Libertarian POTUS candidates debate Apr. 1 & 8

John Stossel: Is there a better choice than Trump or Clinton? | New Hampshire Union Leader:

March 31, 2016 - "A recent poll shows that if the election were held today, 11 percent of Americans would vote for a Libertarian, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson.... I assume the Libertarian total will go higher, since most poll respondents had no opinion about Johnson. They probably don’t know who he is.

"They can learn more by watching my Fox Business Network show April 1 and April 8. On those days, I’ll air a debate among the three leading Libertarian candidates. They are Johnson, software businessman John McAfee and The Libertarian Republic founder Austin Petersen. The Party will choose its nominee at the Libertarian convention in Orlando, Fla., over Memorial Day weekend....

"Libertarians want limited government, one that doesn’t mess around in your personal life or try to run the economy.

"Gary Johnson ... has a track record. The governor cut red tape and the number of government workers in New Mexico. He vetoed 750 bills and used a line-item veto to cut thousands of other items. He lowered New Mexico’s taxes and balanced the budget.... Now, as a Libertarian presidential candidate, he warns 'the idea that we can somehow balance the federal budget without cutting military spending and reforming entitlements is fantasy.”

"John McAfee calls government 'corrupt' and “technologically illiterate.' He says he’ll push a policy of 'privacy, freedom and technology'.... He wants to reduce government’s domestic role to policing disputes and otherwise let people engage in trade, including drug sales. He says our military role overseas should be reduced so that we interfere less in the affairs of other nations.

"Austin Petersen, like many libertarians, describes himself as 'fiscally conservative and socially tolerant.' He proposes a 1 percent spending reduction in all government programs and a simple flat tax, and he would let young people opt out of Social Security.... Unlike some Libertarians, Petersen says he is pro-life.

"You might be surprised to hear that there is division among Libertarians on issues like abortion. This Friday and next you can watch how these candidates handle the differences....  I’m sure the Libertarians’ answers will make more sense than those we hear from Trump and Clinton."

Read more: http://www.unionleader.com/John-Stossel-Is-there-a-better-choice-than-Trump-or-Clinton
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Gary Johnson: most in U.S. have libertarian views

Gary Johnson Talks About Running For President | The Daily Caller - Alex Pappas:

March 23, 2016 - "As disaffected Republicans muse about the possibility of backing a third-party candidate instead of Donald Trump in a general election, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, seeking the Libertarian Party nomination for president, says he sees a big opportunity.

"'If this isn’t an opportunity for the Libertarian nominee — and I hope to be the Libertarian nominee — there will never be an opportunity, in my opinion,' Johnson said in an interview with several reporters at The Daily Caller’s newsroom this week.

"Johnson briefly ran for president as a Republican in 2012 before leaving the party to become the Libertarian Party’s nominee, winning more than one million votes.... He’s now focused on winning the nomination again at the party’s Memorial Day weekend convention in Orlando and suing the Presidential Debate Commission so his party’s nominee will be included in the general election debates. 'There’s no way that a third party wins the presidency without being in the presidential debates,' Johnson said.....

"Johnson argues his views are in line with most Americans. 'I really believe that the majority of people in this country are libertarians, that we’re classically liberal at the end of the day, we’re fiscally conservative…but also we’re socially liberal. Who cares how you live your life as long as it doesn’t adversely affect mine?'....

"Johnson pointed out how he and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders have similar views on foreign policy.... 'Obviously, we’re 180 degrees when it comes to economics, but when it comes to foreign policy, when it comes to crony capitalism, when it comes to Europe, a woman’s right to choose, marijuana, to me it spoke volumes as to why he is doing as well as he is,' Johnson said.

"Asked if he has spoken with some of the conservatives who say they are interested in supporting a third-party candidate if Trump becomes the Republican nominee, Johnson said: 'We’ve got a few of these meetings here, I’ve got a few of those meetings in the next few days'....

"With ballot access a timely and difficult thing for many third party candidates, Johnson said people looking for a third-party candidate should know his party will be on every state’s ballots.

