It was I not so long ago who bailed out of a political campaign because it wasn’t sticking to libertarian principle. Well that’s how I dressed it up as but the truth is I bailed out of that specific campaign simply because that campaign was not going to take a public pro legalize marijuana stance. Whatever I might say in this particular rant I’m pro legalizing marijuana, in fact I’m still pro legalizing prostitution & pro liberalizing the gun & gambling laws. But you don’t have to be a libertarian or anarchist to advocate all that.
I’m accused of being inconsistent & I guess for this rant would be no different as I’m attacking libertarianism something I’ve long associated myself with. To be honest I’ve actually had a long love & hate relationship with libertarianism. I’ve described myself as a free market liberal, a classical liberal, somebody who has wanted to use any term other then libertarian to describe that they believe in greater individual freedom. This is because I’ve dreaded associating myself with the extremes of libertarians, because if I don’t fit in with people’s concept of libertarianism then I get a ton of grief, because maybe I’m not deep down a libertarian.
On the issues I probably do agree with libertarians to some extent or other but I’m not one who’s for automatic hatred of government not matter what, to me its irrational & bigoted. Oh yeah bigoted is the right correct term because with your average bigot no matter what evidence you show them that homosexuals & blacks aren’t bad people they’ll carry on hating. Its just the same with many a libertarian no matter what evidence they’re shown government can do good they’ll never agree & carry on hating.
At this point many a libertarian will disown me & maybe will want to do worse to me just for saying government can do good. It’s been pointed out to me by folk who aren’t the most hardcore socialists that in Britain that government has pretty much ensured that no individual should go without food & shelter. Sure government isn’t perfect when it comes to implementation but at least government recognizes that food & shelter as a human right. Libertarians don’t consider food & shelter a right yet they believe in the right to life, well in my mind you can’t have the right to life unless you have the means to live life. Oh no Ziggy has crossed the threshold into positive liberty & become a hardcore socialist. Worth noting the man who coined the terms positive & negative liberty & warned of the use of positive liberty Isaiah Berlin himself was a social-liberal.
I know libertarian who’d say that Nick Clegg’s speech yesterday to conference was totally socialistic, which kind makes me laugh & suggest a libertarian should ask an actual socialist in Britain what they think about the Liberal Democrats. I actually know libertarians who think that the expectation to care for their fellow man is socialistic. But most libertarians I know remind me of Kevin The Teenager. Yeah stroppy teenagers an apt description because on the whole libertarians do seem to be stamping their feet & having a tantrum because they can’t always get their own way. I remember having to deal with Zyra’s whole ‘why do I have to pay tax’ whinge. I never told him that maybe because instead of taking insulin for his diabetes he makes himself life threatening ill. Oh & why is that wouldn’t be because he’s schizophrenic & therefore in need of assistance if only he appreciated that. Yeah I’m grateful people do pay taxes to fund help for those who are sick & vulnerable. I’m sorry if you don’t think you should care in some way about your fellow man then you’re a fucking sociopath.
Sociopathic, stroppy are they apt descriptions to describe libertarians, well not all libertarians but good percentage I’ve encountered. Another apt description would be dogmatic & when I’ve banged on libertarian philosophy it’s been fair accusation of me. Problem is if you attempt to deviate from libertarian philosophy then you’ll get whole load of crap from libertarians you’re not libertarian, which would be correct I’m nor I’m a born again social liberal & proud of it. However is it not an irony that libertarians who by nature are total individualists yet so dogmatic about it.
I’d still say I’m an individualist to a good extent for instance if you have a group of people & there’s one individual who happens to passively not conform as in having dyed pink hair etc, I don’t believe that the group have the right to beat up upon them to conform. But how to ensure mob rule, tyranny of the majority etc, well having thought about that dilemma the only way to ensure mob rule or the tyranny of the majority is by the means of governance.
Worth remembering my hero JS Mill though argued in favour individual rights & against the tyranny of the majority. But its also argued that Mill argued in favour of state invention in one’s life if required. Its kind pretty much that which I’d argue government should stay out one’s personal liberty, but government should be there to ensure opportunity, fairness & equality. Too most libertarians what I’m saying right now is socialistic puke but libertarians misunderstand liberals. Liberals aren’t trying to restrain people from succeeding like socialists they’re trying create an environment so that individuals have the opportunity to succeed. Plus libertarians need to realise their their not the ones who have exclusive rights to the concept of liberty, others have a different perception of liberty. Somebody once said a libertarian views a man down a well as still able to have free move just they need make more effort, a liberal thinks that’s ridiculous & gives the man a helping hand.
Typically libertarian would legalize all guns & that’s it where as a liberal in favour of liberalizing gun ownership will probably think its best to have some form of regulation. Liberals are prepared to use the system or adapt the system to achieve their aims but many a libertarian just want to destroy the system & nothing short is a sell out. How many times have I heard a libertarian say to me why Ziggy don’t you have the imagination to see a world without government? Well firstly because I don’t want one, because secondly I believe government can do good & thirdly what does imagination have anything to it George Lucas has imagination but it doesn’t mean Star Wars is reality. Yeah libertarians utopian daydreamers who if you don’t agree with their vision then you’re a statist, a fascist or mentally ill. Recently on a libertarian discussion forum I saw a libertarian asked…
How Feel About Those Who Disagree With You?
1) Adolf Hitler.
2) Adolf Hitler.
3) Adolf Hitler.
That kind of says it all.
I was never really a libertarian as my website illustrates as libertarians don’t generally campaign for betterment of environmentalism nor champion labor rights. I always tried to portray myself as a moderate libertarian but needless to say even as a moderate I was a fundamentalist. I’ve said that isn’t it an irony that such an individualistic philosophy is so dogmatic & that dogma breeds fundamentalism & extremism. I wonder if many a libertarian doesn’t have some form of autism being as they don’t seem to understand that not everybody is a libertarian. Plus I wonder if they realize that there’s more to the world then solely an individual’s own interest, take climate change for instance. Yeah climate change something which libertarians will probably bulk out for being a conspiracy & why is that? Its not because it’s a conspiracy its because it means individuals will need to be making sacrifices to save the environment because if we don’t then we’ll have no fit environment to enjoy any kind of liberty in.
I was a libertarian fundamentalist & wasn’t listening to either sense or truth. But its not I’m rejecting libertarians just ceasing to masquerade around as a libertarian. One of the truisms people kept pointing out to me was that being as I’m disabled & considering other problems I’ve suffered in my life if were not for the welfare state then I’d be dead. Yeah I can’t deny that in fact the government does a fairly good job here in Britain in helping disabled people & well it’s not perfect as nothing ever is but its better then nothing or no garneted assistance.
I’ll admit I’ve said F**K LIBERTARIANISM one before only too go back on the sentiment but this time I really am rejecting libertarianism & waving goodbye too many a libertarians, embracing social-liberalism & liberals.
Ziggy
http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/LiberalFAQ.htmhttp://world.std.com/~mhuben/faq.html