Abolish NSA, Exonerate Snowden, Stop Illegal Spying: Libertarian Candidates Pledge

(From the Intellectual Ammunition section in Volume 19, No. 17 of the Liberator Online. Subscribe here!)

Scores of Libertarian Party candidates for federal office have pledged to downsize the bloated federal government  — in these big and specific ways:

* Eliminate the federal income tax
* End the War on Drugs
* Abolish the NSA
* Cut military spending by 60%

We’re exploring each of these pledges in detail, one per issue, because the Libertarian Party has done a great job of showing that these bold proposals are not only possible, but practical and enormously beneficial. (Of course, you can jump ahead of us and read about all four positions right now.)

Let’s look at the pledge to abolish the NSA (National Security Agency).

The candidates pledge: “If elected, I will sponsor legislation to abolish the NSA, grant clemency and full whistleblower protection to Edward Snowden, consolidate our 18 spy agencies into one accountable agency, and cut taxes accordingly.”

Here are the benefits of fully restoring the Fourth Amendment, exonerating Edward Snowden and shrinking the American spy apparatus, according to the Libertarian Party:

* Privacy! No more snooping on your private emails, phone calls, text messages, Skype sessions, and other personal communication without your consent. No risk of embarrassment and humiliation due to others’ unwelcome knowledge of your personal life. You alone will control your private information.

* Consolidating the 18 U.S. spy agencies will enable substantial cuts in federal taxes. Each American family will get back, on average, $540 every year that they now pay in taxes.

* Assurance of privacy will increase the use of online banking and shopping, creating greater convenience for shoppers and increased sales for online vendors. It also encourages use of email, which cuts costs for businesses, cuts prices for consumers, liberates personal communications, and reduces paper waste.

* Protection from warrantless government search and seizure will greatly reduce the risk of unjust arrests and prosecution of innocent Americans, and will lessen the risk of America devolving into a state of tyranny.

* Exonerating Edward Snowden will grant him the respect and freedom he deserves, and will make it safe for whistleblowers to speak up when the government violates the rights of citizens.