Friday, July 09, 2010

Offering libertarian solutions

Offering libertarian solutions


Libertarians are often accused of "whining about government instead of offering solutions". That's just silly. I offer solutions all the time. If statists refuse to hear me, or if they ridicule the solutions I offer, I have still offered solutions.

As they say about leading horses to water; the same applies to people. There is no problem that can't be solved by a liberty-respecting solution. The libertarian solution is usually more immediate than the coercively imposed "solutions" the State prefers, and is cheaper or even free. But, obviously the solution is different. So different that apparently many people tune it out. The real solution means looking at things from a different perspective. Not what's expedient, but what's right.

So the statists refuse to hear and continue to accuse you of never offering solutions. Makes me want to say something about getting the car key out of their ear and listening for a while. Just because they don't want to implement the solutions doesn't mean they aren't real, operational, solutions.

Exposing the problems caused by government, the practice statists call "whining", is also part of the solution. Until you understand that the current path is the source of most of the problems it is hard to choose another path. Until you understand that "this doesn't ever work", and realize that doing even more of the same will not work either, it is difficult to abandon the failed method and try something totally different.

Therefore, I try to expose the fact that the status quo is causing the problems and then offer a way out, in language that most people can understand, without relying on references that would only be understood by the "in-group. Even in my little town full of "religious conservatives" it seems to be making a dent.
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I see a new report claims that "illegal immigrants" cost Americans $113 billion per year. Yet, reading the article I notice that it isn't the immigrants costing Americans, it is the US government's socialist programs that are costing us. If the theft ended today, the cost would go away. Problem solved.
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An Albuquerque city councilor wants to take away a homeowners association's authority to enforce rules that require a homeowner to have some type of "lawn" in their front yard.
Personally, I despise "homeowners associations" and "lawns". However, as long as you joined voluntarily and any new rules are only enacted by unanimous consent, it is no one else's business what the rules are. Not even to reduce water usage in the desert. As I have pointed out before, if water is being wasted, it means it is priced below its actual free-market value, and the ABQ water monopoly needs to die. Problem solved.