Think You're a Liberal? Not So Fast. You Might Be a Libertarian!

I have noticed that people will often say they are Republicans or conservative Democrats, but that they are liberal in some areas. Fair enough. But when you ask them what they mean by "liberal," you often see that they are not that at all.

Liberal in today's political parlance comes very close to what it meant in the 1500s when it was used as a political term by Nicolo Machiavelli. To him, "liberal" meant first and foremost that you doled out a lot of the public treasury to a lot of the people. The leader did that to look generous and to gain the support of the multitudes. Of course, Machiavelli warned that you have to tax others to get that money and you risk alienating them from your system.

When I ask self-identified "liberal Republicans" what they mean, they usually respond with similar issues. They generally want to legalize some drugs, some are uncomfortable over outlawing abortion, and most have no problem with gay marriage. This does not necessarily mean that you are liberal, but probably libertarian.

Libertarians believe in maximum freedom of choice for each individual. They adhere most closely to the Jeffersonian maxim "the government that governs best, governs least." Here is how you can tell if you are a libertarian instead of a liberal.

Drugs:

Libertarians want to legalize drugs, at least the ones that grow out of the ground and need no manufacturing. They believe that the drugs should be used or sold with a minimum of government interference. One of their arguments is that marijuana sales would boost the legitimate economy of states like West Virginia.

Liberals believe that if drugs are legalized, they ought to be taxed to the point that the producers receive little or no profit. They pretty much feel the same about pharmaceuticals.

Gay Marriage:

Libertarians tend to want to government to get away from marriage period. Many want marriage to be a sacrament or social institution separated from government control, authority, and definition. Civil unions for all couples make more sense.

Many liberals would love to see controls exerted to force clerics to perform marriages that go against their belief system.

Polygamy:

A libertarian says if they are consenting aduts, leave them alone. Why should the government dictate to anyone what their living arrangements are? As long as they are not committing fraud or expecting extra welfare benefits because of their arrangement, who cares?

A liberal wants to outlaw polygamy if their is a Mormon basis for it and they call it "marriage." They have no problem with it if it is a group of people in San Francisco doing the same thing with no religious overtones.

As far as abortion is concerned, many libertarians are uncomfortable with the issue. They see it as a personal rights issue. I consider myself somewhat libertarian, but see it this way. When you choose to engage in sex, you have to live with whatever consequences come from that. Also, what are the individual rights of the child? The right of the innocent to live is one of the primary natural rights; their defense is the main job of the government.

Basically you can see that the main difference between the two lies in the fact that libertarians want to government to butt out because it screws up almost any situation. Liberals believe that the answer to any issue is more government. Where do your principles lead you?