My position is that the formation of the Libertarian Party did more to destroy freedom in the United States (and therefore, the world) than any event since. The Libertarian Party acts as a magnet for liberty-minded individuals and has allowed both major parties to drift further from liberty, as the potential Ron Pauls of the world move into a world of endless bickering. The two major parties, freed of liberty-minded voices, move faster towards the ultimate goal.
My experience with fellow little-l libertarians is we tend to move towards a discussion of the hardcore and the farbs (I’m hardcore, you farb). Members of the God Squad, Pot Smokers and Gun Nuts all focus on how tyranny is moving quickly against the group they favor and not fast enough against the groups they disfavor. It seems rare that we step back and see it’s the same tyranny, not n seperate ones. A discussion like “I’ll keep the nannies out of your bedroom if you keep the ATFE out of my church” rarely happens as these groups refuse to discuss the hardcore commons. We’re all someone’s farb, and we need to get past that.
I ask that you pick the party you more closely align with and push them towards liberty. Find the 1% you agree on and work on the 99%. By staying on the edge and refusing to participate in a meaningful way (by getting people into office) we’re allowing tyranny to speed along unchecked.
To this end, I’ve taken a step and re-joined the NRA after probably a decade out of the fold. The ultimate check on tyranny is direct action, and that isn’t possible if you’re disarmed. The NRA actively works to destroy gun rights, and I don’t know that I can change that from the outside. I haven’t decided yet which political party to work with.
I realize this must seem like choosing to become mentally ill or deciding that the best way to learn to fly is to jump off the cliff and start flapping your arms. The hour is late and there is work to be done.
