Libertarianism: the hipster’s political cousin

Libertarianism seems to be experiencing a Renaissance at this campus, but not necessarily one it deserves.

Unlike being a Democrat or a Republican, Libertarianism is based about specific principles.

Libertarians believe that government should exist only to guard against force and fraud and provide for the national defense in a very restricted sense.

They oppose any law or program that could possibly infringe on the rights of an individual.

That may sound appealing until you realize what it would eliminate.

Things like government subsidized student loans, public education, social security, drug laws, Medicaid and Medicare, food stamps, gun control and most market regulation – none of them would exist in a Libertarian state.

When I meet someone who claims to be a Libertarian, I would expect him or her to at least have a basic understanding of these ideals.

But more often than not when I ask someone why they are a Libertarian, their reply is more a discussion of how much they hate the established political parties and their candidates than a conversation about the merits of Libertarianism itself.

I really like grapes, but if I were to tell someone that the reason I like grapes so much is that I really hate apples and oranges, they would think I was crazy.

But when it comes to politics, for some reason we readily accept that same flawed logic as a legitimate reason for being a Libertarian.

I’m certainly one to always encourage political activity, but I have a problem with this.
So much of what these people are upset about in established party politics in this country is that people who participate in party politics do so blindly, without really taking the time to inform themselves about their party and the issues.

So, as a remedy for that, these neo-Libertarians have gone and blindly subscribed to another political party without taking the time to inform themselves about that party or the issues.

It’s not a remedy at all. It’s another form of the problem.

To rail against the established system of ignorance by making yourself a marginally disenfranchised part of that ignorance is not the behavior of a political ideologue. It’s the mindset of a hipster.

Frustration with the party system of American politics is a great reason to be an independent.

But it shouldn’t be a reason to vote Libertarian.

­— drlreed@indiana.edu