I want a new party

A lot of shit in the legal and political news bugs me lately, and watching where the various factions fall on the issues just leaves me scratching my head. The Democrats and the Republicans both seem so off-course and corrupt that the possibility of either group acting in the best interests of the American people seems remote, at best. On the rare occasions where either group has done so, it appears to have been mostly by accident.

The closest thing I've seen to sanity has been from the Libertarians, but they have yet to figure out how to use the media. They'll be flyweights until they do.

In the meantime, I want a new party. Here's my wish list for a platform:

Personal freedom & responsibility

Ownership of one's self is absolute, and may not be infringed upon unless a person's actions cause or significantly risk serious, direct harm to others. Adults of sound mind should be free to do things that others might find reckless, stupid or immoral, so long as they only risk harm to themselves (or harm to other adults only by their own consent). If you want to bungee-jump from a bridge while shaving with a straight razor, so be it.

By the same token, responsibility for one's own actions is also absolute. If said person decapitates himself while shaving and bungee jumping, there's no room for a liability lawsuit against the manufacturers of said bridge, bungee cord or straight razor!

Free market economics with public protection

Businesses should be able to operate pretty much unfettered, with a few qualifications -- that their activities and products not cause or risk serious harm to the public, and that intellectual property should be protected.

Protection of the public should be true on both a micro level (e.g., toasters that don't catch fire) and a macro level (e.g., regulation and oversight of greenhouse gas emissions and PCBs).

Likewise, intellectual property needs to be protected -- inventors and innovators should be able to profit from their work. (If you have any doubts about the state of copyright law in America, I suggest you check out Pirates of Silicon Valley.)

Social and fiscal responsibility

I don't have a problem with paying taxes to support programs meant to improve the quality of life for Americans or to provide a safety net for those who are destitiute. I just want to know that those programs are being funded correctly, run by competent individuals and held accountable for their performance over time.

Campaign reform

No, really. I'm talking about meaningful campaign reform that takes into account the reality that elections are often decided long before election day. I've already gone on about this at length (and I really need to finish it up one of these mornings).

Separation of church and state

You should be free to believe whatever you want, but I don't want my tax dollars spent to ram it down the public's throats. If you think the Ten Commandments need to be on public display, then pass around the collection plate and put up a fuckin' billboard. If you don't think homosexuals should be allowed to marry, fine. You're free to join a church that shares your view, surround yourself with like-minded individuals and send your kids to a school that teaches the same thing. (You're also free to move the whole shebang into a walled-in compound in a remote corner of Montana and spare the rest of us your slack-jawed, knuckle-dragging presence. Which I very much encourage.)