Friday 7 November 2008

Why Vote Libertarianz?

A final message from Libertarianz leader Bernard Darnton, who's much more diplomatic than I am:

What sort of country do you want to live in? Every action you take, everyday, helps determine what sort of country you live in. On election day you get to make a public statement about what you'd like this country to be like. Do you want to live in a country where an exclusive cadre of politicians tells you how to live, or a country where people are free to choose and pursue their own goals? A country where the government mismanages half the economy, or a country where hard work and entrepreneurialism make a difference?

If you want to be free to choose and pursue your own goals and live in a country where hard work and entrepreneurialism make a difference, you have to vote as if you mean it. Only one party in this country consistently stands up for small government, for free speech, and for free markets and that's Libertarianz.

If you believe in those things then you must vote Libertarianz. Most parties actively oppose these ideas but even those that sometimes pay lip-service to freedom are not worth your vote. They water down liberty to the point where it is unrecognisable mush.

Today's National Party is a perfect example. National under John Key is devoid of ideas. Even if they do have ideas, they've kept them well hidden so as not to frighten the horses, preferring to parrot their opponents. Voting for National is an own goal in the contest of ideas.

Act still lives under Roger Douglas' shadow. In 1984, Douglas underwent a Damascene conversion to free marketeer. He zealously decided that the free market's results were so good that they should be compulsory, rather missing the point. Believing in freedom and voting for Act is delusional.

For politicians, the holy grail is "the mandate". By voting for a party that treats politics as a game with us as the pawns you're providing that mandate; you're providing your permission for every oppressive, expensive, and ill-thought-out scheme their "strategists" will dream up.

Voting for change but getting all the same policies back is a wasted vote. Voting for the lesser of two evils and hoping that you don't get the evil you deserve is a wasted vote. Voting for compulsion-touters in the hope of gaining freedom is a wasted vote.

Only voting for a party that stands for what you believe in and that is willing to promote those ideas honestly and openly gives your vote any value. Only voting for Libertarianz tells those in power that freedom actually matters to you. Vote like you mean it.

For more information, see www.libertarianz.org.nz or contact:
Bernard Darnton, Libertarianz Leader
Email: bernard.darnton@libertarianz.org.nz
Libertarianz - More Freedom, Less Government
www.lp.org.nz
Authorised by Robert Palmer, 10 Tui Glen Road, Birkenhead, Auckland, as mandated by Helen Elizabeth Clark, 4 Cromwell Street, Mt Eden, Auckland.

29 comments:

Stu as "Stu" said...

Good luck fellas.

I'm voting Green but I'm closer to Libz than any other party. I've only voted ACT and Greens ever but I've only learnt about Libz in the last few years. I want to believe it could work but I can't (and I don't think I ever will).

Anonymous said...

Yalnikim

You claim you are closer to Libz then any other party and yet you'll vote for its antithesis. That's saying you believe in freedom but support slavery. Either you're fibbing or you're deluded. No telling which.

LGM

Anonymous said...

you don't think it will ever work and so you're going to vote for a bunch of xenophobes like the Green party and that is somehow going to give us more freedom.

Unknown said...

Anyone want to lay me odds that the Libz will make 1000 votes. There have to be 500 members (by law). It can't be hard for each one of them to recruit at least one vote.

It didn't happen last year.

Any takers?

Stu as "Stu" said...

I meant good luck in all sincerity. You're the deluded one LGM - there are around 4 million reasons not to vote Libertarianz and you are likely one of them...

Unknown said...

Last time. Never post after beer o'clock.

Anywise. Two and a bit hours to go. Any takers?

Callum said...

yalnikim, since when has the "all things to all men" policy of the Greens (and all other parties sans Libertarianz) ever worked? A country can't tax, inflate and borrow itself into prosperity.

Luke H said...

William, I'll bet $20 we make it past 1000 votes.

Luke H

Rebel Radius said...

All the very best Libz!

Anonymous said...

"there are around 4 million reasons not to vote Libertarianz"

then please share with us the 4 million reasons why we should be voting for the policies of the Green party.

Unknown said...

Luke H: You're on.

PC has been doing a good job evangelizing, so hopefully I'll loose :)

Elijah Lineberry said...

William, during the last few weeks I have personally enrolled 31 Libz supporters to vote.

I have just spent a rather busy few hours telephoning and visiting these chaps to ensure they actually voted! ha ha! ..(which did mean having to get three of them driven to a polling booth by my cook)

That is over 3% of the total you mention...and just what has been done by me personally, not to mention the other Libz chaps around NZ.

So yes, we will be doing much better than 1000 votes thankyouverymuch.

Luke H said...

Hey William - you can email me at luke.howison@libertarianz.org.nz

Anonymous said...

Yalnikim

You wrote, that there are around 4 million reasons not to vote Libertarianz. Previously, on this very thread, you also wrote that you're closer to Libz than any other party. Interesting contradiction. It's another fine example of why you were identified as either deluded or a fibber- a lunatic or a liar. Hard to tell which, maybe it's both.

Anyway, let's have some fun with you, how about you provide your list of 4-million reason. Write them all down. Post them all here. Come on you sincere person you!

LGM

Anonymous said...

Yalnikim

First you claim that you are "closer to Libz than any other party". Then you claim that "there are around 4 million reasons not to vote Libertarianz".

That's another fine example of why you were identified as either deluded or a fibber- a lunatic or a liar (or both).

Tell you what, let's have some fun with you. You write your list of 4 million reasons and post them here you "sincere" person you.

