Being Libertarian

What does it mean to be a Libertarian?

It means many things to different people, and indeed I do not think I can explain what it means without explaining my understanding of the Libertarian world view.

The world of politics is like a circus show. The ring masters are putting on an excellent show, but doing it desperately for they must keep the audience riveted to their performance lest the audience take a moment to look down and realize that while they were not paying attention someone has shackled them at the ankles to their seats such that they are not willing participants, but slaves in the circus of the absurd.

But like ringmasters the slavers are absurd for they have left the chains unlocked. All the more reason to keep the audience from looking down, for any sane person would object to being shackled, even if they happen to like the show and the popcorn and peanuts happen to be free (to them). The old parties are completely invested in keeping the show going, for so long as people are chained they shall continue to serve the ringmasters, and do it for peanuts.

But not everyone continued to look at the circus. Some looked down and saw their chains and saw they were unlocked, and thus self inflicted if they should stay in them, and then did the unthinkable, they let themselves free.

Those around them, unaccustomed to seeing people be free, reacted in every way one does when they see things upsetting to them. Some with horror, some with disgust, some with uncomprehending eyes and others, a very few, joined them.

This then, becomes our burden. For while it is possible for someone to find the key to freedom attempt to keep it to himself, it is not common. A mans soul naturally wants to share his good fortune, and finding the path to freedom and justice compels us to attempt to assist those left behind in the circus of the absurd.

As Libertarians we are ethically challenged to help free our fellow men from the bondage they find themselves in. Because of this standard we must be exceptionally aware of our philosophy, exceptionally aware of the facts of current events, and tirelessly eager to share them both.

We must learn our philosophy in great detail. Our philosophy is a finely crafted machine that works as a whole to remove the chains of bondage from the lives of men. It is powerful, intricate, robust and yet accessible to anyone who wishes to know how it works. It gives the operator the power to free the enslaved, but like any mighty machine it must be operated with care lest it be ineffective. Unlike other philosophies, ours is incapable of causing harm. But the machine itself still requires human application to be of use. And for this cause we operators are morally bound to constantly renew and improve our understanding of the mighty machine which has been entrusted to us.

We must be aware of the constantly changing political reality that is regurgitated before us in the daily news called the circus of the absurd. These things are the raw materials we feed into our liberty machine to help the audience see the show for what it is, a spectacle devised to distract you from the frauds being committed in their names. Our liberty machine takes these moments and shows them for the ugly realities that they are, and by doing so allows the people a chance moment to look down, see their shackles and decide to remove them. The liberty machine offers freedom, but the does not impose it.

Thus we are morally driven to apply our machine to all who will allow us, and this compels us to activism. For we cannot know who wishes to be free if we do not get out there and ask! Only by invading the territory of the old parties and asking everyone we meet, "Would you like to be free?" can we find those who have seen that they are chained down and wish to get up, and then we can help them up and introduce them to the liberty machine and start the process anew, but with an ally this time.