Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death were the last words of a speech given by Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775 to a Virginia convention. This one famous speech gave Patrick Henry a place in history books but he was never heard again.
Rand Paul has performed a service for all Americans. He has defined the Tea Party position on a multitude of issues. That puts him on the fringe of the political spectrum. Everyone will find some views of his as correct. He seems to have issues with the Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, and President Barack Obama’s handling of the Gulf oil spill Friday as anti-business and sounding “really un-American.” Rand Paul just wants to re-make America. (Update: reported late on CBS radio news that he doesn’t want to share his views on Meet the Press.) He is a Libertarian.
I found this appropriate Los Angeles Times editorial page comic commentary.
The reason that the Libertarian Party has not been successful is they hold views that most people find objectionable. Everyone will find something in his views that are acceptable. Just read this list of libertarian positions.
Fiscal Policy: Very right-libertarian. The Libertarian Party opposes taxation in pretty much all forms, and deals with the revenue loss by opposing entitlement programs in pretty much all forms. This means that people keep more of what they earn, but it also means that there is no social safety net. And ambitious new proposals–such as universal pre-kindergarten and universal health care–are obviously not compatible with this objective.
Corporations: Eliminate all federal subsidies to private corporations, as well as all antitrust laws.
Public Services: Eliminate the Postal Service. Transfer all government services, from public schools to landfills, to private ownership.
Property Rights: Would restrict public domain to immediate public use, and sell or give away most public property to private owners.
Criminal Justice: Would eliminate all antidrug laws and legalize prostitution. Would end random police roadblocks.
Free Speech: Would abolish the FCC and allow private ownership of broadcast frequencies. Opposes all restriction of free speech, including free speech restricted in the name of national security.
Church and State: Calls for reduced IRS regulation and monitoring of tax-exempt churches.
Second Amendment: Strongly opposes all gun control, as well as regulation of alternative weapon technologies (mace, Tasers, and so forth).
The Draft: Calls for the abolition of the Selective Service System and amnesty for any citizen who has ever resisted the draft.
Reproductive Rights: Pro-choice, but opposes all federal funding of abortion and most federal entitlements for women who choose to carry their pregnancies to term, including the child tax credit. Opposes involuntary or fraudulent sterilization.
LGBT Rights: Opposes “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Believes that marriage is a private contract, and should yield no government benefits regardless of the gender of the partners.
Immigrants’ Rights: Argues that borders should be open but surveilled–everyone who does not pose a threat to public health or national security should be allowed to enter the country legally. Would eliminate all federal benefits to undocumented immigrants.
Coast Contact 