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66-501: The Libertarian Party of New York is dedicated to the principle that free people have the right to live the way they please, except to initiate force , the threat of force, or fraud , against other persons or their property. The Libertarian Party was founded in 1971 on the libertarian principle: that people should be free to do whatever they wish, except to initiate force, the threat of force, or fraud against others or their property. The principle does not preclude retaliatory force, as in

132-507: A leadership convention . The new leader of a party is often seen as that party's de facto candidate for Prime Minister (as the party leader almost always goes on to serve as Prime Minister should their party get elected to a majority government ). Party conferences in Germany (both on state and federal level), called Parteitag ("party diet "), will meet not only to nominate candidates for public elections, but also regularly (at least once

198-554: A sufficiently large amount of compensation to get away with murder. They point out that local law may vary from proportional compensation to capital punishment to no compensation at all. Other critics state that the NAP is unethical because it does not provide for the violent prohibition of, and thereby supposedly legitimizes, several forms of aggression that do not involve intrusion on property rights such as verbal sexual harassment , defamation , boycotting , noninvasive striking etc. If

264-488: A 1948 interview with Donald H. Kirkley for the Library of Congress , H. L. Mencken , a writer who influenced many libertarians, puts an ethical limit on the freedom of speech: I believe there is a limit beyond which free speech cannot go, but it's a limit that's very seldom mentioned. It's the point where free speech begins to collide with the right to privacy. I do not think there are any other conditions to free speech. I've got

330-537: A boundary into someone's property or person can constitute aggression. In order to avoid having mere existence violate the non-aggression principle, Rothbard, Nozick, and others proposed less strict positions. Nozick suggested that boundary-crossing is permissible up to a certain range as long as it is socially beneficial and compensation is paid for it. Rothbard suggested that a causal connection of objective harm needs to be demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt before prohibiting pollution. These approaches appear to contradict

396-474: A chapter of the Libertarian Party of New York established in 2000. The Manhattan LP was the host chapter of the 2012 Libertarian Party of New York convention , held January 21, 2012. The convention was attended by several candidates seeking the national Libertarian Party 's presidential nomination, including former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson and New York attorney Carl E. Person . Sam Sloan and

462-405: A defensive response in a physical manner. Those threats would then constitute a legitimate limit to permissible action. Critics argue it is not possible to uphold NAP when protecting the environment as most pollution can never be traced back to the party that caused it. They therefore claim that only general broad government regulations will be able to protect the environment. Supporters cite

528-442: A distinction between evicting the fetus prematurely so that it dies and actively killing it. On the other hand, the theory of departurism permits only the non-lethal eviction of the trespassing fetus during a normal pregnancy. Anti-abortion libertarians such as Libertarians for Life argue that because the parents were actively involved in creating a new human life and that life has not consented to their own existence, that life

594-449: A general meeting of a political party . The conference is attended by certain delegates who represent the party membership. In most political parties, the party conference is the highest decision-making body of the organization, tasked with electing or nominating the party's leaders or leadership bodies, deciding party policy, and setting the party's platform and agendas. The definitions of all of these terms vary greatly, depending on

660-404: A harm), or none are (because they are). And neither of these seems sensible. Some supporters argue that no one initiates force if their only option for self-defense is to use force against a greater number of people as long as they were not responsible for being in the position they are in. Murray Rothbard 's and Walter Block 's formulations of NAP avoid these objections by either specifying that

726-448: A man's right and the morality or immorality of his exercise of that right. We will contend that it is a man's right to do whatever he wishes with his person; it is his right not to be molested or interfered with by violence from exercising that right. But what may be the moral or immoral ways of exercising that right is a question of personal ethics rather than of political philosophy—which is concerned solely with matters of right, and of

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792-417: A right to say and believe anything I please, but I have not got a right to press it on anybody else. [...] Nobody's got a right to be a nuisance to his neighbors. Supporters also consider physical threats of imminent physical violence (e.g. pointing a firearm at innocent people, or stocking up nuclear weapons that cannot be used discriminately against specific individual aggressors) sufficient justification for

