[Lnc-business] Email Ballot 2017-18: Unity Statement

Mon Aug 28 09:08:03 EDT 2017

I change my vote to no.

Chuck Moulton pointed this out, and I agree with him - there is another
argument buried in here.

==> 4.  The annual cost of these bases to the American taxpayers is
approximately $156 billion. The support of U.S. foreign military bases
drains funds that can be used to fund human needs and enable our cities and
States to provide necessary services for the people.

Many LP members and LNC members were justifiably upset with the Iraq Exit
Strategy produced by staff in 2010 (I think?) because it suggested taking
troops from Iraq and redeploying them to Afghanistan and other places
rather than simply reducing our military involvement.

Similarly, instead of simply suggesting eliminating military spending (and
reducing taxes as Libertarians would like), this resolution suggests
re-allocating the funds to social welfare programs which should be
cringe-worthy for anarchists and minarchists alike.  At least, that was my
reading of "funds that can be used to fund human needs and enable our
cities and States to provide necessary services for the people".===

-Caryn Ann

On Mon, Aug 28, 2017 at 6:39 AM David Demarest <dpdemarest at centurylink.net>
wrote:

> I must admit that coalitions make me nervous unless they are confined to
> advocacy for specific actions like closure of all foreign military bases
> and reducing our offensive military presence on foreign shores and on the
> seas. While this motion is presented in the context of the broader
> Libertarian perspective, the proposed actions appear to be on target. I
> fail to see any “rent is theft” connection.
>
>
>
> As to the environmental issue, it is a well-established fact that
> governments and their military arms are by far the worst polluters and
> stewards of the environment. Our 25 existing and proposed 15 additional
> carrier strike forces are certainly not green-friendly floating wind farms.
>
>
>
> On the espionage issue, I am okay with privately sponsored foreign
> defensive espionage but government offensive espionage is a serious threat
> to not only the world community but inevitably trickles down into
> information gathering focused on citizens here at home for obvious
> unethical reasons disguised as scare-tactic protection from terrorists.
>
>
>
> Aside from my interest in a little more definition on the proposed
> coalition and its action limitations, I support this motion.
>
>
>
> Thoughts?
>
>
>
> ~David Pratt
>
>
>
> *2018 Omaha Roads to Freedom Un-Convention*
>
>
>
> *Freedom, Nothing More, Nothing Less*
>
>
>
> ~David Pratt Demarest
>
> Roads to Freedom Foundation, Founder
>
> LNC Region 6 Representative (IA, IL, MN, MO, ND, NE, WI)
>
> LSLA Vice-Chair
>
> LPNE State Central Committee, Secretary
>
> LPRC Board Member, Nebraska State Coordinator
>
> David.Demarest at LP.org
>
> Secretary at LPNE.org
>
> DPDemarest at centurylink.net
>
> DPrattDemarest at gmail.com
>
> Cell:      402-981-6469
>
> Home: 402-493-0873
>
>
>
> *From:* Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Daniel Hayes
> *Sent:* Monday, August 28, 2017 6:00 AM
> *To:* lnc-business at hq.lp.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Lnc-business] Email Ballot 2017-18: Unity Statement
>
>
>
> I vote NO.
>
>
>
> I am TOTALLY in for closure of all foreign bases. I immediately paused at
> the language that Caryn Ann just pointed out about Environmental damage.
> I was worried I was going to be the only "No". I would have worn that one
> proudly.
>
>
>
> I think I see another agenda from the authors here besides closing bases.
> I think we need to run away from this.
>
>
>
> I don't think our position on foreign bases is unclear either. Run away..
> bravely run away away...
>
>
>
> If "we" sign this, next thing you know, we will have members saying
> something absurd and antithetical to the fundamental principles of
> libertarianism (like property rights) such as, "Rent is theft".
>
>
>
>
>
> Daniel Hayes
>
> LNC At Large Member
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> On Aug 28, 2017, at 3:40 AM, David Demarest <dprattdemarest at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Yes
>
>
>
> ~David Pratt Demarest
>
>
>
> On Aug 28, 2017 2:22 AM, "Caryn Ann Harlos" <carynannharlos at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Yes
>
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 28, 2017 at 1:07 AM Alicia Mattson <agmattson at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> We have an electronic mail ballot.
>
>
>
> *Votes are due to the LNC-Business list by September 7, 2017 at 11:59:59pm
> Pacific time.*
> *Co-Sponsors:*  Vohra, Bittner, Harlos, Demarest
>
> *Motion:*  The Chair is authorized by the LNC to sign the following
> petition on behalf of the LNC:  http://noforeignbases.org/
>
> --------------------Resolution Text--------------------
>
>
> Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases
>
> Unity Statement
>
> We, the undersigned peace, justice and environmental organizations, and
> individuals, endorse the following Points of Unity and commit ourselves to
