L i b e r t y W i r e February 14, 2000
Why I Am Running for President
by Harry Browne
Today I am formally announcing my candidacy for President as a Libertarian.
I am running for President because it's obvious that no Democrat or Republican is going to stop the relentless growth of the federal government. No one but a Libertarian will reduce your taxes dramatically, allow you to live your life as a free American, and restrict the federal government to its Constitutional limits
I am running for President because the Republican and Democratic candidates argue only about which of them can best run your life. I believe _you_ know best how to run your life.
Today (according to the U.S. Census Bureau) federal, state, and local taxes take 47% of the national income. The Republican and Democratic candidates are discussing whether that figure should be raised to 48% or lowered to 46%. I want to cut it in half at the very least and do the same to your overall tax burden.
I am running for President because the federal government has stuck its nose into virtually every area of your life, with no Constitutional authority. It has made a mess of our health care system, of education, of welfare, and of law enforcement.
If we get the federal government out of all these activities, not only will they work much better, but we will no longer need a federal income tax -- and we won't need to replace it with a new tax. The money collected today from tariffs and excise taxes is enough to finance a strong national defense, the federal judiciary, and the other functions the Constitution actually authorizes -- just as those taxes did for America's first 124 years.
I am running for President because you shouldn't be forced to put 15% of your income into a bankrupt Social Security system. I believe you are better able than any politician to plan for your future -- and you certainly care more about it. I want to sell off unneeded federal land and other assets to finance secure, fully paid-up, private retirement accounts for today's Social Security recipients -- and free you immediately from the 15% tax.
I am running for President because I want to bring peace to your city and your neighborhood by ending the nightmare of drug Prohibition. The insane War on Drugs has caused the worst crime wave since alcohol Prohibition of the 1920s. It has filled our prisons with non-violent people who are no threat to anyone --requiring that murderers, rapists, and thugs be freed on early release to terrorize our communities.
I am running for President because no Republican or Democratic politician will end the dangerous foreign policy that makes America the world's policeman, the arbiter of everyone's dispute, the bully inciting terrorism, and the enemy of half the world. I want you to be able to sleep securely -- knowing your children will never fight and die in a foreign war and terrorists will never attack your city.
There is no way to put a price on liberty -- the liberty you've lost to politicians who want to run your life. But here's one way to look at it: If yours is a typical middle-class family, when we repeal the income tax your take-home pay will increase by at least $10,000 a year. When that happens, what will you do with the money?
* Will you put your children in a private or religious school, where you can get exactly the kind of education and values you want for them?
* Will you support your church or your favorite cause or charity in a way you've never been able to do before?
* Will you buy a new home, or take your family on that vacation you've always dreamed of but could never afford?
Whatever it is you want, _that's_ what you should have. Not what the politicians think is best -- or what _I_ think is best. Every dollar you earn should be yours to spend, to save, to give away as you see fit.
Can we have an impact on the political process? No one can predict or guarantee the future, but we have assembled the largest campaign organization in Libertarian history, and we're raising money faster than any previous Libertarian campaign. We have an excellent chance to make a breakthrough, to change the terms of debate in American politics, to pave the way for Libertarian victories in 2002 and 2004.
Are the American people ready for the dramatic changes I'm proposing? I believe so. We Libertarians are the only party offering Americans the freedom to live their lives as they think best, not as the politicians think best.
I am running for President because I want to propose to every American the Great Libertarian Offer:
Would you give up your favorite federal
programs if it meant you'd never have to
pay income tax again?
I hope you say "yes" to this offer because -- most of all -- I want you to be free.