How has Individualism gone astray in America in 2020
And how can we bring it back on track?
“You wouldn’t abandon a ship in a storm because you couldn’t control the winds.”
Sir Thomas Moore
Everywhere I turn lately I either see the mantra of:
“I have the right to do what I want and you can’t make me do anything against my will.”
And Conversely
“The government needs to come in and force these people to do (what I deem) is the right thing.”
As a Libertarian, both these statements disturb me highly, though I understand where both sides are coming from. To say 2020 has been tumultuous would be an understatement. Adding fuel to the simmering cauldron is the amount of misinformation available through the media. The emotions are a maelstrom:
- Confusion
- Anger
- Fear
- Frustration
- Despair
- Hopelessness
On this eve of our nation’s conception, I decided to put together this short blog on my take on Individual Liberty, and what it means to me. Here is a link on the history of Libertarianism for those who are interested:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/libertarianism-politics/Historical-origins
“Laws could be passed to keep a leader of a government from getting too much power.”
Sir Thomas Moore
Libertarians Believe in Anarchy, Right?
No, not as a whole. Libertarians just believe in limited government. The core belief of Libertarianism is that the individual best knows how to govern themselves.***
The government’s role should be to protect the rights of citizens, and should only enable them to act when rights are infringed upon. The laws should restrain the government more than the people.
***Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my moments lately, shaking my head as I look around at what is going on and thinking that if this is the best our society can do, we’re screwed
So That Means I Can Do Whatever I Want?
Nope, not so fast
“…Individuals should be free to behave and to dispose of their property as they see fit, provided that their actions do not infringe on the equal freedom of others.”
Their identity of community centers around consent, rather than coercion. We can make laws to protect rights, but we cannot legislate human behavior.
“The fact that the majority wants something good does not give them the right to use force on the minority that don’t want to pay for it. If you have to use a gun, it’s really not a very good idea. Democracy without respect for individual rights sucks. It’s just ganging up on the weird kid, and I’m always the weird kid.”
Penn Jillette
Winds of Change
I hear so many people crying that they are ashamed of America and they want to leave, but what I see gives me hope, despite the violence and disorder that other countries mock us for while they ignore their own problems.
Change takes time, and is often painful. People inherently resist change, even if what they have at the moment isn’t so great. If you don’t believe me, just google search, “Why do people resist change.” I’ve even included an article below.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-truisms-wellness/201701/why-we-resist-change
But what gives me hope is that people are talking and acting, rather than just sitting by passively letting things fester and spread like a cancer between the surface. And I hate to break it to you, it is probably going to get even uglier before it gets better. But if we are to survive as a country, we have to change.
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.’
-Barack Obama
Thanks for reading, these are my own personal thoughts on Individual Liberty. I hope it gave you some food for thought, or maybe I just stirred up the internet Trolls a little.
Take care and have a safe and happy Independence Day Weekend. My self-published Alaska horror novella is available on Amazon. Subscribe to my newsletter to get sneak peeks and updates.
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