Presidential Candidates - #0 Yours Truly

"Who will be the next President of the United States?" is a question the whole world is asking.  With the 2016 caucus approaching, and candidates canvassing Iowa for support, my youngest sister and I have made a goal of trying to see all the candidates, Republicans and Democrats, in person.  So far we've seen six.  We are planning to see our 7th candidate, "The Donald," later this week.

I have been taking notes and photos (as well as collecting autographs), so I'm now starting a series of posts on the candidates we've met.  Once I've seen and posted about as many candidates as possible, I'll make my final decision on whom to vote for.

It's only fair though, before I give my impartial, unbiased reports on each candidate, that I tell you a little about what my own agenda would be if I were running for President.  (Don't you wish every news reporter would do that?!)

First off, I'm a registered Republican.  I registered as a Republican because I wanted to vote in the caucuses.  I actually probably am more of a libertarian (with conservative roots), but I disagree enough with both parties, that I'm not sure either of them would want to claim me.  The Democrats would definitely not want to claim me, but once in awhile (very rarely) they do come up with good ideas too.  

I'm a Christian, and the book that has most influenced me is the Bible.  Of course, just about every other Presidential candidate in the history of the nation has claimed to be a Christian, so (as I explained here) I don't believe a person should base his/her decision on whom to vote for on whether a candidate is a Baptist, Methodist, or Catholic.

The second most influential book for me is The Law, by Frederic Bastiat.  Basically it says the purpose of the law (government) is to institute justice, no more, no less.

I advocate the free market.  If you want to save yourself the trouble of reading, in short, I believe in less government.  

Taxes

Abolish the IRS.  Institute either a fair tax (sales tax) or a flat tax (a fixed percentage for everyone).

Social Problems

I'm pro-life.  I consider an unborn baby a person with rights which must be defended.

I believe in traditional marriage.  Since the government has proved its ineptness in defining marriage, I believe the most practical solution at the moment would be for the government to be taken out of marriage altogether.  If a couple wants to get married, they should be able to just have a consenting pastor, priest, or notary recognize their union--no government marriage certificates, no clerks being forced to marry people.  

Entitlements, Social and Health Insurance

Repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act.  It has made healthcare unaffordable for many people.  Get the federal government completely out of the health insurance business.

The government must pay back those who have paid into Social Security.  But I'd like to see Social Security phased out, and/or made completely voluntary with private alternatives.

All forms of welfare for individuals and subsidies for corporations should be gradually phased out on the federal level.  Charity should ideally be the work of the church and/or private organizations. 

Veterans should be able to use their benefits at hospitals/doctors' offices of their own choice, not just at V.A. hospitals.

Miscellaneous

• All federal involvement in education should be ended.  Parents should ideally be responsible for the education of their own children.  Abolish the Department of Education.  Education would be left to the states.
• Cut back on regulations, and make all laws understandable.  We have so many laws and regulations, no one can keep track of whether they're breaking one law or another.  This is terribly inefficient.  Institute a regulatory budget, and start working on getting rid of regulations until an ordinary person can understand everything that is legal and everything that isn't.  
• There should be no federal minimum wage.  (See this article if you need a brief explanation.)
• All foreign aid should be ended.  Start by eliminating the foreign aid to our enemies, and then go on to end foreign aid to our friends.  Considering we're trillions of dollars in debt, we can't afford to be giving money to people!
• Work on creating a balanced budget, and paying back our debt.
• Become energy independent.
• Respect the fourth amendment, and don't spy on our citizens (as the government did with the Patriot Act).
• Respect second amendment rights, for citizens to be armed--not just for hunting, not just for self-defence, but for defence against the federal government should it ever become tyrannical.

• Reform the justice system.  Something is definitely wrong when I can read two articles in one morning: one about someone who committed a heinous crime against a child, and walked free after a plea bargain without even being listed as a sex offender, the other article about a clerk in Kentucky who was imprisoned without bail after refusing to issue a marriage license due to her conscientious objection.
• Find alternatives to inhumanely long (and expensive) prison sentences.  (By alternatives, I mean a lot of things: from community service to firing squads.)
• End illegal immigration, and make legal immigration easier.
• End the Federal Reserve, fractional reserve banking, and inflation, and institute sound money.
• Although I disagree with his method, since President Obama has taken the initiative in using the White House itself to make controversial political statements (by coloring it with the rainbow following the Supreme Court's decision), I would go to pains to make my own controversial Christian statement known in similar ways (How about a cross over the White House?).
• Have the strongest military, but don't be the world's policeman.  We can't afford to have troops stationed around the world.  It's not our responsibility to make regime changes in third world countries.  Declare war only when we absolutely need to go to war to keep the United States safe, and then win quickly and efficiently.  

A distant relative of Snowball from Animal Farm

I expect there to be not a single reader who fully agrees with me.  But that's what libertarianism is all about: the freedom to disagree.  God gave mankind a freewill.

I should note that I haven't figured out the means of implementing everything I mentioned, since I'm not actually running for president.  I also realize that everything would probably have to be done gradually and in the proper order, and I would need the help of Congress...  But, now that I've broken the ice, few candidates should seem too extreme.

What would you do your first day in office, if you were elected President?