Category: Elections 2012

So who are all those “third” parties out there (on the Colorado presidential ballot, at least), and can I get official summaries of what they stand for in a short sentence paragraph?  Let’s find out!

(Answer: No. But I managed to distill each one down into a bullet or two from its website, and then a Wikipedia bullet.)

American Constitution Party:

• “We, the members of the American Constitution Party, gratefully acknowledge the blessings of the Lord God as the Creator, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe and of our nation. We hereby appeal to Him for aid, comfort, guidance and the protection of His Divine Providence as we work to restore and preserve this nation as a government of, by, and for the people. Our republic is a nation governed by a constitution rooted in Biblical law and administered by representatives elected by the people to preserve, protect, and defend it against attacks by all its enemies, whether from without or within. We affirm the principles of inherent, un-a-lien-able, individual rights upon which these united States of America were founded. The sole legitimate function of government is to secure these rights through the preservation of domestic tranquility, the maintenance of a strong national defense, and the promotion of equal justice for all.”
• “The goal of the Constitution Party is to restore American jurisprudence to its Biblical foundations and to limit the federal government to its Constitutional boundaries.” [more]
• (The Colorado branch of the Constitution Party is known as the American Constitution Party.)

Libertarian Party:

• “The Libertarian Party is your representative in American politics. It is the only political organization which respects you as a unique and competent individual. Libertarians believe in the American heritage of liberty, enterprise, and personal responsibility. Libertarians recognize the responsibility we all share to preserve this precious heritage for our children and grandchildren. Libertarians believe that being free and independent is a great way to live. We want a system which encourages all people to choose what they want from life; that lets them live, love, work, play, and dream their own way. The Libertarian way is a caring, people-centered approach to politics. We believe each individual is unique. We want a system which respects the individual and encourages us to discover the best within ourselves and develop our full potential. The Libertarian way is a logically consistent approach to politics based on the moral principle of self-ownership. Each individual has the right to control his or her own body, action, speech, and property. Government’s only role is to help individuals defend themselves from force and fraud. The Libertarian Party is for all who don’t want to push other people around and don’t want to be pushed around themselves. Live and let live is the Libertarian way.”
• “The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects the ideas of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated markets, a less powerful state, strong civil liberties (including support for same-sex marriage and other LGBT rights), the legalization of cannabis, separation of church and state, open immigration, non-interventionism and neutrality in diplomatic relations (i.e., avoiding foreign military or economic entanglements with other nations), freedom of trade and travel to all foreign countries, and a more responsive and direct democracy. The Libertarian Party has also supported the repeal of NAFTA, CAFTA, and similar trade agreements, as well as the United States’ exit from the United Nations, WTO, and NATO.” [more]

Green Party:

• “The Green Party of the United States is a federation of state Green Parties. Committed to environmentalism, non-violence, social justice and grassroots organizing, Greens are renewing democracy without the support of corporate donors. Greens provide real solutions for real problems. Whether the issue is universal health care, corporate globalization, alternative energy, election reform or decent, living wages for workers, Greens have the courage and independence necessary to take on the powerful corporate interests. […] We are grassroots activists, environmentalists, advocates for social justice, nonviolent resisters and regular citizens who’ve had enough of corporate-dominated politics.”
• Ten Key Values: (1) Grassroots Democracy. (2) Social Justice and Equal Opportunity. (3) Ecological Wisdom. (4) Non-Violence. (5) Decentralization. (6) Community-Based Economics and Economic Justice. (7) Feminism and Gender Equality. (8) Respect for Diversity. (9) Personal and Global Responsibility. (10) Future Focus and Sustainability.
• “The Green Party of the United States of America emphasizes environmentalism, non-hierarchical participatory democracy, social justice, respect for diversity, peace and nonviolence. […] The Green Party does not accept donations from corporations. Thus, the party’s platforms and rhetoric critique any corporate influence and control over government, media, and American society at large.” [more]

Socialist Party, USA:

