Dems & Reps both make government bigger; need 3rd parties
Anytime you give power to government, it will be abused, it will be enlarged, it will be used in ways you never intended. Anytime you give power to politicians, they’re going to use it in every conceivable way possible to please those who have the most
political influence. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Republicans or Democrats, government just keeps getting bigger and bigger. When a third party gets so big and so threatening. they’re going to have to change in order to get their voters back.
Source: Matt Drudge, ‘The Drudge Report,’ Fox News
Jul 31, 1999
New problems should be met with solutions other than force
There are many politicians who say they stand for smaller government, but they never do anything to try to make government smaller. What separates them from Libertarians is their response to newly discovered social problems. Do some people have a problem
getting health insurance? The standard politician immediately proposes a law to force insurance companies to do your bidding. Is there a problem in Bosnia? Send troops to enforce “our” solution. Libertarians do not consider force to be the first choice.
Source: Liberty Magazine editorial by Browne
Nov 1, 1997
To improve values, govt out of education & drug enforcement
How can government improve society’s values? Browne says:
“Get the federal government out of education, so that schools no longer teach ‘values’ imposed by Washington politicians and bureaucrats.
End the War on Drugs, to end the financing
of gang warfare and the criminal profit in drug-dealing.
These are just some of the changes needed to help Americans return to our native virtues of individual freedom, self-responsibility, civility, and decency.”
Source: Project Vote Smart, 1996, www.vote-smart.org
May 1, 1996
Priorities: cut budget; repeal income tax; pay off debt
Main priorities:
Immediately reduce the federal budget by 50%.
Immediately repeal the federal income tax.
Balance the federal budget immediately.
Sell federal assets and use the proceeds to pay off the federal debt.
Privatize Social Security.
Bring all American troops home.
Source: (X-ref to Budget) Project Vote Smart, 1996
May 1, 1996
Taxes and regulations are forms of government use of force
All government activities require coercion--violence or the threat of it. You can always locate the coercion if you look for it. First, the activity probably costs money--which was taken by force from people, whether or not they wanted the program.
Almost no one volunteers to pay taxes. Second, people are coerced to participate in the program [by regulations, inspections, and required forms]. If you fail to comply, you may be forced to pay a fine or may even be sent to prison. This can happen
even if you are a peaceful, productive citizen--someone who has committed no violence against anyone, has stolen from no one, and hasn’t defrauded anyone. After all the lesser penalties have been exhausted--the demands, the fines, the jail sentence--
if you continue to resist, the government will use a gun. The gun is always there. The gun is the essence of a law. When someone asks for a government program, he is saying in effect, “Tell the plice to use their guns to get me what I want.”
Source: Why Government Doesn’t Work, by H. Browne, p. 28-29
Jul 2, 1995
Click here for 20 main quotations from Harry Browne on Principles & Values.
Click here for definitions & background information on Principles & Values.
Click here for policy papers on Principles & Values.
