Sunday, October 25, 2009

Cuban cigar, anyone?

Issues: Trade

I am an unapologetic advocate of free trade, and so do not subscribe to the "us versus them" attitude towards trade/manufacturing/jobs. Americans should have unrestricted access to any good or service from anybody anywhere. Import/export quotas and trade "agreements" are not free trade; they're managed trade, and they can be political weapons that distort the market for the benefit of special interests.

Simply put, the government should not be in the business of bestowing "protective" benefits on certain industries, nor should it be erecting barriers to trade with other nations for political reasons. The power to selectively meddle with trade policy is the power to play more political games with the economy. Only the politically connected benefit from these policies- the rest of us pay for it in real ways that are hard to detect: higher prices, fewer options, and lower quality goods than we would otherwise have. This automatically puts a squeeze on consumers and frustrates economic activity.

Rather than play games with protectionist policy, I support a uniform tariff on all imports across the board. This will remove power from politicians and put it back in the hands of the American consumer. Moreover, I will push for unfettered free trade with all nations. I will vote against any legislation that imposes a barrier to free trade with any nation, including sanctions, quotas, and embargoes.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Contact Form Issues

Just a note: I’ve been receiving some blank messages from my contact form lately. If anybody has tried to write me through the interface in the Contact section and I haven’t replied, it is because I have been receiving blank messages.
For now, you’re much better off getting in touch with me by just sending me an email at

kernforcongress@live.com

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Income Tax Video

I recorded a new video on Sunday. I was in the middle of writing a one-minute mission statement about myself and the site, and it evolved (devolved?) into a rant about how angry I was over the income tax. I felt it was worth being committed to video. In addition to being a little primer on how I feel about the income tax, it’s a little plug for other liberty candidates in there toward the end. Filming those things is a hassle, but I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out. Enjoy.