“Tonight’s speech was a reminder that, for decades, the policies of Republicans and Democrats alike have failed. Libertarians are asking people to take matters into their own hands. Instead of just complaining, we’re encouraging ordinary Americans to step up and run for Congress on the Libertarian Party ballot line.

I can say exactly the same thing about President Obama’s speech tonight that I said about George W. Bush’s State of the Union speech in January 2008: ‘Tonight’s State of the Union address went much as expected. Instead of calling for a more limited role of the federal government in American society, the President laid out plans that would only increase the government’s intervention into the realm of economics, health care, education and foreign policy.

I am weary of the President’s unspoken premise that only government–indeed, only the federal government–can accomplish good in our society.

President Obama seems to be totally blind to the concept that government can cause problems rather than solve them. His speech was filled with ‘More’: more handouts, more spending, more programs, more bailouts, more regulations. We Libertarians want less government, not more.

Not to be outmatched by the Democrats, the Republican Party conveyed its lack of seriousness in addressing this nation’s government spending problems by having Bob McDonnell, Virginia Governor for eleven (11) days, deliver its rebuttal to the President. If they were really serious about addressing the dire fiscal circumstances of this nation, they would have had Paul Ryan, a six-term congressman from Wisconsin, who has proposed the most serious plan of anyone in the two older parties to keep us from going off a fiscal cliff.

Last week, Alan Auerbach, Professor of Economics and Law at UC Berkeley and US government fiscal policy expert, said that the Democratic and Republican parties are in a ‘death embrace’ with their government spending. The only political party that is rationally and forthrightly addressing the need to cut government spending and end our culture of ever expanding entitlements is the Libertarian Party.

As Americans lose hope in Obama, we Libertarians are warning voters against running back to the Republicans who got us into such big messes in the first place. Republicans started the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Republicans made the false intellectual case for bailing out banks and car companies. Republicans argued that deficits don’t matter. Republicans gave us the giant Medicare expansion bill.

The President’s suggestion of a ‘spending freeze’ was especially ludicrous and insulting to the intelligence of Americans. The amounts involved are minuscule, and Congress won’t accept them anyway. Will Obama sign the spending bills that ignore his ‘freeze’? You bet he will. Instead, the President should demand across-the-board cuts in all areas, including entitlements.

The President talked a lot about jobs. Unfortunately, the policies he supports are responsible for most of the unemployment we see today. High taxes, minimum wage laws, hiring regulations, firing regulations, mandatory unemployment benefits, and other government interference make it much more difficult for businesses to hire and keep employees. As expected, the President’s prescription is to increase the dosage of this government poison.

While our nation is declining dangerously right now, a turnaround could be straightforward and simple with steps like these: 1. Bring our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan; 2. Stop rewarding failed companies with bailouts; 3. Cut taxes and spending and let the free market work.

Finally, on the matter of political rhetoric, I call upon the two older parties to stop spoon feeding politics to the American people as if we are a bunch of overgrown children. These are difficult times that call for more than rhetorical flourish or positioning a group of diverse people around a politician. Older party politicians need to be specific about their proposed policies, as Libertarians are.

And, I know I’m probably just wasting electrons, but can’t we go back to the days in which the President sent a copy of his speech to Congress and left it at that. The speech last night took 1/7000th of an entire year. I think the vast majority of the American people would agree that we have better ways to spend our time.”

William Redpath has served as the Chairman of the Libertarian Party since 2006. For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America’s third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets and civil liberties.

The current laws in regards to campaign contributions are very screwed up. Look how much money was funneled into President Obama‘s campaign. Unknown contributors and questionable entities made it possible for Obama and his henchmen to carry out one of the greatest campaigns in American history. If Obama is so much for equality for all Americans, then he should lead by example in the next election in 2012.

How that could be done is to eliminate all contributions for all campaigns. The media (newspapers, TV and radio) should be regulated to have equal coverage of each candidate. All candidates should be required to be involve and participate in any and all debates. No more commercials for candidates, instead have each news and talk show have these candidates come on at different points of the election cycle to “pitch” their policies. No one candidate gets more air time or a better time slot than another. As for raising money for running the campaign trail, there is no more campaign trail. If all the candidates are interviewed and participate in debates, there wouldn’t be a need to be on a campaign trail. If all news outlets are required to have these candidates on in equal time, how can the American voter NOT know what they stand for. As for the debates. Have at least two every month through the primary and then step it up to once a week through the general election.

All the repetitive speeches and slandering of the opponent has taken up too much of the campaigning along the trail that it’s not even worth for a voter to go to one of these “campaign rallies”.

No matter at what level of government the candidate is running, it should be done in this type of manner.

Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions? Several years ago, Harry Browne — 1996 and 2000 Libertarian Party presidential candidate, world-renowned libertarian speaker and writer, and very good friend of the Advocates — made his. The result was a compact how-to of effective libertarian communication, by one of history’s most persuasive advocates of the ideas of liberty. I would like to once again share these resolutions with you. If you’re like me, you’ll find them inspiring and uplifting. I hope you will add them to your own resolutions — and share them with other libertarians.

A Libertarian’s New Year’s Resolutions
by Harry Browne

1. I resolve to sell liberty by appealing to the self-interest of each prospect, rather than preaching to people and expecting them to suddenly adopt my ideas of right and wrong.

2. I resolve to keep from being drawn into arguments or debates. My purpose is to inspire people to want liberty — not to prove that they’re wrong.

3. I resolve to listen when people tell me of their wants and needs, so I can help them see how a free society will satisfy those needs.

4. I resolve to identify myself, when appropriate, with the social goals someone may seek — a cleaner environment, more help for the poor, a less divisive society — and try to show him that those goals can never be achieved by government, but will be well served in a free society.

