarian Party executive director Wes Benedict released the following statement:

Instead of a "Pledge to America," the Republicans should have written an "Apology to America." It should have gone something like this:

"We're sorry, America. Sorry we grew the federal government budget from $1.7 trillion to over $3 trillion. Sorry we added $5 trillion to the federal debt. Sorry we doubled the size of the Department of Education. Sorry we started two incredibly costly foreign wars. Sorry we supported the absurd and costly TARP bailouts. Sorry we created a huge and costly new Medicare entitlement. Sorry we did nothing to end the costly and destructive War on Drugs. Sorry we did nothing to reform the federal government's near-prohibition on immigration. But hey, at least we helped you by shifting a lot of your tax burden onto your children and grandchildren."

There are so many lies, distortions, hypocrisies, and idiocy in this document that it's hard to know where to start.

It is deeply insulting to see the Republicans refer to "America's founding values" on their cover. The Republican Party has no understanding whatsoever of America's founding values. They have proven and re-proven that for decades.

The document talks a lot about "tax cuts." Unfortunately, the Republican "tax cut" proposals would really do nothing to cut taxes. All their proposals achieve is to defer taxes, pushing the burden onto our children and grandchildren. The only real way to cut taxes is to cut government spending, and the Republican document does almost nothing in that regard.

The Republicans say they want to "roll back government spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels." In other words, to re-create the situation near the end of the Bush administration, after Republicans had massively increased federal spending on almost everything.

Republicans must love it when Democrats expand government, because it gives them the opportunity to propose small "cuts," while still ending up with huge government.

One shocking aspect of the document is that it actually includes subtle Republican proposals to increase government spending.

The Republicans offer no plan whatsoever to reduce military spending, America's foreign wars and nation building, or our military defense of rich foriegn nations. On the contrary, the Republicans apparently want to increase military spending, promising to "provide the resources, authority, and support our deployed military requires, fully fund missile defense, and enforce sanctions against Iran."

The Republicans also appear to want to increase government spending on border control. They say "We will ensure that the Border Patrol has the tools and authorities to establish operational control at the border," a costly proposition.

Furthermore, as expected, the document complains about "massive Medicare cuts," implying that Republicans want to make sure Medicare is kept gigantic.

The bulk of federal spending is in three places: Social Security, Medicare, and the military. The Republicans propose absolutely nothing to reduce spending on these three things, or even to slow down their growth.

There must be a typo in the document where it says "Undeterred by dismal results, Washington Democrats continue to double-down on their job-killing policies." That probably should read "Washington Democrats continue to double-down on *Republican* job-killing policies."

The best way to restore American prosperity would be to implement the straightforward 28 planks of the Libertarian Party platform, or even just follow the Constitution. I mean the actual Constitution, not the Republican re-write that allows for every federal government program imaginable.

I suppose the one positive aspect of the document is that it finally dispels any illusion that Republicans want to shrink government in any meaningful way.

Apparently the Republicans are hoping they can "fool some of the people all of the time." The Libertarian Party is ready to point out Republican lies and hypocrisy to American voters, and we hope that Americans who actually want small and constitutional government, not just hypocrisy and worthless rhetoric, will vote Libertarian this November.

The Libertarian Party has 21 candidates for U.S. Senate and 170 candidates for U.S. House in the upcoming November 2010 elections.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets and civil liberties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

http://www.lp.org/news/press-releases/libertarians-say-republicans-owe-apology-n...
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93 comments // Libertarians say Republicans owe apology, not pledge, to America

  • Tom_Martz
    • +1
      Tom_Martz  

    • Roy Blunt (R) MO bullied 26 other republicans to change their NO vote to YES so T.A.R.P. would pass, sadly he will also be our next senator

    • 1 year ago
  • PigFarmington
  • Toughth
    • +2
      Toughth  

    • They ignored the last contract with America, why think they can keep a pledge. Remember there are more corperate lawers on the Republican roster. They can't help being shysters.

    • 1 year ago
  • Mike_Beitler
    • +3
      Mike_Beitler  

    • If you think the Republicans are the answer, you are not paying attention. The Republicans are part of the problem. Senator Richard Burr (R) voted along with Pelosi and Reid for TARP and corporate welfare. Burr is a fiscal liberal.

