I’ve shared a number of online tests that allow users to see where they fit on the political spectrum.
- The Definitive Political Orientation test.
- The Circle test.
- The Libertarian Purity test.
- The 8 Values test.
But if you don’t like taking quizzes, you can simply scan this list of issues and see where libertarians fit between conservatives and liberals.
Heck, even Playboy has something similar that allows readers (as opposed to lookers, if you know what I mean) to see where they belong.
But the quickest test is from the Advocates of Self Government. It involves 10 very simple questions and it can be finished in one minute.
And it turns out that I’m a libertarian (gee, what a surprise).
If you take this quiz and you’re also a libertarian, congratulations.
That means you’re a decent person.
It also makes your life very simple. Here’s a list that shows why it’s so easy to be a libertarian. You basically decide that you’re not going to tell other people what sort of decisions they’re allowed to make. I guess you could call it a “mind your own business” or a “live and let live” approach to life. I call it basic politeness.
By the way, none of this implies you have to like the decisions of other people. Libertarianism is about tolerance, not approval.
I’ve already admitted, for instance, that I don’t like drugs, gambling, and prostitution. But that doesn’t mean that I want to use government coercion to stop other people from those activities.
The bottom line is that libertarians want people to be free to make their own choices so long as they’re not infringing on the rights of others (which is why “Don’t like murder? Don’t commit one” doesn’t belong on the above list).
Now that I’ve explained why it’s easy to be libertarian, now let’s look at why it can make your life difficult.
Simply stated, if you value individual liberty, you can drive yourself crazy thinking about all the foolish and counterproductive policies imposed by governments.
To make matters worse, it’s very difficult to ignore the bad policies of government. It’s not like you can simply choose not to pay tax.
So until Liberland gets going and we have an option of a free society, this image is a good summary of why it’s difficult to be a libertarian.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a hardcore anarcho-capitalist, classical liberal, small-government conservative, or run-of-the-mill libertarian, you’ll be coerced into something you don’t like thanks to big government.
P.S. I found both these images on Reddit‘s Libertarian page. Always a fun place to visit.
P.P.S. While we’re waiting for Liberland, the three best options for libertarians are Hong Kong, Switzerland, and New Zealand.
P.P.P.S. Though I must warn you that there are risks if you publicly identify as libertarian. You may get stereotyped. Or you may even be subjected to vicious notes on your windshield.
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I agree with all of the above.
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I’ve often heard liberals say that if you call for smaller government, then if you use government services you are a hypocrite. Like I saw a reporter covering a Tea Party rally snidely remark that these people were calling for less government but at the same time they drove on public roads to get to the rally and they were relying on police and fire protection.
One could make the minor point that the idea that police protection and local roads should be privatized is a pretty extreme libertarian position. Most conservatives and many who call themselves libertarians wouldn’t go that far. But even if they did, in America today you have no choice but to pay taxes for police and roads and so on. Given that I am forced to pay for something, it’s not hypocritical for me to use what I was forced to pay for. That’s just being realistic. Social Security is one of the worst investments in the history of the world. But given that I was forced to contribute to it, what would I gain by refusing to accept the benefits when I retire? I might as well get back at least some of the money that I was forced to pay in.
By the way, I think that reporter was being hypocritical. She was airing her report on a TV network that is owned by a private corporation, using TV cameras and microphones that were produced by a private corporation.
I’ve seen many alarmist warnings from liberals about how right-wingers are trying to impose a theocracy, that if these right-wing Christians get political power, they will ban contraception, make it a law that everyone must attend church services, etc. Every now and then I manage to ask someone spreading such warnings where they got the idea that conservatives want to pass such laws, and they always point to some statement where a conservative said that contraception is bad or that prayer is good. Well, yeah, I reply, many conservatives say that, but who is saying they want to make these things required by law? And they repeat that the conservative said that X is good and Y is bad. (I suppose that if you searched long and hard enough you could find people calling for such laws, but they are certainly not common among conservatives.)
It has become apparent to me that to a conservative, if you say “X is bad”, the logical next thought is “so I won’t do X”, and maybe “I will encourage others not to do X”. But to a liberal, if you say “X is bad”, the inevitable next thought is “so X should be illegal”.
MishaBurnett. So sadly true.
Yes, exactly! Agree 100%. Excellent assessment.
I am finding it increasingly difficult to discuss morality without the concept of government control being brought into the discussion. So many people seem to equate “this thing should not be a crime” with “I approve of this thing” and “this thing should not be subsidized” with “I am against this thing”.
The question of “is this thing something that should be subject to government intervention–either positively or negatively?” seems to be outside of the realm of discourse. The default position has become the power of the State is the only way to express an opinion on an activity.