Libertarians care for freedom. That's one thing where I and libertarians will find agreement: I want to be free as well, as does almost everyone. The problem is that these libertarians often behave in a way that's counterproductive to their stated goal of more freedom, a smaller government and less regulation.
Image by Democracy Chronicles - source: Flickr
In fact, when I look at and talk to people who hold the libertarian view on personal freedom and personal responsibility, they often come across as obstinate jerks who refuse to own the personal responsibility they claim is the foundation of personal freedom. And when they then call for smaller government or deregulation, they seem to have forgotten that government imposes regulation for them specifically, for all who refuse to take personal responsibility and do the right or righteous thing of their own accord. Let's look at some examples.
Joe Rogan educates Dave Rubin about the importance of Building Codes and Regulations
Building codes are government imposed regulations to force builders to build responsibly. Almost all these codes or rules are in place to guarantee the safety of the future inhabitants of the buildings. I've linked above a small part of a conversation between Joe Rogan and Dave Rubin; the former defending the regulations and the latter arguing for the typical libertarian opinion that the market and competition will incentivize builders to make the best buildings they can, and that government regulation isn't necessary. Listen to them and then ask yourself this question: would you feel safe letting your children sleep in a house built in a libertarian dreamworld? You see, without regulation it becomes the builder's own responsibility to comply with whatever guidelines necessary to make the house safe. But on the other hand this builder has a personal responsibility to maximize his own freedom by making as big a profit as possible. Without regulation there's a good chance that the latter consideration will supersede the former, resulting in a house that's constructed by someone who cut as much corners as possible to maximize his profits.
During the pandemic we've seen countless examples of how libertarians refuse to take personal responsibility. Their ultra-narrow focus on their personal freedom seems to completely erase the notion of the personal responsibility that precedes that freedom. The theory is that if we all act in a personally responsible way, we will have less need for government regulations; the personal responsibility comes first. But what do we see? We see the exact opposite. The government asks them to wear a mask, but they refuse. "You can't make me," they shout in unison, "I'm a free citizen!" Well, I'm sorry, but you aren't. You're clearly not fit to be free because you refuse to take the personal responsibility that makes people free. Your line, as a freedom loving libertarian, should be: "You don't have to make me wear a mask, because I'm already wearing one!" That's the example illustrated in the below linked video.
Keep in mind that the builders' wish to maximize profits is also no more than a wish to maximize personal freedom. It seems that modern libertarians have their priorities reversed, and much of it has to do with the capitalist system they believe is the best thing since sliced bread. I'll close by reminding you all that libertarianism originated in left wing circles as Anarcho-communism and libertarian Marxism. Communism, my friends, is the ideal of a classless, stateless and moneyless society. Freedom can only exist in a world where we have political as well as economical democracy. And who knows, maybe communism in its purest form can't be attained by imperfect creatures as ourself. Perfect democracy is also unattainable. But that doesn't absolve us from the duty to make it as perfect as possible. As long as we move in the right direction, we'll do just fine. Libertarian ideology in its current state moves us in the opposite direction and will only increase the need for more government oversight. We've only just seen the freedom loving Trumpists attempt a coupe to end democracy; these people, many of whom self-identify as libertarian, would be perfectly happy with a dictator of their own choosing...
Let's talk about personal responsibility in today's world....
Thanks so much for visiting my blog and reading my posts dear reader, I appreciate that a lot :-) If you like my content, please consider leaving a comment, upvote or resteem. I'll be back here tomorrow and sincerely hope you'll join me. Until then, stay safe, stay healthy!
Recent articles you might be interested in:
| Latest article >>>>>>>>>>> | Class Consciousness |
|---|---|
| Color-Ignorance | Tweedism |
| Apocalypse Insurance | Artificial Polemic |
| Did It Again | Ben, Zionism & Jerry's |
Thanks for stopping by and reading. If you really liked this content, if you disagree (or if you do agree), please leave a comment. Of course, upvotes, follows, resteems are all greatly appreciated, but nothing brings me and you more growth than sharing our ideas.