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
  • shanklinmike
    • +2
      shanklinmike  
    • iamaman:

      I AM A REGISTERED LIBERTARIAN!

      Your lies and slander have gone far enough.

      Why the hell would a registered republican post anti-republican items?!?

      My goodness, you make no sense.

    • 1 year ago
  • Jack_Gannon
    • +1
      Jack_Gannon  
    • iamaman:

      Although Ron Paul is a Republican, he is also a Lifetime Member of the Libertarian National Party. This is what Robert Kraus the Operations Director of the Libertarian National Party told me.

      Mike Shanklin is a dues paying Supporting Member of the Libertarian National Party. I read this in the August, 2010 edition of LP News which is the official newspaper of the Libertarian National Party.

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
    • -3
      iamaman  
    • shanklinmike:

      so then you finaly switched your party then. why did it take so long to answer the question i asked last month? remember, you said, i am a registered republican like Ron Paul?

      fucking deluded liars, all libertariens!!!!

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
    • -3
      iamaman  
    • Jack_Gannon:

      shank is this your solution to all the congogirl bashing? so you invent jack Gofton?

      how pathetic? didnt you people learn anything from the republicans? i guess you did, when it comes to how to bull shit.

      all of a sudden congogilr dissapears and now jack gofton is shanks new "minime".

      shank get a life! stop voting yourself up thousands of times a day. you'll go blind!

    • 1 year ago
  • Jack_Gannon
  • iamaman
    • -3
      iamaman  
    • Jack_Gannon:

      i'm glad to be of service to the rest of us who are tired of the libertarien bull shit mind f'n political spam. now we can all think and have (somewhat) normal conversations with people like Baily! people are starting to talk about real stuff like literature and history because their not afraid to anymore.

      love the fact that you people just keep digging yourselfs deeper and deeper by unknowingly admiting you shankfollowers are all spammers with a political bent - originating from another website outside of Current. guess its a way for the corporations (websites) to force us to provide more "content" for the other sites.

      i'm guessing he sucks when it comes to speaking for himself. why should he be afraid? dont tell me.....let me guess...... he's "got his fingers in his vagina right now"? that is a comment he posted isn't it? or will the real perp step forward?

      for all we know stanklin is really........... Mike Beitler!
      ------------------------------------
      *Jackofton posted:

      I first became familiar with Mike Shanklin, thru our both being volunteers for Bob Barr's U.S. Presidential Campaign in 2008.

      Mike gets his 'posting support' at Current thru his 'very large' Libertarian group of followers!

      He has 'over 3,000' Subscribers to his YouTube Channel...
      http://www.youtube.com/user/mikeshanklin

      Also, he regularly asks these 'more than 100,000' Libertarian Party Facebook Fans to help... http://www.facebook.com/libertarians?ref=ts

      21 minutes ago flag reply

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
  • iamaman
  • Derek_Cooke
    • 0
      Derek_Cooke  
    • iamaman:

      What truth do you speak of? In a previous post you said Libertarians have no morals. Which party do suggest if I am to look for morals in DC? Oh! I'm actually a registered Independent, but very much in love with Liberty and limited government. Where does that put me in terms of morality?

    • 1 year ago
  • oppressed1
  • shanklinmike
    • +2
      shanklinmike  
    • oppressed1:

      Blame the thousands of other peaceful interaction advancers who vote these articles up. I appreciate the credit, but I am only 1 person. You can thank the thousands of others who have helped us vote these articles to the top of the site.

      Peace

    • 1 year ago
  • Stoneyroad
    • -1
      Stoneyroad  
    • shanklinmike:

      You are 1 person with multiple current accounts.
      How else do you explain the dozens of people who have no other activity here on current besides responding to your posts.

      Are they here in silence day after day, never posting, voting, or commenting on a single story unless it is posted by the great libertarian hope. Shanklin ?

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
  • Jack_Gannon
  • iamaman
  • fun_size
  • shanklinmike
    • +1
      shanklinmike  
    • fun_size:

      I hope you're also against the war on drugs, the wars overseas, the loss of privacy rights, the tax and spend gay bashing.....

      I'm sure there's lots of agree on, and will be more as you move closer to letting people do as they wish as long as they don't infringe on the rights of others.

