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2008 Presidential Candidates 2008 Presidential Primaries Contact Information
   
  Steve Kubby - Libertarian
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Respond to Steve Kubby's comments at the forum.
 
Issues: Family Life, Political Experience, Personal Career, Who You Admire Most, Iraq, Afghanistan, Osama Bin Laden, Iran, Military, Counter-Terrorism, Immigration Policy, National ID Card, Security Agencies, Gun Control, Drug Policy, Medical Marijuana, Entitlement Programs, Medicine and Medical Care, Taxes, Budget, Dollar, Economy, North American Union, Environment, Energy Policy, Abortion, Gay Marriage, Net Neutrality, Federal Judges, Education, Domestic Policy, Foreign Policy, Miscilanious
 
Questionaire:
 
Tell us about your family life.

I'm divorced, but the proud father of three wonderful children.
 
Tell us about your political experience prior to running for president.
I became actively involved in politics after being diagnosed with malignant pheochromocytoma and learning that the only effective medication for it – marijuana – was illegal and that my choice was to fight both my illness and a government insistent on denying my medicine, or die a horrible death. I decided to fight, and I've been winning both battles for more than 30 years now. I'm the longest surviving patient of this disease (it has a near-100% mortality rate in 6-12 months), and I've been privileged to play a key role in winning recognition of patients' rights to live even when the politicians in Washington would prefer that we die. I ran for governor of California in 1998 and polled more than 70,000 votes. I'm the author of two books: The Politics of Consciousness and, with Ed Rosenthal, Why Marijuana Should Be Legal.
 
Tell us about your personal career prior to politics.
I've had a varied and exciting career. I've worked as a college professor, a parole and probation officer, a National Geographic expedition leader, director of a youth camp, ski instructor and publisher of Ski West magazine. I built, and profitably sold, a property management company in Lake Tahoe which is still in business today. Since both the political fight and my own personal legal fight for medical marijuana came to a head, I've devoted most of my efforts to that – in court as both plaintiff and defendant, and at work as director of the American Medical Marijuana Association.
 
Please discuss a public figure from the past 300 year who you admire most.
I  admire the founders of our nation. Whatever their imperfections, they stood up to tyranny, carried out a revolution at risk to their own lives, and bequeathed us the world's first great legacy of individual freedom. If I had to pick one, right now, it would be Thomas Paine. As the author of Common Sense, he made the moral case for American independence. As the author of The Crisis, he inspired the continental soldiers whose plight he physically shared to endure through the worst of times and secure victory. And he never stopped being a revolutionary and a freedom fighter.
 
Do you think the US should have entered the war in Iraq?  Why or why not?  What is your strategy for finishing the war in Iraq.
Absolutely not. The war in Iraq was, and is, wrong from every possible angle. It was based on lies and false/manufactured evidence, it was undertaken without the declaration of war required by our Constitution, and it was undertaken in pursuit of a profoundly misguided foreign policy that has served America poorly for more than a century. I advocate the non-interventionist foreign policy – Washington's “friendship and commerce with all nations, entangling alliances with none” -- which has always served America well when followed.

As far as Iraq in particular is concerned, my strategy for finishing the war in Iraq is to do exactly that – finish it. Upon my inauguration, I would order the immediate withdrawal of all US military forces from Iraq without preconditions and as fast as possible consistent with the safety of the troops and the security of the withdrawal itself. I estimate that such a withdrawal could be accomplished in 90 days or so.
 
While it is rarely mentioned in the news anymore, the US troops are still in Afghanistan.  What are your plans for that theater of operations?
Although the occupation of Afghanistan has not cost as many American lives as the war in Iraq has, it's an even more prominent example of the failure of an interventionist foreign policy. Six years after the US invasion, American troops are still fighting and dying in Afghanistan with little to show for it.

The putative goal of the invasion – the liquidation of al Qaeda as an effective terror organization – remains unaccomplished. The Taliban still control much of the country, menace Pakistan from the border regions, and prevent the US-installed government from achieving any real semblance of the liberal democracy the establishment of which the US advertised as its secondary goal.