"'What’s not being reported right now, and I think should be, is that the Libertarian Party is going to be on the ballot in all 50 states,' he said."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2016/03/23/gary-johnson-if-this-isnt-an-opportunity-for-the-libertarian-nomineethere-will-never-be-an-opportunity/
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Austin Petersen wants constitutional government

An Exclusive Interview with Presidential Candidate Austin Petersen - J.W. Holland, Good Men Project:

March 26, 2016 - "Libertarian Presidential candidate Austin Petersen wants you to know something — he wants to leave you alone. In fact, that is the theme of his surprisingly successful campaign to become the nominee for the Libertarian Party.

"I recently sat down for a phone interview with Mr. Petersen, the thirty-five-year-old owner of Stonegait LLC, a for-profit consulting company. Petersen’s resume also includes: former Director of Production for FreedomWorks, former associate producer for 'Freedom Watch' on Fox Business Channel that was hosted by Judge Andrew Napolitano, and he is also currently the head [of] the Libertarian Republic, one of the top Libertarian focused news sites on the internet.

"I asked Petersen his reasons for running, 'I am trying to advance the constitutional viewpoint. I am trying to advance the limited government viewpoint — the true fiscally conservative, socially tolerant viewpoint that Libertarians represent,' he said, noting that his reasons for running were held by very few that are currently in the race for President. He contrasts himself from a standard Republican candidate by saying, “Republicans tend to want limited government in terms of economics or fiscal matters, but tend to have issues with personal privacy.” He pointed to recent hot-button issues involving the NSA and Republicans willingness to, in his opinion, 'violate the fourth amendment'. He went on to say that Libertarians “Fight for all of the Bill of Rights” and while their stance on many fiscal issues was similar to the Republicans 'we tend to deviate on issues of privacy and national security.'

"Petersen is fully aware of the uphill battle that a third party candidate faces in winning the presidency. 'To win the presidency outright I need about 35 million dollars' and that for a Libertarian candidate is no small task. He continued: 'That would require a revolutionary movement across the entire United States, it would require some institutional support.' Petersen went on to express his goals if, financially, his campaign couldn’t garner that kind of monetary support: 'With 1.5 million dollars I will be trying to achieve a minimum of 5% of the national vote.' Petersen says that with his digital strategy expertise and far less money he can garner the 5% that would garner the Libertarian Party full ballot access and major party status. That accomplishment would make it far easier for future Libertarian candidates to compete on a national level with the other major parties."

Read more: http://goodmenproject.com/politics-2/exclusive-interview-presidential-candidate-austin-peterson/

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John McAfee campaign focuses on cybersecurity

John McAfee: 'This is the year of the third party' - CNNPolitics.com - Eli Watkins:

March 23, 2016 - "Libertarian presidential candidate John McAfee ... supports a total overhaul of the nation's counter-terror apparatus, one that focuses on patterns within global communications and not individual conversations....

"He said Democrat Hillary Clinton's call for increased surveillance was outdated and dismissed a recent controversy over whether private companies should help the government break encryption on terrorist's phones as irrelevant.

"He also dismissed the reactions of Donald Trump, who called for torture of terror suspects, and Ted Cruz, who called for law enforcement to 'patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods.' McAfee said they, like the government, had 'missed the point' by focusing on monitoring individuals instead of foreign states with sophisticated cybersecurity systems.

"McAfee said his preferred system would detect terrorist plots before they can go into effect. 'If we had a coherent cybersecurity policy, we would've known about this the moment it was hatched,' McAfee said, advocating for what he called the Chinese approach to national security....

"McAfee originally launched his presidential bid under his own banner, as the nominee of the "Cyber Party," before declaring himself a Libertarian candidate in December. The Libertarian Party, he has pointed out, has ballot access in all 50 states. His Cyber Party did not....

 "McAfee said his more mainstream rivals like Clinton and Trump are not right to lead in the digital age and that 2016 is the year his party can break through. 'I believe this is the year of the third party,' he said....

"McAfee, who had few kind words for Trump, said the Republican front-runner's appeal came from populist anger with the government and the established political class. But he warned such anger came with serious risk.

"'An angry people cannot create anything that is not imbued with anger,' McAfee said. 'God, please let there be other options.'

"He stressed his own commitment to privacy and near-absolute personal freedom alongside his existential fear of cyberwar with China.

"'I know of no one in this country who does not believe we have had personal freedoms taken from us,' McAfee said.