    • 1 year ago
  • fun_size
    • +2
      fun_size  
    • shanklinmike:

      I was actually just kidding. I support many libertarian principles. However i do not agree with the way that they would go about achieving their goals. The libertarian approach is far too naive. By privatizing practically everything and relying on free market principles and the "peoples good will" Libertarians would devastate this country. There is a reason why we have restrictions on business and a reason why jobs like firefighting and police work are government jobs. Surely big government isnt a good thing... but big business is worse.

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
    • 0
      iamaman  

    • Jack gannon said, "I voted for the story only one time. Because a 'true story' has merit, and thus proliferates itself. But, Current 'automatically' continued my voting for it. This occurred by my 'Liking' the story on Facebook, and posting it on Digg, Twitter, and YahooBuzz."

      "Otherwise, if you don't like Mike's postings, then simply ignore them."

      http://current.com/users/Jack_Gannon.htm

      interesting that you just registered and that you have no followers and are not following anyone. not the first time (shank vandal)?

      since you sound like you respect him so much, i figured you'd also boost up the thousands following, so you'd choose shank to follow.

      i guess your real busy for one guy eh?

    • 1 year ago
  • Stoneyroad
    • 0
      Stoneyroad  
    • iamaman:

      Another LIE

      he claims the up votes "occurred by my Liking' the story on Facebook, and posting it on Digg, TWITTER, and YahooBuzz."

      But Jacks account does not have the "Peep" badge for sharing a story on twitter.

      All these half ass lies make me think Shanklin has a few puppet accounts he uses to post and promote his Libertarian views in general & Mike beitler specifically.

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
  • Oba_min_ation
    • -2
      Oba_min_ation  

    • For America to work we need to round the liberals and progressives up and send them off to socialist Cuba to show them how well their system works when fully implemented.

    • 1 year ago
  • shanklinmike
  • freecrack
    • +3
      freecrack  
    • Oba_min_ation:

      or europe.
      how about we round up (are you baiting people to call you nazi?) the conservatives and show them how thier approach works out.the middle east is a great example of how fundamentalism can stifle any and all progress, unless you think we shouldnt have gone any farther than the 9th century.wich you must not as you are on the internet.

    • 1 year ago
  • fun_size
    • +4
      fun_size  
    • Oba_min_ation:

      Stupidest thing i heard all day. For America to work we need BOTH the Democrats and Republicans to stop dicking around and playing around with our money and our lives all in the name of political posturing.

    • 1 year ago
  • DogBoy
    • 0
      DogBoy  
    • Oba_min_ation:

      In order for America to work we are going to have to train and retrain folks to fill the specific needs of the complicated job market. That will take a touch of socialism in the form of programs like Job corp. So if you against socialism or not you got it. You cannot take care of the needs of the many without social programs. You know like Social Security.

    • 1 year ago
  • DogBoy
  • fun_size
  • oppressed1
  • shanklinmike
  • fun_size
  • freecrack
  • EmperorThan
  • Stoneyroad
    • -1
      Stoneyroad  

    • Not only did you vote the story up 7 times (then lie about it) your new buddy Jack Gannon voted it up 5 times. And surprise surprise, he is another posting buddy of yours who only comes here to up your Libertarian storys to force us to pay attention to them.
      No comments or votes on anything not posted by you.

    • 1 year ago
  • Jack_Gannon
    • +1
      Jack_Gannon  
    • Stoneyroad:

      I voted for the story only one time. Because a 'true story' has merit, and thus proliferates itself. But, Current 'automatically' continued my voting for it. This occurred by my 'Liking' the story on Facebook, and posting it on Digg, Twitter, and YahooBuzz.

      Otherwise, if you don't like Mike's postings, then simply ignore them.

    • 1 year ago
  • freecrack
  • iamaman
  • iamaman
  • shanklinmike
    • +1
      shanklinmike  
    • Stoneyroad:

      HAHA, how the hell can ONE account vote up an article 7 times?!?!?

      What about the green arrow? I guess they just give me account special privileges?!?

      I didn't lie about anything. If the system is saying I voted 7, or 1029384019234809324 times, it is incorrect. I get 1 vote just like everyone else.

      If you think there's a glitch, speak with current.com.....

      as if 1 account could have multiple votes...... liar!

