LIBERTARIANS
FOR PEACE
Stop the "War on Terrorism"
End Occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq
NO WAR ON IRAN!!
No to the Military Draft and Compulsory National Service
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LIBERTARIANS
FOR PEACE
Stop the "War on Terrorism" End Occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq NO WAR ON IRAN!! No to the Military Draft and Compulsory National Service |
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We are Libertarians who are committed to promoting an end to United States military intervention which we believe carries out an imperialist agenda that benefits powerful government and corporate special interests at the expense of the lives, liberty and prosperity of Americans and of peoples worldwide. We are opposed to the militaristic view that violence can resolve all conflicts, and to the massive surveillance of innocent civilians, especially those engaged in political activity against war and government civil liberties abuses. Libertarians believe that the Americans must show the world the light of liberty -- not the fist of a new world order. We must emphasize to the people of the world that true peace can only come when governments, where they are constituted, use militaries only for self-defense and stop using them to repress internal dissent, squash separatist movements and threaten other nations. We are committed to World Liberty through World Peace. To Peace through Freedom. POINTS OF UNITY We encourage all Americans and all peoples worldwide to embrace principles of: * human rights to life, liberty and property; * political self-determination for individuals and their chosen, voluntary communities; * military non-intervention to oppose imperialism by our own nations, as well as other nations; * non-provocative military self-defense and diplomatic negotiations; * multilateral and unilateral moves towards nuclear and conventional disarmament by all nations. As libertarians, our strategy will be: * to use all means of nonviolent persuasion and action * to work within the Libertarian Party to ensure its platform, publications, candidates and actions advance the cause of non-intervention and peace * to work with established peace coalitions to promote our non-interventionist principles * to create local libertarian-oriented groups and coalitions to promote our non-interventionist principles. MORE PHOTOGRAPHS BELOW  2002 and 2003   |
PEACE ORGANIZING updated May 2012 Carol Moore, DC (202) 635-3739 lawsamzATgmail.com 831-626-8417 Angela Keaton, San Francisco, CA akeatonATantiwar.com (415) 520-6845 Jim C. Perry, NH, New England Activist Coordinating (978) 609-6738 Joseph Knight, LPNM nm_libertarianATyahoo.com LISTSERVES General Discussion List -- E-mail Libs4peace-subscribeATyahoogroups.com or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/libs4peace Daily News and Commentary
Antiwar.com Libertarian Party related Libertarian Party Platform Groups/Organizations Coalition for a Realistic Foreign Policy Independent Institute's Center on Peace & Liberty Resources/OpinonHarryBrowne.Org on War Libertarianpeacenik.blogspot.com Murray
Rothbard
on War and on Mid-East War Guilt Documents on Freedom, Democracy, Peace; |
The tragic events of
September 11th changed many people’s ideas regarding our military. What
those events did not change is the huge amount that we taxpayers spend
to defend other nations.
Since the end of WW11 the
United
States has maintained a military presence around the globe. Today we
have
troops stationed in over 100 countries. With a defense budget of over
$300
billion, or more than $1100 for every American man, woman and child, we
spend
far more than any other nation. Much of that expenditure is for the
benefit
of our allies who, also happen to be our economic competitors.
It has been estimated that
we
spent $15 trillion to win the Cold War - more than enough to put much
of
our country through Harvard University, or buy a four bedroom house for
every
family.
In Europe we have 100,000
troops
across the continent; in Germany alone we have 66,000 troops while
England
rates 11,000 American servicemen and women. >From Spain through
Italy,
to the Baltic States and throughout Serbia and Kosovo American forces
maintain
a presence.
The 45,000 troops we have
stationed
in Japan along with the 38,000 in South Korea form the bulwark of our
forces
in Asia. “Why are we there?” needs to asked when So. Korea has a
population
more than double that of No. Korea’s and a gross domestic product 15
times
as large as it’s northern neighbor.
Recent estimates put the
cost
of defending the oil supply in the Persian Gulf at over $50 billion
annually,
or about $150 for each of us. But how much of that oil gets to America?
Not
much: we import only $19 billion in oil from the region. The reality is
that
we import most of our oil from Canada, Mexico and Venezuela. The
majority
of the oil produced and exported of the Persian Gulf ends up in Europe
and
Asia.
Today the American taxpayer
provides
the defense umbrella that other nations live under. Currently we spend
over
$1100 for every man, woman and child on defense while our neighbors to
the
North, Canada will spend just $250 for each of their citizens. In Japan
the
government will spend $360 per person and in Britain the defense
expenditure
will average $580 for each person. With the United Kingdom and Japan
being
the two largest foreign holders on American Treasury notes we are in
the
odd position of borrowing from them - so that we can send our troops to
defend
them - and then tax our citizens for the privilege of doing so! In
South
Korea their government will spend $275 for each citizen, requiring the
American
taxpayer to spend as much to defend South Korea as the South Korean
government
does. By Michael Wilson and Richard Easbey
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