Welcome to the philosophical and spiritual musings of...
Blogging Dating Politics Relationships Personal Development Spirituality
 

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

The Libertarianz
9 comments

Go here: http://www.libertarianz.org.nz

You'll find the website for the Libertarianz, the 'NZ Party of Principles'. I believe in their message, and I support them wholeheartedly. If you like their message, maybe you could support them too.

I first noticed them when they released an animated political message into cinemas a few months ago, as a teaser before the movies. I was very impressed with it, and was immediately intrigued to find out more about them, which I did. The written content of the animated message is quoted below, but you can see the video here. I've also linked to their website on the right there.
An Introduction to Liberty

To take life is murder
To take liberty is slavery
And to take property is theft

It is the same whether these are done
By one person acting alone,
By the many acting against the few,
Or even by officials with fine hats.

Regardless of the imaginative labels for their behaviour
Or the numbers of people encouraging them,
Officials have no right to murder, to enslave, or to steal

Problems in the world that arise from the initiation of force by government have a solution. The solution is for the people of the earth to STOP asking government officials to initiate force on their behalf.



Categories:

Posted on 8/10/2005 02:51:00 PM


If you have found value in what Alan (the author) has given you, please leave a donation for him so you can enjoy the spirit of giving too.

9 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dude... they freak me out. I'm a bit surprised you support them that much.

Not that I know that much of how NZ is run I admit that right now, but the message these people send me is scary.

Let me show you what I mean:


“Policies”

“TAXATION
Taxation is legalised theft! Your money should be left in your pocket. A Libertarianz government will abolish all duties, tariffs, taxes and levies - except income tax. As a transitional measure this will be set at 15% - with an income threshold before payment of $10,000 - until being abolished in the shortest possible time consistent with debt obligations and transitional arrangements for ending the welfare state.”

Riiiight. I’ve heard all this before. And it’s a good idea, IF it had worked. This is not a perfect world, and the money needed to keep a society running is more than acquired from income tax.
I know this is explained further below, but trusting everything to private companies will raise the prices for everything and not everyone is able to pay.

“ENVIRONMENT
Private property rights provide the strongest possible protection for the environment. Common law protects neighbour from neighbour and offers nearly 800 years of sophistication in protecting property and the environment. Libertarianz will repeal the fascistic Resource Management Act, and uncover the common law that decades of planning legislation have buried.”

Because we are kings and will own everything, including the ground you walk on. It’s for your own good.
Please. If I had a shitload of money and bought a nice big area of land, let’s say it’s full of trees, cute bunnies and endangered blue creatures, and then decided to burn it all down and have a BBQ, what’s to stop me? Who’s to say I like the environment just because I own part of it?

“LAW AND ORDER
All laws against victimless 'crimes' involving consenting adults will be repealed, in order that real crimes with genuine victims like rape, robbery, murder and theft can be vigorously pursued and the rights of these victims enforced and upheld. All people currently incarcerated for victimless 'crimes' will be immediately released. Life sentences for real crimes will mean life. The NZ Bill of Rights will be amended to uphold your right to self-defence and the right to possess the means of self-defence.”

Ohh. A quick search on what is considered victimless renders for example:
Child Porn (prosecutions often happen in cases where no children are harmed)
*(depends on point of view here in my humble opinion)
Motorcycle helmet laws
Drug prohibition
*I feel safer at least…
Seat belt laws
*Needed, end of story.
Alcohol & Tobacco prohibition

Is it just me or are these laws pretty nice to have around?

“PRIVATISATION
State assets will be given back to those whose money paid for them - taxpayers! After retiring the government's debt, all assets will be distributed as shares to be sold or retained as you choose. So-called 'stakeholders' can become real shareholders. Existing superannuitants - whose savings have been stolen by taxes and government-induced inflation - would be provided for from these assets.”

And who is to decide who’s a victim and who was just an idiot?

“SOCIAL WELFARE
Libertarianz will leave you free to practise voluntary charity. All state benefits would be abolished - unemployment, sickness, and DPB - to permit the growth of voluntary charities and private insurance. As a transitional measure, a Libertarianz government will sell government assets to purchase annuities for the severely disabled and for superannuitants, for whom the punitive tax regimes of previous governments have made savings impossible.”

