Can conservatives and progressives agree on a negotiated platform based on a common commitment to some libertarian ideas? An attempt follows, in which I first identify the common core and then discuss the contentious issues and how we may negotiate toward a compromise.
I. Common Ground -- The Core
On all these issues, left-leaning and right-leaning libertarians have policy proposals that are the same or similar enough and may be palatable to both wings.
II. Contentious Issues -- The Compromise
It is assumed that on all of the following issues, there are deep and signifiant philosophical divides, necessitating a give-and-take, with conservatives getting their way on some issues and progressives, on others:
I. Common Ground -- The Core
On all these issues, left-leaning and right-leaning libertarians have policy proposals that are the same or similar enough and may be palatable to both wings.
- Criminal Justice Reform
- decriminalize all drugs (including recreational)
- decriminalize prostitution
- decriminalize gambling
- reprieve all prisoners currently in for the above crimes
- Economic Policy
- NO to Corporatism, Cronyism, Corporate Subsidies, special interest kickbacks, pork, etc. -- the federal budget will not be used to subsidize any particular corporation or industry (aerospace, defense, ethanol, sugar, solar, wind, etc.)
- no bailouts for banks or corporations -- no more too big to fail
- audit the Fed
- reduce bureaucratic bloat -- waste, fraud, abuse in government departments and programs
- Civil Liberties
- privacy from warrantless surveillance
- no indefinite detention without jury trial
- no extraordinary rendition (e.g. Snowden)
- no extrajudicial killings (end the CIA drone wars)
- demilitarize the police
- stop civil asset forfeiture
- Foreign Policy
- diplomacy NOT nation building
- reduce the size of the military
- no aid to dictators -- no aid, period.
- Environment
- Jerry Taylor's grand bargain : in exchange for the elimination of EPA carbon regulations and state renewable energy mandates, Congress would adopt a substantial and rising economy-wide carbon emissions tax, made "revenue-neutral" by reducing other taxes
II. Contentious Issues -- The Compromise
It is assumed that on all of the following issues, there are deep and signifiant philosophical divides, necessitating a give-and-take, with conservatives getting their way on some issues and progressives, on others:
- taxes
- regulations
- health care
- education
- welfare
- immigration
- trade
- guns
- entitlements
- social
- abortion
- marriage
There is yet another way to look at forming the compromise. There are four powerful issues on which the levers of power can be turned to influence the country to either greater collectivism or greater individual liberty. They are :
- Executive fiat
- Balance of the Supreme Court (5-4 b/w Constitutional originalists vs. "living document")
- income : taxes + debt
- spending : regulations, health + education + other programs, welfare, entitlements, military, domestic statutes (civil rights, social issues, etc.)
Typically, the President controls the first two levers and Congress controls the last two. In a negotiated platform, one side would be allowed to choose between (1) & (2) and again between (3) & (4). So, for e.g. progressives might get executive fiat and Congressional spending powers, while conservatives get to balance the Supreme court their way and control total revenue (taxes + debt).
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