Positive Liberty

It’s the party, stupid. The Libertarian Party is a badge of shame upon an otherwise reasonable branch of political thought.

Via Hoosier Review, Zach Wendling points us to this story about Libertarian Party candidate Michael Badnarik’s bizarre theories on income tax:

Use of the ZIP Code is voluntary (see Domestic Mail Services Regulations, Section 122.32). The Postal Service can not discriminate against the non-use of the ZIP Code (see Postal Reorganization Act, Section 403 [Public Law 91-375]),

The federal government utilizes the ZIP Code to prove that you reside in a “federal district of the District of Columbia.” This is why the IRS and other government agencies (both state and federal) require a ZIP Code when they assert jurisdiction by sending you a letter. Though they claim its use is to speed the mail, it is a well planned and subtle trick. It is also PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE that you are a subject of Congress and a “citizen of the District of Columbia,” who is “resident” in one of the 50 several states. U.S. “residency” was, along with U.S. “citizenship,” established by the 14th Amendment. The definition of the words “resident” and “inhabitant” mean the same thing (27 Fed. Cas.#16,024 US. v. Penelope (1508)). Since nearly all exercise of jurisdiction by federal government is “Commerce Clause” based, action by the feds may only be taken upon U.S. residents. A resident is one who opens a store or takes any step preparatory to business. A resident engages in buying and selling, a commercial activity. The “step preparatory” was the “birth certificate” (another subject, for another time).

The receipt of mail with a ZIP Code is one of the requirements for the IRS to have jurisdiction to send you notices. The government can not bill an American National, as he is not within the purview of the municipal laws of the District of Columbia. In fact, the Internal Revenue Service has adopted the ZIP Code areas as Internal Revenue Districts (see the Federal Register, Volume 5 1, #53, Wednesday, March 19, 1986).

Substantiation–for Wendling’s story, not for this nonsense–can be found here, an article in Liberty magazine claiming that post-nomination, Badnarik hastily edited his website to remove all the kooky stuff about tax evasion. I admit I’d very much want to see what Mr. Badnarik’s web site looked like before he won the nomination, but still… This stuff is bad news for those voters who hold genuinely libertarian ideas, but who can still recognize a scam when they see one. If the Libertarian Party ever wonders why it’s done so badly, it need only look at material like this.

A commenter at Hoosier Review also sends along this debunking of the tax-protestors’ legal shenanigans.

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