"He criticized Transportation Security Administration checkpoints and the National Security Agency as examples of government overreach. 'I do not feel protected. I feel like the enemy,' McAfee said of airport security in a separate interview before the Brussels bombings.

"McAfee mocked both Trump and Clinton for a lack of technological bona fides and offered a grave assessment of the country's vulnerabilities to Chinese cyber-attacks.

"'I cannot conceive of how more than 1% of us could possibly survive a cyberwar,' McAfee said."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/23/politics/john-mcafee-third-party-libertarian/
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Challenge to Colorado marijuana laws rejected

Our Recent Supreme Court Victory and What It Means | NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform:

March 28, 2016 - "The recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to refuse to hear a challenge to the Colorado marijuana legalization law was a significant victory for those who favor legalizing marijuana and a significant set-back for those who thought the federal courts might help them hold on to the increasingly unpopular policy of criminal prohibition. The name of the case was States of Nebraska and Oklahoma v. State of Colorado....

The Supreme Court ... has what is called 'original jurisdiction' to hear cases and controversies arising between the states. One state may petition the court to hear a suit against another state without having to start at the trial court level.... This is the procedure attempted when the state attorneys general from Oklahoma and Nebraska, in late 2014, filed suit against the state of Colorado, challenging the validity of the Colorado marijuana legalization law.

"Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a Republican, and Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, also a Republican, alleged that marijuana from Colorado was finding its way illegally to their states, causing their courts, law enforcement agencies and jails to be overburdened....

"'The state of Colorado authorizes, oversees, protects and profits from a sprawling $100-million-per-month marijuana growing, processing and retailing organization that exported thousands of pounds of marijuana to some 36 states in 2014,' they said. 'If this entity were based south of our border, the federal government would prosecute it as a drug cartel.'

"Attorneys for both the state of Colorado (Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, a Republican) and the Obama administration urged the Supreme Court not to accept the case, saying it was not a conflict between the states and thus not eligible for 'original jurisdiction.' They argued the case involved harm allegedly being caused by individual lawbreakers, not the state of Colorado....

"On March 21, the Supreme Court announced they would refuse to hear the case on a 6-2 vote (four votes are required for the court to agree to hear a case), with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito in the minority.

"The decision to reject the case on original jurisdiction does not resolve the underlying substantive issues, but it means the two states, if they wish to pursue this line of reasoning further, must first file their suit at the trial court level and work through the court of appeals, before again asking the Supreme Court to rule. There will be no legal short cut for this challenge."

Read more: http://blog.norml.org/2016/03/28/our-recent-supreme-court-victory-and-what-it-means/
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A newbie's guide to Uber and Lyft

What is Uber, What is Lyft, and Which Should You Use? - Jess Bolluyt, Gear & Style Cheat Sheet:

March 26, 2016 - "Whether you need a safe way to get home after a night out or are seeking a ride to the airport, there’s little reason to call a cab anymore. In most cities, the easiest way to get a ride is to fire up your smartphone, open an app like Uber or Lyft, and with a few taps, a car will be on its way to you. These services are generally cheaper than a taxi, and Uber specifically is continually cutting its rates — which can be great for users, but not so great for drivers — in order to create a service that’s cheaper and more convenient than actually owning a car.

"When you request a ride, your driver will automatically get directions to your destination, and you pay for your ride with the debit card or credit card you’ve saved in the app. These services are designed to offer a more convenient and connected version of taxis, which can be time-consuming or difficult to hail. Here’s what you need to know about the two leading ride-sharing apps, and how you can choose which one is best for you.

"Uber and Lyft are the two ride-sharing apps that dominate in most cities. You’ve probably heard about them in recent headlines, since they’re disrupting the traditional taxi industry and using tactics both innovative and aggressive to build workforces of independent drivers. Uber was founded in 2009, and Lyft was founded in 2012. Both services offer iOS and Android apps, and Uber offers an app for Windows phone users, too. While there are plenty of apps that enable you to hail a licensed taxi, Uber and Lyft are different, because each has its own drivers....

"Drivers for both Uber and Lyft offer different types of cars and services, and depending on how many people you have with you and what kind of vehicle you prefer, you can select what ride to request via the Uber or Lyft app. Lyft has fewer options than the many you can select from in Uber’s app, but its services cover everything that the average user will need when requesting a ride. A standard Lyft has room for you and up to three friends, while Lyft Plus is a higher-priced ride for up to six passengers. Both services also offer carpooling services, which give you a lower-cost ride if you share the car with another passenger; Uber’s is uberPool, and Lyft’s is Lyft Line.

