Carlos A. Rodriguez on the virtues of The Libertarian Party

The Libertarians got a nice plug from Carlos A. Rodriguez in the Brownsville TX paper a few days ago. Here's an excerpt:

"....most Americans seem to be caught in the middle of the two parties.

Actually, we don't have two parties. We have two factions that take turns running things. Neither faction has much interest in real change.

Many Americans — a majority, it seems — believe they are taxed so much that their standard of living is compromised. They question many of the programs, and the cost, of programs promoted by the Democratic Party. Many are horrified to think that their tax dollars are being used to fund things they consider morally wrong, such as abortion. They might not like union-friendly legislation that impedes workers’ ability to make independent agreements with employers.

Or, they might actually be in favor of any or all of these things, but they think government shouldn't be involved.

While they might want fiscal restraint, however, many Americans have a real problem with institutionalized xenophobia, edicts that mandate the promotion of a specific religion to the detriment of others, or restrictions on media, behavior and expression the Republican Party espouses.

The "fiscal restraint" issue is one place where Mr. Rodriguez goes totally off the rails. Why is that issue still associated with Republicans?
Republican presidents named Reagan and Bush rang up more debt than all other presidents combined. (Present company excluded, of course.) Why do people think that when fiscal conservatives vote for a Libertarian instead of a Republican, the vote is "wasted" ? A vote for a Republican is a vote for someone who spends more than a Democrat. They just spend it on different toys.

The obvious question, then, is, why do Americans, who ostensibly decide who gets elected and what party gains power, allow these political aberrations to run the country? Why don’t we have a strong political party that reflects the majority view? After all, other parties do exist; they just don’t have the strength of the two biggies.
You can pick your answer: Maybe the assumption is wrong, and people really are gathered at either ends of the spectrum. Maybe people prefer a two-party system that precludes the formation of coalitions that would lead to compromise legislation rather than the all-or-nothing battles we have today. Or maybe the incumbent parties have stacked the deck in their favor, and a vote for a minority party might as well be thrown away. People don’t think they have a choice.

Correct.

Actually, they do. Several other political parties exist, although most of them are single-issue groups like the Green Party, America First Party and the U.S. Marijuana Party.
Some, however, do offer comprehensive philosophies that can be applied to all aspects of life and government.
The largest of these is the Libertarian Party. Traditionally most in line with our country’s Jeffersonian founders, it combines the small-government views that conservatives espouse, while defending the social freedoms that many modern political liberals tout.

Heck yes. We're the most in line with our country's Jeffersonian founders. Hit the link at the top to read the whole thing. And thank you, Mr. Carlos A. Rodriguez.