Dallas Accord: Difference between revisions

The '''Dallas Accord''' comprised both formal and informal agreements  made at the 1974 [[Libertarian National Convention]] to compromise between the larger minarchist and smaller anarcho-capitalist factions in order to avoid a Party fracture by amending the [[Platform]] and the [[Statement of Principles]] to refrain from explicitly stating whether it was desirable for the state to exist.<ref>Mike Hihn, "The Dallas Accord, Minarchists, and why our members sign a pledge", Washington State Libertarian Party, August 2009.</ref><ref>Paul Gottfried, ''The conservative movement: Social movements past and present '', Twayne Publishers, 1993, p. 46.</ref><ref name=Antman>Less Antman, [http://archive.lewrockwell.com/orig9/antman1.html The Dallas Accord is Dead], [[Lew Rockwell.com]], May 12, 2008.</ref><ref>Caryn Ann Harlos, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPWT9Jb05V8 "Through Which Liberty Shall Prevail: The [[Statement of Principles]] of the Libertarian Party"], live at the 2017 Arizona Libertarian Party Convention.</ref>  The formal agreement involved amending the [[Statement of Principles]] in order to expressly allow for anarchist thought within the Party and changing the role of any existing state from a positive duty to a negative one and officially adopting a position of agnosticism on the ultimate existence of the state by using such language as "where governments exist, they must not violate the rights of any individual" and "Since governments, when instituted, must not violate individual rights."<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/statementofprinciples/photos/pb.540241642806441.-2207520000.1486498090./708512759312661/?type=3&theater Mark-Up of Changes Between 1972 and 1974 Statement of Principles]</ref>  The informal agreement included an agreement for the [[Platform]] planks to follow suit and that all official debates and statements as to whether or not a state must or must not exist as an "end game" would be tabled until such time as a minimal state might be achieved.<ref name="Antman"/><ref>Carl Watner and Paul Bilzi, [http://voluntaryist.com/backissues/011.pdf "What's Next in the Pursuit of Liberty"], "The Voluntaryist", November 1984; see also [[Murray Rothbard]] [http://www.wendymcelroy.com/print.php?news.2520 reply letter] posted by then-The Voluntaryist editor [[Wendy McElroy]] at her web site.</ref>  The purpose of the Dallas Accord was to make the Libertarian Party a "[[big tent]]" that would welcome more ideologically diverse groups of people interested in reducing the size of government.  At that time, the [[Platform]] underwent several related changes which deleted the phrase "The protection of individual rights is the only proper purpose of government" from Individual Rights and Civil Order and added the word "existing" to the Trade and Economy plank as follows: "The only proper role of existing govemments in the economic realm is to protect property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal frame- work in which voluntary trade is protected. All efforts by govemment to redistribute wealth, or to control or manage trade, are improper in a free society." <ref>[http://lpedia.org/wiki/1974_Libertarian_Party_Platform 1974 Libertarian Party Platform ]</ref>  Whether or not any portion of the informal agreement was ever binding, or remains in effect as the wording  of the [[Platform]] planks changed, remains disputed, and Party members and candidates have certainly felt free to argue for their perspectives on the debate.<ref>Judge Gray, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWbQg0Y0wJA Anarchism v. Libertarianism]</ref><ref>Caryn Ann Harlos, [https://jrlp.podbean.com/e/johnny-rocket-launch-pad-episode-102-caryn-ann-harlos/ "Party-Archy," Johnny Rocket Launchpad]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEutQklrkcE Anarchy v. Minarchy Debate at 2016 Libertarian Party Convention ]</ref> The official Libertarian Party website follows the [[Statement of Principles]] in stating, "We believe that government’s only responsibility, if any, should be protecting people from force and fraud."<ref>[https://www.lp.org/about/ "About the Libertarian Party"]</ref>  Further, the [[Statement of Principles]] is a permanent part of the [[Platform]] and contains the edits made in 1974 and thus any apparent stepping back of those statements in the planks must be considered as transient statements or practical positions given the current fact of the state.