Preface
Libertarian thinking was my very first blog I made back in September of 2013. It was post 2012 election season and I was fresh off my new political experience as a voter. Along the way I found the Libertarian Party, but more importantly, the principles which that party tries to embody, and the principles are the more important part. They can be applied anywhere, to all aspects of life, not just politics. I remember being so excited about this post and thinking I was going to change the world. It blew my mind how people could keep arguing about democrats and republicans when it was so obvious to me there was a much better answer right in front of us.
I’ve changed since then. I’ve grown up a lot but I still have this fire in me. This yearning to help us keep hold of the liberties we still have and take back some which we’ve lost (or given away). There are a lot of ways this country could be better and I believe there is a certain set of principles that could get us there.
The 2020 election has reminded me of that and this new blog is my first real step in trying to do so. Who knows where this will go. My main goals are really just to continue my own personal research and education as well as (hopefully) improving my writing. You know, for fun-sies. We’ll see how it goes. In the mean time enjoy my original post from a young, hopeful Jeremy. After re-reading it recently I was pleasantly surprised at how well it was written. Short and sweet and covering just about everything I would want to in a first post. New posts are soon to come, thanks for being here. Peace. Love. Liberty.
-J
What is libertarianism?
Libertarianism is a philosophy that stands for limited government in order to maximize personal liberties, both financial and civil. Libertarianism is well known in the political realm for its fight against big, intrusive government, but, is also associated with certain principles such as the non-aggression principle, non-interventionism and voluntarism that make it applicable to daily life.
You don’t necessarily need to be a part of the Libertarian Party (“Big L”) in order to agree with the principles of libertarianism (“small l”). One of the strongest supporters of libertarian ideals, Dr. Ron Paul, served twelve terms in congress as a Republican. Conservatism and libertarianism do share commonalities in regards to economic liberties but are vastly different when it comes to civil liberties. Ron Paul once summed up libertarianism with one word: non-interventionism. I think that’s an excellent way to describe it. It means that the government should not forcefully intervene in the affairs of your life; whereas you should not forcefully intervene in the affairs of the lives of others. As I like to say, it’s a simple live and let live way of thinking.
Otherwise, if we allow the government to become responsible for so many parts of our lives (whether it directly affects you or not) such as: education, healthcare, the prohibition of certain substances such as marijuana, endless and unnecessary wars, monetary policy, economic intervention and many others; are we truly free? It’s naïve to think it’s in the best interest of the people for government to take care of us from cradle to grave as if we need to be protected from ourselves and the decisions we would make; and it’s irresponsible to allow this to happen.
Libertarians argue that the solution isn’t more government, but less; adding that most of the problems we face today are the result of an expanding and intrusive government. Libertarianism offers an answer to our problems. It can lead us to a thriving economy using truly free markets with a government that stays away from the voluntary business taking place within our borders and between us and other nations. As the saying goes, when goods cross borders, armies don’t. We can witness a society in which people don’t try to control others’ personal lives through legislation. We must come to the realization that there is no battle of us versus each other but rather us against ourselves. The best way to start seeing change is to be the change you want to see; lead by example.
I write this as a supporter of the libertarian movement and I ask all of you who perhaps haven’t entertained the thought of libertarianism to really give it a chance. Try to understand what it stands for and see if you don’t feel the same. For my fellow libertarians and those in the battle for the expansion of liberty, I ask you not to lose sight of compassion. As we continue the fight for more liberty, let us use those liberties for good and show others this is a battle worthy of our time, effort and passion. I truly believe that liberty combined with compassion is the formula for a better life, a stronger nation, and a peaceful world.