Boston Tea Party (political party)
Encyclopedia
The Boston Tea Party is a U.S.
political party
named after the Boston Tea Party of 1773
. Its ideology is libertarian
.
A group of former Libertarian Party
(LP) members founded the party in 2006. They criticized the LP for its "abdication of political responsibilities", saying that "Americans deserve and desperately need a pro-freedom party that forcefully advocates libertarian solutions to the issues of today".
's Campaign for Liberty—advocates, among other things, the withdrawal of all American troops from around the world, including Korea, Japan, Europe and the entire Middle East; an immediate and complete end to warrantless searches and seizures
, warrantless surveillance
, and other practices that encroach on personal freedom; and an audit of the Federal Reserve. The program was deliberately adopted from Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty
.
On December 2, 2009, the national committee passed a resolution in Support of “Honest Money”. One week later Ron Paul introduced H.R. 4248: Free Competition in Currency Act of 2009, a bill “To repeal the legal tender laws, to prohibit taxation on certain coins and bullion, and to repeal superfluous sections related to coinage.”
The party's members adopted their 2010-2012 program at their online convention held in May 2010. Its five main points are 1) End the Wars of Aggression and withdraw US troops from around the world, 2) End the Federal Reserve Banking System, 3) End the War on Drugs, 4) End Abuses of Liberty such as the Patriot Act and Military Commissions Act, 5) End the Immigration Fiasco by eliminating government restrictions on human migration.
The 2010 Boston Tea Party convention passed resolutions: calling for an independent investigation into the events of September 11, 2001; opposing intervention in Columbia; in support of the "Liberty Amendment"; and renouncing government in all forms. On July 5, 2010, the National Committee passed a resolution opposing "Top Two". On August 8, 2010, the National Committee passed a resolution to join the Coalition Against War Spending.
On November 19, 2010 the Boston Tea Party National Committee passed resolutions; opposing the TSA, naked porno-scanners & enhanced pat-downs and supporting the 2nd & 9th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America.
On February 4, 2011 the Boston Tea Party National Committee passed a resolution of support for the Tunisian and Egyptian people as well as the "rights of all peoples wishing to alter or abolish their present form of government."
On March 1, 2011 the Boston Tea Party National Committee passed a resolution supporting War Crimes trials “for every person that has violated the 'law of war'.” The BTP National Committee also passed a resolution condemning government censorship and any press organization and/or members of the media that intentionally distort and/or misrepresent facts.
announced at its Oregon convention in 2006.
In September 2008, the libertarian website LewRockwell.com
posted an article by libertarian economist Walter Block
. In it, the author proclaimed his preference for the Boston Tea Party's candidates over those of the LP. Block and other libertarians expressed discomfort over the "unlibertarian" history of the LP's 2008 presidential candidate, Bob Barr
, a former Republican
congressman.
Charles Jay
was the party's presidential nominee for the 2008 general election in which he was on the ballot in Florida
, Tennessee
and Colorado
; those states provided 10% of the popular vote in 2004. He was also a write-in candidate
in more than ten other states. Thomas L. Knapp was the party's vice presidential nominee. Knapp was also a candidate for US Congress as a Libertarian Party candidate in the same election. However, alternate running mates included Marilyn Chambers
(Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah), Barry Hess
(Arizona), Dan Sallis, Jr. (Colorado), John Wayne Smith (Florida) and Thomas J. Marino (Washington).
In the 2008 Presidential Election
, the Boston Tea Party's candidate Charles Jay
received 2,422 votes, putting him in 15th place.
On the April 19, 2011 episode of Jeopardy!
the BTP was a $2000 clue in a category called "The Mad Tea Party".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
named after the Boston Tea Party of 1773
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a direct action by colonists in Boston, a town in the British colony of Massachusetts, against the British government and the monopolistic East India Company that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies...
. Its ideology is libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
.
A group of former Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
(LP) members founded the party in 2006. They criticized the LP for its "abdication of political responsibilities", saying that "Americans deserve and desperately need a pro-freedom party that forcefully advocates libertarian solutions to the issues of today".
Platform
The Boston Tea Party supports reducing the size, scope and power of government at all levels and on all issues, and opposes increasing the size, scope and power of government at any level, for any purpose.Program and resolutions
The party's 2008-2010 program—the four points of Ron PaulRon Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
's Campaign for Liberty—advocates, among other things, the withdrawal of all American troops from around the world, including Korea, Japan, Europe and the entire Middle East; an immediate and complete end to warrantless searches and seizures
Warrantless searches in the United States
Warrantless searches are searches and seizures conducted without search warrants.In the United States, warrantless searches are restricted under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights, which provides that "The right of the people to be secure...against...