    • 1 year ago
  • Stoneyroad
  • iamaman
  • Stoneyroad
    • +1
      Stoneyroad  
    • shanklinmike:

      Like nobody here has noticed half the time you vote a story up it lets you do it again.

      I voted up my own story 3 times yesterday just to give it a boost into the top 10.
      But i don't do it constantly to force the story on current, And would never make multiple accounts to circle jerk myself in front of everyone with up'd comments & votes.

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
    • +1
      iamaman  
    • Stoneyroad:

      you said, "But i don't do it constantly to force the story on current, And would never make multiple accounts to circle jerk myself in front of everyone...."

      ROFLMAO!!! 1^d

    • 1 year ago
  • freecrack
  • freecrack
    • -1
      freecrack  
    • freecrack:

      ive got to say really, these parts are getting petty.
      i have posted legitimate commentary that should have earned massive negative votes (yes partly for the badge, just like pavlovs dogs) yet they didnt not.but i applaude some ones efforts while not agreeing with thier stance, and that gets me a negative five vote.
      so sad how it is more about cliques that substance.the tea party is waiting for all you haters, they have a seat just waiting for you.

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
  • Stoneyroad
    • +1
      Stoneyroad  
    • iamaman:

      336 views + 16 comments + 24 hours as #2 story = Forcing yourself on Current community. That is a habit of Shanklin, Ron Paul gives a speech or Libertarians put out a press release & it's his job to catapult the propaganda here on current.

    • 1 year ago
  • shanklinmike
  • Stoneyroad
  • freecrack
    • -1
      freecrack  
    • shanklinmike:

      for what it is worth while i was unemployed and bearly able to eek out a survival, it was concluded that i was on the adl,hasbarah,and aipac payroll.
      it would have been nice if it were true, getting paid for your passion and all.

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
    • +1
      iamaman  
    • freecrack:

      you said, "it was concluded that....." WTF? let me guess........(since i'll have to).

      are you suggesting that shank and congo girl are the same person and that they/he/she is a payed political troll?

      or just that you wish you were smart enough to be one?

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
  • freecrack
    • 0
      freecrack  
    • iamaman:

      no conclusion or even supposition, i was just comisserating with a fellow current member who has been publicaly branded as something he may or may not be.thanks for jumping at the slightest chance to start shit though.

      i can only wish to be as smart as you, as i recall 3rd grade mentality being rather pleasant.maybe one day with enough luck and substance abuse(or any number of head traumas) i can attain the level of intelligence to match yours.

    • 1 year ago
  • Stoneyroad
  • iamaman
  • freecrack
  • iamaman
  • freecrack
  • iamaman
  • iamaman
  • ThatCrazyLibertarian
  • shanklinmike
    • 0
      shanklinmike  
    • iamaman:

      Wow, show a couple extremists, and "forget" to mention the THIRD side in the equation! Those of us who understand property rights and self-ownership enough to realize the importance of keeping the centralized coercive monopoly out of it's corporate socialism power grab!

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkA_Af_pgMs

      Everyone knows that today, companies would be GREATLY harmed with racist activity (outside the your local KKK meetup group - which they have the right to meet under the 1st amendment and freedom of speech). It's not as if Libertarians endorse distasteful behavior, just like they don't encourage drug use simply for being against the war on drugs. It's that Libertarians realize that the story goes much further than - "if you don't vote for government in racism you're evil"...., it's about solving these issues in peaceful means, versus through coercive means.

      Libertarians realize that people have the right to do business with whoever they wish, and whoever they do not wish. It's not that the civil rights movement came about because of government. For years governments backed up slavery, and forced segregation through Jim Crow laws.... making segregation mandatory under law! What we need is a society where people can do as they wish, including minorities (which individual rights are the real new minority) as long as they don't infringe on others. This still protects blacks from KKK raids while enabling xenophobic white people the right to live their bigoted lives as they see fit, hopefully far away from me.

      The answer is not coercion and government force, but education.

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
    • -1
      iamaman  
    • shanklinmike:

      all i ever here you saying is "blah blah blah.......our country sucks cuz our president is black."

      try getting some new links. i think i've seen them all at least three times each over the last year.

      its getting old!

