Tuesday - April 07, 2009

Why Libertarianism is Failing

The Libertarian Party has been the leading third party for a few decades now, but still has yet to be effective or even influential.  Their basic message should resound with the majority of Americans, for the basics of the libertarian philosophy are the core of the beliefs of the founders of our nation and are still accepted by the majority of Americans in most jurisdictions (Berkeley and UC Davis be damned).

So why have they failed?  Well, first let's see where they have "succeeded."  The past few days we've learned that more and more states are recognizing homosexuals being "married."  A strong libertarian philosophy would deny the government any role in recognizing any marriage, but the LP has been at the fore front of supporting this issue.

What we've seen is that on little issues that mean very little to true freedom, the LP has been been pushing hardest.  Yet the important issues, such as government involvement with private industry, they have almost totally ignored.  

I'm reminded of Ayn Rand chiding the youth of the late sixties and early seventies for believing that freedom means being allowed to play rock and roll on the radio.  She believed that such a facile understanding of freedom was dangerous.  Even in the worst times in the Soviet Union, she pointed out, people were allowed to listen to music of their choice.  The evils of soviet totalitarianism were rooted in economic freedom.

While the two major parties have been conspiring to subordinate our economic freedoms through Rooseveltian socialism, Nixonian price controls, Johnsonian war on poverty, and now the Bush and Obama nationalization of the largest parts of our private industries and monetary institutions, they've tossed a few bones to us about homosexuality.  Yeah, big deal.  Homosexuals can "marry" and will likely be allowed in the military (with subsequent lowering of its prestige), but soon no one will be able to hire a doctor of their own choice, or even own property even if they had sufficient money to do so.

Thanks Libertarian Party.  You've really kept up the fight for "freedom."  But somehow it doesn't seem a good trade.

 

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