Libertarian Party Platform Discussion
This page provides a forum for Libertarians to discuss the national Libertarian Party platform: National Platform.
3.1 National Defense
"We support the maintenance of a sufficient military to defend the United States against aggression. The United States should both avoid entangling alliances and abandon its attempts to act as policeman for the world. We oppose any form of compulsory national service." (2018)
Clarification is needed for the following.
- Does the phrase "entangling alliances" refer to all defense alliances, or does it imply a distinction between some alliances as being "entangling" and others as not?
- Does the phrase, "policeman for the world" have specific meaning?
- Does the opposition to "any form of compulsory national service" apply to the military in time of declared war?
3.4 Free Trade and Migration
"We support the removal of governmental impediments to free trade. Political freedom and escape from tyranny demand that individuals not be unreasonably constrained by government in the crossing of political boundaries. Economic freedom demands the unrestricted movement of human as well as financial capital across national borders." (2018)
Clarification is needed for the following.
- The phrase, "individuals not be unreasonably constrained by government in the crossing of political boundaries" implicitly acknowledges the existence of reasonable constraints. Presumably the reasonable constraints are consistent with the party platform's stand on National Defense (Party Platform, "3.1 National Defense, 2018). The clarification of reasonable and unreasonable constraints is necessary.
- The demand for "unrestricted movement" of persons across national borders appears to conflict with the implicit acknowledgement of reasonable constraints on border crossing. This apparent contradiction requires clarification.
- The demand for "unrestricted movement" of financial capital across national borders presumably does not apply to all financial capital, e.g., contraband, stolen property, counterfeit currency, etc. Clarification is needed.