Trusting the good in people. Yeah… That’ll definitely work.
Private insurance depends on people having money to pay for them, is it up to parents to give their kids insurance for everything in the future?
And that is spelled “practice”.

“IMMIGRATION
Libertarianz will have no truck with the racist xenophobia against refugees and immigrants touted by other political parties. We will accept any refugee whom anybody wishes to sponsor and run a completely open immigration policy subject only to a requirement that immigrants waive any claim to remaining elements of the welfare state.”

“….whom anybody wishes to sponsor”?

“UNEMPLOYMENT
Unemployment under a Libertarianz Government would increase dramatically - amongst consultants, bureaucrats, planners, lawyers and accountants! We are committed to getting Nanny State off our backs, out of our pockets and out of our lives! We will abolish outright the regulations, Departments, Commissions and Ministries, statutes and tax codes that feed these parasites, to get them off the backs of business.”

Why do they expect everyone to be working on the floor, be underpaid and hating lawyers?
Why would we want a society without people who know the law, consultants or accountants? The companies will surely need them if anything, and this party surely keeps them in high regard…
Let’s hope you got enough companies to keep the country running.


“APARTHEID
A Libertarianz government will abolish the rampant institutionalised apartheid that now exists in New Zealand, and replace the 'Treaty principles' that have empowered it with a constitution that recognises your inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of property and happiness - regardless of your skin colour.”

First thing that makes sense.

“EDUCATION
Indoctrination of impressionable young minds by 'politically correct' social engineers will be ended as a matter of urgency. Libertarianz will give schools back to their communities - literally - with ownership in existing schools transferred to parents and teachers in the form of shares.”

And when a kid transfers to another school you give the share to someone else, or do you keep it? And is it supposed to be financed as a company?
Do we need to get a sponsorship from Coca Cola to buy books and have the kids dressed in Coke-uniforms?

“HEALTH
Libertarianz will end socialised medicine. We will progressively remove the state from all involvement in medicine, allowing providers of all forms of prevention, treatment and therapy to compete in an open market. 'Die-while-you-wait' government hospitals will be given back to their communities (in the same way as state schools) to administer as they choose. Tax relief will leave money in your pocket to spend for your own family's health care as you see fit.”

Ah yes, IF you had enough money to begin with to buy insurance before you happened to get fired from work. But hey, if you’re lucky someone might help you by own free will.

“DEFENCE
A country worth defending must be able to defend itself. A Libertarianz government will not be sending New Zealand troops to be shot at in foreign pest holes, but (as it becomes affordable) will equip and maintain a modern defence force, able to defend this country's borders. We will maintain alliances that help to achieve this goal.”

Yes, bigger weapons for all! More guns!
NZ is under threat of invasion from the... the… Swedes!

Nooo... no I don't think so.

8/11/2005 01:58:00 AM  
Blogger Alan Howard said...

First, you should have a look at my own political policies to see what my own attitudes are. But let me answer a couple of the issues you raise, as best I can.

TAXATION
For a start, I believe we should be paying MORE taxes, in order to increase the benefits made available to society.

LAW AND ORDER
You seemed to fail to read the words used. "All laws against victimless crimes involving consenting adults..." It's about not worrying over what adults consent to do, and worrying more about what adults are forced to do, or what they suffer from, due to the actions of others. Child porn does not involve consenting adults, therefore is a crime.

Motorcycle helmets would be voluntary, as it's the adult that volunteers not to wear it who potentially suffers. That's their choice, therefore no crime.

Drug use should not be a crime, as it is up to the adult to make choices about what they want to do. The sale of drugs, however, should be a crime, as that's directly profiting from the causing of harm to other people. Basically the sale of drugs would be a crime, but the usage would not be. Therefore, the only people acting against the law would be the drug pushers. If we get rid of the drug pushers, we'll reduce the amount of drug usage. Everyone benefits.

Seat belt laws are there to save people's lives. Again, it's a matter of personal choice. Not a crime, since not wearing it affects only themselves and no one else.

Alcohol and tobacco prohibition? Well, there's no prohibition around here, and I don't see why there should be. I don't believe alcohol and tobacco should be criminalised, but I do believe there should be more responsible usage of it, like making bar owners somewhat responsible for the effects of alcohol. For example, it should be the same as drug pushers, to an extent. Liquor outlets should be fined for the actions of drunk people that are traced back to getting drunk at a liquor outlet, like a bar, club, restaurant, etc. The fines should be relatively substantial, to discourage the excessive provisioning of alcohol. Yes, people's alcohol consumption should be 'rationed', preventing public alcohol abuse. People can do whatever they like in their own home, but not in public. The rights and safety of others are more important than a person's need to get smashed and then abuse others or cause harm, eg. drunken driving, fights, etc.