"UberX is the company’s most affordable option, followed by uberXL, which is an inexpensive service for larger groups of people. UberSELECT is a service that takes “the next step toward luxury,” followed by UberBLACK, which gets you a ride with a professional chauffeur in a livery-registered black luxury car. Finally, UberSUV has the highest base fare, with a luxurious vehicle that has room for you and a bunch of friends. In some cities, Uber also offers UberLux, with higher-end cars, and UberAssist, for seniors and people with disabilities, who need extra assistance or a vehicle that can accommodate a wheelchair.

"Despite their differences, the services and their apps have similarities, too. To ride with Uber or Lyft, you’ll open the app and follow the on-screen instructions to hail a ride. Each app will show you a map of your current location and show you the available cars nearby.... When you enter your destination and request a ride — and optionally get an estimate of how much it’s going to cost — a nearby driver will accept the request.

"You’ll be able to see your driver’s profile, complete with his or her name, a headshot, information on the make and model of their car, a photo of said car, and an estimate of how many minutes it’ll take the driver to get to you. Some drivers will call or text you when they arrive, and when you spot the car, you can get in. On the ride to your destination, you’ll be able to sit back and relax as the driver navigates to your destination. (You can also check your route in the app.) At the end of the ride, you’ll be able to see the final cost, give your driver feedback, and if you’re using Lyft, add a tip. One thing that people love about Uber and Lyft is that they’ll never need to fumble with cash or a card, which makes it considerably more convenient than a traditional cab.

"Additionally, Uber and Lyft have the same requirements for their drivers, and while you should be as careful about your safety as you would when taking a cab, both background-check their drivers, and you can report any problems directly to the company — something that you can’t do as easily with a traditional taxi company."

Read more: http://www.cheatsheet.com/gear-style/what-is-uber-what-is-lyft-and-which-should-you-use.html/?a=viewall
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Decriminalize drug use & possession, medical experts urge in advance of UN session

Top medical experts say we should decriminalize all drugs and maybe go even further - The Washington Post - Christopher Ingraham:

March 24, 2016 - "A group of 22 medical experts convened by Johns Hopkins University and The Lancet have called today for the decriminalization of all nonviolent drug use and possession....

"Their report comes ahead of a special UN General Assembly Session on drugs to be held next month, where the world's countries will re-evaluate the past half-century of drug policy and, in the hope of many experts, chart a more public health-centered approach going forward.

"In a lengthy review of the state of global drug policy, the Hopkins-Lancet experts conclude that the prohibitionist anti-drug policies of the past 50 years 'directly and indirectly contribute to lethal violence, disease, discrimination, forced displacement, injustice and the undermining of people’s right to health.' They cite, among other things:

• A 'striking increase' in homicide in Mexico since the government decided to militarize its response to the drug trade in 2006. The increase has been so great that experts have had to revise life expectancy downward in that country;
• The 'excessive use' of incarceration as a drug control measure, which the experts identify as the "biggest contribution" to higher rates of HIV and Hepatitis C infection among drug users;
• Stark racial disparities in drug law enforcement, particularly in the United States;
• And human rights violations arising from excessively punitive drug control measures, including an increase in the torture and abuse of drug prisoners in places like Mexico.

"'The goal of prohibiting all use, possession, production and trafficking of illicit drugs is the basis of many of our national drug laws, but these policies are based on ideas about drug use and drug dependence that are not scientifically grounded,' said Commissioner Dr. Chris Beyrer of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in a statement.

"For instance, the last time the UN held a special session on drugs, in 1998, it set itself the goal of a 'drug-free world' by 2008.

"The Hopkins-Lancet commissioners also fault UN drug regulators for failing to distinguish between drug use and drug abuse. 'The idea that all drug use is dangerous and evil has led to enforcement-heavy policies and has made it difficult to see potentially dangerous drugs in the same light as potentially dangerous foods, tobacco and alcohol, for which the goal of social policy is to reduce potential harms,' they write."

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/03/24/top-medical-experts-say-we-should-decriminalize-all-drugs-and-maybe-go-even-further/
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