In the 2008
presidential election, Ron Paul endorsed Chuck Baldwin of the
Constitution Party. In doing so, he effectively endorsed Baldwin's
running mate, Darrell Castle, as the man to be President of the United States if something happened to Baldwin.
This year, the
Constitution Party have nominated Castle as its presidential
candidate, and Castle has claimed that he is more libertarian than
Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party's candidate. Is he?
On the one hand,
when asked in a YouTube video about books he would recommend, the
suggestions that he comes out with are all quite acceptable by
libertarian standards. The first three are Henry Hazlitt's Economics
in One Lesson, G. Edward Griffin's The Creature from Jekyll Island,
and The Thousand Year War by Richard J Maybury. So that's Austrian economics, opposition to central banking, and a non-interventionist foreign policy.
On the other hand,
Cody Quirk believes that Castle is definitely not more libertarian
than Gary Johnson, and gives reasons. I'm not convinced by
Quirk's arguments.
But, to be honest, the answer one gives is really going to be based on what exactly one means by "libertarian". Gary Johnson has his understanding of libertarianism, Darrell Castle has his, Cody Quirk has his, I have mine, and you probably have yours.
But, to be honest, the answer one gives is really going to be based on what exactly one means by "libertarian". Gary Johnson has his understanding of libertarianism, Darrell Castle has his, Cody Quirk has his, I have mine, and you probably have yours.
In an attempt to
answer the question "Is Darrell Castle really more libertarian
than Gary Johnson", I went to "I Side With", and looked at
their answers to the policy questions that were asked, and tried to
assess which of the two gave more libertarian answers.
Here are the answers
they gave. Castle's answers are in blue, Johnson's are in red, and
my comments are in green.
As for answering the
question of which is more libertarian, where I feel that one candidate has given a considerably
better answer from a libertarian point of view, I've awarded him
three points, and where I feel that one candidate has given a
slightly better answer, I've awarded him one point. And then I've added up the points in an effort to see which of the two is more
libertarian.
Social Issues
Should terminally
ill patients be allowed to end their lives via assisted suicide?
No
Yes,
but only after a psychological examination to show they fully
understand this choice
I'm
not convinced that either position is more libertarian than the
other.
What is your stance
on abortion?
Pro-life
pro-choice
Again,
I am not convinced that either position is more libertarian than the
other. I believe that it is important that abortion should be
illegal in most circumstances - but I realise that libertarians are
divided on abortion.
Do you support the
legalization of same sex marriage?
Take
the government out of marriage and instead make it a religious
decision 3 points
Yes,
but allow churches the right to refuse same-sex ceremonies
I
can see no reason at all for government to be involved in marriage,
and would have thought that this was the libertarian position.
Should health
insurance providers be required to offer free birth control?
No 3
Yes
Johnson
wants government to mandate something, Castle doesn't.
Do you support the
death penalty?
Yes
No,
too many people are innocently convicted 1
In
theory, libertarianism doesn't take a stance on capital punishment,
but in practice, most libertarians are opposed to it.
Should the
government support a separation of church and state by removing
references to God on money, federal buildings, and national
monuments?
No
Yes,
but do not waste money removing existing references
I'm
not convinced that either position is significantly more libertarian
than the other.
Should a business be
able to deny service to a customer if the request conflicts with the
owner’s religious beliefs?
Yes,
any business should be able to deny service for any reason 3
No,
all customers deserve to be treated equally
Johnson
supports the state making laws that curtail freedom of association.
Should states be
allowed to display the Confederate flag on government property?
Yes,
each state should have the right to display any flag they choose
Yes,
each state should have the right to display any flag they choose
Should businesses be
required to have women on their board of directors?
No
No,
board members should be the most qualified regardless of gender
Should
the government continue to fund Planned Parenthood?
No 3
Yes
Johnson
supports the state taking money from tax payers to give it to an
organisation that many people do not support.
Should the military
allow women to serve in combat roles?
