I’ve come to the conclusion that the best sign that libertarian ideas have become a real threat to the status quo in the Republican Party will be when the right-wing screed machine starts attacking libertarians. The minute you hear Limbaugh/Hannity/Levin talking about a Bob Barr or Ron Paul with the same irrational vehemence they usually [...]

I’ve long said that I only support democracy so much as democracy improves individual rights. Likewise, I only support federalism and states rights so much as they improve individual rights. Federalism is a means, and liberty is an end. And as this story shows, local government doesn’t always lead to more libertarian ends than we [...]

It’s obvious to all people with functioning brain cells that the Republican party’s reputation has taken quite a beating over this decade. When it’s been dominated by the profligate spending and mismanagement of the “compassionate conservatives”, Mike Huckabee lays the blame at the people who have been criticizing that profligate spending all along, and makes [...]

About half way thought Ron Paul’s The Revolution: A Manifesto, I found myself thinking that he should have written this book before he ran for President, not afterwards, and that his campaign should have handed out as many copies of the book as they could, because it does a far better job of explaining and [...]

Jerry Pournelle on the Texas polygamy case: Punishing people without charging them with any crime or allowing them any defense is a pretty serious thing. I would say that protection from that kind of arbitrary authority is more important than the alleged protection of no more than a dozen kids among the 400 from the [...]

Andrew Sullivan, who has been in the tank for Barack Obama ever since he realized that Ron Paul was pretty much a non-entity, posts about this critique of his support for Obama: Sullivan, a Burkean by philosophy but a radical by temperament, is the most interesting critic of his former conservative allies, and I’ve learned [...]

I think it’s too early to tell. There are some very legitimate concerns that many Libertarians have about Barr’s commitment to Libertarian principles. Barr defeated Ruwart 54% to 46% and I can tell you from being there that many of the delegates who supported Ruwart were very dissatisfied with the outcome. It’s very unclear to [...]

The DEA assumes that if the street price of coke is rising, it is an indication that their interdiction efforts are successful. Well, the price is rising, but might one make another conclusion? And it says it has spied one: The cost of pure coke rose 44 percent in the United States between January and [...]

An excellent short video explaining the causes behind the new food crisis gripping Africa and other parts of the world: H/T: Cato@Liberty

First of all, I would like to thank Andrew Davis, the Communications Director of the Libertarian Party for granting the new media in general and The Liberty Papers in-particular full access to the 2008 Libertarian National Convention. To say that attending this convention was a thrill would be an understatement. I had the opportunity to [...]

Libertarian Party Press Release: Libertarian Party selects Bob Barr as 2008 presidential nominee Former Congressman plans to take the White House as Libertarian candidate Denver – The Libertarian Party has nominated former Congressman Bob Barr as its candidate for president for the 2008 election. “I’m sure we will emerge here with the strongest ticket in [...]

To win the nomination, a candidate has to earn a majority of votes. Most likley there will be several rounds of voting. I’ll post the totals from each round. 1st Vote Bob Barr 153 (25%) Mary Ruwart 152 (25%) Wayne Allyn Root 123 (20%) Mike Gravel 71 (11%) George Phillies 49 Steve Kubby 41 Mike [...]

Stephen and I attended the post-debate press conference last night where candidates fielded questions from media and bloggers. Stephen asked a question to the candidates about pardoning non-violent drug offenders. The video is divided into two parts. The first is Mike Gravel. He was in the room before the other candidates and kind of took [...]

7:06 p.m. Barr admires Ayn Rand. 7:10 p.m. Gravel describes the problems associated with the two party system, incorrectly calls the U.S. a democracy, slams big oil, and champions the Libertarian Party. 7:11 p.m. Phillies says vote Libertarian. Describes himself as “the centrist libertarian.” Slams the Bush Administration. 7:14 p.m. Network Down. Sorry. 7:20 p.m. [...]

Liberty Papers: I’m here with Libertarian Presidential Candidate Wayne Allyn Root and Cornelius Swart of The Portland Sentinel Portland Sentinel: Okay, so how did you feel about yesterday’s debate based on the rankings? Root: I don’t think that really had anything to do with it. This is a very different crowd. The debate was not [...]

Press Release: Seven candidates qualify for presidential debate Half of candidates vying for nomination cross threshold for debate participation at the 2008 Libertarian National Convention Denver, CO – Half of the candidates vying for the Libertarian Party’s nomination for president have qualified to participate in tonight’s presidential debate at the 2008 Libertarian National Convention. Since [...]

This first day of covering the Libertarian National Convention has been very exciting so far. I haven’t had an opportunity to spend much time at any of the events but I have been talking to delegates and presidential candidates (interviews will be posted later). Jason Pye has been busy posting his experience and insights at [...]

James Pinkerton looks at the future of libertarian ideas by pondering where we might be in 2058: First, true freedom—camouflaged from all-seeing eyes in the sky, hidden even from the all-penetrating Google Grid—can flourish only in a few small and isolated places around the globe, where self-selected populations can gather together as ex-pats and exiles, [...]

Bruce Bartlett doesn’t really think so: Although this may turn out to be a banner year for the Libertarian Party, the LP is not a real alternative to the Republicans and Democrats. Because of the Electoral College, restrictions on ballot access and onerous campaign finance laws, third parties simply aren’t viable for actually electing candidates. [...]