| What Is Not A Libertarian? September 1, 1999
Just so there's no confusion, I'd like to make it clear that I'm discussing "libertarianism" here and not "Libertarianism". The capital L changes the meaning of the word significantly. A libertarian, with a small l, is someone who subscribes to the general principles of libertarianism. A Libertarian, with a capital L, is a member of the Libertarian Party (LP). Being a libertarian does not make you a Libertarian any more than being a conservative makes you a Republican or being a liberal makes you a Democrat. Political affiliation is a good indicator of political beliefs, but not necessarily a dead giveaway. Very recently I became a Libertarian by sending a contribution to the Libertarian Pary of the United States, but I have been a libertarian for many years. Does that clear up any confusion? But what, after all, is a libertarian--with a small l? At the most basic level, a libertarian is someone who believes that the initiation of force to achieve a goal, political or otherwise, is wrong. There are as many reasons for libertarians reaching this conclusion as there are libertarians, but, politically speaking, how one arrives at an idea is not nearly so important as the idea itself. Most libertarians have the same ideas of how other people should be treated and what the proper roles of government are whether they call themselves objectivists, fundamentalists, or pragmatists. For perspective, here are a few libertarian ideas: -Don't treat other people in ways you don't want to be treated.Sound familiar? These ideas should sound very familiar to every Christian. They can be, and for many libertarians they are, derived from Biblical principles if not taken directly from such passages as "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." When I first realized that the morality I had been taught all my life was a libertarian one and was incompatible with the Republican conservatism I thought I believed in, I couldn't wait to point this out to every other Christian I met. I learned quickly and gave that up. I didn't get the open minded responses I thought I would. "Libertarianism? Isn't that like communism?" was a common response. Never mind that I had just explained what libertarianism is, and it's as far from communism as you can possibly get. The barely more informed would say something like, "Libertarians? They do drugs don't they?" or "Libertinism is a sin, you know." My response of "I'm a libertarian, and I don't do drugs," and "I didn't say 'libertinism,' I said 'libertarianism'," largely went ignored. Well...to help set the record straight I've put together this short list of what a libertarian is not. For those honestly interested in knowing the truth, each point is followed by a link, or links, to more detailed reading material. Keep in mind as you read that many libertarians will use different words or slightly different arguments than I do. It's been said that trying to lead libertarians is like trying to herd cats. 1. Libertarians are liberals. Libertarians are not liberals in the same sense as most Democratics are liberals. Libertarians are classical liberals in the same sense as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were classical liberals. In other words, libertarians believe in leaving as much power over your life in your hands as possible. They do not believe that anyone has the right to tell you what church to attend, or to attend church at all. They do not believe that anyone has the right to tell you what you can or cannot eat. Unlike modern liberals, they do not believe that you should be forced to contribute funds to whatever program Washington (D.C. that is) has dreamed up this month--for the public good, of course. They believe that what you do, as long as you are not harming anyone else against their will, is solely between you and God.2. Libertarians are homosexuals. Some libertarians are homosexuals. Most are not. Your sexual behavior is none of my business--as long as you are not forcing anyone to do anything against their will. While many libertarians, myself included, believe that homosexuality is a sin--just as there are many who do not--they do not believe that enforcing sexual purity is the proper role of government. Teaching sexual morality is more appropriately the role of the church and family.3. Libertarians are socialists. The word "libertarian" is a common source of confusion. It sounds enough like "liberal" that many people get them confused. To the contrary, libertarianism supports the free market more consistently than any other political philosophy. Libertarians are adamantly opposed to the use of force to redistribute wealth. Getting the permission of my neighbors before you take my belongings does not make your actions any less immoral. It only makes my neighbors accessories to your crime. Stealing from the rich to give to the poor is still stealing.4. Libertarians are anarchists. Most libertarians believe there is a legitimate role for government, though the government that many libertarians advocate, myself included, bares very little resemblance to the modern "state" most people think of when they read the word, government. Primarily, government should ensure an