Your thoughts on the Libertarian Party's platform?

[Machjo]

https://www.libertarian.ca/platform/

I don't agree with all of it and the parts I do agree with are somewhat vaguely worded (though I'm sure the local candidate could fill in the details).

It seems to contain things in it that both the right and the left can agree on.

For the left, it's very much in favour of religious and linguistic freedom (even putting the left leaning parties to shame) and an open immigration policy, and decriminalization of the sex trade and drug trades (again to the point that probably many on the left would say it goes too far). It also supports giving indigenous peoples a significant degree of sovereignty. It also intends to significantly expand the freedom to sue a company for pollution-induced harm.

For the right, it's extremely in favour of the right to own a firearm, eliminating official bilingualism in its current form, and significantly reducing taxes and protecting property rights. It also supports deregulation of industry and making health care a completely provincial responsibility.

It seems to be just the mix that makes everyone find points they disagree with and points they agree on.

Though some of its policies bother me, given its chances of forming a government in this election, I think having a few Libertarian MP's in Parliament could be a good thing.

Your thoughts?

 

[eh1eh]

Every person for themselves. Don't tread on me. Get your hands off my guns. Me above all else.

Yep, that sums it up. Watch your back around a Libertarian.
Same as conservatives except cons will milk the system while f#cking everyone.

 

[Machjo]

Every person for themselves. Don't tread on me. Get your hands off my guns. Me above all else.

Yep, that sums it up. Watch your back around a Libertarian.
Same as conservatives except cons will milk the system while f#cking everyone.

"Me above all else", like the Ontario Liberals and NDP defending the separate school system? Like Stéphane Dion defending the right to sue Air Canada for the right to receive a 7-Up in French on an international flight which the NDP seems to support too?

Yup, "me above all else".

 

[Goober]

"Me above all else", like the Ontario Liberals and NDP defending the separate school system? Like Stéphane Dion defending the right to sue Air Canada for the right to receive a 7-Up in French on an international flight which the NDP seems to support too?

Yup, "me above all else".

You have an obsession with separate school boards- They have no place in this thread. None.

 

[Curious Cdn]

If they were true Libertarians, they would never form a party nor would they ever be busybody enough to have a "platform" that would tell other people what to do.

 

[Machjo]

If they were true Libertarians, they would never form a party nor would they ever be busybody enough to have a "platform" that would tell other people what to do.

You're confusing libertarianism and anarchy.

You have an obsession with separate school boards- They have no place in this thread. None.

I'm obsessed with human rights

 

[Curious Cdn]

You're confusing libertarianism and anarchy.

No, I am equating Libertarianism with anarchy.

 

[taxslave]

Every person for themselves. Don't tread on me. Get your hands off my guns. Me above all else.

Yep, that sums it up. Watch your back around a Libertarian.
Same as conservatives except cons will milk the system while f#cking everyone.

Sounds more like the perfect description of the NDP.

 

[Machjo]

No, I am equating Libertarianism with anarchy.

They're different.

 

[taxslave]

No, I am equating Libertarianism with anarchy.

Not even close to the same thing. Most of us recognize the need for government. What we object to is unelected bureaucraps dictating every aspect of everything we do. Nor do we want our hard earned paycheques financing huge bureaucracies for programs we neither want no can access.

 

[Machjo]

The irony is, I'm somewhat of a social-corporatist in some respects, which could lead one to conclude that I'd be most comfortable in the conservative fringes of the NDP. In other areas I'm more liberal-conservative, which could place me in the socialist fringes of the CPC. I'm attracted to the Green Party's tendency to support user-pay taxation (many Greens having come from the old PC Party who bailed from the CPC but felt uncomfortable in bed with red liberals in the Liberal Party).

I'm certainly not ideologically libertarian, but I am a strong supporter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights while even the NDP defends special privileges for the most advantaged religious, linguistic, and other communities. All the main parties, rather than focusing on paying the mist destitute, focus instead on giving hand outs to the middle class. Etc.

The Libertarian Party of Canada is far from perfect, but it could provide a beneficial purging of the system, forcing the major parties to adapt, maybe even spinter or form new parties in response.

Additionally, lower taxes would mean that I could give to the charity of my choice where I think my money could help the most. Would you rather you money go to help the middle class or the destitute?

The irony is, we might actually see more money going to the destitute under a Libertarian Party through charity.

 

[taxslave]

Charity has become a big money game. Check the earnings of management of NGOs and charities. One of the reasons I am a Lion. All the money we raise is distributed in the community. Overhead is Zero.

 

[Machjo]

Charity has become a big money game. Check the earnings of management of NGOs and charities. One of the reasons I am a Lion. All the money we raise is distributed in the community. Overhead is Zero.

Some NGO's are highly efficient. I'm sure that with lower taxes, as charities expand, the media would scrutinize them more, but at least instead of an NDP government taxin me to help the middle class, I can give my money to charities that help the truly needy. God forbid, eh.

 

[Corduroy]

I agree with their stance on the sex trade, drugs, ending corporate welfare and eliminating systemic discrimination against indigenous peoples (good luck with that btw)

Eliminate the TFW program and replace it with a streamlined work visa program, and residency roll out. Granting foreign workers legal residency ensures that the Canadian economy continues to grow, without subjecting them to poor working conditions.

So what's their stance on working conditions?

 

[Machjo]

I agree with their stance on the sex trade, drugs, ending corporate welfare and eliminating systemic discrimination against indigenous peoples (good luck with that btw)



So what's their stance on working conditions?

They're mostly for extreme deregulation. If they came close to forming a government on their present platform, I'd actually worry, but putting a few backbench Libertarian MP's in Parliament would be good just to shake things up a bit. As the party grows, its platform would naturally tend to improve... Though not necessarily if it ended up eventually being high jacked by neoconservatives I suppose.

 

[petros]

So what's their stance on working conditions?

Be glad you have a job because there is no welfare for able bodies in a Libertarian world.

 

[Machjo]

Be glad you have a job because there is no welfare for able bodies in a Libertarian world.

Not necesarily. There can be voluntary charity. I can imagine that those of us who give already would give more.

And usually charity is more likely to go towards helping the destitute rather than the middle class (as is usually the case with government programs) as government programs do. So that could potentially even reduce the wealth gap.

 

[Walter]

I don't see anything about corporate taxes in the platform. I agree with most of what is there. Need more time to study it.

 

[Machjo]

I don't see anything about corporate taxes in the platform. I agree with most of what is there. Need more time to study it.

If you go on their website, see if there is a local candidate in your riding. Their platform is somewhat vague, but you can also contact the candidate or party to ask further details.

But Walter, you surprise me. Are you more libertarian or conservative overall?

 

[Walter]

Are you more libertarian or conservative overall?

I want as little gubmint as possible. It should look after the money, transportation, law enforcement and armed forces, that's about it.