LGM

Anonymous said...

Libz over 1000 now...
William is a loser!
William is a loser!
*pfffft*

Stu as "Stu" said...

Nice one, you did it 1,026 (and still counting). Next time you need Bill and Ben to front the campaign... they got 10,000.

Hope everyone had a good night. I dined on fantastic food at Charlie Bill in Thorndon (right opposite what might be John Key's new house).

Luke H said...

We had a great election night party here in Wellington and I will admit I was sweating a little bit as the vote count crept up to 88% without us going over 1000.

But we made it!

William, my email is luke.howison@libertarianz.org.nz

Unknown said...

Luke: Well done.

Email is on the way.

Stu as "Stu" said...

LGM, I would have thought someone as rational and intelligent as yourself would have guessed the the number of reasons not to vote Libz is a similar number to the population of the country.


In all seriousness, I agree with many of the Libz policies but also strongly disagree with many. It's the same with the Greens - there's a lot in there there that I strongly disagree with. You'd find that many of the policies I agree with from both parties are actually quite similar, though the ones I disagree with are very very different.

At present I see the Libertarianz policies (at least what I can see of them online) as being far too high level for anyone to really take seriously. A lot of them you'd look at and say "Yeh, that looks like a good idea but where's the detail? How are you going to achieve this?" It's like a hobby party.

You all seem to take Ayn Rand a little too seriously too. I've never read any of her books but it's a little off putting to see her quoted left, right and centre like some sort of saviour.

And you're all too negative. I see a lot of bashing of other people's thoeries but not a lot of answers (PC does some interesting postive pieces but the people who comment here just tend to be here for a rant).

Tell me why it would work, and how.

Cheers mate, stay obsessed - it's a good thing if it's channelled in the right way.

Slainte mhath
Stu McKinlay

Stu as "Stu" said...

Good on you Elijah. You may have made the difference in that bet!

Stu as "Stu" said...

Mo, you need to read a little more and gain a stronger understanding of semantics before you start throwing big words around. Don't worry, it will come.

Anonymous said...

Folks there will be a new Libertarian-ish Party for 2011. The current one has failed, despite platitudes of 11% swing and 'getting ideas into parliament', which is patently untrue.

If a blogger with one of the most popular blogs in NZ cannot double the 946 vote of 2005 you know you are in trouble.

We hope to attract many top business men and women who do not hate, who are not elitist or racist,and who are successful in their personal and business lives.

We do not believe you attract votes by telling voters they are dumb and swooning over the madman Perigo. This man has cost you many votes.

The way forward is not to hate 'the good for being good' as Rand says.

Peter Cresswell said...

If you want to start another libertarian party, Ruth, then by all means knock yourself out.

As a genuine madman (Mao) might say, let a thousand flowers bloom.

Anonymous said...

Some thoughts:

1. My thanks to all those who worked hard to promote our liberty in this election and to those who voted for the only party which stands up for the rights of the individual - uncompromisingly. There are over 1000 of you in NZ and this is always heartening. However, while this result was around what I expected, it does always amaze me the the number of people who oppose the ideas of freedom in NZ. Fortunately, what is right and what is moral is not decided by the number of votes in an election, but last night's results again show how important a cultural change will be and why the journey will be a long one. There are no shortcuts. Libertarianz is only one way that this cultural change is being promoted

2. Ruth, your somewhat explicit insult of PC, his blog, and his reasoned approach to debate is duly noted. As is your insult to all those that are attracted to Libertarianz and its principles.

Julian

Anonymous said...

Peter you are a good guy.

Brash, Norris and many of our friends look at Perigo - who has initimated he would not be sorry if Obama was murdered - and have been totally put off Libertarianism. Perigo is a neo-con, as are many of your supporters, like Sandi for instance. You friend Lineberry owes me $500 for my bet. He will not pay up, of course.

I see your votes in Wellington and Maori seats and I am heartened. As Rand said, her views are accepted by the disdvantaged more than the elites in Epsom and other areas. The working class is where she ws always loved.

You may think otherwise, but I love Rand. She was the greatest anti-racist, anti-authoritarian, anti-elitist of them all.

She would NEVER have proposed a 'ruling elite' and put 'patriotism' above all like your mates do.

Go in peace.

Anonymous said...

You friend Lineberry owes me $500 for my bet

Err, I also recalled that DenMT made a bet with Lineberry for a $1000, and Mr. Lineberry should front up and pay Mr. DenMT. A $1000 owed to DenMT sounds like peanuts to Lineberry since he has always boasted here about how rich he is.

Pay up man!

Elijah Lineberry said...

Some of you chaps need to read my blog.

Already making plans to pay up on (regrettably) lost bets, alas.

I agreed to settle up with DenMT about 10 hours ago; and emailed Ruth the doing the same thing, and she immediately goes on this blog posting that I would not do so.

(Inclined to renegotiate the bet along the lines of "I bet you $500 you will tell lies in the next 15 minutes", which would be a guaranteed win for me! ha ha!)

This sort of stirring dishonours you, especially when you KNOW you are lying...(have you been taking lessons from Winston?!?!)

Anonymous said...

Elijah

As people are aware, lying is destructive of one's honour, good word, respectability, integrity and reputation.

So, if people are going to knowingly post fibs about you paying their winnings, then you should do the charitabe thing to defend their honour. Don't pay fibbers anything. That way they may be a little poorer than would otherwise be the case BUT you'll have defended their honour & integrity from their own spite.

LGM