What It Means to be a Libertarian
by Robert Russo
This week I thought I would share my own personal experiences as a libertarian and perhaps get some responses from those who had different "coming out" experiences or first impressions than I. It is difficult to put these into politico-speak just as it is difficult to explain libertarianism to other political parties, because it is “the politics of leaving people alone”, the party that is not a party. One has to wade through the buffer zone of labels and presumption that insulates the public, much like explaining to an academician that there are forms of education not dependent on structure but a lack of structure.
Libertarianism is not a one-issue party founded to compete in a two-party system, in which some radical new idea called "limited government" is being proposed, with a side plan of "personal responsibility" to make it work. It is belittling to see a way of life defined in this manner, just to be understood by those who have forgotten that all men were created equal, and the skills that any living creature requires to survive. We are only taught supremacy and dependency as we mature, first in the household, then in the classroom and the workplace. So it was the first time these freedoms were denied me, the first time I sensed that I was being manipulated, that I recognized the need for our cause. I did not join based on a list of parties I saw on a ballot at age eighteen any more than someone raised on a corn farm in Iowa pursues agriculture because they saw it on a college curriculum.
From my perspective, at the time I first learned our philosophy had a name it was "the" third party in the United States. Now it is one of several, and the revolution to prevent an American Empire never happened. The fight for "limited government" was claimed by the Republicans, leading people to say we are transplanted republicans. President Clinton announced "the era of big government is over"*, and if anything it has far more control over our lives now than it did then. I can recall the gubernatorial candidates on the news one year with the Libertarian candidate given his fair segment, using this precious time to speak only the words "limited government" instead of opposing the Standards of Learning or military recruitment. Many who joined our party in anger in the 90’s don’t equate these authoritarian institutions as part of the problem, and therefore don’t know what true libertarianism is. So we have missed the ball in all courts.
The truth is, the desire to be free and make unhindered choices based on the facts at hand is employed by every human being in some way and we need to give this civic immediacy an identity so people will know it is that right we are defending, and they can draw a clear line between the things that hinder and enable them. Politics blurs and divides this potential union in defense of itself, not any one person, and such a beast will continue to grow if the public cannot identify the things that feed it.
To lead this crusade we must ask ourselves "what can we do to be better Libertarians?". One way is to expand our voice into every issue including industry, the sciences, defense and foreign policy which people mistakenly think are not our platforms. Another is to educate our own party members on how to further their journey toward achieving our lifestyle. Above all we must appoint representatives who are both pure in our philosophy and can reach out to average people and show them we are no different from them. Then they will realize the qualities they put forth every day are libertarian. The other parties cannot reach beyond themselves like this because they are not legitimate political philosophies (they just change with the seasons), much as someone can’t be a sufficient leader if all they bring are political solutions. This is how we will eventually overcome. I often think of our cause in the words of Les Miserables: "Can you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men. It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again. Let others rise to take our place, until the Earth is free!".**
* http://www.cnn.com/US/9601/budget/01-27/clinton_radio/
** http://www.mvhsdrama.com/lesmizlyrics.htm#24
Question of the Week: How did you first learn about libertarianism and what made you decide to embrace it? Please send your experiences to henrico@richmondliberty.org.
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