858-498: A small group of former Democrats and two former Republicans chartered the chapter under a new name. The "Libertarian Party of Queens County", or LPQC for short, was chaired by Elliot Axelman for its first 8 months. Axelman is a radio host, certified Paramedic and former Lieutenant for Whitestone Volunteer Ambulance Corps. In October 2017, Axelman resigned following a move to New Hampshire. His Vice Chair, Christopher Fuentes-Padilla, took over until November 19, 2017. The Queens Chapter

924-641: A state monopoly of law enforcement does not necessarily make NAP present throughout society as corruption and corporatism , as well as lobby group clientelism in democracies , favor only certain people or organizations. Anarcho-capitalists aligned with the Rothbardian philosophy generally contend that the state violates the non-aggression principle by its very nature because, it is argued, governments necessarily use force against those who have not stolen private property , vandalized private property , assaulted anyone , or committed fraud . Some proponents of

990-493: A victim thus provoked would turn to physical violence, they would be labeled an aggressor according to the NAP. However, supporters of the NAP state that boycotting and defamation both constitute freedoms of speech and that boycotting, noninvasive striking and noninvasive discrimination all constitute freedoms of association and that both freedoms of association and of speech are nonaggressive. Supporters also point out that prohibiting physical retaliation against an action

1056-635: A year) to adopt political resolutions, select party officials or to amend their statutes. Generally, the party organizations themselves and also their representatives (such as the chairperson, called party leader , and other board members) play a much more prominent role in German politics than they do for example in the US or UK, where the parties are mainly represented by their members and leaders in parliament or (if applicable) government. All Irish parties have annual party conferences, called Ardfheis , at which party policy

1122-438: Is compatible with both retributivism and a utilitarian degree of deterrence while consistently maintaining NAP in a society. They extend their argument to all public goods and services traditionally funded through taxation, like security offered by dikes. Supporters of the NAP often appeal to it in order to argue for the immorality of theft , vandalism , sexual assault , assault , and fraud . Compared to nonviolence ,

1188-400: Is considered by some to be a defining principle of libertarianism and is also a prominent idea in anarcho-capitalism , voluntaryism , and minarchism . The principle has been derived through various philosophical approaches, including: Both libertarian supporters and opponents of abortion rights justify their position on NAP grounds. One question to determine whether or not abortion

1254-415: Is consistent with the NAP is at what stage of development a fertilized human egg cell can be considered a human being with the status and rights attributed to personhood . Some supporters of the NAP argue this occurs at the moment of conception while others argue that since the fetus lacks sentience until a certain stage of development, it does not qualify as a human being and may be considered property of

1320-580: Is decided by the membership and the party chairperson and executive board are elected. In the United Kingdom the political conferences (usually called party congress , or party conference ) generally take place in three weeks of September and October of each year, whilst the House of Commons is in recess. The conferences of the three largest UK-wide parties, the Conservative Party Conference ,

1386-434: Is generally wrong, is it really so obvious that the relatively minor aggression involved in these examples is wrong, given the tremendous benefit it produces?" Zwolinski also notes that the NAP is incompatible with any practice that produces any pollution, because pollution encroaches on the property rights of others. Therefore, the NAP prohibits both driving and starting fires. Citing David D. Friedman , Zwolinski notes that

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1452-603: Is in line with the NAP include nuclear weapons proliferation , human trafficking and immigration . Randian author Ronald Merill states that use of force is subjective, saying: "There's no objective basis for controlling the use of force. Your belief that you're using force to protect yourself is just an opinion; what if it is my opinion that you are violating my rights?" Prominent libertarian thinkers such as Murray Rothbard considered pollution an act of aggression, mostly focusing on air pollution , though in absolute terms light pollution , sound, and anything that crosses