No
Yes,
as long as they can pass the same physical tests as men
I'm
not convinced that either position is significantly more libertarian
than the other. A much more important issue is whether the
government should force anyone into a combat role. In the event of a
war, if women are permitted to be in combat roles, will they find
themselves forced into combat roles against their will? Where
conscription exists, it deprives people of freedom. In the past,
that loss of freedom only affected males in America. If women are
allowed to serve in combat roles, will women be conscripted, and thus
deprived of a freedom they have previously enjoyed? I suspect that
the answer to that question is probably "yes".
Should
“gender identity” be added to anti-discrimination laws?
No 3
Yes
Johnson
supports the state making laws that curtain freedom of assocation.
Foreign Policy
Should the U.S.
remain in the United Nations?
No,
and remove the U.N. headquarters from the U.S. 3
Yes.
I
can see no reason, from a libertarian point of view, why the U.S.
should be part of the U.N. At the very least, is giving millions of
dollars of tax-payers money to a large international bureaucracy
really a good thing?
Should the U.S.
continue NSA surveillance of its allies?
No
No,
and abolish the NSA
Should the
government increase or decrease foreign aid spending?
Decrease,
and we should not give foreign aid to any countries 3
Decrease,
until we drastically reduce our national budget deficit
Johnson
apparently supports the state taking tax-payers money and giving it
to foreign governments.
Should the U.S.
prevent Russia from conducting airstrikes in Syria?
No,
we should not get involved
No,
we should not get involved
Should the
government send in ground troops to fight ISIS?
No 1
No,
not until they attack us on U.S. soil
Johnson
seems to be leaving the door open to the possibility sending ground
troops abroad in the event of some form of terrorist attack.
Should every 18 year
old citizen be required to provide at least one year of military
service?
No
No,
service should be a choice instead of an obligation
Should the U.S.
continue to support Israel?
Yes
within the confines of the Constitution
Yes,
but respect Israel’s sovereignty and do not dictate how it should
interact with its neighbors
Should foreign
terrorism suspects be given constitutional rights?
Yes,
inside the United States but not abroad
No,
they should be tried in military tribunals but not subject to torture
Should the
government decrease military spending?
Yes,
much waste and unnecessary spending on unnecessary programs and
weapons systems could be eliminated
Yes
Should the military
fly drones over foreign countries to gain intelligence and kill
suspected terrorists?
No,
unless the suspected terrorists are strategic threats to the United
States because I would not tie the hands of the President if he sees
a serious threat to the United States
No,
the military has no right to do so without a Congressional
declaration of war
Both
candidates seem to leave the door open to using drones to kill
suspected terrorists under certain circumstances.
Should the U.S.
formally declare war on ISIS?
No,
and we should stay out of all foreign conflicts unless the U.S. is
strategically threatened
No,
we should stay out of Middle Eastern conflicts
Do you support
President Obama’s move to lift the trade and travel embargo on
Cuba?
Yes,
because the embargo helps no one and only hurts the Cuban people
Yes
Should the U.S.
accept refugees from Syria?
No,
the U.S. should not accept any more refugees from any country until
our borders are secured and we can properly vet those who apply to
enter
Yes,
but only after extensive background checks and continuous monitoring
to ensure they have no terrorist connections
I'm
not sure that there is any real difference between the position of
the two candidates.
Should the U.S.
overthrow President Assad of Syria?
No,
who ever leads Syria is none of our business 1
No,
this would allow ISIS to control Syria
Castle's
justification for his answer is the principle of non-intervention;
Johnson's justification is merely pragmatic.
Should the
government conduct military strikes against North Korea in order to
destroy their long-range missile and nuclear weapons capabilities?
No,
unless North Korea becomes an immediate threat to the United States
No,
and I am not convinced that North Korea has or is capable of
developing a long-range nuclear missile
Should the U.S.
close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba?
No
because it is now too late as the prisoners have been there so long
that they are now too dangerous to release into the world
Yes 3
Castle's
position seems to be to be very strange, and rather unprincipled.
Should the military
be allowed to use enhanced interrogation techniques, such as
waterboarding, to gain information from suspected terrorists?
No,
I am opposed to torture
No,
torture is an ineffective form of interrogation
The Economy
Should the
government subsidize farmers?
No,
end all government subsidies and let the free market run its course
No,
end all government subsidies and let the free market run its course
Should the
government raise the federal minimum wage?
