Why Austin Petersen is the Heir to Ron Paul’s Libertarian Legacy and Not Gary Johnson

The Libertarian Perspective

By Lee Enochs

“For the best government is the least amount of government.”

 

After watching last night’s debate between Libertarian presidential contenders Austin Petersen, Gary Johnson and John McAfee, I realized that Austin Petersen is the true heir to Ron Paul’s Libertarian legacy and not Johnson or McAfee.

I also believe Gary Johnson’s views on the role and coercive use of the federal government are not in keeping with authentic Libertarian political philosophy. Johnson said last night in the debate in Nevada hosted by Penn Jillette that he would use the power of the federal government to force an individual state to practice gay marriage.

I also have a difficult time in understanding how Gary Johnson’s view on making a Jewish baker make a cake for a Nazi has anything at all to do with Libertarianism and why he is running for President as a Libertarian.

One of the critical issues of Libertarianism has to do with limiting the size and reach of the federal government and not increasing its long arms. Libertarianism as Ron Paul used to say, is about non-interventionism.

Gary Johnson is not a non-interventionist on many issues.
I believe Libertarian Republic founder Austin Petersen is the true heir to Ron Paul’s Libertarian legacy and not Gary Johnson. I understand that this may appear to be a provocative statement to some initially, but if you compare current Libertarian Presidential candidate Petersen’s views on life and the unborn with Ron Paul’s, they are substantially the same.

One of the things that sets Austin Petersen apart from Gary Johnson and makes his brand of Libertarianism more congruent with Dr. Ron Paul is Petersen’s view of life in which he says in his campaign platform on the pro-life issue,

“Encourage a culture of life, and adoption, and educate Americans about the “consistent pro-life ethic,” which also means abolishing the death penalty.”

Before his political career, Ron Paul was a well-known family doctor down in Texas that delivered thousands of babies in his district and the abortion issue was not something peripheral to him personally.

Congressman Paul said the following things about abortion and protecting the life of the unborn,
*Protecting the life of the unborn is protecting liberty. (Feb 2008)

*Abortion causes inconsistent moral basis for value of life. (Apr 2011)

*Abortion is murder. (Apr 2008)

*Roe v. Wade decision was harmful to the Constitution. (Apr 2008)

*Define life at conception in law, as scientific statement. (Feb 2008)

*Get the federal government out of abortion decision. (Nov 2007)

*Delivered 4000 babies; & assuredly life begins at conception. (Sep 2007)

*No tax funding for organizations that promote abortion. (Sep 2007)

Source: “Ron Paul on the Issues,” http://www.ontheissues.org/TX/Ron_Paul.htm

On the other hand, Gary Johnson deviates from Ron Paul substantially on the pro-life issue. Former New Mexico Governor Johnson said the following things on abortion.
* I support women’s rights to choose up until viability of the fetus. I’ve supported the notion of parental notification. I’ve supported counseling and I’ve supported the notion that public funds not be used for abortions. But I don’t want for a second to pretend that I have a better idea of how a woman should choose when it comes to this situation. Fundamentally this is a choice that a woman should have.

Source: Tim Dickinson in Rolling Stone Magazine , Jun 15, 2011
*Women’s right to choose until fetal viability. (Jun 2011)

*Right to choose up until viability of the fetus. (May 2011)

Leave the decision up to the woman. (Jan 2001)

Source: “Gary Johnson on the Issues,” http://www.ontheissues.org/Gary_Johnson.htm
As the Libertarian National Convention fast approaches, we Libertarians must make a choice. If we want a nominee that will continue the pro-life legacy of Dr. Ron Paul, then Austin Petersen is the clear choice, not Gary Johnson who believes in using the federal government to do such things as make a Jewish baker make a cake for a Nazi. There is no way in hell Ron Paul would use the federal government to do that.

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จำนำ patek February 5, 2024 at 6:29 pm

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