1518-700: Is in the womb by necessity and no parasitism or trespassing in the form of legal necessity is involved. They state that as the parents are responsible for that life's position, the NAP would be violated when that life is killed with abortive techniques. The NAP is applicable to any unauthorized actions towards a person's physical property. Supporters of the NAP disagree on whether it should apply to intellectual property rights as well as physical property rights. Some argue that because intellectual concepts are non- rivalrous , intellectual property rights are unnecessary while others argue that intellectual property rights are as valid and important as physical ones. Although

1584-401: Is not aggression, or if it is, it is only aggression in a trivial technical sense. However, aiming at the same property with a gigawatt laser is certainly aggression by any reasonable definition. Yet both flashlight and laser shine photons onto the property, so there must be some cutoff point of how many photons one is permitted to shine upon a property before it is considered aggression. However,

1650-423: Is not itself condonement of said action, and that generally there are other, nonphysical means by which one can combat social ills (e.g., discrimination) that do not violate the NAP. Some supporters also state that while most of the time individuals choose voluntarily to engage in situations that may cause some degree of mental battering, this mental battering begins to constitute unauthorized physical overload of

1716-493: Is not likely because of the very high cost, in lives and economically, of war. They claim that war drains those involved and leaves non-combatant parties as the most powerful, economically and militarily, ready to take over. Therefore, anarcho-capitalists claim that in practice, and in more advanced societies with large institutions that have a responsibility to protect their vested interests, disputes are most likely to be settled peacefully. Anarcho-capitalists also point out that

1782-411: Is permitted to enter or remain on their premises, legitimate property owners may also impose limitation on speech. The owner of a theatre wishing to avoid a stampede may prohibit those on her property from calling 'fire!' without just cause. However, the owner of a bank may not prohibit anyone from urging the general public to a bank run , except insofar as this occurs on the property of said owner. In

1848-401: Is recognized under election law. Therefore, the party is current going through a transition as it works to restructure. The officers of both entities are listed. The Libertarian Party of New York contains local county affiliates, each of which is administered by its own local Libertarian Party. County officers are elected in accordance with their rules. The Manhattan Libertarian Party (MLP) is

1914-705: Is the first chapter in the history of the LPNY to elect a Chair under the age of 24. Christopher Fuentes-Padilla, the former Vice Chair, was sworn in as Chairman at age 20 on November 20, 2017. Padilla is also the first Hispanic to hold the Office in Queens and the first Puerto Rican male to hold office in the LPNY. The Suffolk County Libertarian Party (formerly "SCLO") is a chapter of the Libertarian Party of New York established in 1974. As of September 19, 2020: Initiation of force The Non-Aggression Principle ( NAP ), also called

1980-452: Is understood as forceful interference and property, and under which conditions it applies. The NAP has been criticized as circular reasoning and a rhetorical obfuscation of the coercive nature of right-libertarian property law enforcement because the principle redefines aggression in their own terms. Critics argue that the non-aggression principle is not ethical because it opposes the initiation of force even when they would consider

2046-633: The Labour Party Conference and the Liberal Democrat Conference , are held during this time. In the United States, a political convention usually refers to a presidential nominating convention , but it can also refer to state, county, or congressional district nominating conventions in which candidates are nominated (or, if being held before a primary, endorsed), delegates to larger regional or national conventions are elected and

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2112-556: The Non-Aggression Axiom , the non-coercion principle , the non-initiation of force and the zero aggression principle , is a concept in which "aggression" – defined as initiating or threatening any forceful interference with either an individual or their property, or agreements ( contracts ) – is illegitimate and should be prohibited. Interpretations of the NAP vary, particularly concerning issues like intellectual property , force , and abortion . The Non-Aggression Principle

2178-513: The age of consent for children, intervention counseling (i.e. for addicted persons, or in case of domestic violence), involuntary commitment and involuntary treatment with regards to mental illness , medical assistance (i.e. prolonged life support vs euthanasia in general and for the senile or comatose in particular), human organ trade , state paternalism (including economic interventionism ) and foreign intervention by states. Other discussion topics on whether intervention

