"I want to restore the kind of government that our founders bequeathed us..." -- Badnarik

[unixronin]

The Augusta Free Press interviews Michael Badnarik, Libertarian Presidential candidate:

AFP:  Mr. Badnarik, the federal government has grown three times the size of the Democratic administration of President Bill Clinton.  Who's to blame?

Badnarik:  "Who's to blame?  Who's in the White House?  Who controls Congress?

"Over the last four years, the Republican administration and the Republican Congress have grown government like LBJ on a crack binge.  They got a one-party government for the first time in 40 years by claiming that they'd cut government back.  Now they're fresh out of excuses."

AFP:  What steps are needed to control the rate of growth for the federal government?

Badnarik:  "I don't propose to 'control the growth of the federal government.'  I propose to prune it until the pile of dead branches is bigger than the shrub.  The steps needed to do this are simple: Cut operations, cut taxes and cut spending.  As president, I'll slash the executive branch by eliminating all of its unconstitutional functions, I'll veto any budget bill that doesn't include elimination of the income tax, and I'll veto any budget bill that spends more money than reasonable projections say we'll have."

[Finder's credit: atuttle]

Comments

[radarrider.livejournal.com]

I agree with just about every thing Badnarik says. However, I disagree with this:

How Al-Qaeda attacked us is less important than why Al-Qaeda attacked us. They've never been shy about saying why. They've been telling us since 1991. They've told us before and after every attack since the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that their problem with us is U.S. troops gallivanting about on Muslim soil."

Actually, it's more accurate to say that I think there's more to it than that. Pulling our troops out isn't going to be enough. Our enemies in this war are committed to subjugating the world under their religion and the only thing that will satisfy them is if we do one of three things:

1) Convert to their brand is Islam.
2) Surrender to them and become dhimmi (http://www.dhimmitude.org/).
3) Die.

According to their religion, their god has told them that they are destined to rule the world. Obviously, they are not currently doing so and, in fact, are relative failures compared to the west in just about any area you can think of. They only have any real power because of the oil they control. They look at us and wonder why this is. Is it because they are not pious enough? We are infidels; we don't believe in the One True Faith. Therefore, our success can only be explained by us being, literally, in league with Satan.

I could go on. Rather, I will direct you to some articles by a fellow named Steven Den Beste that do a much better job than I can ever do.

Why we were attacked (http://www.denbeste.nu/cd_log_entries/2002/08/Whywewereattacked.shtml)
Who is our enemy? (http://denbeste.nu/cd_log_entries/2002/09/Whoisourenemy.shtml)
Arab traditionalism (http://denbeste.nu/cd_log_entries/2002/09/Arabtraditionalism.shtml)

Take a look and let me know what you think.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's more accurate to say that I think there's more to it than that. Pulling our troops out isn't going to be enough.

Oh, I don't think Badnarik is saying that pulling our troops out will solve the entire problem. It won't, of course. But as noted, we have troops stationed in 130 countries, and frankly, most of those 130 countries are none of our damned business.

Granted, Embassy Marine guards figure into that number. But still, we have military presences in a lot of places in the world where we frankly have no right to. Recall the phrase in the Constitution about a standing army encouraging foreign military adventures.

Certainly, Islam's goal is to subjugate the entire world. No-one's arguing that. So, frankly, is Christianity's, and always has been; the Roman Catholic Church in particular has never been shy about gaining converts via fire and the sword. Christianity has merely shifted emphasis from doing it via Crusades to doing it with missionaries (and at that, the harm done by misguided missionaries in Africa in the 19th Century is not to be underestimated).
Every religion's god tells them that they will inherit the world and all other peoples will be under their power. It's one of those things we humans seem to look for when taking applications for a new god -- "Must be willing to grant us a divine mandate to rule the world." Islam is just in a phase of being more overt about it than some.

And yes, I'm familiar with Stephen den Beste.