Thread: LP email on Healthcare I recieved.

Thought I would share what the Libertarian Party sent out.

March 22, 2010

Dear Friend of Liberty,

Like you, I am upset that the health care bill passed last night. Another huge expansion of government spending and government control is not good for our freedom or our health.

When I heard about the passage, I was reminded of the many hateful emails I received earlier this year demanding that the Libertarian Party make Libertarian Independent candidate Joe Kennedy drop out of the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race and endorse Republican Scott Brown. Doing so, "at this time, for this election, was more important than ever in order to save America from socialism," or so they said. Even though Scott Brown supported Mitt Romney's mandatory universal health insurance for Massachusetts residents, somehow electing a Republican, any Republican, instead of a Democrat was supposed to save America.

Even 30% of poll respondents on our website supported such a move.

I am proud that Libertarian Joe Kennedy stood firm and stayed in that race, despite the nasty messages and threats he received.

However, a lot of people gave in to that argument and voted for Scott Brown. What happened? The health care plan passed anyway. And on top of it, there's now another big-government senator voting for things like "jobs packages."

But if just 20% of Massachusetts residents had voted for Libertarian Joe Kennedy, I bet that would have sent such a loud message that it would have stopped this health care plan in its tracks. I think this is a clear reminder why we should all stand firm and vote for Libertarians, whether or not they're in close races.

I watched just a few minutes of the debate last night on C-SPAN. I could not stand hearing Republicans proclaim in the same sentence that we need to oppose government takeover of health care, and also to protect Medicare! What hypocrites. Medicare is government health care too. It was the 2003 Republican Congress and President George Bush that passed the $400 billion Medicare prescription coverage expansion (that later turned out to cost over $1 trillion).

I was on a radio show this morning and a caller asked me, "Is there even any hope for America?" I want to thank him for asking me that, because I am reminded that America is still one of the freest and most prosperous nations on earth, even though that freedom and prosperity are at great risk. Things are getting tougher, but America is still a great place and our freedom is still worth fighting for even if we lose some battles along the way.

Somewhat related to this topic, we've had a poll on our website for a couple of weeks, which asks, "Which expensive government project do you support the most?"

Former Libertarian Presidential nominee Harry Browne used to say, "Would you give up your favorite federal programs if it meant you'd never have to pay income tax again?"

I hope you'll go to the poll and pick the Libertarian option: "None of the above. Cut spending on all of them." At the time of sending this message, that option has just 45% of the votes.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee

Originally Posted by Fovezer

That said, the odds of me ever voting Libertarian are about as good as me ever voting Republican.

I figured that, this is just to show that not everyone against the health care reform is some sort of Republican shill.

Originally Posted by Fovezer

Originally Posted by Blakeman

Originally Posted by Fovezer

That said, the odds of me ever voting Libertarian are about as good as me ever voting Republican.

I figured that, this is just to show that not everyone against the health care reform is some sort of Republican shill.

Oh, I already knew that. I can respect people who oppose it on principle, like you, even if I think you are wrong. I cannot, however, respect people like Republicans and teabaggers who talk out of both sides of their mouth and invent lies and misinformation about the bill.

Well the 'teabaggers' started as one thing and moved into a different realm entirely. I was with them when they were pro state over fed and such, but after a while they moved into the uber conservative realm of republicans and ... *shiver* Sarah Palin.

What sucks is the 'Don't tread on me' flag is not as much what they are about anymore, it has just become a Republican shill. Sad.

I find it funny that these kinds of posts never get the huge arguments like the two party ones do... all it does is tells me that the LP has it right.

Originally Posted by Blakeman

I find it funny that these kinds of posts never get the huge arguments like the two party ones do... all it does is tells me that the LP has it right.

yup.

Originally Posted by Fovezer

Originally Posted by Blakeman

I find it funny that these kinds of posts never get the huge arguments like the two party ones do... all it does is tells me that the LP has it right.

And what kind of argument are you looking for when all you post is some mass email by a fringe party? It's not exactly shocking that the Libertarian Party would oppose this, and the email is vague about their reasons for opposing it. They settled on using the old cliches about "expansion of government spending" and "government control." Nothing really of substance to argue over here, but that is not an indication of them being right.

Prove the 'old cliches' wrong then? I would argue, but you are being as vague as you say the email is?


Here are a few more specifics though it doesn't go through the bill in its entirety.

http://www.lp.org/news/press-releases/libertarian-party-opposes-health-care-plan

Here is the Platform statement from the website

2.9 Health Care

We favor restoring and reviving a free market health care system. We recognize the freedom of individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want, the level of health care they want, the care providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all other aspects of their medical care, including end-of-life decisions.

Link to the entire rundown on the platform.
http://www.lp.org/platform

glad they point out basically the "i'm a tea-party candidate" b.s. basically (mentioning of Scott Brown election, which iirc he ran as such), and the fact the republican party isn't who they say to be. I don't agree with the LP on everything, but rather people who feel strongly about small government vote for a party that, at least right now, IS one of the only ones (other probably the constitutionalists) that actually wants to do what they want.

There problem is the more leftist people won't like their economic stances, and the rightist won't like their social stances.