2244-827: The national committee of each party (see DNC and RNC ) leads the party administratively, while they are politically represented by their leaders in Senate and in the House , or (if applicable) by the president. However, some party charters also provide for party conferences to be held between two national conventions to deal with various matters. In fact, those and the national committees can be compared to regular party conventions in other countries. The first political convention held in America took place in Hartford, Connecticut in March 1766. The meeting

2310-550: The party platform is adopted. Since the mid 19th century, the two major conventions on national level are the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention , usually held every four years to select their candidates for the offices of president and vice president . They are attended by delegates , who are mostly elected in primaries . Between the national conventions,

2376-584: The "Queens Libertarian Party" led by Tom Stevens (politician) , is the local affiliate of the LPNY for the Queens county-borough in the City of New York . The chapter was known for whipping up candidates for public office until 2010 when Blay Tarnoff hijacked the party and passed a surprise motion to decertify the chapter. In December 2016, the LPNY State Committee voted to de-charter the chapter. Shortly thereafter,

2442-687: The Board of Elections eventually allowed the name "Libertarian Party" to be used. The Statue of Liberty is their ballot symbol, and they now appear on the ballot as the Libertarian Party. Since 1974, the Libertarian Party of New York has had a candidate for Governor of New York on the ballot every four years except for 1986, the only party in New York State without official ballot status up to that point to do so. Several other minor parties in New York have achieved ballot status through electoral fusion , endorsing

2508-404: The LPNY has obtained at least 15,000 petition signatures and placed statewide candidates on the ballot in every statewide election between 1974 and 2016, except 1986. These signatures were, by law, collected in a six-week period in mid-July to August (except in 1994, see Schulz v. Williams , 44 F.3d 48 (2d Cir. 1994)). In the gubernatorial elections, Libertarian candidates included a full slate of

2574-601: The Libertarian Party had achieved qualified party status , and ballot access , for the first time in its history. The party's membership jumped 25 percent after the qualification. However, the Libertarian Party lost its ballot status line in 2020 due to a change in New York State election law that is still under litigation. After it first received write-in votes in 1972 for presidential candidate John Hospers and vice presidential candidate Tonie Nathan (The first female candidate for Vice President to receive an electoral vote),

2640-536: The Manhattan madam Kristin M. Davis both sought the Libertarian Party nomination for Governor of New York State. Andrew Clunn sought to be nominated for Lieutenant Governor , Carl Person sought the nomination for Attorney General . John Clifton sought the nomination for US Senate, and Michel Faulkner sought the nomination for US Congress from the 15th Congressional District previously held by Charles Rangel . The Libertarian Party of Queens County, formerly known as

2706-463: The NAP applies only to a civilized context (and not "lifeboat situations") or that it applies only to legal rights (as opposed to general morality). Thus a starving man may, in consonance with general morality, break into a hunting cabin and steal food, but nevertheless he is aggressing, i.e., violating the NAP, and (by most rectification theories) should pay compensation. Critics argue that the legal rights approach might allow people who can afford to pay

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2772-405: The NAP is meant to guarantee an individual's sovereignty, libertarians greatly differ on the conditions under which the NAP applies. Especially unsolicited intervention by others, either to prevent society from being harmed by the individual's actions or to prevent an incompetent individual from being harmed by his own actions or inactions, is an important issue. The debate centers on topics such as

2838-409: The NAP is unable to place a sensible limitation on risk-creating behavior, arguing: Of course, almost everything we do imposes some risk of harm on innocent persons. We run this risk when we drive on the highway (what if we suffer a heart attack, or become distracted), or when we fly airplanes over populated areas. Most of us think that some of these risks are justifiable, while others are not, and that

2904-494: The NAP see taxes as a violation of NAP , while critics of the NAP argue that because of the free-rider problem in case security is a public good , enough funds would not be obtainable by voluntary means to protect individuals from aggression of a greater severity. Geolibertarians , who following the classical economists and Georgists adhere to the Lockean labor theory of property , argue that private ownership of land violates

