Libertarianism

After spending half a life time with little concerns about politic I drifted into the Libertarian camp where I now find myself firmly entrenched. I advocate as much freedom for the individual as possible and as little government as you can get away with.

Government’s role should be confined to enforcing contracts between individuals, preventing frauds, provide a police force to prevent and apprehend anyone fusing forcing to compel anyone else to do anything, i.e., giving up property, being assaulted, or raped. It should also provide a Judicial System to mediate between individuals, and to meet out appropriate punishments to those who have used force or deceit to gain their ends. A monitory system should be maintained, and a National Defend Force kept in place. Other then that government should stay out of the way.

The closer the government the better, if a problem can be resolved at the city level that is where it should stay. If not it should go to the county from resolution; in not solvable there then it should go to the state. The Federal should address only those things that are unable to be resolved at the lower levels of government. As far as the federal system goes I find myself being a constitutionalist, that is I believe that the Constitution of the United States should be adhered to in the manner in which the Founder Fathers meant for it to be, this is sometime referred to as a strict constructionist.

I disdain the idea that the Constitution is a living document open to different interpretations depending upon the times one lives in. The Constitution has an Amendment provision, if you wish to change the Constitution amend it, don’t create a penumbra that the plain reading of the texts does not imply. Those who would do this do so because they know how hard it is to amend the Constitution and wish to get around the hard work of getting the people to accept what they know is right.

As you are well aware the main political divide in the country is between Liberals/Progressives and Conservatives. Let me tell you of the distinction between the two, and how the Libertarian compares. One of the better analogies that paints the different between the people who hold to these different world-views is the fly and the wallet example, with the fly being the zipper in your trouser:

Conservatives tend to pass laws that are intended to control your fly, that is they support sodomy laws, cohabitation laws, and the Defensive of Marriage Act, while Liberals oppose any such laws, and work to tire down any remaining such laws that are on the books. Conservatives want for you to support yourself, be free to do with your money as you see fit, but to that the consequences if you fail. 

The Liberal wishes for you to control your fly completely but they do not trust you with your wallet. They feel that the fortunate have an obligation to share with those who missed out on life’s lottery. They support programs like National Health Care, Medicare, Medicate, Welfare, SSI, and the higher taxes required to pay for these programs. Conservatives general oppose such laws believing that the individual is best suited to decide in a free market where best to spend their money.

The Libertarian would have the individual control both his fly and his wallet allowing him to reap the benefits of his decisions, but requiring him to accept the consequences of his actions. Libertarianism believes in self-ownership, the right to own private property, and reject the use of force to compel anyone into an undesired action, including paying taxes. It is felt that if intuitions such as the Catholic Church can maintain itself without force them governments can as well. I know you worry about the free rider but he is just going to have to be a necessary evil in a free society, and the welfare state that the Progressives have built out ti the lie that they do not want any free ride.

It is the individual inherent right to live his life as he see fit as long as he does not infringe upon another’s right to do the same thing. Libertarians work for a world in which people can strive to live the best life they can with volunteer cooperation for the common good through the individual seeking his own interest for his own reasons  Government's role should be limited to providing a National Defense, enforcing contracts, preventing fraud and theft, and preventing those who would use brute force to obtain their desires from doing so.  To this end government has the soul ability to compel one to do something against their will, and because they can use legitimate force up to and including imprisonment and death, their desecration as to when to use that force should be strictly constrains to the powers enumerated in the Constitution.