UNEMPLOYMENT
If the laws are made simpler and easier to understand, everyone can follow them, and we wouldn't need complicated lawyers. Simple lawyers would be fine. :-) Where do you get the "working on the floor, be underpaid" from?

HEALTH
Health insurance would be, in MY government, part of the income tax that everyone pays, along with welfare insurance. Everyone pays for insurance regardless. This is important to maintain a 'healthy' society. If you let people CHOOSE to pay it, they find other things to spend their money on, and then complain when they need hospital care but they don't have insurance.

DEFENCE
No, I don't think NZ is threatened by the Swedes.... But it's foolish to think that no one will want to cause trouble. Being defenceless only encourages the unscrupulous to take advantage of that. Personally, I think that not only do we need to have a viable defence force (which NZ doesn't have, as it was mostly sold off to pay for national debts), but we also need to maintain strategic alliances with those that can help with the country's defence, eg. Australia. Good relations with all surrounding countries is a good idea too.

SUMMARY
While the Libertarianz are officially a political party, their goals are esentially to remove politics from politics. To be free means to have no one in control. The people would be the ones in control of themselves. There would have to be a 'governing body', of course, to administrate national concerns, but that governing body would be responsible only for the police, defence force and justice system.

My own political party, should I have one, would be more in line with a democratic socialist party, where democratic principles bring about socialist change.

8/11/2005 09:58:00 AM  
Blogger Alan Howard said...

Oh, and the reason I support the Libertarianz is simply because they are the only 'political party' closest to my own beliefs about what is best for society. I don't agree with everything they say, but I agree with more of their policies than any other political party.

8/11/2005 10:00:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

“TAXATION
For a start, I believe we should be paying MORE taxes, in order to increase the benefits made available to society.”

I was addressing the political policy of the party, not yours :)

LAW AND ORDER

“Motorcycle helmets would be voluntary, as it's the adult that volunteers not to wear it who potentially suffers. That's their choice, therefore no crime. “

Still, in a possible accident with a motorcycle and a car involved, the driver of the car would probably kill or seriously hurt the mc-driver unless the mc-driver used a helmet. No guarantee of course, but I’ll bet a lot on the fact that the car driver would be accused of not driving with care. Even if it wasn’t his fault.
Then again that’s just a theory, but I still believe that young people need the law to use a helmet, some are just too cool or worried about helmet-hair more than cracking a skull open if they drive into something (i.e. road ;P)

”Drug use should not be a crime, as it is up to the adult to make choices about what they want to do. The sale of drugs, however, should be a crime, as that's directly profiting from the causing of harm to other people. Basically the sale of drugs would be a crime, but the usage would not be. Therefore, the only people acting against the law would be the drug pushers. If we get rid of the drug pushers, we'll reduce the amount of drug usage. Everyone benefits. “

As long as people are free to use it there will be people profiting from selling it. Banning both ends so to speak would probably help a bit more.
Yes you cannot tell people what or what not to do, but the way I see it a law against it would help. Again, young and impressionable people might need a law to help them. They might actually be somewhat more hesitant if it’s illegal at least.
I’m not that naive as thinking the drugs will cease altogether, but I hope they’ll diminish somewhat.

”Seat belt laws are there to save people's lives. Again, it's a matter of personal choice. Not a crime, since not wearing it affects only themselves and no one else.”

And if people choose to not put their kids into seat belts they will be the ones suffering from it if the kiddies die?
Agreed, parents usually take care of their kids, but there is just so many unbelievably idiotic people around.
No, I do not have faith in man.
If a police officer have the possibility to pull someone over for not using seat belts in the car if they have kids it’s just great.
Apart from that, sure - it’s the driver who gets hurt. I still believe some people needs to be protected from themselves =P
Why else need a warning on coffeemugs that the coffee might be hot?

”UNEMPLOYMENT
If the laws are made simpler and easier to understand, everyone can follow them, and we wouldn't need complicated lawyers. Simple lawyers would be fine. :-) Where do you get the "working on the floor, be underpaid" from?”

