Freedomain Radio

How would I describe myself and my specific beliefs about libertarianism?

• While I could generally be described as a libertarian, a more appropriate and more accurate designation would be anarcho-capitalist.
• The most basic expression and most fundamental dogma in libertarian theory is the non-aggression axiom – the initiation of force is never justified.
• The mainstream political parties are inherently similar, barely avoiding being identical; therefore, spending any time debating about them is time wasted.
• The best means by which to right past wrongs are private, not via legislation, and this applies specifically to the issue of reparations for slavery.

I embraced libertarianism not because it sounded interesting when I studied its theories. In fact, I have not, even to this day, read many of the books libertarians point to as seminal in their conversion. (This is neither an attack on those books or a suggestion for others. It is simply a statement of fact. And yes, my study of libertarian philosophy, including many of those “classics,” continues.)

I embraced libertarianism because it best fit (by far) the conclusions I had already reached empirically. That deduction led me to begin my study of the more theoretical aspects, which soundly confirmed my initial conclusions. I'll end this personal thumbnail sketch as I ended my first published libertarian article:

“To be completely free, secure, and happy, there are three things that concern me – life, liberty, and property. The state did not create them. The state can only take them away. There has been enough of that already. So unless I want to enjoy the fruits of income redistribution – which account for a major portion of the state’s budget, excluding national defense – there is not much left for the state to do on my behalf.”