Brian4Liberty
05-17-2010, 07:26 PM
If you know anyone living in California's 16th Congressional District (San Jose, currently held by Democrat Zoe Lofgren), feel free to pass on information about Edward Gonzalez's campaign to defeat her. He is already the Libertarian candidate in that District, and if he gets enough write-in votes in the GOP Primary, he will also be the Republican candidate! There are currently no official GOP candidates in that Primary, so a write-in is an easy win.
A Vision of a Libertarian Republic
By Edward Gonzalez, on Apr 23, 2010
Since the beginning of my congressional campaign, I have received many questions regarding the libertarian philosophy, as well as how a libertarian America would look and function. Many pepper me with immediate questions of drug dealers outside their door and child exploitation. I think that many of these worries are unfounded and I hope to explain this here in a simple and concise way.
A libertarian republic would be a country whose legal structure is extremely decentralized. The federal government would have the duty of maintaining a military capable of defending our borders and protecting us from invasion, a state department to deal with foreign nations, and a legal structure that allows states to settle disputes with one another without armed conflict. In order to control and coordinate these institutions, the people would elect representatives.
States and cities would then be free to make or not make any laws they saw fit. Towns, cities, and states would then evolve all over the United States in an immensely diverse fashion. Total libertarian cities would exist, even experimenting with anarco-capitalist theory. Also very conservative towns and cities would arise, with strict social and religious rules while inside city limits. Those who enjoy and desire numerous public services could live in towns and cities with high taxes, while those who prefer private services would live in those areas. Even a communist community would be free to operate within a libertarian republic. All over the republic; liberal, conservative, green, libertarian, and communist communities could form and operate freely and peacefully.
Restrictions on states and communities would be very few. The federal government would guarantee freedom of travel across the republic, as well as prohibit states from waging war on each other or entering into alliances with foreign nations. Business contracts signed in one state would be honored in the others in order to facilitate free trade and entrepreneurship. There is the possibility that a state or community government might become corrupt, but then people could vote with their feet by moving away from corrupt areas and into communities and states that share their values.
If this idea sounds somewhat familiar, that is because it is. Both the Articles of Confederation and then later The Constitution attempted to set up a system like the one I have just described. Unfortunately, power hungry politicians and businessmen have used the power of the federal government to steal control from communities and states, and centralize it in one large governing body. Even well intentioned believers in centralized power and control fail to recognize that individuals are vastly different, each with different moral values. To demand centralized control demands that everyone live in identical communities. This notion stands in direct opposition to human nature.
So, a political move towards decentralization would not mean lawlessness, nor would it mean living in a libertarian community. A libertarian republic would give power back to states and communities and allow them to grow, evolve, and prosper on their own. In this time of economic turmoil and bitter protests, the libertarian solution is only one that acknowledges that the diverse backgrounds of Americans should be embraced. Decentralize political power in America and we will again be that shining beacon of liberty enlightening the world.
http://www.edwardmgonzalez.com/posts/a-vision-of-a-libertarian-republic
A Vision of a Libertarian Republic
By Edward Gonzalez, on Apr 23, 2010
Since the beginning of my congressional campaign, I have received many questions regarding the libertarian philosophy, as well as how a libertarian America would look and function. Many pepper me with immediate questions of drug dealers outside their door and child exploitation. I think that many of these worries are unfounded and I hope to explain this here in a simple and concise way.
A libertarian republic would be a country whose legal structure is extremely decentralized. The federal government would have the duty of maintaining a military capable of defending our borders and protecting us from invasion, a state department to deal with foreign nations, and a legal structure that allows states to settle disputes with one another without armed conflict. In order to control and coordinate these institutions, the people would elect representatives.
States and cities would then be free to make or not make any laws they saw fit. Towns, cities, and states would then evolve all over the United States in an immensely diverse fashion. Total libertarian cities would exist, even experimenting with anarco-capitalist theory. Also very conservative towns and cities would arise, with strict social and religious rules while inside city limits. Those who enjoy and desire numerous public services could live in towns and cities with high taxes, while those who prefer private services would live in those areas. Even a communist community would be free to operate within a libertarian republic. All over the republic; liberal, conservative, green, libertarian, and communist communities could form and operate freely and peacefully.
Restrictions on states and communities would be very few. The federal government would guarantee freedom of travel across the republic, as well as prohibit states from waging war on each other or entering into alliances with foreign nations. Business contracts signed in one state would be honored in the others in order to facilitate free trade and entrepreneurship. There is the possibility that a state or community government might become corrupt, but then people could vote with their feet by moving away from corrupt areas and into communities and states that share their values.
If this idea sounds somewhat familiar, that is because it is. Both the Articles of Confederation and then later The Constitution attempted to set up a system like the one I have just described. Unfortunately, power hungry politicians and businessmen have used the power of the federal government to steal control from communities and states, and centralize it in one large governing body. Even well intentioned believers in centralized power and control fail to recognize that individuals are vastly different, each with different moral values. To demand centralized control demands that everyone live in identical communities. This notion stands in direct opposition to human nature.
So, a political move towards decentralization would not mean lawlessness, nor would it mean living in a libertarian community. A libertarian republic would give power back to states and communities and allow them to grow, evolve, and prosper on their own. In this time of economic turmoil and bitter protests, the libertarian solution is only one that acknowledges that the diverse backgrounds of Americans should be embraced. Decentralize political power in America and we will again be that shining beacon of liberty enlightening the world.
http://www.edwardmgonzalez.com/posts/a-vision-of-a-libertarian-republic