Political Reality

Politics = Exploitation

Is a libertarian future attainable? Or is it utopian?

Our record of election disasters does not instill optimism. With few exceptions those running on a Libertarian Party ticket harvest about 3% of the vote. Hardly any of us get elected. And those who do win the occasional politically inconsequential office because it's uncontested or nobody else wants it. Just when will libertarians become a desired electoral option? ...Only when it has to.

The founders had it wrong. At least they didn’t have it entirely correct. Maybe man does not live by liberty alone. Aldous Huxley observed: " The greater part of the population is not very intelligent, dreads responsibility, and desires nothing better than to be told what to do. Provided the rulers do not interfere with its material comforts and its cherished beliefs, it is perfectly happy to let itself be ruled." On the other hand, there are also many who complain about not having enough government to impose their rule over others.

Sure early settlers to The New World escaped from tyranny to seek religious freedom. But they also conquered and subjugated those who already lived here in the process. History (the story of Man) is a continuous succession of conquest, subjugation and rule. This is a fact we have to face. So there has to be more motivating We, The People than a thirst for liberty. Most of us declare individual liberty (our own) as an inalienable right. (click here for more) Yet clearly, a thirst to rule over other people - including our own - is hard to deny in the long march of civilizations. (click here for more)

Libertarians distinguish themselves from other political parties because we seek to maximize voluntary social interactions instead of imposed government rule. Unfortunately We, the People are not libertarians. Based on our electoral failures we should know hardly anyone else who votes has been convinced or even cares what libertarians think and value. We have a democracy! If We, The People valued voluntary social interaction instead of imposed government rule wouldn’t we already have a libertarian government? What must we conclude from the creation of BigGovernment reality instead of our limited government ideal? Does it mean WE LIBERTARIANS ARE KIDDING OURSELVES?

With a consistent inconsequential vote count we know we have lost the war of ideas. People - voters - don’t buy ‘liberty’. They want more than liberty. They want favors. They want the liberty of a free lunch and don’t care if getting it steals liberty from those who have to pay for that meal.

The politically relevant fact of the matter is - Plunder is more popular than liberty.

This is the dilemma.

Suppose two people run for political office. Candidate A promises more stuff and favors. Candidate B promises more liberty. Who is likely to get more votes?

Here is another hypothetical. Candidate A offers to reduce a popular government benefit to lower the deficit. Candidate B doesn't bother to campaign. Who is more likely to win?

Those are not trick questions. Libertarians are selling what few people want to buy. By now libertarian candidates should get the picture. Liberty is not what We, The People buy. Stuff is. Politics is about getting other people's stuff. This will continue until enough people recognize they are NOT beneficiaries of plunder but victims of it. If libertarians can't persuade voters about this, political exploitation will continue until social collapse. At that point a more libertarian government will replace Big Governent by default because there will be little left to plunder. Self reliance and personal responsibility will start a new social cycle.

We demand lots of things without wanting to pay for them. Tax corporations! Tax the rich! Promise me everything but not more taxes. The list is endless. Some demand farm subsidies. So we have the federal Department of Agriculture. Others want subsidized housing. So we have HUD. Voters want subsidized education. So we have the Department of Education. Many seek protection from harmful medications. (Federal Drug Administration); money for the poor (Health and Human Services); a secure retirement (Social Security Administration); free or subsidized health care (Medicare/Medicaid/Obamacare) and on and on. The federal level now contains hundreds of ‘departments’, ‘Independent agencies and government-owned corporations’, 'Federal Entities’ as well as 'Designated Federal Entities'. Why do you suppose there is no federal Department of Liberty or Cabinet Secretary for Freedom?

"The growth of the State is actually destroying society. Over the last 100 years the State has grown at an exponential rate, and it’s the enemy of the individual. I see no reason why this trend, which has been in motion and accelerating for so long, is going to stop. And certainly no reason why it’s going to reverse." Click here for more.

In 1833 William Forster Lloyd recognized this will lead to tragedy.

Plunder is more popular than liberty. But being plundered is not. Therein lies our opportunity.

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