No
No,
and eliminate all federal wage standards 1
Castle's
answer is fine, but Johnson gives a good libertarian rationale for
his answer.
Should
physically and mentally capable adults on welfare be required to
work?
Yes
Yes
Should the U.S.
reduce corporate income tax rates?
Yes,
but I would prefer to abolish corporate income taxes
Yes,
but I would prefer to abolish corporate income taxes
Should the
government make cuts to public spending in order to reduce the
national debt?
Yes
Yes,
and eliminate federal agencies that are unconstitutional
Should employers be
required to pay men and women the same salary for the same job?
No,
the government should never determine what a private business should
pay employees 1
No,
there are too many other variables such as education, experience, and
tenure that determine a fair salary
Castle's
rationale is principled and libertarian.
Should the
government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of
stocks, bonds, and real estate?
No
No,
increasing the capital gains tax will limit investment in our economy
Should businesses be
required to provide paid leave for full-time employees during the
birth of a child or sick family member?
No,
private businesses should decide the amount of competitive incentives
they offer to employees instead of a government mandate
No,
private businesses should decide the amount of competitive incentives
they offer to employees instead of a government mandate
Should the Federal
Reserve Bank be audited by Congress?
Yes,
but I would prefer to abolish it and return to the gold standard
Yes,
but I would prefer to abolish it and return to the gold standard
Should the U.S.
government bailout Puerto Rico?
No
No
Should pension plans
for federal, state, and local government workers be transitioned into
privately managed accounts?
Yes
tax payers have carried the burden long enough and it is time to let
the market run pensions
and relieve the taxpayers' responsibility 1
Yes,
but only for future workers
Johnson's
answer is fine, but Castle gives a libertarian justification for his
answer.
Would you favor an
increased sales tax in order to reduce property taxes?
No,
I oppose all tax increases
No
Do you believe labor
unions help or hurt the economy?
I
support the right of workers to collectively bargain but I oppose
public service unions
Hurt
Should all welfare
recipients be tested for drugs?
No,
it is a privacy violation and a violation of human dignity 1
No,
this is a waste of time and money
Johnson's
answer is fine, but Castle gives a principled reason for his answer.
Do you support the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?
No,
it surrenders U.S. sovereignty to international bureaucrats,
corporations, and foreign governments none of which are accountable
to U.S. citizens
No
Should the
government classify Bitcoin as a legal currency?
Yes,
all currencies should compete fairly including bitcoin
Yes,
but it should not replace our national treasury-backed currency
Should citizens be
allowed to save or invest their money in offshore bank accounts?
Yes,
where U.S. citizens invest their money is none of the government's
business
Yes
Should the
government require businesses to pay salaried employees, making up to
$46k/year, time-and-a-half for overtime hours?
No,
what private business pays to its employees is none of the
government's business
No,
and the government is currently over-regulating private businesses
Should an in-state
sales tax apply to online purchases of in-state buyers from
out-of-state sellers?
Darrell
Castle has not answered this question yet
No,
the federal government does not have the authority to impose state
and local taxes
Immigration
Should local law
enforcement be allowed to detain illegal immigrants for minor crimes
and transfer them to federal immigration authorities?
Yes
No,
only if they are convicted of a violent crime
Should the U.S.
increase restrictions on its current border security policy?
Yes
No,
make it easier for immigrants to access temporary work visas 3
Johnson
supports free movement of labor, Castle doesn't.
Should immigrants be
required to learn English
Darrell
Castle has not answered this question yet
No
Should the
government increase or decrease the amount of temporary work visas
given to high-skilled immigrant workers?
Decrease
Increase,
our economy relies on businesses hiring the highest skilled workers
at the lowest cost 3
Johnson
supports free movement of labor, Castle doesn't.
Should Muslim
immigrants be banned from entering the country until the government
improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists?
Yes
No,
banning immigrants based on their religion is unconstitutional 3
Castle's
position seems to me, as a libertarian, to be just plain wrong.
Domestic Policy
Do you support the
Patriot Act?
No
No,
and pass strict laws prohibiting any government surveillance
Do you support
affirmative action programs?