• “The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist organization. We see socialism as a new social and economic order in which workers and consumers control production and community residents control their neighborhoods, homes and school and the production of society is used for the benefit of all humanity, not the private profit of a few. We see the working class as in a key and central position to fight back against the ruling class and its power. The working class is the major force worldwide that can lead the way to a socialist future – to a real radical democracy from below. We stand in opposition to all forms of oppression including but not limited to racism, sexism and homophobia. We are a “multi-tendency” organization. We orient ourselves around our principles and develop a common program, but our members have various underlying philosophies and views of the world. Therefore we reject vanguardism and democratic centralism. We advocate for independent political action outside the Democratic and Republican parties. Our tactics in the struggle for radical democratic change reflects our ultimate goal of a society founded on principles of egalitarian, non-exploitative and non-violent relations among all people and between all peoples.”
• “The Socialist Party USA (SPUSA) is a multi-tendency democratic-socialist party in the United States. The party states that it is the rightful continuation and successor to the tradition of the Socialist Party of America, which had lasted from 1901 to 1972. […] The party is officially committed to left-wing democratic socialism. Opposing both capitalism and “authoritarian Communism”, the Party advocates bringing big business under public ownership and democratic workers’ self-management. The party opposes unaccountable bureaucratic control of Soviet communism.” [more]

Justice Party USA:

• “The Justice Party issues a clarion call to join our community of concerned Americans demanding social, economic, and environmental justice for all, not just for the wealthiest Americans and their corporations. […]  We seek to return political power to the people through fair and transparent elections, campaign finance reform, proportional representation, and Constitutional amendment. The Justice Party is a grassroots, broad-based, real political alternative to the corporate-controlled Democratic and Republican parties.”
• “The party is working for campaign finance reforms and does not accept corporate funding. It wants to abolish corporate personhood. The party and its founder are in favor of a financial transaction tax and want to end the Bush tax cuts. They are against the enlarging of the Keystone Pipeline and want a ban on mountaintop removal mining. They are also proponents for a single payer health system. It describes itself as advocating economic justice through measures such as green jobs and a right to organize, environment justice through enforcing employee safeguards in trade agreements, and social and civic justice through universal health care.” [more]

Peace and Freedom Party:

• “The Peace and Freedom Party is an open, multi-tendency, movement-oriented socialist party. We are united in our common commitment to socialism, democracy, feminism and unionism and our common opposition to capitalism, imperialism, racism, sexism and elitism.”
• “The Peace and Freedom Party is committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism and racial equality. We represent the working class, those without capital in a capitalist society. We organize toward a world where cooperation replaces competition, a world where all people are well fed, clothed and housed; where all women and men have equal status; where all individuals may freely endeavor to fulfill their own talents and desires; a world of freedom and peace where every community retains its cultural integrity and lives with all others in harmony.”
• “From its inception, Peace and Freedom Party has been a left-wing political organization. It is a strong advocate of protecting the environment from pollution and nuclear waste. It advocates personal liberties and universal, high quality and free access to education and health care. Its understanding of socialism includes a socialist economy, where industries, financial institutions, and natural resources are owned by the people as a whole and democratically managed by the people who work in them and use them.” [more]

Socialist Workers Party USA:

• “The party is running a working class, labor, socialist campaign. The candidates and their supporters are helping build solidarity with workers’ struggles and engaging in discussions on a fighting road forward to combat the consequences for workers and farmers of the world capitalist crisis, which has only just begun. The Socialist Workers Party is joining the resistance with a program of struggle to defend the most immediate needs of the working class. This includes a demand for a massive, government funded public works program to put millions to work at union scale wages, building high-quality housing and safe and convenient public transportation affordable for workers, as well as schools, child care centers, recreational facilities and other infrastructure to improve the living conditions of working people. […] The campaign will join in gatherings of small farmers, at protests against police brutality and “stop and frisk,” rallies against U.S. wars and use of killer drones from Pakistan and Afghanistan to Africa and elsewhere, against attacks on immigrant workers, with students facing unpayable debt loads, and families whose homes have been foreclosed. If we are going to advance our interests against those of the bosses, the SWP candidates explain, working people and our unions need to organize independently of the capitalist parties, the Democrats and Republicans. The socialists point to the necessity of building a mass revolutionary movement led by the working class capable of wresting political power from the propertied rulers and transforming ourselves and all of society.”
• “The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on ‘solidarity work’ to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba. The SWP publishes The Militant, a weekly newspaper that dates back to 1928.” [more]
• (The Militant site is used in lieu of a party website.) (Also, they have no logo.)

