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98 lines
3.0 KiB
Plaintext
98 lines
3.0 KiB
Plaintext
Libertarianism In One Lesson
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A forceful one-page essay describing
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the essence of the Libertarian idea
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and how it can lead to a world of
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abundance & harmony.
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By David Bergland
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LIBERTARIANISM IN ONE LESSON
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========================================
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This is a simple summary of what
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"Libertarianism" is. It was originally
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written by David Bergland, the 1984
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Libertarian Party (LP) presidential
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candidate, for distribution during his
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campaign.
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LIBERTARIANISM IN ONE LESSON
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by David Bergland
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Perhaps the most common question
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put to Libertarian Party (LP) candidates
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is: "What is Libertarianism?" Or,
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"What does the LP stand for?"
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First, let's avoid some common
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errors and confusion by stating what
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libertarianism is not. It is NOT a
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combination of left and right positions.
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It does not fit on the traditional
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political spectrum. That spectrum does
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not admit the idea that all people have
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the right to control their own lives, in
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all respects, and the obligation to take
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responsibility for themselves and their
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own actions. Liberals and conservatives
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agree that the rest of us are evil or
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incompetent or both and must therefore
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be controlled by government. They
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differ only on which aspects of our
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lives should be controlled most.
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By contrast, Libertarians hold that
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each person has the absolute right of
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self-ownership over his or her life,
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body, speech, action and honestly
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acquired property. Each has the
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obligation to respect those same rights
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in mutual respect for each other's right
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of self-ownership. Anything that is
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peaceful, voluntary and honest violates
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no rights and thus is not a proper
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subject for governmental intervention.
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Law enforcement's only proper
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function is to assist us in defending
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our rights. The only proper laws are
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those which penalize such conduct as
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murder, rape, kidnaping, robbery,
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burglary, arson, trespass, pollution and
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fraud. On an international scale, the
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U.S. armed forces should be confined to
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providing security against foreign
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attack on American shores. They should
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not be used in foreign wars.
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Libertarianism is the philosophy of
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the Declaration of Independence and the
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American Revolution. Most people, most
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of the time, deal with each other on the
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libertarian basis of mutual respect.
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Two groups don't: criminals and
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government. Libertarians challenge the
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notion that government can legitimately
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coerce the rest of us through taxation,
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regulation, conscription and criminal
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penalties imposed upon peaceful,
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voluntary conduct. We demand that laws
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be limited to their proper functions and
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that government personnel be held to the
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same standard of respect for our rights
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that the rest of us follow.
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The Libertarian Party is for all
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people who do not want to be controlled
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and who do not want to control others.
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On all issues we will support increased
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personal liberty and reduced government
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control. We know that a free society is
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possible and that it is practical. We
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are committed to work for as long as it
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may take to achieve it.
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2nd. ed., 2/10/84
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