I don't know about you, but I am proud to be a libertarian. Whatever you think forms the foundation of libertarianism- the ZAP, the Universality Principle, or something else- libertarianism (and by extension, anarchism) is the only philosophy that recognizes that you own your own life. Every other philosophy or political position believes that you are stupid or evil or simply too incompetent to run your own life. Libertarians know that is not the case.
Some people balk at the concept of anarchism. I admit I think anarchism is just libertarianism fully expressed, and I think that minarchism is a desperate attempt to excuse the inexcusable. If you disagree I am fine with that, too. Show me a government that will never, can never, grow out of control and I will shut up. Yeah, I didn't think so....
I was thrilled to hear actual libertarian opinions being expressed by Ron Paul on CNN's "conservative" show last night. It isn't often that I hear a candidate speak and not feel like throwing a brick through the screen. I missed most of the interview, so I may have missed some stuff that would have irritated me earlier, but it was still a singular event in the history of national television for me.
I am proud to be part of the wave (a tiny molecule at most) that will eventually drive authoritarians and their institutions into the compost heap of history; remembered only as war criminals or psychotic control freaks. It would be nice if it could happen in my lifetime, but I can dream of the free lives my descendants will have because of the groundwork I have tried to help lay. Me and countless others who were not afraid to point at tyrants and call them "tyrants". It will take all of us, and we can never give up.
Hi Kent, my comment is not really related with your post. We have a huge debate in Spain and among libertarians about abortion.Our government (socialist) is projecting a reform on the Law to permit abortion almost in every case. So, there are some libertarians that claim that abortion is a crime, and other libertarians claiming that mother has the last word as it is her body.
ReplyDeleteI just want to hear (sorry, read) you opinion as a libertarian. As for me, I think that I never will interrupt a pregnancy but... should it be forbidden by law? Hmmm...
Thank you in advance!
Personally I think abortion is a subject custom made to cause arguments. I don't like abortion, but I don't think there is enough real, non-emotional, information to justify laws forbidding it. In any case where there is a question, I would stay away from proposing or endorsing any new law on anything.
ReplyDeleteIf you forbid abortion, how do you make sure to enforce the law? Do you form a new government agency to keep tabs on all women of reproductive age? Do you require monthly pregnancy tests? How can you make sure an ended pregnancy wasn't a miscarriage? How do you pay for all the bureaucracy?
I think the dangers of criminalizing abortion, which has been happening throughout human history and prehistory, are greater than the dangers of leaving it to the individual's conscience.
Thank you, Kent!
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