24.92.130.139 (talk) reinclusion of Badnarik's pre-nomination views, in the context of Libertarianism |
203.112.19.195 (talk) Reverting bias anon, who doesn't check sources/facts... I personally know the source for the story you linked too, he's not credible, he's insane and is now 100 percent pro Badnarik, which could chang |
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Badnarik and [[United States Green Party|Green Party]] candidate [[David Cobb]] were arrested in [[Saint Louis, Missouri]], on [[October 8]], [[2004]], for an act of [[civil disobedience]]. Badnarik and Cobb were protesting their exclusion from the [[U.S. presidential election debates, 2004|presidential debates]] of the [[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004 presidential election campaign]]. They were arrested after crossing a police barricade in an attempt to serve an [[Order to Show Cause]] to the [[Commission on Presidential Debates]]. As a show of solidarity, Badnarik and Cobb refused to be separated during the arrest. Some reporters claim they were handcuffed to one another, while others say they were actually holding hands. |
Badnarik and [[United States Green Party|Green Party]] candidate [[David Cobb]] were arrested in [[Saint Louis, Missouri]], on [[October 8]], [[2004]], for an act of [[civil disobedience]]. Badnarik and Cobb were protesting their exclusion from the [[U.S. presidential election debates, 2004|presidential debates]] of the [[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004 presidential election campaign]]. They were arrested after crossing a police barricade in an attempt to serve an [[Order to Show Cause]] to the [[Commission on Presidential Debates]]. As a show of solidarity, Badnarik and Cobb refused to be separated during the arrest. Some reporters claim they were handcuffed to one another, while others say they were actually holding hands. |
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===Political views=== |
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Like many [[libertarian]]s, Badnarik believes that the federal government has far exceeded its [[United States Constitution|Constitutional]] bounds and should be drastically scaled back in favor of a ''laissez-faire'' free-market driven society. |
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However, some of Badnarik's statements have been regarded as extreme even among the libertarian community, who are often themselves on the fringes of Americna politics. Badnarik believes that the federal income tax has no legal authority. Thus, according to him, refusing to file a tax return is justifiable until the IRS provides what he would see as a sound legal reason for doing so. For several years, Badnarik did not pay income tax. When he moved to Texas, he refused to obtain a driver's license, due to that state's requirement that an applicant provide a [[Social Security Number]] and fingerprint; he has been convicted in court several times for driving without a license. Furthermore, he refuses to use postal zip codes, for he belives that they constitute "federal territories." |
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Badnarik's book ''It's Good To Be The King: The Foundations of Freedom'' (ISBN 1595900012) provides more insight into his often unorthodox views. For instance, Badnarik has suggested that that felons should be confined to bed for the first month of their sentences, in order to cause their muscles to atrophy, thus rendering prison guards' jobs easier. If he were elected president, he would instruct all individuals to evacuate the [[United Nations]] headquarters, and on the eighth day of his administration, he would blow up this building. |
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Badnarik also has a specific proposal for Congress in his book: "I would announce a special one-week session of Congress where all 535 members would be required to sit through a special version of my Constitution class. Once I was convinced that every member of Congress understood my interpretation of their very limited powers, I would insist that they restate their oath of office while being videotaped." |
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Many of these opinions were removed from Badnarik's website as soon as he was nominated by the Libertarian Party, presumably due to their highly contraversial nature. In a July 2004 interview, Badnarik dismissed these statements, commenting "It was intended to be hyperbole." |
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For further discussion of these matters, see [[Liberty Magazine]]'s "Dark Horse on the Third Ballot" by R. W. Bradford. |
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===Issue positions=== |
===Issue positions=== |
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* '''[[Energy]]:''' Badnarik opposes government regulation of the energy industry, instead arguing that the [[free market]] is more effective in controlling prices and maintaining stability. "All you need to know about [[economics]] is the law of [[supply and demand]]. When the supply of something goes down, the price of it will go up. And as the price of [[gasoline]] goes up, the consumerist at the pump is going to provide the incentive for finding alternative sources." |
* '''[[Energy]]:''' Badnarik opposes government regulation of the energy industry, instead arguing that the [[free market]] is more effective in controlling prices and maintaining stability. "All you need to know about [[economics]] is the law of [[supply and demand]]. When the supply of something goes down, the price of it will go up. And as the price of [[gasoline]] goes up, the consumerist at the pump is going to provide the incentive for finding alternative sources." |
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* '''[[Free Trade]]:''' Badnarik would withdraw the [[United States]] from [[NAFTA]] and [[GATT]]. "NAFTA and GATT have about as much to do with free trade as the [[Patriot Act]] has to do with [[liberty]]," he has said. "We need to get the [[government]] out of regulating [[trade]], so that American workers can do what they do best and that is to create [[wealth]]." |
* '''[[Free Trade]]:''' Badnarik would withdraw the [[United States]] from [[NAFTA]] and [[GATT]]. "NAFTA and GATT have about as much to do with free trade as the [[Patriot Act]] has to do with [[liberty]]," he has said. "We need to get the [[government]] out of regulating [[trade]], so that American workers can do what they do best and that is to create [[wealth]]." |
