Libertarianism, why we are not Libertarians

Libertarianism, why we are not Libertarians

Traditional Conservatives believe in a balanced society in which everyone gets a piece of the pie but the pieces need not be all the same size. We believe that there will always be rich and poor and that society has a responsibility to look after those in need. We also believe that Government has a rightful place, Defence, Justice, Law Enforcement, Trade, Foreign Affairs to name just a few. But within Libertarianism all of these are contentious, some come very close to our thinking and others are so far away it is easy to distinguish.

In short Libertarianism is pro-Individual, pro-Business and anti-Government. It's problem with Government is that Government makes demands on people, some reasonable, some open to question and some unreasonable. Depending upon the individual Libertarian any of these may be fine or may be regarded as an abomination. It can be hard to find common ground as each view is seen as having merit.

Libertarianism is at the very end of Right-Liberalism, for the Libertarian the Individual is supreme. It is this believe that is both it's centrepiece and it's most radical concept.

The only time that the Individual may not be supreme, is when the rights of Business conflict with the rights of the Individual. For example an Individual wants to behave in a particular way, a way that is against the interests or belief of his employer. Some Libertarians will say the Individual has a right to do as they want. Others will say that the Business should be able to hire and fire as it see's fit. Who should win the Individual or the Business? Libertarians seem conflicted.

In a conflict between the Individual and the Government, the Individual should win, in a conflict between the Individual and the rest of Society, the Individual should win. In these cases the point is clear, it's radical support of the individual is consistent until it meets Business, then it cannot decide whether money or freedom is the greater good.

Libertarianism is also a big fan of social Darwinism, the survival of the fittest. Here the idea is that the weaker man should not hold back the stronger man, the stronger in this sense meaning better. So what then happens to the weaker man? Libertarianism isn't quite clear on this issue, it leaves it alone as the implications are quite frightening. There is no charity or compassion to be found here.

For the Traditional Conservative the individual should win when he is right and lose when he is wrong. The individual is not supreme, he is one part of a much bigger world, of a bigger story than just himself. We believe in a world of community, not in a world in which only selfish self interest lives.


Upon Hope Blog - A Traditional Conservative Future