In theory, the US has handed responsibility for the occupation of Afghanistan over to NATO and the United Nations. I would turn that theory into fact. Even if one accepts the logic of the policy – I don't -- the US has done its part and more than its part. I would withdraw US military forces from Afghanistan and leave misguided “nation-building” projects there to others.
 
The US initially went to war with Afghanistan under the presumption that Osama Bin Laden would be captured or killed.  Why do you think he has not been apprehended yet?  What do you plan to do about this?
Unfortunately, the US spent six weeks toppling the Taliban – whose forces could have been substantially ignored or brushed aside had we chosen to do so – before really coming to grips with al Qaeda in Afghanistan. This allowed bin Laden the leisure to move himself and his organization's key components out of the country and continue their terror operations from elsewhere. We're still paying for that mistake with American lives, and the world is paying for it as well.

As President, I would continue, reinforce and enhance the policy of seeking out and capturing or killing bin Laden and other key al Qaeda personnel; liquidating al Qaeda as an effective fighting force and terror cartel; and mercilessly hunting down those who attack the US and the American people.

Such a policy entails extricating America to the maximum degree possible from the affairs of Muslim nations, where our presence inflames passions and drives money and support to Islamist terror groups. Without a US military presence in the Middle East and Central Asia, support for these monsters dies out. We're the ones who feed it, and we're the ones who can starve it.
 
Iran has been spoken of by some as a potential threat to the United States.  Is Iran a threat to the United States?  What should be done about this?
One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. We've been rattling sabres at Iran for 30 years now with uniformly bad results, ever since the Iranian people had the gall and temerity to overthrow the dictator whom we had installed over them 20 years before that. The current sabre-rattling over Tehran's nuclear ambitions is equally misguided, and will produce equally bad results. It's time to stop back off the threats, lift the sanctions and get over the fact that Iran refuses to be governed by proxy from Washington, DC. Once we do so, we can begin the process of eventually making Iran a valuable friend and trading partner.
 
Are there any policies you would like to change or implement in the US Military and the Department of Defense?  Do you have any concerns about the oversight of these organizations?
The US military is much too large for its legitimate mission of defending the United States. When you have an organization that large and powerful just sitting around, the temptation to use it becomes overwhelming, and next thing you know Americans are dying on foreign soil for no discernible purpose in wars that have no bearing on our national defense. I propose to reduce the size of the active-duty armed forces substantially to comport with their real mission.

Additionally, while military matters move much more quickly than they did 200 years ago, the wheels of government turn more quickly as well. There's no reason why a President should consider himself authorized to deploy US forces in combat on foreign soil for more than 72 hours without a congressional declaration of war, and if I ever felt myself compelled to order the brave men and women of America into combat, my request for such a declaration would be transmitted at the same time as those orders.

Finally, I would seek repeal of the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy and an end to government discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, both in the military and in general.
 
Legislation and policy since 9/11 have attempted to increase Counter-Terrorism measures.  Many Americans feel this has come at the expense of civil liberties.  What if anything do you plan to change in this regard?
I decline to surrender the constitutionally guaranteed rights and liberties of the American people under any circumstances – and I have yet to see any evidence that the USA PATRIOT Act, the creation of the massive “Homeland Security” bureaucracy, and other draconian measures have in any way enhanced our security against terrorism. As President, I would refuse to enforce unconstitutional laws or to exercise unconstitutional powers placed at my disposal by those laws. I'd ask Congress to repeal those laws, and force them to take me to court for a writ of mandamus if they wanted those laws enforced.
 
