WASHINGTON – On August 15, 1971, President Richard Nixon gave a speech announcing what would be known as his “New Economic Policy.” The speech led directly to the formation of the Libertarian Party.
In the speech, Nixon announced two measures that were of particular concern to libertarians. First, a government-imposed freeze on wages and prices. Second, and end to the convertibility of dollars to gold.
Nixon said, “I am today ordering a freeze on all prices and wages throughout the United States for a period of 90 days.”
Libertarians saw both of these actions as betrayals of the principles on which the United States was founded.
This speech has often been cited as the critical moment that ignited the formation of the Libertarian Party.
In his history of the libertarian movement, Radicals for Capitalism, Brian Doherty writes that the late David F. Nolan “was working for an ad agency in Denver and happened to have a handful of libertarian-minded friends over that day when Nixon hit the airwaves with his wage and price controls announcement. They all agreed: It was time for a third party…a Libertarian Party.”Nolan and several others formally created the Libertarian Party in Colorado Springs on December 11, 1971.
Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle commented, “Taking the dollar off the gold standard has allowed the Federal Reserve to manipulate and devalue the dollar, and that’s one reason our economy is in such trouble today. That, coupled with foolish wars and an unsustainable entitlement system supported by both the Democrats and Republicans, is why the Libertarian Party is more important today than ever before.”
Source:http://www.lp.org/news/press-releases/40th-anniversary-of-nixon-speech-that-led-to-libertarian-party
The party did not come out of an SIL meeting. It was Nolan’s living room, and another room in Colorado Springs. Before that Nolan circulated “the Case for a Libertarian Party” from Augiust-December 1971. This is well documented any number of places; do a wikipedia or web search.
You may be thinking of the YAF split in 1969?
This is not what I remember, I remember the party came out of a SIL meeting. What is your
source?
Sincerely, Mark Seidenberg, Vice Chairman,
American Independent Party
@5 Still trying…?
@Article: here is hoping that in 40 years the LP will not even be necessary, its original goals having long been attained.
west coast, southern california, georgia, more california, west coast and mountain areas:
once again you are not all that accurate!
“Why are you bothering me with this stuff?? Cody does NOT represent the IAP of Nevada, he has NO authority to speak for us.
[Lake: and yet he supposedly is a Nevada County / regional organization, and by formal association ?????????]
I have tried to get Cody to behave, [Lake: as have I, as early as 2004!]
but he does have free speech rights.
[AS DO I, and my parents, whom ARE NOT PUBLIC FIGURES, and I will not allow unethical abuse to be heaped on in silence.]
If you do not like what he writes, don’t read it.
[Lake: Dear Doctor Einstein, how will I know how (or if) untrue or abusive his comments are if I do not read ????????? He also constantly brings up Silver State legal organizations as a possible punishment for anti Cody and anti Nevada IAP opinions! Again, we are to acquiesce by our silence ??????????? You do know that Janine Hansen, Cody’s biological aunt, called California up on occasion …………]
You cause him to continue on his rants.
[Ah, blame the victim ………. just like the Ds and Rs. Proud, so proud!]
Do NOT bother me again
[Lake: you are not involved in PUBLIC emdevors. Should I not criticize or contact the Rs and Ds ???????????]
and let our other alone!!
[other Earth, other reality, other IAPs in other states, huh ?????????????]
John Wagner, State Chairman, Independent American Party of Nevada [Cody’s birth Uncle]
[gee, where DOES Cody get his attitude ?????????]
—- Original Message —–
Thanks for trying, and no, it has nothing to do with your west coast food fight.
Hey, p, I tried, I really tried …………
——– any thing to ding some one connected to the REAL current AIP ?????????
Not everyone and everything that some reporter describes as libertarian is related to the LP.
Silicon Valley billionaire funding creation of artificial libertarian islands ……….
[Lake: hopefully sanguine enuf to satisfy the Divine Mister P ……….]
National Affairs Reporter, Liz Goodwin | The Lookout – three hours ago * Print
Seasteading Institute city design (Anthony Ling)
Pay Pal founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel has given $1.25 million to an initiative to create floating libertarian countries in international waters, according to a profile of the billionaire in Details magazine.
Thiel has been a big backer of the Seasteading Institute, which seeks to build sovereign nations on oil rig-like platforms to occupy waters beyond the reach of law-of-the-sea treaties.
The idea is for these countries to start from scratch–free from the laws, regulations, and moral codes of any existing place.
Details says the experiment would be “a kind of floating petri dish for implementing policies that libertarians, stymied by indifference at the voting booths, have been unable to advance: no welfare, looser building codes, no minimum wage, and few restrictions on weapons.”