PREAMBLE As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty: a world in which all individuals are responsible for their own lives and their own bodies and are not forced to sacrifice their values.We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be removed from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized. Consequently, we defend each person’s right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world we seek to build is one where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any other authoritarian power.
In the following we set forth our basic principles and enumerate various policy stances derived from those principles. Our goal is nothing more nor less than a world set free in our lifetime, and it is to this end that we take these stands.
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole control over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner THEY choose.
Governments throughout history have regularly operated on the opposite principle; that the State has the right to dispose of the lives of individuals and the fruits of their labor. Even within the United States, all political parties other than our own believe that government has the right to regulate the lives of individuals and seize the fruits of their labor without their consent.
We, on the contrary, deny the right of any government to do these things, and hold that where governments exist, they must not violate the rights of any individual: namely, the rights to life, liberty, and property.
We support the prohibition of the initiation of physical force against others; the right to liberty of speech and action.
We oppose all attempts by government to abridge the freedom of speech and press, as well as government censorship in any form.
We oppose all government interference with private property; such as confiscation, asset forfeiture, nationalization, and eminent domain, and support the prohibition of robbery, trespass, fraud, and misrepresentation.
Since governments must not violate individual rights, we oppose all interference in the areas of voluntary and contractual relations among individuals. People should not be forced to sacrifice their lives and property for any reason. People should be left free to deal with one another as free traders. The only system compatible with the protection of individual rights is the free market.
We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole control over their own lives and bodies, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner THEY choose.
The Libertarian Party of Vermont believes in the equal and inalienable rights of all people.
We believe that all people should be free to make choices in their own lives for their own benefit or detriment so long as it does not interfere with the same rights of other individuals.
We believe that people know best how to operate their own lives, businesses, and exercise their rights better than the government does.
We believe in voluntary and consensual exchanges in all aspects of life.
We believe that these rights are not limited to any identity groups and that all people have equal rights and should have equal standing under the law.
We believe that all rights are inalienable and do not come from government; rather, government is meant to protect those rights.
The Libertarian Party of Vermont believes that the most efficient use of resources is to remove barriers from the people to allocate them where they are needed organically.
We believe that excessive centralization of government both in Washington and in Montpelier has led to waste, corruption, and increased barriers to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness for all people.
We believe that this centralization has led to the politicization of all aspects of peoples’ lives. We believe that where the government does have a role, it should be at the most minimum and local level possible.
The Libertarian Party of Vermont believes in Self-Ownership, that each individual has sole control dominion over their own body.
We believe in Private Property Rights, and that each person has sole control over that which they lawfully own, including the fruits of their labor.
We believe in the Rights of Free Expression, including Free Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Privacy, Freedom of Association, and the Freedom to Protest.
We believe in the Right of Representation and the Right to Vote in Fair and Free Elections.
We believe in all of the Enumerated Rights of the Constitution.
We believe in the Non-Aggression Principle, that initiating violence or coercion against another person or their property is inherently wrong.
We believe in the right of Self Defense, that people may defend their ability to exercise all of the aforementioned rights as well as those not listed.
Our silence about any other particular government law, regulation, ordinance, directive, edict, control, restriction, regulatory agency, activity, or objections should not be construed to imply approval.
