There is a discussion that libertarians need to have with each other; it is a long discussion over many different things, but all of them revolve around one key philosophy, “Give me liberty or give me death.” We all know our history, we know Patrick Henry, John Locke, Washington, Adams, Jefferson etc., hell most of us should know the old myth of the three percenters, the small population of the colonies willing to combat the British Empire for the freedom given to us upon birth.
Today, we seem to be the modern-day followers of that group that says “I may not agree with what it is you have to say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it.”
In this day of political extremes, we are at a crossroads. How do we follow this old saying – and the values that our nation is based upon – when the two big political parties are so involved in suppressing our civil liberties and human rights?
We have Antifa to the left, which is participating in fascist tactics (which breaches the NAP at its very core); and communism, which holds the objective of creating the super state and the abolition of property rights.
On the right we have people who are actively invested in the corruption of capitalism and the breaching of the separation of church and State. Though they may not be at the same extreme point as the left, we still need to be wary of them reaching this state.
The cover photo represents the idiocy that is Marxism; “commies” protesting capitalism by enjoying the benefits of capitalism.
From their clothes, to the food they’re eating, to their ability to just sit there without having someone else come up to them and take the food, while stating they need it more.
As we all know, in the 20th century alone, over 100 million people were murdered under the banner of communism. Yet, people go around with “Che” shirts, communist flags, and banners of Mao, Stalin, and Lenin without any social or cultural consequences.
Let’s do a comparison shall we.  The Nazis exterminated 6 million Jews in the most horrendous ways possible, and as a society we rightfully make sure everyone grows up knowing their evils so that no one follows in their footsteps; yet we have allowed the positive view of an even more corrupt and evil ideology to not only grow, but flourish. It’s an ideology with over 100 million deaths under its belt, all because modern day communists claim that it wasn’t their blind idealistic utopian (more like dystopian) version?
With groups like Antifa, who use violence to silence and threaten others, is it still acceptable for us to sit idly by with our signs, shirts, and bullhorns? Or is it time that we act on those words and defend the people being attacked, even if we don’t agree with them.
Is it not time that we choose to go on the offensive and end the spread, and positive view, of Marxism – an ideology that at its core violates everything libertarianism stands for?
If we aren’t willing to combat Marxism in the education system, the sciences (e.g. Marxist archaeology), and in the streets, then how can we truly call ourselves defenders of liberty?
Not only is this something that needs be discussed in the open, nonstop; but it is something that needs to be acted upon soon.
Modern day “liberals” have bastardized everything classical liberalism stood for. They claim to be for the individual, yet they are willing to suppress the rights of individuals who think and act differently than them. They claim moral and cultural superiority over others, and when they’re called out on it, they double down on everything.
The right associates us with them because they have taken our core principles and morphed them into this plague, while the left associates us with the right because we are willing to call them out on their betrayal of the individual.
We still try to stand by that old quote, to defend others even though we disagree. We recognize that we have the unalienable right to defend ourselves, and that it is the individual who should have control over the individual.
We must recognize that what we have done so far with our “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” logic, is we have helped create these extremes and we need to understand that we can’t keep voting for our lesser enemy to prevent our bigger enemy from gaining power (whether it be voting for Hillary to prevent Trump or voting Trump to prevent Hillary).
We have to go on the offensive.
Vote No on any and all things that go against our core principles; don’t vote in one of the two parties to prevent the other. We need to promote the moderates and individuals no matter the cost.
We must even defend our enemies who are also trying to defend our God-given rights (E.g. UC Berkeley), and at the same time, call out those same enemies who would go after others.
If we are unable to go on the offensive against these extremes then how can we call ourselves defenders of liberty?
* Jarod Goodwin is an archaeology student in his mid-twenties. He’s worked in the grassroots movement for the election of Jim Webb in 2016, and in educating foreigners around the world to the pros and cons of things like Brexit, the Dutch election, French election, Canadian, Swedish, and Brazilian politics.
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