Libertarianism or How I can have it both ways (and ignore the fact that I am screwing someone)
I use to call myself a libertarian. You know, back when I also thought that word "atheist" actually meant you had no belief. How times (and my maturity) have changed. As I began to age, read, travel, learn and understand more and more about the world we live in and the animal species we call human my thoughts began to evolve and I began to see that this thing called "libertarian" is very much like this idea from India called "Nirdvandva". (but more about that later). Living in the Asian region for the past decade has also allowed me to see the changes that have occurred , both in the west, and the east from a different perspective than many people whom live in that bubble of the west may not have seen. While I am not surprised at the backlash that has taken hold in many western nations over what is perceived as failed policies, broken leadership and rampant corporate fraud, what does surprise me is people whom still hold tight to this idea that Libertarianism is the way to go. More surprising than that to me, are people whom still believe that there is such a thing as libertarianism. At one time, perhaps, but in the climate of the world today, it is very unlikely such a thing really exists (if it ever really did at all... and really, I don't think it ever actually has.)
So-called Libertarians seems to take pride in statements like "we can disagree on many things, but still get things done... not like the bipartisanship of the political parties we see now".
To that I say... hogwash. The main flaw with libertarianism (to me) is the fact that most of the people whom CLAIM to be one, do so from a place that does not actually take in the BIG picture of everything. They gloat about the fact that they have the answers in... freedom for everyone and governments staying out of all personal concerns. They have catch phrases that look good when spoken, but in practice are just as divisive and ill thought out as those of the people they argue against (that in itself seems to go against the grain of their ideas as they should allow others to want what they want, but they forget they are just like everyone else. They want the world in the way they see things ). If one listens to Libertarians, they sound strangely what one would call "conservative" on ideas of business and financial things and "liberal" on ideas of personal freedoms and social issues. I have no problem with either of these ideas as it does seem that in the world today, these would seem to be the most prudent and best ways to think about society. But on the other hand, it is precisely these views that trip up the libertarian and exposes the catch 22 of their ill thought out and very centric thinking policies. Social issues can (and are) THE thorn in their side, and having them tied to financial responsibility is a death sentence for the movement in any way because time and time again they contradict each other.
On a very basic level, for libertarians to say "we want no government interference in personal affairs and we want to dictate our self what we can/cannot do" basically means .....no, I don't of want that, I don't like that and I don't think that I should have to put up with that (and fake gods forbid I should have to pay some TAXES for it).
Now, I am not an expert, and I have never did a formal study (I have seen some statistics, but nothing conclusive), but I would venture to guess that the majority of those that call themselves this word are... Caucasian. At least a large portion of them. And of that large portion, many of them probably are stable, or at least more stable, financially then others around them, and so therein lies one of the biggest reasons to be a libertarian... to keep what you have and to make more. Libertarianism is yet another thought of people whom have and want to keep and another idea that comes from (a shrinking) western power base.
Libertarians are all about small government, no interference in private affairs, low taxes, and personal freedom to do what one wants to do. All great things when one looks at them in a general sense of the ideas. Sure, who wants anyone telling you what to do, who wants to work hard and give large chunks of your pay to the government and who wants the miles of red tape that comes with government programs?
Well, in many cases, for one. Me. I take pride in knowing that I can be a part of the world. I take pride in knowing that in some small (perhaps not so significant way) my taxes can even some playing field. I know I am part of a system that allows corporations to have a free hand, and if I was a libertarian I would want to take my ideas and put the money behind them to even up the playing field (but wait that seems to go directly against their ideas all together). I take solace in knowing that their are agencies that are there to make sure that my food is of a standard, my health is taken care of in some ways, my ability to move (because I choose to not own a vehicle as my way to cut down on my own personal consumption of fossil fuels) is easier with mass transit, that persons can have the chance to learn and expand their thoughts... the list goes on. Is there waste in these programs? Could these programs be better managed and run? Sure, there is ALWAYS room for improvements and better structure, but I am not for the scrapping of them in this strange idea that by doing so it is giving me more personal freedoms and smaller governments means putting money into my pocket. That does not seem to be the way to allow everyone to have the ability to do what libertarian social policy seems to dictate. The world runs on money, and Libertarians seem to forget that we are the ones that created this so why is it that we don't give all people the chance to be a part of that? Libertarians, why not do something REALLY libertarian and call for the ceasing of the use of money all together? Call for the need to really be equal. Because you know that if it is not money it would be something else that we would use as a tool of power over another (like in the past with gold, pepper, spices, and so forth)? Because you don't want to loose what you have?
