Professional Documents
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What is libertarianism?
Are people better off with free trade than with tariffs?
Don't we need affirmative action to keep bigoted employers from refusing to hire minorities and
women?
Bibliography
What is libertarianism?
Libertarians want a win-win world of peace and plenty. And we believe that the only way to get it is through
self-government... NOT others-government.
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Libertarian FAQ - Advocates for Self-Government Page 2 of 8
Self-government is the combination of personal responsibility and tolerance. Responsibility means you
govern yourself. Tolerance means you don't force your values on peaceful, honest people.
Today, however, others-government is giving us insecurity, conflict and poverty. Let's revitalize our heritage
of self-government to create a win-win world where everyone comes out ahead. [4] -- Carole Ann Rand
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Libertarian positions on the issues are not "left" or "right" or a combination of the two. Libertarians believe
that, on every issue, you have the right to decide for yourself what's best for you and to act on that belief so
long as you respect the right of other people to do the same and deal with them peacefully and honestly.
"Actually, true conservatives tend to be libertarian on economic issues, and true liberals tend to be libertarian
on social issues," says Sharon Harris, president of the Advocates for Self-Government. "The consistency is
to the extent to which one believes in individual liberty. This is what I call the Libertarian Denominator."
Unfortunately, many of today's liberals and conservatives have rejected America's heritage of liberty and
personal responsibility. They want to put us all in their straitjacket. Americans built a great country without
shackles. It's time to take them off again. Break free of the useless left right spectrum. Think freedom on all
issues. Think libertarian. [2]
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In dealing with political issues, libertarians focus on the people involved. Who is having a problem? What is
it? What is the government doing already, if anything, and might that be the cause of the problem?
Most importantly, Libertarians ask: is anyone violating another's rights? Is someone committing murder, rape,
robbery, theft, fraud, embezzlement, arson, trespass, etc.? If so, then it's proper to call on government to
help the victim against the wrongdoer. But, if not, the government should not get involved.
In most instances, people are better off if allowed to work out their own problems through voluntary
cooperation without introducing the coercive tool of government. [3]
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Libertarian FAQ - Advocates for Self-Government Page 3 of 8
I like knowing I'm being protected by people who are in the military because they want to be there, not
because they were forced against their will to be there.
A military focused on defending America instead of policing the globe would reduce manpower needs and
further eliminate any reason to have a draft or draft registration.
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Americans would not like it if the government here owned or controlled the newspapers. Why should we like
government control of TV and radio any better? As with printed words, broadcast words can and should be
regulated by the free market.
Americans should be able to freely choose what they will watch or listen to, without Big Brother making those
decisions for them. [3]
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This doesn't mean we must personally approve of the sexual behaviors of others. It simply means that as
long as the participants are consenting adults, no one has the right to use the force of government laws to try
to stop or punish them.
There is no justification for throwing peaceful Americans in jail because of their sexual choices. Let's respect
people's right to control their own bodies. [3]
Criminal penalties do not stop prostitution. They just create real problems. One study showed it costs
taxpayers two thousand dollars every time a prostitute is arrested. Let's respect people's right to control their
own bodies.
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Before drugs were illegal, Americans handled them with few problems. Let's respect the right of people to
control their own bodies.
Decriminalize drugs, help those who need it, and let the police spend their time protecting us from real crime.
[3]
All of the hard drugs were legal before 1914, and there were few addicts. Studies show that even addicts can
be productive, and also that they do not engage in crime when they can get their drugs inexpensively.
We have addicts today despite drug criminalization. We also have the violence that is caused by drugs being
illegal. Let's decriminalize drugs so we stop the violence and get help to those who need it. [3]
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Law-abiding, responsible citizens do not and should not need to ask anyone's permission or approval to
engage in a peaceful activity. Gun ownership, by itself, harms no other person and cannot morally justify
criminal penalties.
A responsible, well-armed and trained citizenry is the best protection against domestic crime and the threat
of foreign invasion. America's founders knew that. It is still true today.
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People have the right to travel anywhere, and to take any job offered them, so long as they do it at their own
expense and without violating the rights of others.
A way to help the poor is to let them go where the work is, regardless of borders. Studies show that
immigrants don't take jobs from others, they add to the economy and help create more jobs.
