Governor Bill Weld of Massachusetts
Libertarian candidate for Vice President
In a previous page on the For Whom to Vote posting, I suggested that we should all “Do the right thing.” and find a candidate for whom to vote instead of voting against someone. My basic premise is that the two party system has failed us; that we have let that happen; that neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton were going to go off script enough to actually reveal what they really think on the issues; and that we should vote for anyone who shares our own personal, core beliefs.
Thursday night I attended a Town Hall meeting at Jacksonville University. Candidate for the Vice-Presidency, Bill Weld, answered several questions that did reveal his and, by extension, his running mate’s beliefs on several key issues. You may not agree with all of the opinions that follow. I agree with much, but not all, of the following; but as Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate for President has said, “You may be a Libertarian and not know it.”
At the bottom of this page you will find an active link to the website of the Libertarian Party in Florida. There you will find a link to the “World’s smallest political quiz,” which is only ten questions long. I recommend it.
Also, read the summary of Mr. Weld’s comments below to find out more about Libertarian values.
He was asked about their stance on several issues:
Immigration
He said that we need to bring immigrants “out of the shadows” with a work permit of some kind. He also said that immigration is “too low,” and that if there were no available jobs, the immigrants would not come.
Trade Policy
He said they believe in a free trade policy with both Canada and Mexico.
NATO
Even though Libertarians are generally considered to be Isolationist and adverse to getting involved in conflicts overseas; he said, “Great nations must keep their word.” In other words, if we have agreed to contribute to the defense of a country or a region, then we must honor that commitment.
Terrorism
Even though they are generally against foreign wars, he did acknowledge the need to defeat Isis. He also advocates the formation of a special task force to identify and root out home grown terrorists and terrorist insurgents. This task force would be patterned after the task force that was formed to combat organized crime.
Our Military
They do not seem to agree that our military is “depleted” or “hollowed out.” Governor Weld, however, does foresee the need to maintain our naval and air power. He advocating bringing the troops in Afghanistan home, and he said “no” to land wars in Asia and Africa.
Social Security
They foresee the need to address the insolvency issue. They are in favor of raising the retirement age and they also favor “means testing” to prevent social security dollars from going to people who do not need that income.
Obama Care
They want to revise, not repeal it. They are glad that twenty million more people now have some health care, but they want to reduce spending and costs by focusing on “catastrophic” health care instead of “maintenance of quality of life” issues. They would prefer to have patients and doctors making health care decisions, as opposed to government agencies or insurance companies. They would allow patients to shop across state lines and national borders for their health care needs.
Black Lives Matter
They say, “Yes!” They believe the current situation is a “national disgrace” and a “national emergency.” While they see some police forces leading the way, they believe that police training is the solution to the problem.
Education
In Massachusetts Governor Weld introduced “high stakes” testing at three grade levels. Passing the tests was/is a requirement for advancement to the next grade level. Governor Weld believes the same approach will work on a national level. He also said that have to “…quit pretending that every student is going to attend an Ivy League college.” He advocates work related education for all types of employment. He said, “The best welfare is a good job.”
The Debt Crisis
The governor said that the national debt is twenty trillion dollars and bound to grow under either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. He and Governor Johnson want to make a balanced budget mandatory for the United States, just as a balanced budget is currently “mandatory” for its citizens like you and me. Governor Weld said, “There’s no free lunch.” He and governor Johnson are in favor of spending cuts.
The two party system
They agree with me that the two party system has failed. They are Republicans, but they are “liberal” on social issues. Governor Weld characterized himself and Governor Johnson as Jeffersonian Liberals. By that he means that they uphold the kind of traditional liberal values upon which this country was founded.
The World’s smallest political quiz—ten questions only Active Link
Thoughts on Migration
20-year-old Samuel Champlain began 3 years of combat in the French Civil War. At the age of 34 in 1608 he founded Quebec. While he grew the colony, Champlain also allied with nearby and peaceful Native American tribes where on a few occasions, Champlain and other French colonists joined those tribes in defensive war. The natives had a practice of slowly torturing captive enemy to death; women and children joined in the torture, Champlain objected. Today that practice is extinct in Quebec.
Economists suggest that open borders would facilitate faster economic growth for all. If information, money, capital, services and goods flow across borders, then why not people? We have history to inform us.
Not all migrants benefit the receiving population. Not all individuals are good. Religious differences were a large part of the French Civil War. Today a major and growing religion has many thousands who obey the commandments to subdue other populations, by death if other methods fail. This is a serious problem in Europe.
The USA is a nation of immigrants which worked out well for most of the people and their descendants who came voluntarily. 100 years ago, there was not a welfare state and employment laws were simpler and less costly. Immigrants had no choice but to work with others to earn a living and to become wealthy. The Tax Foundation estimates that 60% of households receive more in government benefits than they pay in taxes. The modern US welfare state grows automatically via “nondiscretionary spending” as demographics change. Legal immigrants have a higher rate of drawing government subsidies than do native-born citizens. Illegal immigrants commit crimes at rates higher than do legal residents and citizens.
Native Americans paid heavily for the costs of European immigration: Disease, wars, theft, forced relocation. Some of the descendants live on reservations while others are integrated economically and genetically with the US population at large.
The US can again have good immigration after we abolish all subsidies, reduce costly work rules, emancipate the taxpayers and properly screen all individuals who wish to enter the US. Until then, restrictions are necessary for a civil society.
Secure borders begin with our own homes and vehicles which we often lock. Businesses have locked doors and other security methods. Some people live in gated communities. We do not have restrictive borders between towns, counties and states except for an occasional road block to catch drunk drivers or fugitives. Borders, walls, locked doors, police and weapons exist for reasons. It would be nice if they were unnecessary.