No
No,
and minority groups should not receive any favorable treatment
Should there be more
restrictions on the current process of purchasing a gun?
No
No,
only for criminals and the mentally ill
Should the U.S.
government grant immunity to Edward Snowden?
Yes
Yes,
he should be protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act
Should the NSA
(National Security Agency) be allowed to collect basic metadata of
citizen’s phone calls such as numbers, timestamps, and call
durations?
No,
only with a warrant showing probable cause of criminal activity
No,
only with a warrant showing probable cause of criminal activity
Should people on the
“no-fly list” be banned from purchasing guns and ammunition?
No,
it is unconstitutional to deny someone’s rights without due process
No,
it is unconstitutional to deny someone’s rights without due process
Should Apple unlock
the iPhones of suspected terrorists for the FBI?
No
No
Should local police
increase surveillance and patrol of Muslim neighborhoods?
No,
this decision should be based on crime rates instead of race or
religion 1
No,
targeting Muslims is unconstitutional, racist, and incendiary
Johnson
used the "R word", so a point to Castle!
Should children of
illegal immigrants be granted legal citizenship?
No 3
Yes,
if they were born here
I
cannot see anything liberarian (or sensible) about granting
citizenship to someone simply because of the location of their birth.
Should illegal
immigrants have access to government-subsidized healthcare?
No
No,
and the government should never subsidize healthcare 1
Castle's
answer is fine, but Johnson gives a solid libertarian justification
for that answer.
Should working
illegal immigrants be given temporary amnesty?
No 3
Yes,
create a simple path to citizenship for immigrants with no criminal
record
I
cannot see anything libertarian (or sensible) about granting
citizenship to someone simply because they have managed to get into a
country and get a job.
Should illegal
immigrants be offered in-state tuition rates at public colleges
within their residing state?
No
No,
they should pay the same rate as out-of-state students
Are you in favor of
decriminalizing drug use?
Yes,
it is a liberty issue and a moral issue
Yes,
and retroactively reduce sentences for those already serving time
Should corporations
and unions (Super PACs) be allowed to donate to political candidates?
No,
as a matter of public policy it is very detrimental to the nation to
allow large corporations to buy candidates and elections
Yes,
any restriction on campaign spending violates the first amendment 3
Castle
believes the government should ban people from using their money as
they choose.
Should there be term
limits set for members of Congress?
No,
we already have term limits - it's called an election 1
Yes,
term limits will increase performance and prevent corruption
I
can see arguments in favour of term limits, but it still seems to me
that to set term limits is to introduce an unnecessary law.
Should the redrawing
of Congressional districts be controlled by an independent,
non-partisan commission?
No
Yes,
gerrymandering gives an unfair advantage to the party in power during
redistricting 3
I
agree with Johnson's reasoning.
Should internet
service providers be allowed to speed up access to popular websites
(that pay higher rates) at the expense of slowing down access to less
popular websites (that pay lower rates)?
No,
treat all traffic equally and continue the openness of the internet
No,
this would allow them to remove competition, create artificial
scarcity, and increase prices
Should the
government raise the retirement age for Social Security?
No
Yes,
but I would prefer to privatize it instead 1
From
a libertarian point of view, it doesn't matter much whether the
government raises it or not, but from a libertarian point of view,
Johnson is right in saying that government should get out of it.
Should victims of
gun violence be allowed to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers?
Yes,
no corporation should be immune from the possibility that their
product after being introduced into public commerce was defective,
etc. and caused harm
No,
manufacturers and dealers should only be held liable for
negligence 1
It
seems to me that Castle has not understood the question, and I
suspect that if he had understood it, he would have given the same
answer as Johnson.
Should the
government be allowed to seize private property, with reasonable
compensation, for public or civic use?
Yes,
as permitted by the Constitution when the seizure is necessary for
public use and when fair market value is paid to the property owner
No,
and the government should never be allowed to seize private
property 3
Johnson
states the libertarian position.
Should the Senate
hold hearings and a vote on President Obama’s Supreme Court
nominee?
No,
Senate rules permit holding the vote until after the election so that
is what I favor doing
Gary
Johnson has not given a stance on this issue
Healthcare
Do you support the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)?