The problem is to write a law in an uncomplicated way, because the reason they are that way is because people have gone around them before.

Where I get it from? Well, it’s the way they present the unemployment policy, it can be interpreted as wanting to rally up “the working class heroes”.

“Unemployment under a Libertarianz Government would increase dramatically - amongst consultants, bureaucrats, planners, lawyers and accountants! “

Like here, they use these professions as examples of something bad, insinuating that highly educated people should be put out of work.
With exclamation marks no less! ;P

“We will abolish outright the regulations, Departments, Commissions and Ministries, statutes and tax codes that feed these parasites, to get them off the backs of business.”

‘Parasites.’ Nice choice of words….


”HEALTH
Health insurance would be, in MY government, part of the income tax that everyone pays, along with welfare insurance. Everyone pays for insurance regardless. This is important to maintain a 'healthy' society. If you let people CHOOSE to pay it, they find other things to spend their money on, and then complain when they need hospital care but they don't have insurance.”

Yes, that’s the way it works here in Sweden. However, that’s not really what this new party believes.
Your government would be great, it was this Libertarianz party I was talking about J


”DEFENCE
No, I don't think NZ is threatened by the Swedes.... But it's foolish to think that no one will want to cause trouble. Being defenceless only encourages the unscrupulous to take advantage of that. Personally, I think that not only do we need to have a viable defence force (which NZ doesn't have, as it was mostly sold off to pay for national debts), but we also need to maintain strategic alliances with those that can help with the country's defence, eg. Australia. Good relations with all surrounding countries is a good idea too.”

Yep, but again, I didn’t quote you here =)
Mainly just wondering why you liked them.

”SUMMARY
While the Libertarianz are officially a political party, their goals are esentially to remove politics from politics. To be free means to have no one in control. The people would be the ones in control of themselves. There would have to be a 'governing body', of course, to administrate national concerns, but that governing body would be responsible only for the police, defence force and justice system.

My own political party, should I have one, would be more in line with a democratic socialist party, where democratic principles bring about socialist change.”
And to have no one in control means anarchy.

I do think some of their ideas are pretty good, but I don’t think they’re possible to accomplish, and many of their other ideas are not very good at all.

8/11/2005 08:06:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree the ad is good, especially when you see the entire presentation which was done in the US for another group. The Libertarianz borrowed this work, they didn't produce it though it seems they are not too anxious to credit the real authors. But you can find the original material in its entire form here:

http://isil.org/resources/introduction.html

8/16/2005 12:22:00 PM  
Blogger Alan Howard said...

Very interesting. Many thanks for the heads up!

8/16/2005 01:30:00 PM  
Blogger Peter Cresswell said...

Anonymous, you said, "The Libertarianz borrowed this work, they didn't produce it though it seems they are not too anxious to credit the real authors. But you can find the original material in its entire form here..."

Actually, Anon, Libertarianz has given full credit for the animation to Ken Schooland, from whom permission was given for us to use his animation, and to edit it to fit the cinema ad format.

You can see the full animation at the Libz site www.lp.org.nz.

8/16/2005 03:59:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

As Project Coordinator for the cinema animation, I am probably best qualified to clarify the situation. Both Ken Schooland and ISIL kindly gave permission in writing (by email) for Libz to edit and use the animation in the cinemas. Their only request was that a credit and a link be added to our website. That was the terms of the agreement and the party has honoured it (with more than one link and more than one credit, I might add). Of the $25,000+ of donations raised to date for the project, $7500 has gone towards production costs, which involved starting from scratch due to the uneditablity for cinema of the compressed flash or NTSC versions, being all there was to work with of the original 8 minute version (after Kerry Pearson tragically died, the original file was lost).
From what I understand and have been told there is a team of ISIL people currently rebuilding the original 8 minute version into an editable AVI file. To meet the election deadline, Libz have "borrowed" expensively...

8/16/2005 04:54:00 PM  
Blogger Alan Howard said...

Thanks for all the information! I didn't mean to cause any 'official' rebuttals and clarifications, but I suspect your reply, Terry, is more to 'anonymous' than anything else. Keep up the good work, and you're getting as much support as I can spare. I'll even be phoning up with a donation soon. Cheers!

8/16/2005 04:59:00 PM  

Post a Comment

(C) Alan Howard 1998 - 2006