Over at Joe’s, Ubu52 makes a comment about the Libertarian desire for small government
Isn't the smallest form of government a dictatorship? Is that really what Libertarians crave?
The problem here is that, like most people who disdain personal freedom, the concept of ‘small’ is confused with size rather than scope. To a Libertarian or someone like me with a Wookie-suit bent, it doesn’t matter if it’s one person demanding you live your life a particular way or a thousand, it’s the fact that someone thinks they can lead your life for you better than you can.
It all comes down to control. Everyone wants to control everyone else around them, and yes, this means Libertarians as well. However, the rules that Libertarians demand you follow are a much smaller set and mostly revolve around “Leave everyone the fuck alone”.
I’m not an anarchist, rational, capitalist or otherwise. A society that cannot group together to at least agree on the most basic rules is doomed. A society that groups together and builds a set of rules that would tax a supercomputer is also doomed.
I believe, based on the facts that I have seen throughout my life and by reading history, that the fewer of these rules (i.e. the more personal freedom an individual has) the better off the entire society is. Yes, there will be inequality, but I strive for inequality. Inequality is desirable. There’s a name for a battery that has the same charge on both poles – dead. There is nothing wrong with having rich people and poor people when, for the most part, people get that way based on their own choices. The problem with capitalism is and has always been not enough capitalists.
So when I say I want a smaller government, I mean I want a governing body that is focused on ensuring my rights are respected and not concerned with what kind of toilet I buy, the wattage of my light bulbs, if I’m eating the correct foods, donating to the right charities, worshiping the appropriate god, or defending myself in a manner that they deem adequate. Yes, I will make bad decisions, and when I do, I will face the consequences of them. With a government the size we have today, I’m paying for others’ mistakes, and there’s nothing fair, liberal, or moral about that.
Yes, I will make bad decisions, and when I do, I will face the consequences of them. With a government the size we have today, I’m paying for others’ mistakes, and there’s nothing fair, liberal, or moral about that.