2970-464: The NAP, and therefore land value taxation is fully compatible with the NAP. Anarcho-capitalists argue that the protection of individuals against aggression is self-sustaining like any other valuable service, and that it can be supplied without coercion by the free market much more effectively and efficiently than by a government monopoly . Their approach, based on proportionality in justice and damage compensation , argues that full restitution

3036-418: The candidate of a major party. The Libertarian Party of New York declined to achieve ballot status by this means, although Republican William Weld flirted with the LPNY gubernatorial nomination in 2006. In 2018, Larry Sharpe , the Libertarian Party nominee for governor that year, finished with over 90,000 votes, the most in the state party's history for a gubernatorial candidate. By surpassing 50,000 votes,

3102-469: The change in New York State election law, the Libertarian Party lost its status as one of the Qualified New York political parties . Nationally, the Libertarian Party has 208,456 voters registered by the respective state boards of election. The officers of the Libertarian Party of New York are elected annually. In 2018, the party become a ballot-recognized party, and a political entity was created that

3168-635: The country and situation in which they are used. The term conference or caucus may also refer to the organization of all party members as a whole. The term political convention may also refer to international bilateral or multilateral meetings on state-level, like the convention of the Anglo-Russian Entente (1907). Within party conferences, there might be different offices or bodies fulfilling certain tasks, usually including: In Canada, besides annual or biennial conventions, parties often hold special conventions to elect new leaders; often known as

3234-519: The cutoff point cannot be found by deduction alone because of the Sorites paradox , so the non-aggression principle is necessarily ambiguous. Friedman points out the difficulty of undertaking any activity that poses a certain amount of risk to third parties (e.g., flying) if the permission of thousands of people that might be affected by the activity is required. "Right" has cogently and trenchantly been defined by Professor Sadowsky: When we say that one has

3300-451: The difference between them has something to do with the size and likelihood of the risked harm, the importance of the risky activity, and the availability and cost of less risky activities. But considerations like this carry zero weight in the NAP's absolute prohibition on aggression. That principle seems compatible with only two possible rules: either all risks are permissible (because they are not really aggression until they actually result in

3366-530: The fetus is no longer welcome inside its mother. Similarly, other pro-choice supporters base their argument on criminal trespass. In that case, they claim that the NAP is not violated when the fetus is forcibly removed, with deadly force if need be, from the mother's body, just as the NAP is not violated when an owner removes from the owner's property an unwanted visitor who is not willing to leave voluntarily. Libertarian theorist Walter Block follows this line of argument with his theory of evictionism , but he makes

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3432-427: The implausible results consistently applying the principle yields: for example, Professor Matt Zwolinski notes that, because pollution necessarily violates the NAP by encroaching (even if slightly) on other people's property, consistently applying the NAP would prohibit driving, starting a fire, and other activities necessary to the maintenance of industrial society. The NAP also faces definitional issues regarding what

3498-425: The legitimate owner of the goods. Also, if natural resources cannot be privately owned but are, and always will be, the property of all of mankind then NAP would be violated if such a resource would be used without everybody's consent (see the Lockean proviso and free-market anarchism ). Libertarian philosopher Roderick Long suggests that, as natural resources are required not only for the production of goods but for

3564-475: The mother. On the other hand, opponents of abortion state that sentience is not a qualifying factor. They refer to the animal rights discussion and point out the argument from marginal cases that concludes the NAP also applies to non-sentient (i.e. mentally handicapped) humans. Another question is whether an unwelcome fetus should be considered to be an unauthorized trespasser in its mother's body. The non-aggression principle does not protect trespassers from

3630-606: The next year on election to a zoning board in Upstate New York. It helped drive the creation of a national party, and was re-organized in 1972 by a group now centered around Ed Clark , later the Libertarian Party presidential candidate. Its name was changed to the "Free Libertarian Party" when the New York Board of Elections ruled that the name Libertarian Party would confuse voters with the Liberal Party of New York . However,

