lvc@cbscc.UUCP (Larry Cipriani) (11/10/84)
Topics: Agriculture
Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
Social Security
Postal Service
Civil Service
Campaing Finance Laws
None of the Above
Foreign Affairs
Diplomatic Policy
Negotiations
International Travel and Foreign Investments
10. Agriculture
America's free market in agriculture, the system that feeds much of the
world, has been plowed under by government intervention. Government
subsidies, regulations, and taxes have encouraged the centralization of
agricultural businesses. Government export policies hold American farmers
hostage to the political whims of both Republican and Democratic
administrations. Government embargoes on grain sales and other obstacles
to free trade have frustrated the development of free and stable trade
relationships between people of the world.
The agricultural problems facing America today are not insoluble, however.
Governmental policies can be reversed. Farmers and consumers alike should
be free from the meddling and counterproductive measures of the federal
government -- free to grow, sell, and buy what they want, in the quantity
they want, when they want. Five steps can be taken immediately:
a. abolition of the Department of Agriculture;
b. elimination of all government farm programs, including price supports,
direct subsidies, and all regulations on agricultural production;
c. deregulation of the transportation industry and abolition of the
Interstate Commerce Commission;
d. repeal of federal inheritance taxes; and
e. ending government involvement in agricultural pest control. A policy
of pest control whereby private individuals or corporations bear full
responsibility for damages they inflict on their neighbors should be
implemented.
11. Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
We call for the repeal of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. This law
denies the right to liberty and property to both employer and employee, and
it interferes in their private contractual relations. OSHA's arbitrary and
highhanded actions invade property rights, raise costs, and are an injustice
imposed on business.
12. Social Security
We favor the repeal of the fraudulent, virtually bankrupt, and increasingly
oppressive Social Security system. Pending that repeal, participation in
Social Security should be made voluntary. We note that members of the U.S.
Congress, and certain federal, state, and local government employees, have
been accorded the privilege of non-participation, one which is not accorded
the working men and women of America.
13. Postal Service
We propose the abolition of the governmental Postal Service. The present
system, in addition to being inefficient, encourages government surveillance
of private correspondence. Pending abolition, we call for an end to the
monopoly system and for allowing free competition in all aspects of
postal service.
14. Civil Service
We call for the abolition of the Civil Service system, which entrenches a
permanent and growing bureaucracy upon the land. We recognize that the
Civil Service is inherently a system of concealed patronage. We therefore
recommend return to the Jeffersonian principle of rotation in office.
15. Campaign Finance Laws
We urge the repeal of federal campaign laws, and the immediate abolition
of the despotic Federal Election Commission, which suppresses the
voluntary support of candidates and parties, compel taxpayers to subsidize
politicians and political views they do not support, invade the privacy of
American citizens, and entrench the Republican and Democratic parties. Such
laws are particularly dangerous as they enable the government to control the
elections of its own administrators and beneficiaries, thereby removing it
even further from public accountability. We call for the repeal of restrictive
state laws that effectively prevent new parties and independent candidates from
being on the ballot.
16. None of the Above
In order to expand the range of choice in federal, state, and local
elections of government official, we propose the addition of the alternative
"None of the above is acceptable" to all ballots. In the event that
"None of the above" wins a plurality of votes, the elective office for that
term will remain unfilled and unfunded.
Foreign Affairs
American foreign policy should seed an America at peace with the world and
the defense -- against attack from abroad -- of the lives, liberty, and
prosperity of the American people on American soil. Provision of such
defense must respect the individual rights of people everywhere.
The principle of non-intervention should guide relationships between
governments. The United States government should return to the historic
libertarian tradition of avoiding entangling alliances, abstaining totally
from foreign quarrels and imperialist adventures, and recognizing the right
to unrestricted trade, travel, and immigration.
Diplomatic Policy
1. Negotiations
The important principle in foreign policy should be the elimination of
intervention by the United States government in the affairs of other
nations. We would negotiate with any foreign government without necessarily
conceding moral legitimacy to that government. We favor a drastic reduction
in cost and size of our total diplomatic establishment. In addition, we favor
the repeal of the Logan Act, which prohibits private American citizens from
engaging in diplomatic negotiations with foreign governments.
2. International Travel and Foreign Investment
We recognize that foreign governments might violate the rights of Americans
traveling, living, or owning property abroad, just as those governments
violate the rights of their own citizens. We condemn all such violations,
whether the victims are U.S. citizens or not.
Any effort, however, to extend the protection of the United Stages government
to U.S. citizens when they or their property fall within the jurisdiction
of a foreign government involves potential military intervention. We
therefore call upon the United States government to adhere rigidly to
the principle that all U.S. citizens travel, live, and own property abroad
at their own risk. In particular, we oppose -- as unjust tax-supported
subsidy -- any protection of the foreign investments of U.S. citizens
or businesses.
The issuance of U.S. passports should cease. We look forward to an era
in which American citizens and foreigners can travel anywhere in the world
without a passport. We aim to restore a world in which there are no
passports, visas, or other papers required to cross borders. So long
as U.S. passports are issued, they should be issued to all individuals
without discrimination and should not be revoked for any reason.