Do you plan to make any changes regarding US immigration policy and border enforcement?
Immigration policy is substantially up to Congress, but I would certainly propose legislation to eliminate “quota” limits on the number of immigrants and to substantially open our borders to peaceful individuals. I'd do this for two reasons:

First, because an “open door” is the American way, and it made us the great nation we are today. At nearly every historical juncture, immigrants have played key roles in pushing us forward to the leading edge of history and along the shining path of freedom. And today, they are an indispensable part of the American economy. The Great Depression would look like a boom cycle compared to what America would look like if its illegal immigrants all disappeared tomorrow.

Secondly, because it's a matter of national security and national defense. Reasonable estimates tell us that more than a million illegal immigrants enter the US every year seeking work and a better life. Nothing we've done, and nothing we could conceivably do, would stop that flow.

Attempting to stop that flow is not only a waste of our time and money and an embarrassment to the American conception of freedom, but it creates an underground route in and out of America that our enemies can exploit. The “coyote” industry which exists to guide illegal immigrants across our borders would not exist if we allowed peaceful immigrants to come in “through the front door.” It just wouldn't be profitable. But it does exist, because of our bad laws. And the “coyotes” don't care if the person they're smuggling into the US is a Mexican farm worker seeking work in the San Fernando Valley, or an al Qaeda terrorist looking to transport a suitcase nuke to downtown LA for detonation. Our border security operations should be directed toward interdicting our enemies, not our benefactors.
 
Some people have discussed the idea of introducing a national ID card.  How do you feel about this?
I oppose it. Your right to privacy is more important than the federal government's need – which is legitimate only under a few very narrow circumstances anyway – to be able to identify you. REAL ID and other national identification schemes are the building blocks of a “surveillance state” which is incompatible with the freedoms our forefathers fought and died to bequeath us.
 
What are your plans and opinions on the Enforcement, Intelligence and Security organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security, Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Agency, Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the Drug Enforcement Agency?
Most federal law enforcement agencies simply cannot constitutionally justify their existence – and I would therefore seek to eliminate most of those agencies. Constitutionally, the federal government is empowered to enforce laws against only three crimes: Treason, counterfeiting and piracy.

Seeing as how the US Navy has the spare time and assets to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia, I trust that they, with the help of the Coast Guard, can do so off America's coasts as well.

I'd prefer that other legitimate federal law enforcement matters be handled by one agency rather than several. It's more efficient and easier to supervise and keep an eye on. Offhand, either the FBI or the US Marshals Service would seem the best place to roll all the others – treason, counterfeiting, and the security of government buildings and personnel, etc. – into. That one service could interface with the military, which should assume primary responsibility for foreign intelligence, where such matters cross the line between foreign and domestic and transition from military to legal concerns.
 
What is your stance on gun control?  What do you plan to change or implement regarding the specific policies on shotguns, rifles, handguns and assault weapons?
The Second Amendment is clear – the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. That simple clause supersedes and voids every “gun control” law on the books, and as President I deny any obligation, or legitimate power, to enforce unconstitutional laws.
 
What is your stance on US drug policy?  Do you plan to make any changes on the enforcement of Drug Prohibition Policy?
I'm glad you asked! The “war on drugs” as we know it was created by Richard Nixon using an executive order. I've already drafted my own first executive order, to be signed as quickly as I can get my pen out of my pocket after taking the oath of office. That executive order would effectively end the war on drugs.
 
Do you intend to legalize marijuana for medical use?
Yes. And for non-medical use as well. There's no constitutional authority for federal marijuana laws. I'll refuse to enforce them, pardon those convicted under them, and encourage Congress to repeal them.
 
Government entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Welfare are going farther from fiscal solvency.  What measures will you take on this?  Do you plan on making any changes in the coverage or scope of current entitlement programs?  Please outline any specific changes you will make.
I'll ask Congress to repeal, and phase out as non-injuriously as possible, all “entitlement” programs.

Social Security is the 500-pound gorilla, of course. The first step is to stop forcing new people into that system and allow Americans to provide for their own retirement from now on. I wish I could tell you that I know how to address the matter of the millions of Americans who have been trapped on the Social Security treadmill their whole lives and now expect benefits, but that's probably going to get complicated. I'm willing to work with Congress to try to find the best possible solution that harms the fewest people the least, but I'm not going to bring the federal government's boot down on the next generation's neck to do that.
 