3696-506: The non-aggression principle by enabling a permissible amount of harm. Some libertarians justify the existence of a minimal state on the grounds that anarcho-capitalism implies that the non-aggression principle is optional because the enforcement of laws is open to competition. Anarcho-capitalists usually respond to this argument that this presumed outcome of what they call "coercive competition" (e.g., private military companies or private defense agencies that enforce local law )

3762-570: The non-aggression principle does not preclude violence used in self-defense or defense of others. Many supporters argue that NAP opposes such policies as victimless crime laws, taxation , and military drafts . NAP is the foundation of libertarian philosophy. NAP faces two kinds of criticism: the first holds that the principle is immoral, and the second argues that it is impossible to apply consistently in practice; respectively, consequentialist or deontological criticisms, and inconsistency criticisms. Libertarian academic philosophers have noted

3828-399: The owners of the property on which they are trespassing. Objectivist philosopher Leonard Peikoff has argued that a fetus has no right to life inside the womb because it is not an "independently existing, biologically formed organism, let alone a person". Pro-choice libertarian Murray Rothbard held the same stance, maintaining that abortion is justified at any time during pregnancy if

3894-495: The possible statewide candidates: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, and, when one is up for election: Senator. In the Presidential races, candidates included the full number of Electors for President and Vice President, and when one is up for election, Senator. This regular achievement of statewide ballot status by a full slate of candidates for 42 years indicates substantial support in New York State. Under

3960-437: The production of the human body as well, the very concept of self-ownership can only exist if the land itself is privately owned. Consequentialist libertarian David D. Friedman , who believes that the NAP should be understood as a relative rather than absolute principle, defends his view by using a Sorites argument . Friedman begins by stating what he considers obvious: a neighbor aiming his flashlight at someone's property

4026-538: The proper or improper exercise of physical violence in human relations. The importance of this crucial distinction cannot be overemphasized. Or, as Elisha Hurlbut concisely put it: "The exercise of a faculty by an individual is its only use. The manner of its exercise is one thing; that involves a question of morals. The right to its exercise is another thing." Political convention The terms party conference ( UK English ), political convention ( US and Canadian English ), and party congress usually refer to

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4092-519: The redress of wrongs through courts, and as in the traditional common law of self-defense. National Libertarian Party members, including the New York members, have paid $ 25 per year, and have as a condition of membership signified: "I certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving political or social goals." The Libertarian Party of New York was founded as an unregistered political party in 1970 by Paul and Michael Gilson who became its first people in public office

4158-416: The results of such initiation to be morally superior to the alternatives that they have identified. In arguing against the NAP, philosopher Matt Zwolinski has proposed the following scenario: "Suppose that by imposing a very, very small tax on billionaires, I could provide life-saving vaccination for tens of thousands of desperately poor children. Even if we grant that taxation is aggression, and that aggression

4224-419: The right to do certain things we mean this and only this, that it would be immoral for another, alone or in combination, to stop him from doing this by the use of physical force or the threat thereof. We do not mean that any use a man makes of his property within the limits set forth is necessarily a moral use? Sadowsky's definition highlights the crucial distinction we shall make throughout this work between

4290-416: The senses (i.e., eardrum and retina) when it cannot be avoided and that the NAP at that point does apply. Many supporters consider verbal and written threats of imminent physical violence sufficient justification for a defensive response in a physical manner. Those threats would then constitute a legitimate limit to permissible speech. Because freedom of association entails the right of owners to choose who

4356-433: The theoretical " tragedy of the commons " and argue that free-market environmentalism will be much more effective in conserving nature. Political theorist Hillel Steiner emphasizes that all things made come from natural resources and that the validity of any rights to those made things depends on the validity of the rights to the natural resources. If land was stolen then anyone buying produce from that land would not be

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