America’s Party:

• “We’re ‘The Citizen-Led Campaign to Save America’. Our purpose? The same as the stated purpose of the U.S. Constitution: ‘To secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity.’ That’s why we’re pro-life and pro-liberty, and will always unswervingly support a strong and secure America. Along with the signers of the Declaration of Independence, we believe in the self-evident truth that all men are created equal, that our unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness come from our Creator, and that just government can only exist by the consent of the governed. We call these ‘America’s Principles.'”
• “America’s Party, originally known as America’s Independent Party, is a conservative American political party formed in 2008 by supporters of Alan Keyes as an alternative to the Republican, Democratic and other parties. […] The party seeks to reform the tax structure by advocating the repeal of the 16th Amendment, and despite the fact that many members support the FairTax, the platform remains open on what to replace the Federal income tax with. The party supports the Federal Marriage Amendment being added to the U.S. Constitution. It is also pro-life on abortion.” [more]

Party for Socialism and Liberation:

• “The Party for Socialism and Liberation believes that the only solution to the deepening crisis of capitalism is the socialist transformation of society. Driven by an insatiable appetite for ever greater profits regardless of social cost, capitalism is on a collision course with the people of the world and the planet itself. Imperialist war; deepening unemployment and poverty; deteriorating health care, housing and education; racism; discrimination and violence based on gender and sexual orientation; environmental destruction—all are inevitable products of the capitalist system itself. […] We fight for a society in which the working class, the vast majority, holds power. Only when the tremendous wealth of society is owned by the many who created it, rather than the few who now hold legal title to it, will it be possible to speak about democracy in any realistic way. In place of an economic system based on maximizing profits, we stand for an economy based on meeting people’s needs in a way that is environmentally sustainable. The resources exist to guarantee every person on Earth the right to employment, adequate food, clean water, health care, housing, education, cultural activities and more. But these basic needs will never be met as long as control of the productive wealth and resources remains in the hands of the capitalists. Capitalism thrives on oppression and division along the lines of nationality, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, age, ability/disability and religion. We seek a new society based on equality and solidarity among all people.”
• “The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) is a Marxist-Leninist political party in the United States. […] The PSL sees as its main goal the formation of a revolutionary workers’ party, based upon the ideology of Marxism-Leninism. This party would lead a revolution and pave the way towards socialism. Under socialism a new government of working people would be formed. The PSL proposes many radical changes to be implemented by this government. In the political sphere all elected representatives should be recallable, securing freedom of speech for the working class (except in the case of xenophobia or bigotry and to prevent re-establishment of the capitalist system) and the elimination of corporate influence from politics. Concerning economics the PSL would, among other measures, prohibit the exploitation of labor for private profit, implement a working week of 30 hours and the eradication of poverty through the introduction of a basic income guarantee. The PSL would grant the right of self-determination to all oppressed nations of the US, such as “African Americans, Native, Puerto Rican and other Latino national minorities, the Hawai’ian nation, Asian, Pacific Islander, Arab and other oppressed peoples who have experienced oppression as a whole people under capitalism”. The current US “colonies”, which according to the PSL are “Puerto Rico, Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands and the Mariana Islands”, will be granted independence. The PSL would end the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and close all foreign military bases of the US.” [more]

American Third Position:

