All,
Since no one has mentioned the Libertarian party in all of the recent
discussion, I wanted to present their quiz on whether or not you lean
towards the party.
Perhaps what they promise is unrealistic (I'm not saying it is, but rather
"I may be mistaken"). At least you can see that there is another movement,
besides Gore, Bush or that fascist Nader... (did I say that?).
But before the quiz, I wanted to bring clarity to the size of both the Green
Party, Reform Party and the Libertarian party.
Also, to be sensitive to our non-US list members, just enjoy us making a big
Whoop about nothing! ;->
(SOURCE: www.harrybrowne2000.org)
Total Number of elected officials
Libertarian - 170
Reform - 7
Green -72
Total Number of candidates in 2000
Libertarian - 1,420
Reform - 151
Green - 244
Number of US house candidates in 2000
Libertarian - 256
Reform - 37
Green - 45
Amount of money raised in 1999
Libertarian - 2.7 Million
Reform - 250,000
Green - Unknown
Registered voters in party's name
Libertarian - 205,029
Reform - 152,507
Green - 136,285
States with ballot status for President
Libertarian - 50+DC
Reform - 48-50
Green - 44+DC
My point? A vote for Nader is a wasted vote!
Which party is closest to you?
To find out, take this quick survey on ten important political and social
issues.
1. Taxes
Do you want to:
a. Scrap the current Internal Revenue code and finance government (at its
current size) with a flat tax?
b. Scrap the current Internal Revenue code and finance government (at its
current size) with a sales tax?
c. Make government so small that we can repeal the income tax and not
replace it?
2. Social Security
To solve the Social Security crisis, do you want to:
a. Increase the Social Security tax (deducted from your paycheck), raise the
retirement age, impose means testing on retirees, and/or reduce benefits?
b. "Privatize" Social Security by allowing workers to invest some of the
current 15% Social Security tax on their own?
c. Take Social Security completely away from the politicians -- and care for
today's retirees with private annuities paid for by selling off properties
the federal government doesn't need?
3. Peace & Defense
To make America safe and peaceful, do you want to:
a. Work through the United Nations, other organizations, and various
treaties to solve conflicts among nations?
b. Continue to have America act as the world's policeman, trying to stop
trouble anywhere it occurs?
c. Build a missile defense that protects us from nuclear attack -- and end
our reliance on nuclear weapons, withdraw American troops from all foreign
countries, and stop American interference in the policies of other
countries?
4. The Drug Crisis
To solve America's drug problems, do you want to:
a. Begin a new federal program to wean people off drugs, similar to the
current anti-smoking campaign?
b. Increase prison sentences for drug users and dealers, perhaps even
executing those who sell drugs?
c. End the War on Drugs completely -- thus ending the black market in drugs
that finances the drug trade?
5. Family Values
Do you believe the way to strengthen family values in America is to:
a. Provide tax credits for important family functions -- such as college
tuition or child care?
b. Have the federal government conduct a campaign to improve the morals of
Americans?
c. Repeal the income tax so families can afford to have one parent at home,
can afford to send their children to schools that share their values, and
can provide what they think best for their children?
6. Education
To reverse the decline in America's schools, do you favor:
a. Tougher rules imposed by the federal government on local school
districts?
b. A nationwide program of school vouchers?
c. Repealing the income tax so parents can afford to send their children to
any school they think best?
7. Health Care
To solve the problems of expensive medical care and hard-to-get health
insurance, do you favor:
a. A large-scale federal program to manage the health-care system, as the
Democrats proposed?
b. Forcing insurance companies to provide coverage to everyone, shifting the
cost to other policyholders, as the Republican Congress has done?
c. Getting the federal government completely out of health care -- returning
to the low-cost health-care system we had before the 1960s?
8. Crime & Guns
Do you think crime can best be reduced by:
a. A gradual move toward disarming all Americans who don't work for the
government?
b. Tougher sentencing of drug dealers and other offenders?
c. Repealing gun-control laws so citizens can defend themselves, ending the
black market in drugs by re-legalizing them, and returning all crime control
from the federal government to local communities?
9. Business Regulation
Which of the following most closely matches your feelings about government
regulation?
a. "Federal politicians and bureaucrats are better able than businessmen to
know how to provide what I want."
b. "Government must act as the referee, not a participant in business."
c. "Regulation favors those with the most political influence, not me -- and
I'd rather regulate business simply by dealing only with companies that
prove to me their products are safe and efficient."
10. Welfare
How should the federal government change America's welfare system?
a. It shouldn't; what we have now is the best possible.
b. All able-bodied welfare recipients should be made to work for their
welfare checks, and the federal government should send welfare money to the
states to spend.
c. The federal government should get completely out of welfare; it shouldn't
collect money, distribute it, or set any rules for it; the federal
government has no Constitutional authority to be involved in it, and it has
made a terrible mess with the $5 trillion it has spent already.
Your score
Count 1 point for each time you "selected" answer "c". Your score shows
where you stand relative to the political parties:
0-1: You probably would feel more at home in the Socialist Workers Party.
2-3: You must be very happy with the Republicans or the Democrats.
4-5: Although you disagree with some of what the Republicans or Democrats
are doing, you might feel you can make a difference by reforming one of the
old parties. Good luck!
6-7: You have far more in common with Libertarians than with Republicans or
Democrats. The old parties want to solve the problems government has created
by imposing new government programs. Libertarians want to solve these
problems by repealing government programs. It's time for you to look into
the Libertarian Party.
8-10: Don't kid us, you're already a member of the Libertarian Party, aren't
you? If not, you should be. It's your ideological home, filled with members
who see the world the same way you do.