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* '''[[Gay marriage|Gay Marriage]] and [[Civil union|Civil Unions]]:''' Badnarik believes that [[marriage]], as a [[contract]] between two individuals, should not be a concern of government, and supports the right of individuals to associate in whatever ways they see fit. |
* '''[[Gay marriage|Gay Marriage]] and [[Civil union|Civil Unions]]:''' Badnarik believes that [[marriage]], as a [[contract]] between two individuals, should not be a concern of government, and supports the right of individuals to associate in whatever ways they see fit. |
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* '''[[Immigration]]:''' Badnarik supports amnesty for certain illegal immigrants who already reside in the United States. Badnarik believes peaceful immigrants should be allowed to enter the country without restrictions or quotas, subject only to ensure they are not terrorists or criminals. Badnarik does not believe that the existence of a social 'safety net' is a good excuse for excluding immigrants. |
* '''[[Immigration]]:''' Badnarik supports amnesty for certain illegal immigrants who already reside in the United States. Badnarik believes peaceful immigrants should be allowed to enter the country without restrictions or quotas, subject only to ensure they are not terrorists or criminals. Badnarik does not believe that the existence of a social 'safety net' is a good excuse for excluding immigrants. |
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* '''[[International Relations]]:''' As president, Badnarik would avoid "entangling alliances" and would initiate "a rapid recall of our troops from around the world. Other countries will be less likely to attack us when we are trading goods that are necessary for their survival." He supports the reduction and eventual elimination of government-funded [[foreign aid]] programs |
* '''[[International Relations]]:''' As president, Badnarik would avoid "entangling alliances" and would initiate "a rapid recall of our troops from around the world. Other countries will be less likely to attack us when we are trading goods that are necessary for their survival." He supports the reduction and eventual elimination of government-funded [[foreign aid]] programs. |
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* '''[[U.S.-led occupation of Iraq|Iraq War]]:''' Badnarik supports a rapid withdrawal of [[United States military|U.S. forces]] from [[Iraq]], while providing for repair to infrastructure damaged by U.S. action. |
* '''[[U.S.-led occupation of Iraq|Iraq War]]:''' Badnarik supports a rapid withdrawal of [[United States military|U.S. forces]] from [[Iraq]], while providing for repair to infrastructure damaged by U.S. action. |
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* '''[[Military draft|Military Draft]]:''' Badnarik opposes any reinstatement of a military draft. |
* '''[[Military draft|Military Draft]]:''' Badnarik opposes any reinstatement of a military draft. |
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* '''Welfare & Poverty :''' Badnarik is opposed to any government assistance for the poor, insisting that it is not a legitimate govermental function, but that charity is the role of private individuals and organizations. Badnarik believes that under a libertarian government, with substantially lower tax burdens, individuals would more readily be able to provide charitible services. |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://www.badnarik.org/ Michael Badnarik's official campaign website] |
* [http://www.badnarik.org/ Michael Badnarik's official campaign website] |
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* [http://www.lp.org/press/archive.php?function=view&record=661 LP Press Release on Badnarik's nomination] |
* [http://www.lp.org/press/archive.php?function=view&record=661 LP Press Release on Badnarik's nomination] |
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* [http://www.libertyunbound.com/archive/2004_08/bradford-dark_horse.html An article in Liberty Magazine (a libertarian magazine) about Badnarik] |
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[[Category:Libertarians|Badnarik, Michael]] |
[[Category:Libertarians|Badnarik, Michael]] |
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[[Category:United States presidential candidates|Badnarik, Michael]] |
[[Category:United States presidential candidates|Badnarik, Michael]] |
Revision as of 20:16, 10 October 2004
Michael J. Badnarik (born August 1, 1954) is an American software engineer and political figure. He is the Libertarian Party (a third party) nominee for President of the United States in the 2004 elections.
Personal Life
Born in Hammond, Indiana, the oldest son of John and Elaine Badnarik, and the grandson of Slovak immigrants, Michael Badnarik attended Indiana University at Bloomington but left just shy of earning a degree in chemistry. He worked as a computer programmer at the Zion nuclear plant beginning in 1977, and from 1982 to 1985, was a senior software engineer for Commonwealth Edison.
In 1985, he relocated to Montebello, California, to work on the Stealth Bomber simulator project and in 1987 moved to San Luis Obispo, California, as a system administrator and computer trainer at the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant.
In 1997, fleeing restrictive gun laws enacted by the California legislature, Badnarik moved to Texas and began work as a senior trainer for Evolutionary Technologies International. He currently resides in Austin, Texas.
Badnarik worked as a Red Cross volunteer during the 1970s, and has been the Scoutmaster of several Boy Scout troops. He is a certified scuba and skydiving instructor.
Political Career
A gun-rights activist, Badnarik first ran for public office in 2000 as a Libertarian, earning 15,221 votes in a race for the Texas legislature; he ran again for the same seat in 2002. Badnarik is a participant in the libertarian Free State Project. In February 2003, Badnarik announced his candidacy for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination, and spent the following 18 months travelling the country, teaching a course on the United States Constitution to dozens of libertarian groups. He has written a book, It's Good To Be The King: The Foundations of Freedom (ISBN 1595900012) on the subject of constitutional law.
