A Libertarian’s Lament

Annuit Coeptis ^ | August 29, 2009 | Jay Henderson

[jay1949]

Having strong libertarian tendencies, I pay special attention to issues which present a reasonably good choice between libertarianism and statism – - libertarianism being, in essence, a philosophy that favors individual liberty, less government, and low taxes, and statism being the belief in better living through bigger government. While it seems to me that at least a strong plurality and probably a majority of Americans still hold to libertarian principles, our lives are controlled by the incessant, internecine “liberal-versus-conservative,” “Democrat-versus-Republican” political battles in which libertarian values are either ignored or honored only for show. How can it be, I lament, that so many of us have become so disenfranchised?

[MNJohnnie]

Mainly because you have such wholly ineffective communicators. Libertarians are so enamored of theory, they fail to demonstrate how their theory's could actually work in the cold hard world.

The major problem is Libertarians fail to realize that their theory, like Marxism, only works in a class room. It does not actually work in the real world.

Libertarianism assumes everyone is a sane, rational responsible adult capable of self government. Unfortunately that is not the case.

Society is made up of a mass of people, some good, some bad, mostly indifferent. In order to function, that society has to have some structure to manage it conflicting interests. The structure is Government. Libertarians have the mistaken notion that if they simply get rid of virtually all Govt, everything will be groovy.

No it will not. Case in point. Somalia which has virtually no functioning govt. Somalia is hell on earth where the strong do as they will and the weak suffer what they must.

[RAO1125]

Good read, and a frustration that many of us libertarians and paleoconservatives (I wish I was old enough to remember when they were simply “conservatives”) have felt for many, many years. If only a Republican candidate would come along with the ideas of Ron Paul, the looks of Mitt Romney, the money of George Bush, the charisma of Sarah Palin, the experience of John McCain and the name value of Adolph Guiliani, we’d be set.

[RAO1125]

Anarchy should be a goal and a state of human evolution, not a political platform.

[ClearCase_guy]

There is a quite a lot that I could like about Libertarianism -- and back in the 70's I considered myself to be one. But all it really takes is a 5 minute conversation with a Libertarian for me to decide that they are all unrealistic and unreasonable jerks. I'm not trying to be offensive, but I truly haven't had a conversation with a Libertarian in decades which didn't start sounding like a conversation with a true-believing Marxist. Sure some of the fundamental ideas are very different, but the slavish adherence to a static, ivory tower ideology is very similar.

I would really like to see some party replace the GOP as the opposition to the Democrats, but the Libertarians will never do so unless they are willing to make some fundamental changes. Which I don't see happening.

[Son House]

Smells like another Glenn Beck/Bill O’Reilly, can’t admit Democrats are wrong having formerly been Democrat

[KarlInOhio]

Also, many libertarians are unwilling to take away only half a loaf from the government, instead demanding the whole loaf or nothing. Government programs grew gradually and won't be destroyed instantly without a revolution. Would a potential libertarian candidate be willing to reduce the Department of Education's budget by 10% rather than cutting the budget by 100%, setting fire to the buildings, shooting the bureaucrats as they flee and then salting the ground so it never grows back? How about starting to privatize Social Security in anticipation of eliminating it over the next seventy years? Maybe increase the standards under which food stamps are given to new recipients next year (you have to be really poor rather than just a little poor) instead of demanding that the program be eliminated? However, if you proposed that gradualism in reducing government at the Libertarian National Convention you would be drummed out of the party, burned in (if you're luck only) effigy and run out of town.

[alicewonders]

I do agree with the article when it comes to people “voting for the lesser of two evils”. I’m sick of it! It doesn’t work anymore. We all did that with McCain & we lost anyway. There has got to be the beginnings of an alternative for the vast majority of us - if there was EVER a good time for a viable new party - it is now.

The two parties have virtually merged into one big fat disgusting swine of a party. The anger out here is palpable - I think we’re reaching the boiling point.

[VisualizeSmallerGovernment]

If only a Republican candidate would come along with the ideas of Ron Paul

If only a candidate like Ron Paul would attach himself to the Republican Party, rather than use it to get on TV and abandon it when it chooses a nominee, the Libertarians might get somewhere.