Libertarians seem to be coming from a place where everyone is equal. We don't need subsidies, we don't need higher taxes, we don't need government intervention, we don't need regulating... why? Because we can do it ourselves. We can make sure all of these things happen for all people, in a balanced, equal and righteous way.
Hello dear world.... no.... we can't.
Humans are like any other creature. Darwin, was the first to document in great detail our "survival ethics", but anyone with a clear head (not wacked out on some religious god-takes-the-wheel, mantra), should be able to see that down through time humans have always been about survival, just like all species. Translation? We want to succeed and in doing so we (often) do what we need to do to get what we want. Sounds draconian and pessimistic? No, to me it sound like being a realist about the state of whom we are.
Human beings are the only animal on this planet that kill for the sake of killing. We are the only animal on this planet, that taken out of the equation and the cycle of the earth, would not cause ill effect or disrupt the pattern of another thing on earth. In fact, taken off this planet, this planet would thrive and move back into a place of a more natural and equal evolution. We are, in essence the disease of this planet. Libertarians (like all political ideas of thought) seem to forget that. They suffer from Nirdvandva... the absence of an opposite. At least with the ideas of Liberals, Conservatives, Communists, Socialists, (call it whatever you will), you basically know where they stand. Libertarians take this high moral ground of stating... we are for everyone's right to self determination... but that totally takes "the other" out of the equation. It disregards that humans self determination often runs in direct conflict to another's and it disregards what we do as humans to have what we want.
Let us look a little closer with some specifics. Ron Paul, the libertarian Dali Lama, is for self determination and no government interference in state affairs, but at the same time he is for limiting (strictly) access by persons from other countries that come to the United States illegally. Here is a perfect example of the catch 22 of the libertarian position. By this logic, it means, you have a right to be and do what you want... just not in MY country. Hmmmmm, it seems if libertarians were really what they state then they would be all for the dismantling of the entire idea of borders of any type. Should not freedom of movement be a basic libertarian idea? Libertarians are for no government interference, so what is it exactly they think will happen with business? Do they really think that business is not unlike us? It is a product of us and hence it is designed to succeed at any cost, just like us. If, as Libertarians state, everyone has the right to self determination, does it not then seem logical that those from the have not areas would want to move to and be a part of the have places? But by then limiting access, it seems your policies fly in their own face and totally contradict the basis of what you are saying.
Libertarians, like all other parties, don't see it that way. They hide their ignorance of the way the world runs behind ideas of... in a libertarian world, we will be able to do what we want, eat what we want, live how we want, pray to whom we want, etc etc etc. And so I ask, ... how? All actions have a reaction, all movement a counter movement, all ideas a hundred, million, hundred-million opposing thoughts. How is it we can all live this Utopian libertarian dream? The only way is to admit the obvious. In order for some to have, some cannot. In order for some to succeed, others will have to fail. In short, in order to live a libertarian lifestyle, one must live with like minded people in their own existence. All good and fine if we had the planets to do that, but we don't. We all live on this one. All things that have come to pass, are derived from US, humans. Nature does play a role, for sure, but the majority of issues, are products of our doing, and I don't see how this so called "libertarian" way of living addresses the fact that the playing field is not even and that it can never be in the system we live in (or the one that the libertarians seem to want either).
I must ask all those whom call themselves libertarian and live in the United States. If you are for freedom of expression of ones religion, then are you ready to take the word "god" off your money, out of your national anthem and away from your courts (so help you god)? I would venture to say not. You would of course say.. well you are trampling on my right to express my views. No, I am not, what i am trying to show is that once again your libertarian ideas are in direct contradiction of themselves. You have the right to express your ideas of whatever god you want, but to say others do in a system where YOUR god is on your money, in your song, at the end of every presidential speech, in your courts etc etc etc, how can you say in all honesty this idea of equal freedom of expression can be achieved? It cannot.
I could go on and on (ban on smoking, ideas of killing animals, etc etc etc), but I will not. Suffice to say, that while I have always found "libertarian" ideas appealing because I do believe in ones right to self determination and expression, I also am a realist and a person whom lives in society, therefore I know that it is not "libertarianism" at all, it is separation of us all and in fact a classes idea that libertarianism espouses.. not unlike any other political idea of thought. Libertarians are, in short, human. Call themselves what they want, they are just another party that is trying to have the world the way that THEY want the world, not a world for all of us.... and so while it may be nice to live in this world of Nirdvandva, and indeed it would be, being we live on this planet at this time in our evolution and with the thinking process we have, this reality is not possible at all. So call yourself a libertarian if you must, espouse how you have the right way for us all to live... all the answers, but at the end of the day, try to understand that what you forward is not much different than anyone else, just wrapped to look (and make you feel) like it is.