Badnarik was viewed as a long shot to win the Libertarian presidential nomination, facing challenges from talk-show host Gary Nolan and Hollywood producer Aaron Russo. At the 2004 Libertarian National Convention, Badnarik gained substantial support following the candidates' debate (broadcast live on C-SPAN). In the closest presidential nomination race in the Libertarian Party's 32-year history, all three candidates polled within 12 votes of each other on the first ballot (Russo 258, Badnarik 256, Nolan 246). When the second ballot placed the candidates in the same order, Gary Nolan was eliminated and threw his support to Badnarik; Badnarik won the nomination on the third ballot 417 to 348, with None of the Above receiving 6 votes. Richard Campagna of Iowa City, Iowa, was selected as his vice-presidential nominee.
Badnarik's capture of the nomination was widely regarded as a surprise by many within the party; both Nolan and Russo had outpaced Badnarik in both fundraising and poll results prior to the convention. Badnarik commented following his success at the national convention, "If I can win the nomination, there's no reason I can't win this election."
Badnarik and Green Party candidate David Cobb were arrested in Saint Louis, Missouri, on October 8, 2004, for an act of civil disobedience. Badnarik and Cobb were protesting their exclusion from the presidential debates of the 2004 presidential election campaign. They were arrested after crossing a police barricade in an attempt to serve an Order to Show Cause to the Commission on Presidential Debates. As a show of solidarity, Badnarik and Cobb refused to be separated during the arrest. Some reporters claim they were handcuffed to one another, while others say they were actually holding hands.
Issue positions
Badnarik has taken the National Political Awareness Test (questionnaire results)
- Abortion: Badnarik personally opposes abortion, but believes that decisions regarding abortion rights should be made at the state and not the federal level. He recognizes that there is significant controversy surrounding when life begins, and argues that therefore the state should not legislate against abortion, since a fetus is not unarguably a human life.
- Broadcast Regulation: Badnarik opposes government regulation of "offensive" content. "I find it very offensive when the government tells me what I can and cannot watch. [...] Individual people should decide what is or is not obscene and they will make that decision by watching or not watching reality TV."
- Campaign Finance Reform: Badnarik supports eliminating public matching funds and contribution limits for political campaigns.
- Civil Rights: Badnarik supports all of the Bill of Rights. Badnarik says government does not grant rights but rather acknowledges them, that they exist independently of government as part of who and what we are, and that, as Jefferson noted in the Declaration of Independence, the only legitimate function of government is to secure them.
- Economic Stimulus: Badnarik would stimulate the economy by eliminating the federal income tax in concert with drastically cutting government spending, effectively increasing personal income for most Americans. He also advocates the elimination of the Federal Reserve and the restoration of a commodity-based currency.
- Education: Badnarik supports the elimination of the federal Department of Education, claiming that it is both unconstitutional and ineffective. Badnarik has called for the privatization of education, which he believes would result in both more effective and affordable alternatives due to free-market competition.
- Energy: Badnarik opposes government regulation of the energy industry, instead arguing that the free market is more effective in controlling prices and maintaining stability. "All you need to know about economics is the law of supply and demand. When the supply of something goes down, the price of it will go up. And as the price of gasoline goes up, the consumerist at the pump is going to provide the incentive for finding alternative sources."
- Free Trade: Badnarik would withdraw the United States from NAFTA and GATT. "NAFTA and GATT have about as much to do with free trade as the Patriot Act has to do with liberty," he has said. "We need to get the government out of regulating trade, so that American workers can do what they do best and that is to create wealth."
- Gay Marriage and Civil Unions: Badnarik believes that marriage, as a contract between two individuals, should not be a concern of government, and supports the right of individuals to associate in whatever ways they see fit.
- Gun Control: Badnarik opposes restrictions on gun ownership as restrictions on an individual's right to self-defense.
- Health Care: Badnarik opposes government involvement in health care and drug regulation, as he contends that the current drug approval process raises costs for consumers.
- Illegal Drugs: Badnarik supports the decriminalization of marijuana and other illegal drugs, citing the restrictions on personal freedoms as a result of the War on Drugs. See also: Drug legalization.
- Immigration: Badnarik supports amnesty for certain illegal immigrants who already reside in the United States. Badnarik believes peaceful immigrants should be allowed to enter the country without restrictions or quotas, subject only to ensure they are not terrorists or criminals. Badnarik does not believe that the existence of a social 'safety net' is a good excuse for excluding immigrants.
- International Relations: As president, Badnarik would avoid "entangling alliances" and would initiate "a rapid recall of our troops from around the world. Other countries will be less likely to attack us when we are trading goods that are necessary for their survival." He supports the reduction and eventual elimination of government-funded foreign aid programs.
- Iraq War: Badnarik supports a rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, while providing for repair to infrastructure damaged by U.S. action.
- Military Draft: Badnarik opposes any reinstatement of a military draft.