There are probably more libertarians in the United States than, say, militant homosexuals. Yet militant gays have tremendous sway over the Democrat party because they are attached to the party. If they started their own gay party which only addressed gay issues and sought to elect gays to public office, they would get destroyed at the polls and have no political power whatsoever.

[dimk]

I think the only time Libertarian will have a chance is when things get worse, MUCH worse. If the current spending binge continues for couple more administrations and country literally tuns bankrupt.. maybe then.

[lakertaker]

I am a libertarian. I am also a conservative. Example I am pro life but believe that should be left up to the states and not the courts.

What the GOP needs is a dose of libertarianism. Not watered down, redefined conservatism like compassionate conservatism

[Salgak]

You seem to be operating under a false assumption. There’s a difference between leaning libertarian, and the Libertarian Party.

The latter has been substantially divorced from reality for years. But the ‘small-L” variety is really just paleoconservatism taken a bit farther than many paleos go. . .

[garbanzo]

Libertarians are so enamored of theory, they fail to demonstrate how their theory's could actually work in the cold hard world.

It's more that most are like St. Augustine - deliver us from Big Government, but not yet.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

There is a quite a lot that I could like about Libertarianism -- and back in the 70's I considered myself to be one. But all it really takes is a 5 minute conversation with a Libertarian for me to decide that they are all unrealistic and unreasonable jerks. I'm not trying to be offensive, but I truly haven't had a conversation with a Libertarian in decades which didn't start sounding like a conversation with a true-believing Marxist. Sure some of the fundamental ideas are very different, but the slavish adherence to a static, ivory tower ideology is very similar.

Exactly. I really, really, really want to be sympathetic to libertarianism, but it has just enough unrealistic rubbish in it that it turns me off. The fact that many of the most vocal libertarians I've run across are socially-autistic dinks doesn't help matters, either. They seem to be the kind of people who think that a reasonable response to studied criticisms of libertarianism is to screech at you that you're "afraid of liberty" for not wanting to live in the functional equivalent of Somalia.

Libertarians like to claim the mantle of John Locke and the Founders - essentially classical liberalism - but I wonder how many of them have actually read Locke, Algernon Sydney, etc. Locke was not a libertarian, and even Thomas Jefferson was not. And neither of them would have gone for what modern libertarians are trying to sell.

What probably ended my flirtation with libertarianism was the whole "private roads" think. Like it's going to increase my personal liberty to have to pay somebody a toll for every single road I need to drive on to get to work or take my family into town. Like it increases my liberty if I have to worry about somebody not liking my religion or my race or the way I part my hair as a determining factor in whether I have permission to drive on their property. Yet, libertarians never seem to understand the tremendous THREAT to individual liberty that private roads would present generally.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

It's more that most are like St. Augustine - deliver us from Big Government, but not yet.

Definition of irony? Many of the most hard-core libertarians I know work for the gubmint. One even works for the Social (In)Security administration.

[norton]

Regarding your "we all voted for the lesser of two evils (Mc Cain) and lost anyway" comment, note from the article:

"I quit making that choice in the 2000 election and began voting often for third-party candidates. I don’t know that it has made a bit of difference, but I do feel better (snip) I do know that if enough of my fellow countrymen do the same..."

And just how many potential votes might have been thrown away in 2008 in order to make Paulistas 'feel better'?

Can it really make anyone feel better to know that we actually got the "greater" of two evils?

[jay1949]

Sounds like an ideal mix of attributes. Who is that guy/gal? (I don’t know. either.)

[jay1949]

Libertarianism is not anarchy. There’s a difference between limited government and no government.

[jay1949]

Well, I already get tarred, feathered, and run out of town on a rail - - figuratively - - on a regular basis. There’s a difference between libertarianism, as a philosophy, and the Libertarian Party, which has stayed marginal for various reasons - - including that many libertarians don’t believe there should be a “libertarian party.”

[MNJohnnie]

Libertarianism is not anarchy. There’s a difference between limited government and no government.

Not they way it is being defined by modern Libertarians. Modern Libertarianism is basically anti everything for nothing. In a nutshell that is it's whole problem.

If modern Libertarianism actually produced a rational policy other then "dismantle everything in the Govt created since 1789" it might get taken seriously.