Why should you support libertarians

Vote libertarian November 7


Put pressure on those in power

The main political reason that you will ask for is that of necessity of putting pressure on those in power. The Reps or Dems in Washington or elsewhere are entrenched in their limiting ideology and somewhat comfortable in their opposition where they know what to expect. America has been founded on the principle of sacredness of individual rights and freedoms. The Reps and Dems are currently espousing ideologies that are either disciplinarian, the former, or communitarian, the latter. Even if the libertarians don't win many seats in the legislatures - those elected will feel the pressure of the founding ideology of freedom that is so deeply American.

And here is what libertarians profess:

Libertarians believe that the government has no right to forbid anything that honest and peaceful people do among themselves. This is includes transactions, organizations, for-profit businesses of any nature - material production, services, medical, psychological, sexual or educational. The idea that most things should not be forbidden admits exceptions of course - such where exercising certain liberties would create dangerous confusion (e.g. dressing up in a cop's uniform), harm (exposure of minors to adult situations or reckless behavior on the road) . The only behaviors and transactions between mature adults that could be forbidden are those that involve violence and dishonesty.

The basis for this ideology is deeply moral because it vests the individual with the decision of what his world should be, which he or she can freely organize with cooperation with others - cooperation that will, of course, test his power against the power of others. But the power match, by the libertarian principles, is to be fair - because it must not be carried out by invocation of someone's subjective concept of eternal and absolute rules and principles, but by a struggle among individuals equipped with their skills and means. Much of this struggle would be carried out on the free market - where goods and services are exchanged and financial means acquired and disposed of. The market functions as a paradigm of peaceful power struggle where under the conditions of honesty the price of always right and the match is even.

Questions are often raised against libertarians about the fate of the least powerful, who would be typically destined to be poor. Another very important question is whether the market is a suitable instrument for managing resources that are limited - such as land and water. The answers that I find among libertarians on those issues are not quite satisfactory and will be properly addressed in the future. Libertarians show good signs of pragmatism advocating programs for the underprivileged and access to medical insurance and health care - while they may differ from the left by proposing non-governmental solutions the goal is the same - social safety net that prevents people from falling into misery.