2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #263 "A PLAN TO WIN"

 As you know, I am currently seeking the nomination of the Libertarian Party for President of the United States.  Yes, I know, no third-party candidate has any chance to win the presidency.  But, actually, we do.  First of all, there is no question that we will not have the tens of millions of dollars and the media attention to compete in large states like California and New York, which will go to Vice President Biden (or whomever the Democrats nominate), or in Texas, which will go to President Trump.  Instead, we will spend our resources, time and energy in five small and independent states, as yet to be determined.  Then we will engage the local media and speak directly with the voters, looking them in the eye and telling them that their votes will make history.  Imagine if we win two or three small states – which could be done by receiving 38 to 40 percent of the vote!  In addition, it would almost certainly become newsworthy for the entire country if the Libertarian candidates were beginning to poll stronger in these smaller states.  So the national media would begin to explain why that was happening, which gain attention and would also likely result in increased votes for the libertarian down-ballot candidates in other states as well.

So what would happen if we won two or three small states?  That could likely result in neither Trump nor Biden winning enough delegates to get a majority in the Electoral College and this, in turn, would place the outcome of the vote with the House of Representatives (as covered by the 12th Amendment).  So if the election were to go to the House, it is virtually guaranteed that no Republican would vote for Biden, and no Democrat would vote for Trump. But the list would be restricted to the top three finishers in the election, which would very likely mean the Libertarian would win.  (In case you are interested, the Vice President would be selected by the Senate choosing between the top two finishers.)  In my view, this is exciting.  But even if we only won one state, this would be a revolution for the Libertarian Party, and that alone would help our down-ballot Libertarian candidates for years to come.  So life is certainly interesting, and I am excited to report to you about the possibilities.  Our nominating convention will take place (remotely) over the next weekend, so I will update you again next week.  So please stay tuned!

Song title of the week: “If I’d have shot you when I wanted to, I would be out by now.”

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

Please listen to our weekly radio show entitled “All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” as we discuss timely issues, and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches.  You can hear it every Friday morning at 7 Pacific/10 Eastern by going to www.VoiceAmerica.com, clicking on the Variety Channel and then upon the word “live.”  You can also hear all past shows on demand as well.  And, by the way, these 2 Paragraph columns are now on my website at www.JudgeJImGray.com, Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com  Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty.  In addition, my new book entitled “2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: Solutions that are Practical, Effective, Responsible, Libertarian, is now available at Amazon.com.   Please read and discuss it with your friends, and send in a review.

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY #261: "GOVERNMENTS CAN'T CENTRALLY PLAN!"

  One of the most cogent Op-Ed pieces I have ever read was published by Texas Tech University Economics Professor Benjamin Powell in the May 3, 2020 edition of the Orange County Register.  The article discusses the realities of the attempts by governments to be central planners and to decide when and how to “re-open” our economy.  I strongly recommend that you find and read it, but in the meantime I will get you started by quoting liberally from it. 

“(G)overnment officials can’t know how to plan that reopening for precisely the same reasons that they can’t know how to plan an economy that’s already open. 

“Centrally planned economies have a 100-year history of stagnation, inefficiency, and shortages of basic consumer goods.  It didn’t take a global health crisis to empty the shelves in Cuban or Venezuelan grocery stores.  Mistakes made by central planners, who hold monopoly power over economic decisions, did that all on their own.

“The future is necessarily uncertain.  So, anyone forecasting supply and demand for a given product is bound to make mistakes.  But market economies decentralize decision-making.  The mistakes of some entrepreneurs are usually made up for by the correct actions of others, while profit-and-loss signals guide mistaken entrepreneurs to adjust their behavior.

“Unfortunately, the health care sector is one of the most regulated sectors of the U.S. economy.  Government planners limit the ability of entrepreneurs to discover better ways of providing health care – with predictable dismal results.”

                Professor Powell goes on to say that the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration first used their monopoly powers to obstruct private efforts to produce testing, vaccines and bringing new products to market by prohibiting doctors, patients and entrepreneurial companies from exercising their “right to try.”  And, yes, finally some progress was made when the CDC provided special “fast-track” approvals to the private sector, but the need for those special approvals simply highlights the problems in central planning.  The better way was and always will be to employ a system where individuals and entrepreneurs are free to choose how to interact with other businesses and their customers and employees.  No one wants to get sick, so employees and customers will be much less likely to work for or frequent businesses where the health risks are too high.  But the best solutions will not be the same everywhere because one size clearly does not fit all!  Instead the solutions come from the Invisible Hand of the pricing system, economic incentives to make the right decisions and everyone’s desire to be and remain healthy.  Thus no government planner can know better than the private sector can regarding how to re-open and maintain the economy. 

My own observations are that politicians naturally respond to problems by protecting themselves politically.  So virtually every governor and mayor said things like “I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you healthy.”  Why did they do that?  Because if you stay healthy: “See, it worked – I am a hero!”  And if you did get sick: “Well, you can’t blame me because I did everything I could!”  Of course this pandemic brought us serious health issues and of course no one wants to get sick.  But government central planners have in the past brought global starvation to millions of people.  In addition, the arbitrary closing of hundreds of thousands of “non-essential” businesses and putting literally tens of millions of people out of work also caused damages: think suicides, depression and even domestic violence, in addition to the enormous economic losses!  Politicians with political courage, such as Libertarians, would have left the operations of businesses up to the business owners and their employees and customers.  For example, let stores advertise that they have an effective air filtration system, require masks for and take the temperature of all who enter, practice social distancing, and only allow so many people into their stores at any one time, etc.  Then their customers can decide whether or not to do business at that location.  Churches can choose to provide spacing and other protections for people’s health fully as well as big box stores and other “essential” businesses!  Let their worshipers decide. Crises are often used to erode our freedoms and liberties, but those freedoms and liberties are the soul of our country!  We are right to protest.  We are right to defy.  We don’t have monarchs in our country, and there are many decisions that still must only be decided by “We the People!”   

Quote for the week: “There can be no rainbows without sunshine – and rain.”

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

Please listen to our weekly radio show entitled “All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” as we discuss timely issues, and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches.  You can hear it every Friday morning at 7 Pacific/10 Eastern by going to www.VoiceAmerica.com, clicking on the Variety Channel and then upon the word “live.”  You can also hear past shows on demand as well.  And, by the way, these 2 Paragraph columns are now on my website at www.JudgeJImGray.com, Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com  Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty.  In addition, my new book entitled “2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: Solutions that are Practical, Effective, Responsible, Libertarian, is now available at Amazon.com.   Please read and discuss it with friends, and send in a review.