Conservative Activist Group Drops Opposition To LOST

Note: It’s going to take a lot more investigation for me to change my mind on the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST)… as you know, I’ve opposed this treaty at length on these pages for years… I’ve learned over the years that when Liberal Democrats says “this is good for the county” the opposite is more likely the case, 9 times out of 10. So, I will remain open minded about the so-called amended language and cautious about this treaty. -Steve Foley

Law of the Sea Treaty Essential to American Exceptionalism, Leader Says

September 5, 2012 (Washington, DC)—A conservative group known for its commitment to the principles of American exceptionalism has decided to drop its opposition to the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) and is now actively engaged in the fight for that treaty’s ratification.  The Institute for Liberty, an organization that was an early-adopter of the Tea Party movement and actively involved in the development and support of that movement, had initially opposed LOST, but upon further study and reflection, decided that its ratification is of utmost importance to America’s global primacy in the future.

“I’ve grown both tired and frustrated at America’s leaders selling short our future opportunities,” said Andrew Langer, IFL’s President.  “We cannot keep losing ground to the Chinese and the Russians when it comes to the quest for the world’s resources.  The only way we can hope to stay competitive, the only way we can have a seat at the table, is for the US Senate to ratify LOST.”

In supporting LOST, IFL joins such conservative international luminaries as former Secretaries of State James Baker and Condoleezza Rice, numerous retired senior military officials, and leading national business groups like the US Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the American Petroleum Institute.

“Conservatives know that Ronald Reagan had great concerns about the initial Law of the Sea Treaty,” Langer continued. “What many of them don’t know is that the treaty was amended to assuage the concerns raised by Reagan, and many experts say that were Reagan alive today, he’d be calling for the ratification of LOST.  Reagan knew that even with the Cold War over, we remain in a race against the former Communist nations—and if we’re going to win, we have to ratify LOST.”

Among other things, LOST covers access to undersea mineral rights for nations that are parties to it.  IFL has just launched a new website, and a new video, that encourages people to support ratification.  That website can be found at www.LOSTopportunities.org.