By Lina Bryce
This is the year to say goodbye to President Obama‘s liberal policies draining our economy and the year Republicans would nominate a true Conservative, but Donald Trump isn’t exactly a conservative. Now what?
While it may seem like a good idea to have a successful business man taking the helm of our hurting Republic, Donald Trump isn’t much of a “government which governs least, governs best” kind of guy. First, by announcing his plan for universal health care, and then advocating that higher tariffs on foreign goods will bring back manufacturing. A vital tenet of the Republican Party Platform is that it allows individuals to follow their own paths to prosperity through limited government and individual responsibility, not more central planning.
Still, you may wish to simply vote along party lines. After all, who could be worse than Hillary Clinton, you ask? First, never ask a question you don’t want the answer to and consider this: political parties are privately lead institutions. Their primary goal and is raising capital and not your best interests. Thomas Jefferson said, “The end of democracy and the defeat of the American Revolution will occur when government falls into the hands of lending institutions and moneyed corporations.” If there was ever a time to be voting principles over party affiliation, it’s right now.
Not convinced? Here are five other reasons conservatives should vote Libertarian this election year.
RELATED: Five Reasons Why Liberals Should Vote Libertarian
1. Freedom of speech, expression, and religion – even hate speech
Being constitutionalists, Libertarians support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship of communications, media, and technology. This is a more peaceful response to the extremism of political correctness prevailing on college campuses and mainstream media. Libertarians believe in freedom to engage in, or abstain from, any religious activities that do not violate the rights of others. They also oppose government actions to explicitly endorse or forbid religion, per the terms of the establishment clause in the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights for the U.S. Constitution.
2. Libertarians support the absolute right to bear arms
The Libertarian platform states that “the only legitimate use of force is in defense of individual rights — life, liberty, and justly acquired property — against aggression.” The party affirms the individual right recognized by the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms, and they oppose the prosecution or limitation of individuals for exercising said right.
Libertarians also uphold that private property owners should be free to establish their own conditions regarding the presence of personal defense weapons on their own property. And though varying degrees of gun law rollback are accepted among different libertarians, like in any other group, a large number of them oppose all laws at any level of government restricting, registering, or monitoring the ownership, manufacture, or transfer of firearms or ammunition. For the Libertarian Party’s official platform on this issue, click here.
3. Libertarians support free markets and limited government regulation
Libertarians defend the right of individuals to form corporations, cooperatives, and other types of entities based on voluntary association. They also oppose all forms of government subsidies, not just social welfare programs, but bailouts to business, labor, or any other special interest. This is based on the limited government principle that the government should not compete with private enterprise.
As David Boaz wrote, “Libertarians developed a pre-Marxist class analysis that divided society into two basic classes: those who produced wealth and those who took it by force from others.” It’s no coincidence that Thomas Paine titled his book Common Sense, as he had also written, “There are two distinct classes of men in the nation, those who pay taxes, and those who receive and live upon the taxes.”
4. Libertarians want healthcare that is driven by the demands of the free market, not politicians
Libertarians favor a free market health care system which recognizes the freedom of individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want. If they don’t want health insurance, they have the right to refuse without penalty. They would be able to determine 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. Additionally, the Libertarian Party believes that an individual should be free to purchase health insurance across state lines.
5. Libertarians aren’t looking for a handout, even in retirement
The Libertarian platform is consistent in promoting individual responsibility and not punishing people for it. Retirement planning is the responsibility of the individual, not the government. They would prefer to phase out the current government-sponsored Social Security system and transition to a private voluntary system. The proper and most effective source of help for the poor is the voluntary efforts of private groups and individuals. Libertarians believe that members of society will become more charitable when the government reduces its activity in this realm.
For more information regarding the Libertarian Party Platform, click here.