LP Monday Message: Japan and Libertarian principles

March 21, 2011

Dear Friend of Liberty,

It’s with great sadness that I read about the natural and nuclear disasters in Japan. I feel sympathy for the victims of these tragedies, and I hope the best for them as the tragedies continue to unfold and as they struggle to recover.

I’ve been asked by several people what Libertarians think about the events in Japan.

It’s times like these that I like to rely on our Libertarian Party principles, and also look to what some of the top libertarian think tanks are publishing on these issues.

There’s obviously no libertarian plan to prevent earthquakes or tsunamis. However, there is plenty written to inform us about how government policies affect our exposure and reaction to natural disasters.

The Independent Institute’s Lighthouse newsletter recently listed several articles discussing Natural Disasters and Economic Reasoning.

I found this piece from the Cato Institute particularly interesting, especially where Tom Palmer asks if you’ve ever heard anyone claim that World War II helped get the U.S. out of the Great Depression.

These items are from Reason.com:
Nuclear Power
Resilient Japan

I certainly don’t trust governments or most news outlets to give a libertarian perspective on what’s happening around the world. It’s great to have so many libertarian advocacy groups, and the Libertarian Party plays an important part in disseminating this research to our members and candidates.

On a separate topic, last week we sent a press release announcing our new lawsuit against the FEC.

You can help the Libertarian Party’s efforts to protect our free speech rights by donating today. If you would like your donation to help support this lawsuit, please type "FEC lawsuit" in the comment section at the bottom of the form.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee

P.S. If you have not already done so, please join the Libertarian Party. We are the only political party dedicated to free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can also renew your membership. Or, you can make a contribution separate from membership.