On LRC this morning, Gary North offers this non-negotiable list of demands, followed by some very encouraging commentary.

Serious, no-nonsense libertarians, whether anarchist or minarchist, demand the abolition of

1. Wars that have not been declared by Congress
2. The maintenance of military bases outside the United States
3. Military defense treaties (NATO, CENTO, etc.)
4. America's membership in the United Nations Organization
5. Graduated ("progressive") income taxation
6. Tax-funded education at any level
7. Government licensing of the right to keep and bear arms
8. The Federal Reserve System's monopoly over money
9. The Social Security system
10. Medicare and Medicaid
11. The Central Intelligence Agency
12. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
13. The National Parks system
14. The Post Office
15. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
16. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
17. The Food and Drug Administration

North adds, "This list of things to abolish is so far outside of mainstream politics that anyone proposing more than one of them is dismissed as a kook."

But he goes on to say,

Yet I contend that most of these demands will be met within the lifetime of my children. Why am I so optimistic about this list? Because I am optimistic about the costs of continuing to operate everything on the list. They will bankrupt the central government.

I hope for Benjamin's sake that he's right.

Read the rest.