America was built by immigrants who came here seeking nothing but opportunity and freedom -- and created
the greatest, most productive society ever.
Respect for human rights and compassion for the world's poor require that we relax immigration restrictions.
[3]
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Subsidies are harmful and unfair. Why should some businesses be taxed to give handouts to others? Why
should you pay higher prices to support government favored businesses?
Let's stop this nonsense. Then business could operate in a free market and all of us could be better fed,
clothed and housed at lower cost. [3]
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Are people better off with free trade than with tariffs?
Free trade provides consumers with better goods at lower prices. Trade restrictions produce the opposite:
shoddy goods and higher prices.
With free trade, consumers pay lower prices for products and thereby have more money left to spend on
other goods, domestic as well as foreign.
Free trade also helps the cause of world peace. In the 1920's and 30's, trade barriers went up everywhere,
directly contributing to the outbreak of World War II. If goods don't cross borders, armies will.
Let's end all trade restrictions and free the world's resources to be allocated in the most efficient and
productive manner. [3]
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Libertarian FAQ - Advocates for Self-Government Page 6 of 8
It must be asked, if the minimum wage is such a good idea, why not raise it to $200 an hour? Even the most
die-hard minimum wage advocate can see there's something wrong with that proposal.
The only "fair" or "correct" wage is what an employer and employee voluntarily agree upon. We should
repeal minimum wage now. [3]
For additional information on this topic, please see Jim Cox's excellent article "The Ugly Truth about the
Minimum Wage Law."
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Permits, licensing, zoning, labor laws. They all stop people who want to work, especially minorities. Repeal
those laws. Private charity is more compassionate and delivers the goods better than the government
welfare plantation.
We can't make a perfect world. We can do more for the poor by replacing inefficient government programs
with effective voluntary assistance. [1] -- David Bergland
For more information on this topic, please see Dr. Mary Ruwart's excellent article "The Poor Would Have
MORE in a Libertarian Society."
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An old saying states: "it takes two to tango." Relationships or associations require at least two people. We
cannot justify using force to keep people out of voluntary relationships and we cannot justify forcing private
citizens into relationships against their will.
Government employment is a different case. The only criteria for employment or advancement in government
work should be merit. The Constitution requires that we all be given equal treatment under the law. Since
governments are created by law, they are Constitutionally required to be absolutely even handed. Private
citizens or companies on the other hand have the right to be stupid and suffer the consequences.
Attempts to correct bigotry with affirmative action haven't worked very well. Such laws are easy for bigots to
circumvent and people tend to think minority employees did not earn their positions on merit even if they did.
They also make it possible for bigots to harass minorities by demanding employment at minority owned
businesses. [2]
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Libertarian FAQ - Advocates for Self-Government Page 7 of 8
We should support all moves to reduce and repeal taxes because taxes are obtained immorally, by force.
The income tax is particularly evil, since it penalizes productivity and forces all of us to expose our private
affairs to government snoopers.
We had no income tax before 1914 and America prospered. Replacing the income tax with voluntary
methods for financing services should be our goal, and we should begin right now. [3]
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Replacing political controls with self-government will only go as far as you let it. So let's experiment. Cut
foreign aid. Deregulate transportation. Repeal one drug law. Cut farm subsidies. Cut taxes.
As you gain self government, you will probably want more. That's for you to decide. No one can force you to
be free. [1] -- David Bergland
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If people are basically evil, the last thing you'd want is a big government staffed by those evil folks exercising
control over you. [1] -- David Bergland
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Libertarian FAQ - Advocates for Self-Government Page 8 of 8
Bibliography:
[1] Liberty Communicator Course, Advocates for Self-Government, 1988.
[2] Bergland, David, America's Libertarian Heritage: The Politics of Freedom, Orpheus Publications, 1773
Bahama Place, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, (714)751-8980, 1991.
[3] The Liberator, Spring 1992, pp. 18-19, Advocates for Self-Government, 213 S Erwin St, Cartersville GA,
30120 770-386-8372
SEE ALSO: Libertarianism in One Lesson by David Bergland, 9th edition published by Advocates for Self-
Government, 213 S Erwin St, Cartersville, GA 30120.
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http://www.theadvocates.org/library/libertarian-faq.html 5/8/2009