Who Is A Libertarian?

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Well there has been some talk on the list of what libertarianism is and what it stands for including an unfounded attack by Jim Choate worthy of Kent Crispin. For your enjoyment and education I shall once again quote from Dean Russell with a piece he wrote in "Ideas on Liberty", May 1955: "Who is a Libertarian?" Those of us who favor individual freedom with personal responsibility have been unable to agree upon a generally acceptable name for ourselves and our philosophy of liberty. This would be relatively unimportant except for the fact that the opposition will call us by some name, even though we might not desire to be identified by any name at all. Since this is so, we might better select a name with some logic instead of permitting the opposition to saddle us with an epithet. Some of us call ourselves "individualists", but others point out that the opposition often uses that word to describe a heartless person who doesn't cars about the problems and aspirations of other people. Some of us call ourselves "conservatives", but that term describe many persons who base their approval of an institution more on its age than on its inherent worth. Many of us call ourselves "liberals". And it is true that the word "liberal" once described persons who respected the individual and feared the use of mass compulsions. But the leftists have now corrupted that once-proud term to identify themselves and their program of more government ownership of property and more controls over persons. As a result, those of us who believe in freedom must explain that when we call ourselves liberals, we mean liberals in the uncorrupted classical sense. At best, this is awkward and subject to misunderstanding. A GOOD AND HONORABLE WORD Here is a suggestion: Let those of us who love liberty trade-mark and reserve for own use the good and honorable word "libertarian". Webster's New International Dictionary defines a libertarian as "one who holds to the doctrine of free will; also, one who upholds the principles of liberty, esp. individual liberty of thought and action." In popular terminology, a libertarian is the opposite of an authoritarian. Strictly speaking, a libertarian is one who rejects the idea of using violence or the threat of violence-legal or illegal-to impose his will or viewpoint upon any peaceful person. Generally speaking, a libertarian is one who wants to be governed far less than he is today. * A libertarian believes that the government should protect all persons equally against external and internal aggression, but should otherwise generally leave people alone to work out their own problems and aspirations. While a libertarian expects the government to render equal protection to all persons against outright fraud and misrepresentation, he doesn't expect the government to protect anyone from the consequences of his own free choices. A libertarian holds that persons who make wise choices are entitled to enjoy the fruits of their wisdom, and that persons who make unwise choices have no right to demand that the government reimburse them for their folly. * A libertarian expects his government to establish, support, and enforce the decisions of impartial courts of justice - courts which do not recognize or refer to a person's race, religion, or economic status. If justice is to be rendered, the decisions of these courts must be as binding upon government officials and their actions as upon other persons and their actions. * A libertarian respects the right of every person to use and enjoy his honestly acquired property - to trade it, to sell it, or even to give it away - for he knows that human liberty cannot long endure when that fundamental right is rejected or even seriously impaired. * A libertarian believes that the daily need of the people can best be satisfied through the voluntary processes of a free and competitive market. And he holds the strong belief that free persons, using their own honestly acquired money, are in the best possible possible position to understand and aid their fellow men who are in need of help. * A libertarian favors a strictly limited form of government with many checks and balances -and divisions of authority- to foil the abuses of the fearful power of government. And generally speaking, he is one who sees less, rather than more, need to govern the actions of others. * A libertarian has much faith in himself and other free persons to find maximum happiness and prosperity in a society wherein no person has the authority to force any other peaceful person to conform to his viewpoints or desires in any manner. His way of life is based on respect for himself and for all others. * A libertarian doesn't advocate violent rebellion against prevailing governments - except as a last resort before the concentration camps. But when a libertarian sees harm rather than good in certain acts of government, he is obligated to try his best to explain to others who advocate those measures why such compulsory means cannot bring the ends which even they desire. * The libertarian's goal is friendship and pease with his neighbors at home and abroad. - -- - --------------------------------------------------------------- William H. Geiger III http://www.amaranth.com/~whgiii Geiger Consulting Cooking With Warp 4.0 Author of E-Secure - PGP Front End for MR/2 Ice PGP & MR/2 the only way for secure e-mail. OS/2 PGP 2.6.3a at: http://www.amaranth.com/~whgiii/pgpmr2.html - --------------------------------------------------------------- -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.3a Charset: cp850 Comment: Registered_User_E-Secure_v1.1b1_ES000000 iQCVAwUBNBtn2I9Co1n+aLhhAQG6kQP/WlP/Nd7iDeRe4XVd5FYhUP3IKXpFkl6S 0z8aKSkdfuUVrr5cLEiK33EZ7PeemG1xOlNuchZrjBuLeFAhwwgHaJOaIK4L4WSQ T0evXKHd+lMU57VjgZhhOeR/gBG0evTTwhvSsaUgT0yRj/ImKm+dLuJB6KqArA3b bs7XFBjbPcQ= =Qlhm -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----