The Libertarian Party of North Carolina has denounced what it calls a dangerous expansion of federal power under the Trump administration, warning that recent policing actions by the government undermine constitutional rights and “erode the foundations” of a free society.
In a statement published August 19, Ryan Brown, Chair of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina, said that recent domestic-policing measures by the administration reflect a “blatant disregard for the rights of American citizens.”
Brown pointed specifically to the deployment of military personnel in California and Washington, D.C., calling them violations of the Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law limiting the use of armed forces in domestic law enforcement. He argued that such policing should be carried out by “properly trained and accountable civilian agencies.”
The statement also criticized reports of stop-and-frisk tactics in Washington, D.C., stating the practice violates Fourth Amendment protections, disproportionately targets minority communities, and has not proven effective in reducing crime. Additional referenced concerns include federal efforts to criminalize homelessness, which the party described as inhumane and counterproductive, and the use of unmarked, unidentifiable, masked, and armed federal agents to detain residents, a tactic it likened to those of authoritarian regimes.
The statement further questioned what it called misplaced security priorities. Brown contrasted “reduced protective measures” for Ghislaine Maxwell and secrecy surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case with stepped-up domestic-policing measures, arguing that resources are being shifted away from high-profile criminal cases toward policies the party said diminish civil liberties.
Brown said the party remains committed to promoting individual freedom and limited government, and called for immediate steps to restore accountability and transparency in law enforcement, strengthen civil-liberties protections, and address what he described as the “root causes of social problems.” He urged elected officials to voice similar opposition.
“We call on all elected officials, regardless of party affiliation, to stand up against these abuses of power and defend the rights of all Americans,” Brown continued. “We urge the Trump administration to immediately cease these unconstitutional and dangerous practices.”
Wowsers. You should team up with the Progressives if all you can do is whine and snivel when you don’t get your way and then threaten revolution. Go for it I say.
“George Washington… Whiskey Rebellion. Even he began the process of a strong executive. No president since has put himself at the head of an army designed to take on fellow citizens.”
If Trump could fit into a military uniform, he might just do it to emphasize his direct control over DC.
Switzerland. How do they do it? They don’t have a single President in the sense that we do. They elect a seven member executive council, made of of members from most of the major parties, among whom the largely ceremonial title of President is circulated once every year. I think that we have reached the point that we should give consideration to such a radical constitutional change.
Ironically, this rotating Presidency/Chairmanship is exactly what the current Judicial Committee of the Libertarian Party is doing…
George Washington… Whiskey Rebellion. Even he began the process of a strong executive. No president since has put himself at the head of an army designed to take on fellow citizens.
The weak point of every constitutional system is the executive. In the name of alleviating some “emergency” – sometimes real, sometimes imaginary – the executive slowly usurps power over time, until every other organ of power is subjugated to it. It didn’t start with Trump, but he is hell bent on accelerating the process. It’s a process that is practically universal, being evident in just about every culture and epoch.
The US was very blessed to have George Washington as its first President, a man of restraint who set limits on his own power beyond what the Constitution required. But, starting right off with his successor, John Adams, nearly every succeeding President, of every party, has tested the limits of Presidential power, until now, we have a President who responds to every problem by issuing a flurry executive directives unrestrained by any advice or consideration.
Is there any alternative to a process that seems to have acquired historical inevitability just about everywhere? i can find only one country which seems to have successfully curbed this development: Switzerland. How do they do it? They don’t have a single President in the sense that we do. They elect a seven member executive council, made of of members from most of the major parties, among whom the largely ceremonial title of President is circulated once every year. I think that we have reached the point that we should give consideration to such a radical constitutional change.