Power Merchants

There is a fundamental danger in the way politics as usual are practiced in this country, and a fundamental threat imposed by the regular practitioners of the game.

All politicians from the two legacy parties (Republican & Democrat) operate in the same way: once they get into office, they gather all the power they can and then begin to horse trade with it. They dispense that power in exchange for favors that ultimately concentrate more power and stronger positions in their hands, so that they can build on that to obtain more and more. The big problem with this is that the goodies being traded and bargained for are our liberties, that have been gradually but relentlessly eroded away. They propose and pass laws that transfer the power guaranteed to us by the Bill of Rights and ‘endowed by our creator’ away from the people and put it in the government’s hands. This will go on and on as long as these legacy party representatives keep getting elected, because the platforms that they are fronting for have, as an objective, the taking our Liberty.

This is an age-old practice, and it is what you will always get whether you vote for Democrat or Republican. While they may talk a good game about freedom and liberty, both legacy parties feel the government should unquestionably have control over you and your life. They lack a fundamental respect for the individual and for the capacity of each individual to make his or her own decisions.

In 1971, a new and different political party arrived on the scene. It is a new kind of political animal that feeds off a fuel other than the one that the legacy parties devour. This new political party, and its politicians, do not employ power merchant tactics, simply because this party, and its politicians, seek to create a smaller government that doesn’t interfere with the individual’s liberty across the board. This party does not want the government to have power over you. This new party believes that you should have power over your government.

I present to you the Libertarian Party, the party that does not want power over you. The Libertarian Party, whose politicians want to stop what the power merchants do, and return the freedoms to the people.

There are no sweet spots, no exceptions, with the Libertarian Party. They never say, “Even though you are not affecting anyone adversely, you do not have the freedom to do as you choose.” Liberty is the reason the Libertarian Party was formed. It is why this country was formed. Our Liberty will not be used as a game chip.

The Republican and Democratic Parties both want power so they can exercise control. Somewhere, somehow, in some way, each legacy parties is scheming to take away freedoms, often overtly.

In the examples below, a platform item is highlighted to demonstrate how these legacy parties aim to increase control over you by shifting power from the people to themselves.

Example: Republicans – under the platform item titled “A Rebirth of Constitutional Government,” in the section labelled Defending Marriage Against an Activist Judiciary, the first sentence reads “Traditional marriage, based on marriage between one man and one woman, is the foundation for a free society…”. The Republican Party is opposed to you having the freedom to marry someone of the same sex. The Republicans want government in your bedroom, telling you what you can and can’t do. https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/static/home/data/platform.pdf

Example: Democrats – under the platform item titled Raise Incomes and Restore Economic Security for the Middle Class, the first item is “Raising Workers’ Wages”. In the third sentence it states, “We believe that Americans should earn at least $15 an hour…”. Interpretation: the Democrats want a federal minimum wage of $15. Federal! They want the federal government to decide how much an employer will pay their employees by putting in a floor. Think about that summer job you had while in high school. One of mine was as a dish washer. Democrats feel the federal government should be able to determine the minimum pay allowed, taking away the freedom of the business owner to run their business as they see best. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/papers_pdf/117717.pdf

And then there is the new party:

Example: Libertarians – Crickets, nothing. There is nothing in the Libertarian Party Platform that states the government is the best instrument to handle one’s affairs. On marriage, their platform says, “Government does not have the authority to define, license or restrict personal relationships. Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual practices and personal relationships. “ On wages, it says, “Employment and compensation agreements between private employers and employees are outside the scope of government, and these contracts should not be encumbered by government-mandated benefits or social engineering.” https://www.lp.org/platform/

Freedom is the cornerstone of what this country is about. No one’s liberties should ever be surrendered to the government.

The constant erosion of freedom that we have experienced under the legacy parties will continue unless we act. So long as the current political duopoly retains its power, it comes down to a simple choice and a simple action: continue voting for Republicans & Democrats and the erosion of your liberty will continue to creep forward, or start voting Libertarian and we will begin to get Libertarians elected who will oppose government power grabs and fight to reduce government overreach and restore your liberties.


By Michael Smith – Secretary of the Libertarian Party of Broward County