• “The American Third Position is a patriotic, democratic alternative to the two parties that have wrecked our great nation. […] Parts of our beautiful country now resemble Third World communities in Latin America, Africa and Asia. White people are already a minority in many cities and counties, along with several states, both large and small. Without constructive political action, within a few decades we will become a minority across the entire country. Enough is enough! The American Third Position Party believes that government policy in the United States discriminates against white Americans, the majority population, and that white Americans need their own political party to fight this discrimination. Our government no longer represents us. The American Third Position Party believes that we should put America first! ‘We want to end these perpetual wars and focus on job creation. We are Constitutionalists who want to stop the immigrant invasion and cultural Marxism, and preserve the best traditions of America by putting America first!'”
• “The American Third Position Party (A3P) is a third positionist American political party which promotes white supremacy. […] [It] defines its principal mission as representing the political interests of white Americans. The party takes a strong stand against immigration and globalization, and strongly supports an anti-interventionist foreign policy. Although the party does not support labor unions, they do strongly support the labor rights of the American working class on a platform of placing American workers first over illegal immigrant workers and banning of overseas corporate relocation of American industry and technology.” [more]

Objectivist:

• “The Objectivist Party seeks to promote Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism in the political realm.”
• “All human beings have an individual right to life and are born with freedoms based upon this right. These freedoms include one’s right to free thought, free action and the freedom to keep what is produced. It is the role of government to protect these rights, but to never encroach upon them. Living in society benefits man only if that society recognizes and protects these rights and freedoms.
• All human beings have a right to their own thoughts and have the potential to use reason to realize their rational self-interest and to live productive lives. It is the role of government to protect an individual’s right to think or act against the initiation of force by others.
• All human beings have a right to their own property and to keep what they produce. This includes the right and responsibility to decide what to do with all that is created. All individuals have a right to trade freely with others. No government should interfere with any transaction or trade involving individuals.
• All human beings have the right to protect themselves from any initiation of force against their rights or liberties. To enhance this individual right, citizens entrust to their government the right to protect them from domestic and foreign threats. As a result, it is a proper role of government to protect a nation’s borders and to protect a nation’s citizens from other people and/or governments.”
• “The party believes in the repeal of the federal income tax; thus the repeal of the 16th Amendment.  The income tax would then be replaced by a flat tax of 10% or federal sales tax. The party supports the 2nd Amendment, but only as long as violent criminals are not permitted to own any weapon.” [more]

Socialist Equality Party:

• “The Socialist Equality Party is a political party of and for the working class. The SEP seeks not to reform capitalism, but to create a socialist, democratic and egalitarian society through the establishment of a workers’ government and the revolutionary transformation of world economy. We seek to unify workers in the United States and internationally in the common struggle for socialism—that is, for equality and the rational and democratic utilization of the wealth of the planet.”
• “The program of the Socialist Equality Party provides the working class with the way forward. […] First, we insist that the key to the future lies in the international unity of the working class. The interests of the working class cannot be defended on the basis of a national program. In every country, working people are oppressed by transnational corporations that scour the globe for profits. […] Second, we fight for social equality, which is the foundation of socialism and a humane society. […] The SEP insists that such essential needs as decent-paying jobs, quality education, affordable housing, universal health care, a dignified retirement and access to culture are not privileges. They are inalienable social rights, the modern-day prerequisites of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The workers should not plead for these rights, they must fight for them. […] Third, the SEP opposes imperialist militarism and the assault on democratic rights, which is being led by the Obama administration. […] Fourth, the SEP opposes the political subordination of the working class to the Democrats and Republicans, which are bought-and-paid-for instruments of big business. […] Private ownership of the banks, major industries and critical resources must be replaced with public ownership. The anarchy of the market must be supplanted by rational economic planning geared to the needs of the people and under their democratic control.”
• “The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) is a Trotskyist political party in the United States.” [more]

There are also people running as “Unaffiliated” and as “We the People” (though not connected with any party or org called “We the People” — of which there are plenty — that I could determine).

So … three conclusions from the above (beyond contemplation about the pros and cons of our largely two-party system):

1. A lot of folks have real problem with web design. I mean … yeesh.  (The SEP had one of the nicest, for what it’s worth.)
2. Some parties certainly make it easy to find a simple, short, fundamental statement of principles.  Others … don’t.  I will note that the Dems and GOP are quite noteworthy among those others.
3. Anyone who thinks that the Democrats, or Obama, are “socialists” or “Marxists” hasn’t read through the websites of some of the groups above.  That is what real socialism / communism looks like.