Small “L” Libertarianism for People that are not Libertarians

Libertarianism tends to suffer from a mix of being misunderstood and mislabeled, even though some of the biggest moves for individual liberty in recent years were born within the party before being adopted by the big two.

No, a Libertarian is not a pot-smoking Republican. No, a Libertarian is not a gun-loving Democrat. To even begin to grasp what it is, one must step completely away from the old two-party models. Instead of the traditional left/right spectrum, with moderates falling in the middle, Libertarianism views issues through the lens of statism versus liberty or force versus voluntarism.

Statism is the reliance on the state’s monopoly of force at any level to drive others into behaving as you think they should. Both major parties are considered statist and with authoritarian tendencies, while Libertarianism seeks to find the most liberty-based solutions to the world’s problems. It actively takes the side of liberty on every issue, a consistency rarely seen in any other political ideology.

The role of the individual

Libertarianism, at its core, is a defense of the smallest minority, the individual. This includes their right to do just about anything they would like to do to, as long as it does not impede on the rights of others. It does not concern itself with the details of people’s lives, so long as no one else is harmed by their actions.

This is expressed across all policies, from wanting to reduce regulations and business licensing requirements, to wanting the state out of marriage entirely; from legalizing sex work for consenting adults to decriminalizing drug use to help people seek treatment.  

Libertarianism is a philosophy of consent in all things, which means individuals only enter business deals, contracts, relationships and the like when all parties agree to do so. This strengthens every individual and ensures their concerns are addressed from the beginning.

Libertarian philosophy of personal responsibility

This philosophy is not merely a love of rugged individualism. The other side of freedom is personal responsibility for one’s actions. This includes assisting your friends, family, local community and causes you care about. This is often expressed in voluntarism, which is the belief that people can and will help each other when given the chance (and when government gets out of the way).

Think of private food drives, a neighbor helping another neighbor with chores they are unable to complete on their own, or old-fashioned, mutual-aid societies. They work without help from the government, sometimes without its permission. We have all seen the story of churches or restaurants shut down for trying to feed the homeless. If not, see You Can Be Fined for Feeding the Homeless Outdoors in Atlanta, Malibu Church Told They Must Stop Feeding the Homeless, or Church Fined for Housing Homeless. Many continue to assist their communities even at risk of litigation and fines.

Basic principles

The driving principle most Libertarians accept as a basic guideline is the Non-Aggression Principle, or NAP. This principle states that an individual may not initiate force or aggression on someone except in the case of self-defense; in which case appropriate and proportional force may be engaged. Though most people think of this in the case of personal self-defense – i.e. a burglar breaking into your home and threatening violence – the NAP also applies to government, both local and federal.

It even extends to violations of contracts, fraud, and other breaches of personal and property rights. Many Libertarians believe that taxes being levied, which they never consented to, and which are used to fund foreign wars or pervasive government overreach, are a violation of the NAP as well. (Thus “Taxation is Theft” was born.)

Old-fashioned federalism

If ever put in charge, Libertarians would be proponents of old-fashioned federalism. Power of the federal government would be minimized and returned to local (and more accountable) political offices – governors, state senators, county commissioners, mayors, DAs and the like.

Unlike the big two parties, Libertarians would happily leave people alone, letting them run their local communities as they saw fit. If Vermont wants to become more socialist, let them! If Montana wants to eliminate all taxation and run as a purely voluntary state in all functions, let them! It is how progress is made and respects the freedoms and knowledge of the local populace over some far-removed bureaucrats.

Overall, Libertarianism is about liberty for everyone. The liberty to live as you see fit, the liberty to fail, the liberty to make mistakes or create success. That is true freedom.

Jessica Peterson has lived in the Colorado Springs area for over 22 years. She spent several years working as a 911 dispatcher and holds an MA in Psychology. She shares her home with 2 kids, 3 horses and 2 dogs. Her hobbies include being an avid reader, equestrian activities, drawing, cooking, being outdoors, second amendment fun, and cosplay. She is a novice prepper and an advanced zombie nerd. A registered Libertarian, she has possessed a passion for politics and liberty her entire life and is excited to be joining The Maverick Observer team.

The Maverick Observer, or “The Moe” as we affectionately call it, is an online free-thinking publication interested in the happenings in our town. We launched in February 2020 to hold our politicians and businesses accountable. We hope to educate, inform, entertain, and infuse you with a sense of community.