Presidential candidate John McAfee is an adventurer. Best known for founding the first successful anti-computer virus company, he has also been shot at in tropical jungles, by men trained by U. S. forces, with American-bought guns. This range of experience makes him the most interesting presidential hopeful, bar none.
His big issue is cyber-security. He thinks Americans have placed themselves in a too-precarious position. As he sees it, the war on terror has served as a grand distraction from the real threat, a prime example of doing foreign policy and national security completely upside-down wrong.
He has a point.
But he’s neither a Democrat nor a Republican, and not long ago he realized that his own Cyber Party didn’t have the oomph to get him on the ballot in enough states.
So he has announced his candidacy for the Libertarian Party nomination.
Why? He’s obviously not a libertarian in any strict capital‑L sense. But the septuagenarian insists that he has been a libertarian at heart since before the word entered common use.
This is what the Libertarians get for their most obvious success: obtaining and keeping ballot status in more states for more election cycles than any other “minor party.”
Think of the Libertarian Party as the host, and one-time Republicans like former Congressman Bob Barr and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson — and now McAfee — as viruses, aiming to commandeer the host’s operating system.
Of course, one might also view the LP as a virus attempting to do the same to the federal government.
Shall we root for the viruses, for once?
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
4 replies on “Virus and Host”
Looking back at his prior public statements, McAfee does have a good claim to have been a “small‑l” libertarian for a long time.
As far as being a capital‑L libertarian — a member of the Libertarian Party — he is, as of a few days ago, a dues-paying member of that party.
I think today’s commentary was clear as mud. The term virus certainly is not fitting. Today’s Libertarian party represents more of the founding principles than either of the predominant parties. I take exception to their views of public schooling and open borders, but the rest is far closer to liberty and freedom than the dem/rep police state currently in effect.
Why is this the first I am hearing of this man even running? The man’s life story is not enough. Where does he stand on the issues that endanger our lives TODAY? His big issue is cyber-security, but it’s also in his own financial interest, as the founder of a cyber-security company, to promote it. What good is cyber security when the people who will blow us up at any time can enter this country at will? Cyber security won’t protect us from those who seek our destruction, but it might make the terrorists’ communications harder to penetrate. I want to support a different party but I’m not sure the Libertarians are it. No point in wasting my vote, unless the candidates of both major parties are truly anathema. So far, that has happened only once — in 2008. It might happen again in 2016. Time will tell.
Pat,
He has a website at http://www.mcafee16.com/ with his entire platform on it. He is currently in the process of massaging his platform to further coincide with that of the Libertarians platform
To the author,
Do your research. John McAfee left McAfee associates a long time ago. His current business is in the realm of apps that will help to protect you from spying and hacking by your own government, and yes, other hackers. He spends most of his time writing articles on Cyber Security, mentoring young start-ups and promoting products that are designed to give you back your personal life and freedom. If That is not at least a small ‘l’, pray tell what is?