Libertarian Bob Barr pictured in 2008.
Former
United
States Congressman Bob
Barr was the nominee for
President of the United
States of the
Libertarian Party in the
2008
presidential election.
Economic policy
Taxation
Barr advocates repealing the
Sixteenth
Amendment, which would effectively abolish the
income tax and the
Internal Revenue Service. He would
replace the current tax system with a form of
consumption tax, and mentions the
Fair Tax as a possible alternative after the income
tax is repealed first. "Meaningful tax reform begins with reining
in government spending."
Monetary policy
He would increase transparency and oversight in the operations of
the
Federal Reserve, while
"reconsidering the Fed’s almost total control over the money
supply."
Social Security
Barr favors a transformation of the current Social Security system
into one of "individualized system of private accounts." He
maintains that Social Security is not sustainable in its current
form.
Foreign policy
Trade
Barr supports
free trade, and believes
that the United States should promote and encourage "private
involvement around the world". He contends that "the most effective
way to preserve peace is through an expanding free market, backed
by a full range of cultural and other private relationships".
War in Iraq
Barr considers the invasion and occupation of Iraq to have been
mistakes. He asserts that American presence "emboldens both
insurgents and terrorists", and has cost "hundreds of billions of
U.S. taxpayer dollars." He supports "withdrawal without undue
delay."
Iran
He has
stated that "an attack on Iran
would be
unnecessary, counterproductive, costly and dangerous", that
"[t]here is no imminent threat, and only an imminent threat can
ever justify a preemptive strike", and concludes "any
nonproliferation strategy must begin with diplomacy and include a
willingness to address the other side".
Foreign aid
Barr asserts that
foreign aid has
"proved to be a drain on the U.S. economy while doing little good
for the recipients", and that "aid is routinely used by corrupt
foreign governments to oppress their people and enrich powerful
elites. Foreign aid almost always discourages economic and
political reform, while subsidizing nations which often work
against U.S. interests."
United Nations
Barr calls the
United Nations "an
enormous disappointment" and asserts that the "U.S. should push to
roll back the UN’s functions and slash America’s financial
contribution".
Civil liberties
Gun ownership rights
Barr supports the
right to bear
arms as an individual right. "I oppose any law requiring
registration of, or restricting the ownership, manufacture, or
transfer or sale of firearms or ammunition to law-abiding
citizens."
Marriage
Barr opposes any federal definition of marriage, whether by statute
or
constitutional
amendment. He believes the states should be free to determine
what constitutes marriage.
Privacy
As a congressman, Barr voted for the
Patriot Act, but only after his amendments
adding "
sunset clauses" were added to
the final bill. He has since publicly renounced his vote on that
issue, and now staunchly opposes the Patriot Act.Stating his
present position on the subject at the
2008 Libertarian National
Convention, Barr said of the Patriot Act: "I'd drive a stake
through its heart, shoot it, burn it, cut off its head, burn it
again, and scatter its ashes to the four corners of the
world."
Education
Barr advocates the abolition of the
Department of
Education as well as elimination of federal grants and
regulation; he also supports the repeal of the
No Child Left Behind act. He believes
the education should return to the local level. He supports
state-level tax credits to parents who educate their children via
private education or
homeschooling. He
believes the quality of education will benefit more from a
competitive market-based system than from a government-controlled
system."
Borders and immigration
Barr supports better border security to crack down on
illegal immigration while also
supporting reforms that will "sharply increase" legal immigration.
Supports ending
birthright
citizenship and ending government benefits and services for
illegal immigrants.
Environmental policy
Barr believes the
free market needs to
be the foundation of the United States' energy policy.
Supports drilling in
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
.
Health policy
Barr favors cutting costs by reducing controls and regulations. He
maintains that
Medicare and
Medicaid are financially unstable, and
"need to be transformed to emphasize patient choice, focus on the
truly needy, and add cost-saving incentives."
See also
External links
References
- Bob Barr on: Foreign Intervention & Foreign
Bases
- Bob Barr Says U.S. Must Cut United Nations Role and
Budget
- Testimony of Bob Barr on Senate Judiciary
Committee, September 22, 2004
- Milbank, Dana
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