Why the World Needs Libertarians
In an era when everything seems to be a fight between two opposing sides, like some kind of strange duopoly of cultures, it’s good to have a few Libertarians in the mix. Although I’m an Independent, I believe there are a few reasons why the world needs Libertarians.
1. They’re the peacekeepers.
The 20th century was marked by war across the entire planet. Whether over religion, resources, or retaliation for some real or perceived prior transgressions, there were numerous calls to arms in the last century and in this one. Here in America, both Republicans and Democrats put young men and women in harm’s way, and they dropped a lot of bombs. The two major parties fought each other over whose wars were actually justified. Both Nixon and Johnson favored a continuation of the war in Vietnam. When George Bush dropped bombs over Baghdad it was a “War for oil!” to the left. When Bill Clinton did it, it was the right that claimed it was ploy to distract from domestic scandals. The White House’s transition from Republican to Democrat in 2009 did not result in a major shift in foreign policy, either.
Meanwhile Libertarians espouse the idea of non-interventionism. Whether it’s Governor Gary Johnson criticizing the war in Iraq, Ron Paul lamenting the bombing of Syria, or the blogger Julie Borowski describing her transition to an anti-war philosophy, there’s no shortage of Libertarians who will offer their opinions against the cacophonous banging of the war drums and shouts from the pundits.
There are those Libertarians, like Penn Jillette, who promote the ideas of pacifism, but many of them aren’t entirely in line with the concept of a non-aggression principle (NAP). Penn says, for example, he’d use a gun to stop a crime in progress. Whether they are NAP hardliners, self-professed pacifists, or just people who don’t want the government involved in spending taxpayer money on wars, Libertarians help to keep the rest of us in balance when our blood is boiling at the first sign of conflict.
2. They promote real diversity.
Democrats like to talk about diversity, but it’s just their way of pandering to whatever group identity they find desirable or necessary to win the most current political contest. To them, diversity is nothing more than a group of people of different ethnic, racial, or religious backgrounds all marching to the same politically correct, leftist tune. Libertarians actually believe in real diversity, including diversity of thoughts and ideas. They make no distinctions between anyone’s creed, color, background, or preference. A Libertarian party meeting is the one place where you can find a Methodist Minister, an Atheist, and a Muslim all arguing over the gold standard, while never insulting each other’s religious beliefs or calling for the other person to be silenced. Their guiding principle is in establishing maximum freedom for the individual against the continuing encroachment by the state, and they don’t care what you do with that freedom as long as you don’t harm someone else.
3. They will actually reduce the size of government.
Republicans brag about cutting government agencies and programs. It sounds great, and it really gets the crowds going when they hammer their Democratic counterparts on it. The only problem is that the GOP never actually does it. They only want to grow the government at a slightly slower pace than the Democrats.
We’re approaching $20 trillion in national debt this year. Both parties deserve plenty of blame. Democrats and Republicans have figured out that there are plenty of people who like getting free stuff from their neighbors, and the major parties are happy to take turns driving the bus, even if it’s headed for a cliff.
The great Libertarian economist Milton Friedman made no bones about the fact that he would cut almost every major cabinet level department. I say let’s do what Dr. Friedman said and cut all cabinet departments except State, Defense, Justice, and the Treasury.
For example, the Department of Education is unnecessary because education is not one of the enumerated powers in the Constitution. Decisions about schools should be at the state and local level. President Carter created the Department of Energy in 1977, in part, to reduce America’s reliance on foreign oil after several gas shortages in the decade. Today the agency commands a $30 billion annual budget, and yet not a single oil refinery has been built in the United States in forty years. President Bush’s Department of Homeland Security eats up over $40 billion per year, and instead of stopping terror attacks, their TSA agents have beaten up disabled people. Government should do few things, and do those things well. That’s the Libertarian way.
4. They like freedom for freedom’s sake.
A Libertarian will fight tooth and nail for your right to espouse a belief that he condemns. They won’t call for censorship of ideas they find undesirable, objectionable, tasteless, or obscene. When the state tries to ban certain thoughts, opinions, or voices, because they are unpopular, it’s the Libertarians who will proclaim that the right to free speech doesn’t mean the right to not be offended. Whether you fly the Confederate Flag, the Rainbow Flag, or a flag with a pot leaf on the front, you have the right to express your opinions unmolested by the state. The world today is rife with people eager to ban anything and everything with which they may not agree.
In Ireland a pastor was threatened with six months in jail for comparing Islam with Satanism. In France several Muslim women were forced to strip off their “burkinis” after a city ordinance was passed banning the religious attire. While some on the left cheered for a successful prosecution for “hate speech,” and some on the right showed their support banning burkinis, it was the Libertarians who proclaimed that both situations were outrageous infringements upon individual rights by the state. For Libertarians, freedom isn’t just a pithy bumper sticker slogan. It’s a philosophy of life.
5. They’re skeptical.
The skeptic is not to be confused with the one who squeezes his eyes shut, puts his fingers in his hears, sticks his tongue out, and says, “You can’t convince me that I’m wrong!” The true skeptic questions everything and says “Convince me that I’m wrong.” Skeptics look at the evidence. They aren’t swayed by appeals to emotion, claims of a higher authority beyond reason, or ad hominem attacks. They will listen, but you have to make your case logically. They will also tell you why you’re wrong, if they believe that you are.
When the equivocators make excuses for almost any infringement upon freedom if it makes good press, or the sycophants openly beg for their freedoms to be removed because personal responsibility is too hard for them, we need people like the Libertarians who owe allegiance only to the cause of freedom.