> working together by forming a Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military
> Bases, with the goal of raising public awareness and organizing non-violent
> mass resistance against U.S. foreign military bases.
>
> While we may have our differences on other issues, we all agree that U.S.
> foreign military bases are the principal instruments of imperial global
> domination and environmental damage through wars of aggression and
> occupation, and that the closure of U.S. foreign military bases is one of
> the first necessary steps toward a just, peaceful and sustainable world.
> Our belief in the urgency of this necessary step is based on the following
> facts:
>
> 1.  While we are opposed to all foreign military bases, we do recognize
> that the United States maintains the highest number of military bases
> outside its territory, estimated at almost 1000 (95% of all foreign
> military bases in the world). Presently, there are U.S. military bases in
> every Persian Gulf country except Iran.
>
>
>
> 2.  In addition, the United States has 19 Naval air carriers (and 15 more
> planned), each as part of a Carrier Strike Group, composed of roughly 7,500
> personnel, and a carrier air wing of 65 to 70 aircraft — each of which can
> be considered a floating military base.
>
>
>
> 3.  These bases are centers of aggressive military actions, threats of
> political and economic expansion, sabotage and espionage, and crimes
> against local populations. In addition, these military bases are the
> largest users of fossil fuel in the world, heavily contributing to
> environmental degradation.
>
>
>
> 4.  The annual cost of these bases to the American taxpayers is
> approximately $156 billion. The support of U.S. foreign military bases
> drains funds that can be used to fund human needs and enable our cities and
> States to provide necessary services for the people.
>
>
>
> 5.  This has made the U.S. a more militarized society and has led to
> increased tensions between the U.S. and the rest of the world. Stationed
> throughout the world, almost 1000 in number, U.S. foreign military bases
> are symbols of the ability of the United States to intrude in the lives of
> sovereign nations and peoples.
>
>
>
> 6.  Many individual national coalitions — for example, Okinawa, Italy,
> Jeju Island Korea, Diego Garcia, Cyprus, Greece, and Germany — are
> demanding closure of bases on their territory. The base that the U.S. has
> illegally occupied the longest, for over a century, is Guantánamo Bay,
> whose existence constitutes an imposition of the empire and a violation of
> International Law. Since 1959 the government and people of Cuba have
> demanded that the government of the U.S. return the Guantánamo territory to
> Cuba.
>
>
> U.S. foreign military bases are NOT in defense of U.S. national, or global
> security. They are the military expression of U.S. intrusion in the lives
> of sovereign countries on behalf of the dominant financial, political, and
> military interests of the ruling elite. Whether invited in or not by
> domestic interests that have agreed to be junior partners, no country, no
> peoples, no government, can claim to be able to make decisions totally in
> the interest of their people, with foreign troops on their soil
> representing interests antagonistic to the national purpose.
>
> We must all unite to actively oppose the existence of U.S. foreign
> military bases and call for their immediate closure. We invite all forces
> of peace, social and environmental justice to join us in our renewed effort
> to achieve this shared goal.
>
> ---------------End of Resolution Text---------------
>
> -Alicia
>
> _______________________________________________
> Lnc-business mailing list
> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>
> --
>
> *In Liberty,*
>
> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
>
> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska, Arizona,
> Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
> Harlos at LP.org <Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
>
> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
> <http://www.lpcolorado.org>
>
> Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee
>
>
>
> A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
>
> *We defend your rights*
>
> *And oppose the use of force*
>
> *Taxation is theft*
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Lnc-business mailing list
> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> Lnc-business mailing list
> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> Lnc-business mailing list
> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org
>
-- 
*In Liberty,*
*Caryn Ann Harlos*
Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska, Arizona,
Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
Harlos at LP.org <Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
<http://www.lpcolorado.org>
Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee

A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
*We defend your rights*
*And oppose the use of force*
*Taxation is theft*
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