5. I resolve to be compassionate and respectful of the beliefs and needs that lead people to seek government help. I don’t have to approve of their subsidies or policies — but if I don’t acknowledge their needs, I have no hope of helping them find a better way to solve their problem.

6. No matter what the issue, I resolve to keep returning to the central point: how much better off the individual will be in a free society.

7. I resolve to acknowledge my good fortune in having been born an American. Any plan for improvement must begin with a recognition of the good things we have. To speak only of America’s defects will make me a tiresome crank.

8. I resolve to focus on the ways America could be so much better with a very small government — not to dwell on all the wrongs that exist today.

9. I resolve to cleanse myself of hate, resentment, and bitterness. Such things steal time and attention from the work that must be done.

10. I resolve to speak, dress, and act in a respectable manner. I may be the first libertarian someone has encountered, and it’s important that he get a good first impression. No one will hear the message if the messenger is unattractive.

11. I resolve to remind myself that someone’s “stupid” opinion may be an opinion I once held. If Ican grow, why can’t I help himgrow?

12. I resolve not to raise my voice in any discussion. In a shouting match, no one wins, no one changes his mind, and no one will be inspired to join our quest for a free society.

13. I resolve not to adopt the tactics of Republicans and Democrats. They use character assassination, evasions, and intimidation because they have no real benefits to offer Americans. We, on the other hand, are offering to set people free — and so we can win simply by focusing on the better life our proposals will bring.

14. I resolve to be civil to my opponents and treat them with respect. However anyone chooses to treat me, it’s important that I be a better person than my enemies.

Harry passed away in March of 2006. If enough of us follow Harry’s advice, we can make 2010 the best year yet for the libertarian movement. There could be no greater tribute to Harry — and no greater gift to America! Happy New Year to all our friends, readers and visitors.

With all the laws and regulations that the federal government has been imposing on American companies, those businesses are looking to cut cost in way that are hurting the American people.

Let’s look at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, the city that was the capitol of the steel industry. In the last thirty years the government has been making it harder for the steel industry to stay in the United States, let alone Pittsburgh.

Yes I agree that to make steel, there is pollution on several different levels, water air and land pollution is a serious matter, but at what cost is these issues important?

Pittsburgh is no longer the biggest city that produces steel. Most of manufacturers have move to other countries to avoid tough regulations. So now we have thousands of people who are affected by the industry and are unemployed. The government has changed the landscape of the city.

Let’s look at it this way. We have a person who was working to provide for his family, the government steps in and tell the companies that there will be unions and there will be price fixing. Next, strict laws are passed for the pollution situation in Pittsburgh, causing the company to have higher costs related to the product. The company can no longer be profitable at this level, so they decide to have some of their products made in another country. Now the worker is laid off and is needed to be supported by the same government that cost him/her their job. But are they really being supported by the government? I say NO. It’s the rest of the American Taxpayer that is supporting those Americans because of the federal government.

I try very hard to purchase things that are made in the USA, but it getting tougher every day. The steel industry isn’t the only industry that this scenario has happened to. It will also continue until the American people stop voting for the same old type of politician. It wasn’t the Democrats or the Republicans that did this individually, it has been both of them and until we see them for what they are, it will continue.

It’s a shame that many (if not all) of these politicians are just going through the motions of actually listening to their voters. Quite a few of them have canceled their meeting and the ones that are having one are just trying to pacify the crowd.

Arlen Specter (Republican turned Democrat) had a meeting this morning and from the way his posture and his actions gave me the impression of not really listening to the people. When one woman asked a question about health care. She read from the Bill that at a certain age, the persons coverage would be limited. If a seventy-four year old with cancer, that patient would not be given the treatment to fight the disease. The Senator gave a snappy answer as to the statement is just a lie and 1that that is not the case for the elderly. He immediately asked for the next question and did not go into detail of the bill.

These politicians no longer care about the American people and in my opinion should be voted out of office at the first chance that they come up for re-election. Not just the Democrats, but the Republicans as well. The position of a Senator or a Representative was never meant to be a career. It seems that all politicians have forgotten the fact that they work for us, the American people. We are their base and they need to be reminded of the fact. No matter who is up for re-election, they should be removed from the position. The political ties that they have made have gotten too big.

For those who thought that President Obama was going to be a different type of politician, I guess you’re kicking yourself in the ass now. Republicans and Democrats alike will increase spending in the federal government and to do so, they have to raise taxes to pay for it. Taxes are a necessary thing in a society that is as advanced as the United States. The problem comes into play when too much spending is going on. We don’t need to spend millions of dollars to build a dog park for just one city. How is that going to create growth? Yes it will create a couple of dozen for a few months, but what happens after the park is done? How about the $4.545,000 for wood utilization research? Since 1985 taxpayers have already spent $90 million on this research and they still don’t know how to use wood.

Yesterday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers, head of the President’s National Economic Council, was asked if the administration would keep to their word of not raising taxes on 95% of the American people, their answer was that they weren’t too sure. Tiny Tim Geithner said “We have to bring these deficits down very dramatically, that’s going to require some very hard choices. “We will not get this economy back on track, recovery will not be strong and sustained, unless we convince the American people that we are going to have the will to bring these deficits down once recovery is firmly established,” he said.

What recovery is he referring to??? The recovery is just a bunch of spending of American taxpayer’s money to satisfy the industries that backed the Obama while he was running for office. The problem is that there shouldn’t be a deficit of 1.7 trillion dollars as we currently have thanks to Obama and friends.

There is a big difference between debt and deficit. President George W. Bush put us in debt, but Obama is giving us a major deficit. The Obama Administration has spent more money than all other presidents combined and he did it in less than six months.