Ted Cruz is no libertarian

[the_Trev]

I saw on instagram after Cruz bailed, a few people saying they now support the libertarian party. Which is great! However, it boggles my mind that you could go from warmongering imperialist to the LP. Cruz wants to be at the forefront of every conflict. He defended NATO. I also don't believe he supports a free market. Trump isn't much better except maybe on foreign policy and I think he's more supportive of a free market. I'll vote for McAfee if he's the nominee. Otherwise, i'll write in Ron Paul. I have this kind of guilty pleasure in watching Trump. I want to like him but he's mostly just a Republican. I digress. Austin Petersen praised Cruz and it was just ridiculous. Maybe it was to try and get some of those votes but come on. I couldn't vote for that guy. Just me?

[Deffy]

Unfortunately there are some people out there who still think Tea Party = Libertarianish.  He uses the words "Liberty", "Freedom", and "Constitution" a lot too, which I imagine is what these people thing a Libertarian actually says.

[Adam Kokesh]

Figures that would be AP's play. This is how the LP loses credibility. I'm leaning McAfee.

[Slow poke]

Bugs Bunny for me

[Magnaniman]

I think Gary Johnson gives the LP the best chance to pull votes out of the 2-party swindle.  He simply has a lot more appeal to disenfranchised refugees from the major parties.  My brother, who registered Democrat this year just to vote for Bernie, is seriously considering voting Libertarian this year after hearing an interview with GJ on Democracy Now!.

Tangentially, my brother is also trying to start a business this year and the barriers that socialism and regulation has placed in front of him are opening his mind to the wonders of a free market.

Also, I'd gotten sick of people telling me that Cruz supports small government while he's talking about increasing funding and decreasing accountability for government agencies spying on us.

[MattATatTat]

Can't participate in a system I find immoral...

Count me out.

[Magnaniman]

Can't participate in a system I find immoral...

Count me out.

While I understand that sentiment, the truth of the matter is that you are participating, whether you want to or not.  Try as you might, if you do something that they don't like, armed men will come for you.

I figure that spending 20 minutes every couple years to formally register my discontent is worth the time.  If that hour and a half per decade ends up broadening the debate to include even slightly more freedom, I reckon that it's time well spent.

I think that you may also be underestimating the effect that your vote has on local offices, which really do affect your life in very measurable ways.  For instance, if you vote in a sheriff that refuses to arrest drug offenders, that's a significant blow to the prison-industrial complex.

[MattATatTat]

My problem with voting is not the outcome (or lack of) but the moral implications of what my "vote" represents. I'm literally an accessory to the government carrying out actions upon others (at my behalf) which I myself don't have a right to do as an individual when I vote. It goes against the moral beliefs I hold firm.

I have to personally be an example of what I want the world to be and to "vote" goes against pretty much everything I believe in.

This is no way is a slam against those who continue to vote, even those who vote 3rd party. I can understand the desire to work within the system...I felt that way with Ron Paul. Perhaps I'm just way too jaded and committed to the voluntaryist ideals?

[AndrewG]

Can't participate in a system I find immoral...

Count me out.

THIS^^^ VERY THIS^^^

Saying that whether you participate in the system or not you're still participating is kinda like telling me, "So hey, listen... Cancer of the asshole or the dick hole. You have a CHOICE!" I 100% refuse to involve myself in a system so hopelessly broken and so unilaterally pitted against my moral code. I'll continue to fly under the radar and hope something happens to change it (say an earthquake swallowing Washington DC).  I never expected to find so many people willing to "choose the lesser of two evils" in here. No judgement, just me stating my amazement.  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anarchast

I recently listened to The Great Libertarian Trump Debate – Adam Kokesh vs. Richard Heathen on the Anarchast podcast. Richard seems to share the views of some people in here, which I find surprising.

[MattATatTat]

Can't participate in a system I find immoral...

Count me out.

I never expected to find so many people willing to "choose the lesser of two evils" in here. No judgement, just me stating my amazement.

Me as well...

[Magnaniman]

So how do you expect anything to change if you don't take any steps to address the problems with our government?

Wait for everything to collapse?  If/When that happens, a lot of people are going to be hurt.

Armed rebellion?  Again, a lot of people will get hurt AND it justifies the use of violence to enact socio-political change, which is entirely self-defeating.

I certainly don't support the two major parties and I've never voted for a Republican or Democrat on the national or state level. 

Saying that whether you participate in the system or not you're still participating is kinda like telling me, "So hey, listen... Cancer of the asshole or the dick hole. You have a CHOICE!" I 100% refuse to involve myself in a system so hopelessly broken and so unilaterally pitted against my moral code. I'll continue to fly under the radar and hope something happens to change it (say an earthquake swallowing Washington DC).  I never expected to find so many people willing to "choose the lesser of two evils" in here. No judgement, just me stating my amazement.

I kind of read that as saying "I'm going to pretend that I don't have cancer," and then hoping that it goes away on its own.

As I said earlier, you are severely underestimating the effects of your participation in local elections.  If you vote in a sheriff that doesn't arrest people for pot or a regulator that doesn't hassle people about building code$ or septic system technicalities, you are taking back some of your freedom WITHOUT VIOLENCE.

I strongly believe that it is our obligation to explore every peaceful option available to us, even if none of them work.

[MattATatTat]

You change the world with yourself first...and the way you do that is by simply denouncing the legitimacy of government and limiting it's hold it has on your life.

Larken Rose really does a great job dismantling the illusion of "legitimacy" when it comes to government in his book "The Most Dangerous Superstition". Have you read it?

This video sums up the message fairly well : https://youtu.be/N6uVV2Dcqt0

[MattATatTat]

I strongly believe that it is our obligation to explore every peaceful option available to us, even if none of them work.

So you're looking to GOVERNMENT (which gets its power through violence and force) for a "Peaceful" option?

[Magnaniman]

I am looking to government to relinquish its power peacefully, yes.  Unlikely as it may currently seem, there is no contradiction.

[MattATatTat]

I am looking to government to relinquish its power peacefully, yes.  Unlikely as it may currently seem, there is no contradiction.

But to "Govern" is to CONTROL. You really can't expect government to relinquish power because the very existence of government is based on controlling others.