No,
government should not be involved in healthcare
No,
government should not be involved in healthcare
Should the federal
government increase funding of health care for low income individuals
(Medicaid)?
No
No,
and each state should decide their own level of coverage
Do you support the
legalization of Marijuana?
i
support decriminalization not legalization
Yes,
and legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana instead of criminalizing it
Johnson's
enthusiasm for regulation is unlibertarian, and I am not sure that
legalization is more libertarian than simple decriminalization.
Elections
Should a photo ID be
required to vote?
Yes,
this will prevent voter fraud
No
The Environment
Should the U.S.
expand offshore oil drilling?
Yes
Yes,
and deregulate the energy sector to let the free market determine the
best energy sources 1
Both
give the right answer, but Johnson gives the right justification.
Should the
government give tax credits and subsidies to the wind power industry?
No,
end all tax credits and subsidies to the energy industry 1
No
Both
give the right answer, but Castle adds a good point.
Should
the government increase environmental regulations to prevent climate
change?
No
No
Do you support the
use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources?
Yes,
energy independence is absolutely critical to the United States
Yes,
but increase oversight 3
Both
give the right answer, but I find Castle's reason for it to be
flawed, as I do not believe that energy independence is a libertarian
ideal.
Education
Do you support
Common Core national standards?
No,
education should be handled at the state and local level instead of
the national level
No,
education should be handled at the state and local level instead of
the national level
Do
you support increasing taxes for the rich in order to reduce interest
rates for student loans?
No
No
Crime
Should prisons ban
the use of solitary confinement for juveniles?
No,
it is necessary for violent criminals who are a danger to themselves
and other inmates
No,
it is necessary for violent criminals who are a danger to themselves
and other inmates
Should convicted
felons have the right to vote?
Yes,
but only after completing their sentences and parole/probation
Yes
Should police
officers be required to wear body cameras?
No
but it should be a decision made at the state and local level
Gary
Johnson has not given a stance on this issue
Science
Should the
government fund space travel?
Yes
Yes
Should the federal
government require children to be vaccinated for preventable
diseases?
Darrell
Castle has not answered this question yet
No
Should producers be
required to label genetically engineered foods (GMOs)?
Darrell
Castle has not answered this question yet
Gary
Johnson has not given a stance on this issue
Total
Points:
Darrell
Castle 35
Gary
Johnson 30
Conclusion
Both candidates are basically libertarian in
outlook, though both, on some issues, are less libertarian than they might be. However, it seems to me that while there isn't much in it, Darrell
Castle is probably more libertarian than Gary Johnson.
At least that's the way it is according to my understanding of libertarianism!
At least that's the way it is according to my understanding of libertarianism!
Posts
1 comment:
Thanks, interesting analysis. I smiled that you marked down the use of racism.
While I have sympathies to libertarianism, your post brings to light yet again some difficulties with how we see this and what answers that people give actually mean. It is the principle behind the answer.
So I am more sympathetic with a libertarian approach that lets others do what they themselves don't really approve of than one that calls for freedom to indulge in vice.
But there is the more subtle problem which is how to move from a socialist to a libertarian position. Within any given construct, a reformation is more useful than a revolution.
Should men be required to work on welfare? well yes while they are receiving it, but the larger goal to remove welfare will then remove the requirement.
Would you favour increased sales tax for a decreased property tax? Well, possibly if it is more fair, even if the longer term goal is to decrease or remove tax.
Should welfare be drug tested? Well drug testing is an infringement, but their receiving welfare could be construed as an infringement on others. So if the goal is getting people off welfare there might be an argument for it, and if the goal is to introduce universal drug testing and getting a sympathetic vote then that is an argument against it.
Should corporations be allowed to give money to politicians? Well it depends. In a libertarian state yes, in a corrupt state this doesn't make it more libertarian, it just reinforces corruption.
In an ideal state one can support a large range of libertarian laws (which are largely non-laws to maximise freedom). But there seems to be a heirarchy. In a non-ideal state, some libertarian principles will be promoted not to increase liberty but to curb it. Yes I want to eventually remove this law, but these other laws need to go first.
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