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I recently wrote an article discussing how the libertarian philosophy has been attacked repeatedly on this and many other sites by many different groups of people. The article was not published for one reason: I claim Bob Barr to be less radical and more mainstream than Ron Paul. The administrator informed me that I misrepresented the Libertarian Party by this statement. It is disappointing to see educated (apparently, who knows) people mistake "libertarian" with Libertarian. One is a philosophy and the other is a party trying to obtain political power. There is a huge difference. I mean what I said and I said what I mean. And I am not wrong.
I try not to push my ideas onto anyone, but explain why libertarians feel the way they do. I encourage cooperation with progressives to achieve mutual goals. But someone did not like this very much.
Judge for yourself. Here is the article in full:
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The Libertarian Scare
Democrats and Republicans, Progressives and Neoconservatives, Socialists and Statists. All have been growing increasingly concerned over the popularity of the libertarian philosophy.
Although increasing in numbers due to Ron Paul's success, libertarians are still only a small percentage of the population. The Libertarian Party candidate, Bob Barr, will not win the general election. He is more mainstream and less radical than Ron Paul, which could gain him a significant amount of votes, but he will not inspire a great many people to action like Ron Paul did for this very same reason.
So who will be voting for Bob Barr? He recently stated that he does not believe he will be taking anyone away from the McCain camp. McCain has the Neoconservative vote locked up, especially with Clinton out of the race. Will disillusioned Democrats decide to turn their backs on Obama and vote for the man who led the impeachment of their last president? Probably not too many. Barr will likely be getting votes from LP regulars, conservative Republicans, Independents, and those who do not usually affiliate with political parties.
If libertarians are not going to be taking over the country any time soon and will not play a significant part in this upcoming election, why are so many people worried?
I believe it is because the libertarian philosophy is attractive. The philosophy transcends party politics. With a country facing imminent collapse, such a radical idea becomes an intriguing option. Have not both parties been responsible for bringing us to the brink of destruction? Why should government increase in size and scope every year? Why must our civil liberties be destroyed? Why not obey the Constitution? Cannot change be affected at the local level most effectively? Does the United States really need to police the world? Would people not be more prosperous if their labor was not taxed by the federal government to pay for boondoggles? Why is our money backed by nothing? Why does the Federal Reserve debase our currency?
These are hard questions to answer. This had led many people to put their faith in themselves, friends, families, free markets, God, and their fellow man. Often misunderstood, libertarians are not simply greedy or lacking compassion. They see the problems that arise from unrestrained government in collusion with big business and honestly consider their philosophy as being the most efficient and intelligent way for restore peace and prosperity for all.
Libertarians understand that the state has made many obligations to its citizens. The only way these obligations could actually be met would be by dramatically decreasing spending, withdrawing troops from around the world, and by living within our means. Eventually it would be great to see these programs phased out as people can best be cared for at the community level, but this is not an immediate goal or a pressing concern. Do not be mistaken by propaganda and lies, libertarians do not want to put people out on the streets.
Let us not fear each other. I suggest we all try to put aside our differences, learn from one another, and cooperate to achieve our similar goals. We want to see Neoconservatives (Democrat and Republican alike) thrown out of power, our country returned to prosperity, and our international reputation restored.
By working together, we can return our country to greatness.
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How dare I represent the Libertarian Party in such a way! Well, to be frank, the Libertarian Party is misrepresenting libertarians. Although I find Bob Barr more agreeable than McCain and Obama, I just do not believe in him. He is not a reluctant candidate like Ron Paul, but rather an opportunist riding his coat-tails.
Word of advice to OpEdNews. Stop alienating your writers. It will eventually come back to haunt you.
