Libertarian Urges End to Restrictions On Liberty in U.S.

The debate in this election year should not be how much and where the government ought to regulate people's lives, but whether it should be regulating their lives at all, Roger MacBride, the Libertarian Party candidate for president, said Friday afternoon.

MacBride spoke to about 50 supporters in Harvard Hall. "We have one chance in 76 of winning this election," he told the crowd.

"Today Washington thinks it has the right to control events around the world," MacBride said. He criticized President Ford's foreign policy, adding, "The libertarian proposition is that the U.S. interventionist foreign policy is not only a failure, but immoral as well."

"The U.S. should maintain absolute neutrality in the world and tear down its own barriers to travel and trade," MacBride said, calling for an end to U.S. involvement in international military alliances.

On domestic issues, MacBride called for the repeal of all victimless crime laws. "We should allow all consensus sexual activities, straight, gay or pay, and repeal all laws relating to ingestion of any substance," he said, adding that the state should neither prevent nor subsidize abortions.

MacBride advocated a removal of government restrictions and the establishment of a laissez-faire free market. "We do not have a free economy in the U.S. today," he said, adding, "instead we have a corporate state with big business and big government heading the parade hand in hand."

He said he expects to be on the ballot in 40 states. He has received the endorsement of Robert Nozick, professor of Philosophy.