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
  • iamaman
  • oppressed1
  • toyotabedzrock
    • +5
      toyotabedzrock  

    • You know they left the Author tags on the copy of the pledge they gave reporters. It was written by a lobbyist that worked for AIG up until last year.

    • 1 year ago
  • freecrack
  • sudopinion
  • shanklinmike
  • Kaveh_Kompani
  • shanklinmike
  • Jack_Gannon
    • -1
      Jack_Gannon  
    • Image

    • Quit putting Republicans and Democrats in national power! They're the ones who got us into this mess!! Stop your voting insanity now!!! Vote Libertarian!!!!

    • 1 year ago
  • iamaman
  • shanklinmike
    • -1
      shanklinmike  
    • iamaman:

      Bush started the military industrial complex and the Federal Reserve?

      Sorry, but you're wrong once again. That has been a joint effort by the republicans AND democrats over a century!

      You're statism is the problem, not people living in peaceful interactions and voluntaryism.

    • 1 year ago
  • observer2121
    • 0
      observer2121  
    • Jack_Gannon:

      Sorry but Libertarians are not the answer. They basically believe the social role that government plays is not necessary and that could not be further from the truth. In society especially today there has to be some powerful force that sticks up for the small guy. The republicans never do this ever but I will say at least the democrats try sometimes when it suits them.

    • 1 year ago
  • observer2121
  • Jack_Gannon
    • 0
      Jack_Gannon  
    • Image
    • observer2121:

      So you can better understand, here's an excerpt from the website of the Libertarian Party - The Party of Principle... Minimum Government, Maximum Freedom.

      Issues > Poverty and Welfare > Highlights of the Libertarian Party's "Ending the Welfare State" Proposal

      2. Establish a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for contributions to private charity
      If the federal government's attempt at charity has been a dismal failure, private efforts have been much more successful. America is the most generous nation on earth. We already contribute more than $125 billion annually to charity. However, as we phase out inefficient government welfare, private charities must be able to step up and fill the void.

      To help facilitate this transfer of responsibility from government welfare to private charity, the federal government should offer a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for contributions to private charities that provide social-welfare services. That is to say, if an individual gives a dollar to charity, he should be able to reduce his tax liability by a dollar.

      Summary

      We should not pretend that reforming our welfare system will be easy or painless. In particular it will be difficult for those people who currently use welfare the way it was intended -- as a temporary support mechanism during hard times. However, these people remain on welfare for short periods of time. A compassionate society will find other ways to help people who need temporary assistance. But our current government-run welfare system is costly to taxpayers and cruel to the children born into a cycle of welfare dependency and hopelessness.

      The Libertarian Party offers a positive alternative to the failed welfare state. We offer a vision of a society based on work, individual responsibility, and private charity. It is a society based on opportunity and genuine compassion. It is a society built on liberty.

      http://www.lp.org/issues/poverty-and-welfare

    • 1 year ago
  • unimatrix0
    • 0
      unimatrix0  

    • This isn't news it is a press release - i.e. Libertarian propaganda. This anti-Republican crap is all a sham.

      Who are the poster kids for Libertarians? Ron and Rand Paul, and they are both nothing but Republican crazy on steroids.

    • 1 year ago
  • freecrack
    • 0
      freecrack  

    • posed in an argument, they point out how vague the whole thing is.
      small government could mean anything up to and including a state of anarchy.they are still not offering anything of substance, just vague platitudes to play on the faith if the religious.

    • 1 year ago
  • UrbanGypsy
  • freecrack
    • +1
      freecrack  
    • UrbanGypsy:

      east or west coast?
      i dont see libertarians surviving on my coast, where the fox is on all day everyplace.(olbermans the devil ya know).
      but it would be nice if we had some more

    • 1 year ago
  • Jack_Gannon
  • UrbanGypsy
    • 0
      UrbanGypsy  
    • Jack_Gannon:

      It's a very tight race down here between Marco Rubio, Charlie Christ and Kendrick Meek. Snitker was polling at around 3% in some polls. The Libertarians down here need to start going for the state legislatures.

      I want to see a more grassroots movement spring up down here. One that begins from the very bottom and starts putting competing candidates for the smallest positions at the beginning before we can go for the highest.

      So far, there is not one single Libertarian representative in the Florida State Legislature.

    • 1 year ago
  • shanklinmike
  • observer2121
  • shanklinmike
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