, warrantless surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
, and other practices that encroach on personal freedom; and an audit of the Federal Reserve. The program was deliberately adopted from Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty
Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty
Campaign for Liberty is a political organization founded by twelve-term United States Congressman Ron Paul. The Campaign for Liberty focuses on educating elected officials and the general public about constitutional issues, and currently provides a membership program. Its legal status is that of a...
.
On December 2, 2009, the national committee passed a resolution in Support of “Honest Money”. One week later Ron Paul introduced H.R. 4248: Free Competition in Currency Act of 2009, a bill “To repeal the legal tender laws, to prohibit taxation on certain coins and bullion, and to repeal superfluous sections related to coinage.”
The party's members adopted their 2010-2012 program at their online convention held in May 2010. Its five main points are 1) End the Wars of Aggression and withdraw US troops from around the world, 2) End the Federal Reserve Banking System, 3) End the War on Drugs, 4) End Abuses of Liberty such as the Patriot Act and Military Commissions Act, 5) End the Immigration Fiasco by eliminating government restrictions on human migration.
The 2010 Boston Tea Party convention passed resolutions: calling for an independent investigation into the events of September 11, 2001; opposing intervention in Columbia; in support of the "Liberty Amendment"; and renouncing government in all forms. On July 5, 2010, the National Committee passed a resolution opposing "Top Two". On August 8, 2010, the National Committee passed a resolution to join the Coalition Against War Spending.
On November 19, 2010 the Boston Tea Party National Committee passed resolutions; opposing the TSA, naked porno-scanners & enhanced pat-downs and supporting the 2nd & 9th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America.
On February 4, 2011 the Boston Tea Party National Committee passed a resolution of support for the Tunisian and Egyptian people as well as the "rights of all peoples wishing to alter or abolish their present form of government."
On March 1, 2011 the Boston Tea Party National Committee passed a resolution supporting War Crimes trials “for every person that has violated the 'law of war'.” The BTP National Committee also passed a resolution condemning government censorship and any press organization and/or members of the media that intentionally distort and/or misrepresent facts.
History
The party was founded in objection to new policy changes by the Libertarian PartyLibertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
announced at its Oregon convention in 2006.
In September 2008, the libertarian website LewRockwell.com
LewRockwell.com
LewRockwell.com is a 501 libertarian web magazine operated by Burton Blumert , Lew Rockwell , Eric Garris , and others associated with the Center for Libertarian Studies ; its motto is "anti-state, anti-war, pro-market"...
posted an article by libertarian economist Walter Block
Walter Block
Walter Edward Block is a free market economist and anarcho-capitalist associated with the Austrian School of economics.-Personal history and education:...
. In it, the author proclaimed his preference for the Boston Tea Party's candidates over those of the LP. Block and other libertarians expressed discomfort over the "unlibertarian" history of the LP's 2008 presidential candidate, Bob Barr
Bob Barr
Robert Laurence "Bob" Barr, Jr. is a former federal prosecutorand a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Republican from 1995 to 2003. Barr attained national prominence as one of the leaders of the impeachment of...
, a former Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
congressman.
Charles Jay
Charles Jay
Charles Jay was the Presidential nominee of the United States Boston Tea Party in the 2008 United States presidential election. He was the presidential nominee of the Personal Choice Party in the 2004 election, achieving ballot status in Utah, and received 946 votes in the general election, coming...
was the party's presidential nominee for the 2008 general election in which he was on the ballot in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
; those states provided 10% of the popular vote in 2004. He was also a write-in candidate
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
in more than ten other states. Thomas L. Knapp was the party's vice presidential nominee. Knapp was also a candidate for US Congress as a Libertarian Party candidate in the same election. However, alternate running mates included Marilyn Chambers
Marilyn Chambers
Marilyn Chambers was an American pornographic actress, exotic dancer, model, actress and vice-presidential candidate...
(Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah), Barry Hess
Barry Hess
Barry J. Hess II is an investor, business owner, writer and United States Libertarian Party activist. He was the Libertarian Party of Arizona nominee for U.S. Senate from Arizona in 2000 finishing 4th of 4 with 70,724 votes , and the Libertarian candidate for Governor of Arizona in 2002 , 2006 and...
(Arizona), Dan Sallis, Jr. (Colorado), John Wayne Smith (Florida) and Thomas J. Marino (Washington).
In the 2008 Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, the Boston Tea Party's candidate Charles Jay
Charles Jay
Charles Jay was the Presidential nominee of the United States Boston Tea Party in the 2008 United States presidential election. He was the presidential nominee of the Personal Choice Party in the 2004 election, achieving ballot status in Utah, and received 946 votes in the general election, coming...
received 2,422 votes, putting him in 15th place.
On the April 19, 2011 episode of Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
the BTP was a $2000 clue in a category called "The Mad Tea Party".