Many people, especially the elderly are worried about the cost of medicine and medical care.  What do you plan to do about this?
That question -- “what do politicians plan to do about this?” -- has been at the root of the explosion of medical costs since the inception of Medicare and Medicaid. As soon as government got involved, costs began skyrocketing and they have yet to plateau. The way to bring down medical costs is to get the government out of the matter.
 
What is your record on raising or lowering taxes?  Do you plan to raise or lower taxes as President?  Why?
I plan to dramatically reduce taxes. I advocate repeal of the federal income tax. Until and unless I can convince Congress to do that, I will advocate a regular, annual increase in the “personal exemption” to that tax. This will give every taxpayer a tax cut every year, and also take more Americans at the bottom of the income scale off the income tax rolls entirely each year.
 
How do you plan on ensuring the fiscal solvency of the United States Government?  Please outline any specific plans you have for this end.
The budget has to be balanced, and it has to be balanced down with spending cuts, not up with tax increases. With the reduction of “defense spending,” the phaseout of entitlement programs, and a general reduction of the size, power and scope of the federal government to within its constitutional limits, I believe that we can balance the budget and pay down the national debt and deliver substantial tax cuts.
 
The US Dollar is losing its value compared to other world currencies.  What do you plan to do about this?
Fiat currencies like the dollar – currencies not objectively backed by any commodity – are subject to the kinds of intentional manipulations and unintentional fluctuations, driven by the actions of central banks like the Federal Reserve, that we're seeing now. It's time for the US to return to the gold standard.
 
What are your long term plans to improve the United States Economy?
Lower taxes, smaller government and a sound currency are really the only things that a politician can truthfully promise by way of “improving” the American economy.
 
President Bush agreed to the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America in 2005.  Do you believe this is a good thing?  Do you plan on making any specific changes to the agreements in this partnership?
It would be funny if it wasn't so serious: Politicians talk “free trade” out of one side of their mouths while negotiating piles of regulations and sweetheart deals out of the other. I support free trade – real free trade, not boondoggles like NAFTA, CAFTA and “security and prosperity partnerships.”
 
Many people are worried about environmental concerns such as Global Warming, the Depletion of the Ozone Layer, and Pollution.  What do you intend to do about this?
Unlike many past Libertarian presidential candidates, I acknowledge anthropogenic global warming and the need to address climate change. However, the solutions to these problems are primarily in the very market processes that brought them about in the first place. It was innovation – the automobile -- that cleared the streets of New York of horse feces, and it is market innovation which will clear the atmosphere of excess CO2. The key is for the government to stop subsidizing “old” industry's polluting ways and protecting “old” industry from “new” industry competition. The government needs to fine polluters until it hurts rather than selling them tradeable “credits” to pollute with impunity; stop subsidizing dead-end technologies like ethanol, and repeal laws that keep biofuels and other renewable energy technologies at a disadvantage in the market.
 
Do you plan to make any changes regarding US energy policy?  Please address transportation, and power distribution.
It is my intent to require a quicker transition to renewable, domestically produced fuels for all federal and military vehicle fleets than called for in the National Energy Policy Act of 1992. Since the federal government is a big customer, this will presumably move the market in that direction. Taking down the web of subsidies and corporate welfare the government currently provides to the petroleum industry will reveal the real cost of gasoline, making renewables more competitive as well – and I expect that the market will once again respond with more fuel-efficient vehicles that run on better fuels. I consider this a matter not only of proper economic policy and environmental policy, but of national security. America's defense should not depend for its fuel on a long supply chain that crosses potentially unfriendly seas and terminates in potentially unfriendly countries.

