We will now have a panel discussion entitled, "Can Social Conservatives and Libertarians Ever Get Along? participating on the panel is, Geoffrey Neale, Chairman of the Libertarian Party, Matthew Spaulding, PhD., Vice President, American Studies and Director, B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics, the Heritage Foundation, Doug Bandow, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute. The Moderator is Tom Minnery, Executive Director, Citizen Link.
The main theme of the discussion is, "Libertarian vs. Authoritarian". Not about Republican or Democrat, but about right and wrong. The Republican party must remember their founding principles. Conservatives must stop dividing themselves between Social, Fiscal, Environmental Conservatives. It is hurting us greatly as a Party. Principles are what bring us together as a Party.
Frank Meyer, one of the early leaders of the modern Conservative movement, said that there must be a coming together of social Conservatives and more secular Conservatives. Libertarians and Conservatives basically have the same beliefs of smaller government, individual rights being upheld. The Panelists say that Libertarians are moral, they just have a problem telling people they are moral!
Mr. Bandow says that you must be virtuous in order to have liberty, and you must have liberty to be virtuous. Libertarians are sort of the opinions that not all sins should be against the law. Mr. Neale says that to some degree, a Party platform is a useless document. He says that Libertarians are concerned about how one lives their life, not what they say they do. he says our elected officials should be holding themselves to a higher standard, not because we do it for them. The main job of government, is to create a framework of self-government.
Finally, a hypothetical. Should Rand Paul become the 2016 Republican nominee, would Libertarians support him? They like him because of the attention he gives to the concept of liberty, but they think he gives the Republican Party credibility that they do not deserve. The panel believes that if Rand Paul runs on "conserving" America and the Republic, he will win. They say that the enemy is much more dangerous than any disagreements we may have amongst each other.
Thank You to all on the Panel.
The main theme of the discussion is, "Libertarian vs. Authoritarian". Not about Republican or Democrat, but about right and wrong. The Republican party must remember their founding principles. Conservatives must stop dividing themselves between Social, Fiscal, Environmental Conservatives. It is hurting us greatly as a Party. Principles are what bring us together as a Party.
Frank Meyer, one of the early leaders of the modern Conservative movement, said that there must be a coming together of social Conservatives and more secular Conservatives. Libertarians and Conservatives basically have the same beliefs of smaller government, individual rights being upheld. The Panelists say that Libertarians are moral, they just have a problem telling people they are moral!
Mr. Bandow says that you must be virtuous in order to have liberty, and you must have liberty to be virtuous. Libertarians are sort of the opinions that not all sins should be against the law. Mr. Neale says that to some degree, a Party platform is a useless document. He says that Libertarians are concerned about how one lives their life, not what they say they do. he says our elected officials should be holding themselves to a higher standard, not because we do it for them. The main job of government, is to create a framework of self-government.
Finally, a hypothetical. Should Rand Paul become the 2016 Republican nominee, would Libertarians support him? They like him because of the attention he gives to the concept of liberty, but they think he gives the Republican Party credibility that they do not deserve. The panel believes that if Rand Paul runs on "conserving" America and the Republic, he will win. They say that the enemy is much more dangerous than any disagreements we may have amongst each other.
Thank You to all on the Panel.
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