environment in which everyone can make their own choices concerning their own lives. Put another way, the only legitimate role of government is to protect its citizens from violence and fraud. In this, libertarians should more properly be referred to as minarchists. Anarchism is not, generally speaking, the picture of mayhem and chaos that most people think it. It is simply the organized, coercive state replaced by a voluntary socialism. While some libertarians define themselves as anarchists under this more accurate definition, most are actually minarchists.5. Libertarians are against helping the poor. Libertarians are not against helping the poor. They are against stealing and extortion in the name of helping the poor. Government welfare programs are not designed to help anyone but the politicians who sign them into law. More often then not they make people feel good about themselves while covering up the real sources of social ills. They teach their intended beneficiaries destructive lifestyles and lock them into generations of poverty. Charity is not something you obtain through the barrel of a gun. God loves a cheerful giver, but "your money or your life" scams such as government welfare programs create bitterness and destroy far more people than they help.6. Libertarians are druggies. I am a libertarian. I do not do drugs. It's as simple as that. Libertarians believe that using drugs for recreational purposes is a personal choice. Libertarians also believe that it is a poor choice. Just because something is legal doesn't mean you should do it. Bungie jumping is legal, but I don't do it because it's foolish. Libertarians believe you should be able to use drugs if that is your choice. As a general rule, they do not believe that you, or anyone else, should use drugs.7. Libertarians are right-wing extremists. "Right-wing extremists" is a loaded term that really has no substantive meaning. It's a term that is usually used by liberals to demonize people who are outspokenly against current liberal ideology. Very often, dissimilar groups such as the Aryan Brotherhood, the Christian Coalition, and the Republic of Texas (the cessesionist group, not the state) are lumped together under the broad category of "right-wing extremists". Libertarians are neither right-wing nor left-wing. Describing politics in this either-or manner is shallow and counter-productive. The Nolan Quiz (A version of this quiz is available at the Advocates for Self-Government web site.) is a much better method, though still imperfect, of categorizing political beliefs.8. Libertarians are athiests. While several prominent libertarians have been and are athiests, it is certainly not the rule. Libertarians cross the entire spectrum of religious beliefs. Paganism, pantheism, Islam, Christianity, agnosticism, and atheism are all to be found among libertarians. Ayn Rand is commonly read and quoted among libertarians, but so is the Bible. Rand was an atheist. I am a Christian. Others are agnostic, Buddhist, Jewish, pagan, etc.9. Libertarians are hedonists. Some self-proclaimed libertarians are hedonists. They are an embarassment to the majority. The LP calls itself "The Party of Principle" because it is the only political party to have a solid, moral foundation. Most libertarians believe in uncompromising self-discipline. They don't feel they need a government-nanny threatening them with a slap on the wrist for every deviation from the societal norm. Responsibility and self-discipline are the hallmarks of a libertarian10. Libertarians are paranoid. Some have said that libertarians are paranoid for their anti-government ranting and their constant harping on guns and the second amendment. Libertarians aren't so much paranoid as they are observant. They generally believe that an armed citizenry is the last line of defense against tyranny. This is not a delusion but an educated opinion based on thousands of years of human history. No dictator can perpetrate the atrocities of Stalin, Hitler, or Mao on their own armed people. They must first be disarmed. That could never happen in America, you say? Are Americans genetically superior to the German people then? More than half of all Americans are descended from Germans. Are Americans somehow wiser than the Ukrainians who starved under Stalin or the Irish who starved under the English? All governments of men are destined to tyranny unless the people are armed against the otherwise inevitable cycle of history. On closer look, many other objections to libertarianism can also be shown to be unfounded. The Bible tells of how God created Adam and Eve, and of how God gave them a choice to follow His rules or to follow their own. If God did not want that choice available to them, He would never have put the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden. Throughout history, God has let men go their own way...for good or evil. He has rarely intervened to force mankind to follow His chosen path. How arrogant it must seem to God for His own creations to assume authority over their peers that He, who actually has that authority, has foregone. *********************************************Read the introduction to my new book!********************************************* |
