Well, I had hoped to go into as much depth with the other parties as I did with those rascally Constitutionists, but the time before the election has evaporated. So here’s a brief overview of the other candidates on the Washington state ballot.
The Libertarians have my sympathy because they, like the Constitutionalists and (at least in years past) the Republicans, want to reduce the size of government. But things are getting a little wacky in Libertarian land.
- They want to legalize many drugs, because they think the War on Drugs has been a spectacular failure, filling our jails and doing little to reduce the demand for drugs. I can see some merit in their argument, though I haven’t concluded that they’re right.
- They want to end federal welfare and anti-poverty programs, and instead have a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for charitable contributions. I support this idea fully.
- They want to allow you to opt-out of Social Security. I’m on board here, too. I’ve felt since the 1980s that my generation should just bite the bullet and give up Social Security — keep paying in for those already in the system, but end the program before we reach retirement age. More people in my age bracket believe in UFOs than believe they’ll ever get a dime out of Social Security.
- They want to pull out of Iraq as soon as possible. Here’s where they lose me. Having invaded Iraq, I believe we have a responsibility to stay until Iraq has a stable government.
Not much here for which I can vote. The Greens think “The unjust, illegal and immoral war in Iraq must be brought to an end now.” They also support single-payer, universal health care, proportional representation, a “living wage” (increasing the minimum wage to $10.00 an hour, with adjustments for inflation), an end to discrimination against “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer” persons (I don’t know what Intersex means, and I don’t know what the distinction is between Queers and “Lesbians” and “Gays”.) There’s more, but you get the point. About the only thing I can really stand with the Greens on is some restrictions on the political activites of corporations, though I would restrict all political spending by all corporations, including labor unions and non-profit advocacy groups. (More on this another time.)
Ralph thinks the US can give way to a UN peacekeeping force (for which the US will pay) who can ensure stability while Iraq builds its own democracy. (I think Ralph’s nuts.) He’s also running on universal health care and against corporate crime and greed. His tax program taxes wealth instead of wages. He has a seven point plan to end poverty. In short, Ralph is running a 1960s idealism campaign for the 2000s.
The usual group of cranks and nut jobs, who haven’t figured out the meaning of the fall of communism. The Worker’s World Party web site carries slogans like “People’s Needs Before Profits - For Socialism, Against Capitalism.” All three groups are concerned with the rights of unions to organize. The WWP wants a minimum wage of $15/hour. The SEP calls for a 30-hour work week (at a 40-hour pay scale). All of these groups call for an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
The purpose of voting for one of these groups is not so much to actually elect them, as to help ensure ballot access for them in future. If you live in a state where the outcome is pretty much already determined (like Washington), and you find one of these to be to your liking, go ahead and vote for one of these groups. If you don’t find one to your liking, feel free to write me in. That’s M-C-P-H-E-E-T-E-R-S. Happy Election Day.
