🚀 go-pugleaf

aaron.evans@mail.utexas.edu (Aaron Evans) wrote:

>Most people in the libertarian community agree that Browne has done an
>excellent job with the resources he had (Liberty magazine stated that
>he didn't waste funds at all, rather made excellent use of them).

At the time of the nomination, Harry Browne raised about $750,000 for
the Libertarian party.  All but $4000 of that had been spent by the
time of the nomination.  The breakdown of the spending is:

  Consulting fees 32.84% 
  Fundraising costs: 32.43%
  Travel & Expenses: 12.02%
  Operations Overhead: 12.05%
  Advertising: 0.82%
  Other expenses: 15.59%.

Harry Browne's daughter received $19,347 of those consulting fees.
(my earlier figure was wrong).   That's over three times what was
spent on advertising!   Liberty magazine may have a different opinion,
but something smells really bad with Harry Browne.

>There have been questions about the pre-nomination connections between
>the party and Browne's campaign... so I won't question the campaign's
>connection to his daughter.  What can you say?
>
>>While I'm sympathetic to Libertarianism, from what I've seen Harry
>>Browne is more of a corrupt, mean-spirited Republican than a
>>Libertarian.  
>
>From what I've read about all the candidates (on the skeleton closet
>page), Browne is the least corrupt.

Lesser of many evils?  

I don't think Harry Browne really believes in liberty, which is what
Libertarianism is about.  In his book, he makes no mention of slavery,
one of the biggest institutions of anti-liberty that existed in the
history of this country's history.

The basic premise of his book is that he want to take power from the
federal government and hand it over to the states, not to get
government out of people's lives.   For instance, it's perfectly fine
with him if the states want to regulate a woman right to choose --
he'll keep the federal government out of it.  Supposedly, we all get
up and move like refugees to another state when the state or local
government becomes despotic.   Just think of all the African-Americans
that had that choice in the southern states before (and after) the
Civil War, which he makes no mention in his book.

When the Libertarians have a principled Libertarian candidate, I'll
consider voting that way.