Harry Browne on the Issues
Other Candidates
Key and General Description of Political Views
Harry Browne (Libertarian) Web Site
Abortion
In my view, an uncompromising
Libertarian position on abortion doesn't have to offend anyone. Whatever we
believe abortion is, we know one thing: government doesn't work, and it is as
incapable of eliminating abortions as it is of eliminating poverty or drugs. --
www.harrybrowne2000.org
Abortion is a sensitive issue on which reasonable people can differ. We achieve nothing when we use a sloganized term to assert a position. To the pro-choice side we say: we will not let the government impose its way upon you. To the pro-life side we say: if you want to reduce abortions. work for less-restrictive adoption laws, or encourage private educational efforts to show young women the alternatives to abortion. -- www.harrybrowne2000.org
Budget/Economy
The last four budgets passed by a
Democratic Congress enlarged the federal government by 14.4%. The four budgets
the Republican Congress passed have enlarged the federal government by 13.9%.
This could hardly be called "reigning in spending." In fact, the first
three Republican budgets increased spending faster than the Democratic budgets.
-- WorldNetDaily 3/23/99
Civil Rights
"The federal government
should be color-blind, and not take race or gender into account in any way in
any matter." -- www.vote-smart.org
Crime
Browne does not support capital
punishment for federal crimes involving murder, nor imposing the death penalty
for convicted international drug traffickers. Browne also does not support
deporting resident alien convicted of a felony. --
www.vote-smart.org
Defense
Like the Founding Fathers,
Libertarians know that war is the first resort of political scoundrels, but the
last resort of a free people. Libertarians know that government’s role isn’t
to police the world -- or even to win wars. Government’s role is to keep us
out of wars -- and protect us from foreign enemies, not run around the world
creating them. -- www.harrybrowne2000.org
Drugs
Nothing can win the Drug War,
[so] it is constantly escalated -- destroying more of your liberties with asset
forfeiture laws, drug-testing, and monitoring your financial transactions. This
has caused too many Americans to disrespect the law itself. Despite these
terrible costs, drug use continues unabated. Libertarians can see how much safer
America will be without the nightmare of Prohibition -- just as the crime rate
plummeted when alcohol Prohibition ended. -- www.harrybrowne2000.org
Education
Browne does not support amending
the Constitution to allow voluntary prayer nor a moment of silence in public
schools. Browne says, "remove the federal government from education
entirely." -- www.vote-smart.org
Environment
Browne does not support
reimbursement for "takings;" nor strengthening the Clean Water Act;
nor the use of "cost-benefit analysis" to determine the economic
impact of proposed environmental protection and cleanup legislation. Browne
says, "the environment would be better protected through the enforcement of
local trespassing laws." --
www.vote-smart.org
Families/Children
Repeal the federal income tax
immediately, so parents can afford to send their children to private &
church schools that support the parents’ values, and so one parent can afford
to stay home to raise the children, if desired. Get the federal government out
of education, so that schools no longer teach ‘values’ imposed by Washington
politicians and bureaucrats. -
www.vote-smart.org
Foreign Policy
If we have a moral responsibility
to fight every evil in the world, you’d better kiss your children goodbye and
prepare for wars in Rwanda, Zaire, China, Russia, Croatia, Northern Ireland,
South Africa, Turkey, the Sudan, Algeria, Kashmir, Angola, Sierra Leone and many
other countries. Our volunteer military can’t handle them all, encouraging a
return of the draft -- and your children and your grandchildren probably won’t
be exempt next time. -- www.harrybrowne2000.org
Free Trade
Browne does not support imposing
tariffs on products imported from nations that maintain trade barriers against
American products, and disagrees that the US should consider the human rights
record of each nation before granting most favored nation trading status. --
www.vote-smart.org
Government Reform
Browne would eliminate the
following executive branch departments: Education; Energy; Commerce; HUD; and
"almost all others." Browne says he would "cut the federal budget
by 50% the first year of my term. Then continue reducing the federal government
until it is limited to just the functions specified in the Constitution. This
will make it possible to repeal the income tax entirely and immediately, with no
replacement tax." --
www.vote-smart.org
Gun Control
Repeal all federal gun-control
laws, so that citizens can defend themselves against predators. The Bill of
Rights is a literal document; the Constitution prohibits the federal government
from imposing laws relating to common crimes. --
www.vote-smart.org
Health Care
The federal government is the
biggest barrier to American health. Abolish the FDA so that life-saving
medicines are available sooner. The federal government has no Constitutional
authority to be involved in health care.
-- www.vote-smart.org
Schools
We don’t want to solve the
education crisis by giving government the power to dispense voucher money
according to the politicians’ standards. We want to get the government
completely out of education and repeal the income tax, so that parents have the
power and the resources to make their own choices. -- www.harrybrowne2000.org
Social Security
Shut Social Security down totally
and for good. What happens to those who are currently dependent on it? Have the
government make
a one-time purchase of private annuities for them, providing the same income
Social Security has promised. How will that be paid for? Sell off assets the
federal government shouldn’t own anyway -- power companies, pipelines, unused
military bases, western lands, oil rights, mineral rights, and most. federal
buildings that serve no Constitutional purpose. -- www.harrybrowne2000.org
Tax Reform
A flat tax won’t eliminate the
IRS. You might file your return on a postcard, but your friendly IRS agent will
still summon you and all your records.. And it’s misleading to think a flat
tax or a national sales tax will lower your tax burden. [After exemptions], a
tax rate of 30% or more will be required to finance a $1.7 trillion budget.
Who’s going to support a 30% tax? The flat tax, sales tax, and IRS reform are
con games whose time will never come. -- www.harrybrowne2000.org
Welfare/Labor
End welfare completely, so that
children no longer believe that they are entitled to the earnings of others. --
www.vote-smart.org
- Al Gore (Democrat)
- Alan Keyes (Republican)
- Bill Bradley (Democrat)
- Gary Bauer (Republican)
- George W. Bush (Republican)
- Howard Phillips (Constitution)
- John McCain (Republican)
- Pat Buchanan (Reform)
- Steve Forbes (Republican)
Other Candidates
For a list of the above and 17 current and former candidates from 6 political
parties, with links to their web sites, please see...
President 2000: Candidates' Web Sites
Great Sources of Voter Information
Freedom Channel
The first video-on-demand in American politics, click and see the candidates you want, on the issues you want, whenever you want them.Issues2000
Harry Browne - many more statements on many more issues.League of Women Voters - Voter Information
Provides links to online information about local, state, and national candidates from all over the country.State Voter Registration Requirements
Are you eligible to vote in your state?VirtualJerusalem.com -- The Next President
A careful look at where Bush, McCain, Gore, and Bradley stand on the issues and how the election could affect Israel.VoteMatch Quiz
You enter your opinions on the issues -- VoteMatch selects the candidate that best matches your views.Project Vote Smart
This national non-partisan, non-profit effort researches, tracks and provides to the public independent factual information on over 13,000 candidates and elected officials.VIS - Voter Information Services
Using a simple and fast interface, non-partisan, non-profit VIS lets you research how likely members of Congress are to vote in support of identified advocacy groups.
Other Election 2000 Resources 
Political Parties
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Incumbents include 4 Republicans and 7 Democrats. State-by-State details.Election 2000 Index
Links to these and other election resources on US Government Info/Resources and other About.com Guide Sites.
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