As far as power distribution is concerned, “public utilities” have made a mess out of it – centralizing where it does the most harm, failing to centralize where it would do the most good. The failure of the northeast “grid” a few years ago, and the California blackouts caused by a policy of legally requiring high-cost, last-minute spot purchasing of bulk power, are cases in point. The establishment of government-backed power monopolies in the early 20th century was proposed and backed not in the public interest as the story is usually told, but by the private utilities themselves as a way to corner markets. It's time to deregulate and let the market address America's energy needs.
 
Abortion is a heated debate among many Americans.  What are your personal feelings on Abortion?  Do you plan on making any changes in current abortion policy?  If so, how do you plan to accomplish your changes?
As an individual, I would prefer abortion to be safe, legal and rare -- but I'm running for President, and the Constitution delegates no authority on the matter to the federal government. Roe v. Wade was a poorly rendered Supreme Court decision which deserves to be overturned. The states should be left to grapple with the issue themselves, reaching the best solutions they can.
 
What is your stance on Gay Marriage? Do you plan to make any changes regarding policy in this area?
I oppose the notion that the federal government has any business “defining” marriage. I support the right of individuals to enter into whatever consensual relationships they choose without a “license” from government or any law requiring that they submit the composition of their mutual genitalia for government inspection and approval. To the extent that such a “license” is required by a state, I support the Full Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution in the requirement that the states recognize marriages “licensed” in other states.
 
What are your opinions on the idea of “Net Neutrality”?  What do you plan to do about “Net Neutrality”?
Although the Internet started as a government/military project, its growth has been substantially undirected by government for some time now, and that's a good thing. The quickest way to hobble the Internet's potential is to get government involved with “Net Neutrality” or other schemes. It's not broke, it doesn't need to be fixed, and if it was broke and needed to be fixed the government is the last mechanic I'd look to.
 
Do you have a set of standards by which you intend to appoint Federal Judges?  What standards must a potential Federal Judge or Supreme Court Justice meet to gain your approval?
In order to appoint an individual to the bench, I'd have to believe that that individual took seriously, and intended to adhere to, his oath to support the Constitution. I'm not interested in “legislation from the bench.” The role of the federal courts is to ensure that our justice system comports with “the Supreme Law of the Land,” not to impose the political agenda of the hour.
 
What are your plans for the US education system?  Is the “No Child Left Behind Act” a good thing?  Do you plan on making any changes to the “No Child Left Behind Act”.  How do you plan on changing US policy regarding elementary school, high school, and higher education?
The Constitution delegates no role in education whatsoever to the federal government. The Republicans promised, for many years, to eliminate the federal Department of Education. I'd give Republicans in Congress during my presidency an opportunity to keep that prommise.
 
What issues are of strongest concern to you regarding domestic policy?  What changes will you make?
Our government is too big, too powerful and too intrusive. My strongest concern is reducing its size, power and scope to within the wise limits set by the Constitution.

In detail, my top three domestic priorities would be:

– Ending the war on drugs.
– Rolling back the police/surveillance state measures enacted since 9/11.
– Balancing the federal budget down with tax cuts, not up with tax increases.
 
What issues are of strongest concern to you regarding foreign policy?  What changes will you make?
My top three foreign policy priorities are:

– Ending the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan immediately.
– Rolling back the US military presence worldwide by setting and keeping dates certain for withdrawing US forces from abroad.
– Lifting the web of embargoes, sanctions and regulations impeding full freedom of trade.
 
Please take this opportunity to address any miscellaneous concerns, plans or policies that were not discussed in this questionnaire.  Also use this opportunity to make any closing statements.
While I've focused on certain issues in this questionnaire, it all really comes down to one value – the core American value, freedom.

The office of President of the United States is too often construed as an office from which one presides over America and Americans ... but that's not what it was ever supposed to be. The office of President of the United States is supposed to be the office from which the elected individual presides over – and as necessary reins in – a relatively small, not overly powerful, government. The job of that government, in turn, is to secure your rights – nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else.

As President, I pledge that my single overriding priority will be guarding your freedom from all enemies, foreign and domestic – and as necessary, from government itself.