PHILADELPHIA — Libertarians are a diverse bunch. Some of them wish they could abolish government entirely. Others just want its power reduced. But what unites them is their shared belief that the state should be substantially smaller and do drastically less.
Here at AU, the libertarians have a club. AU Students For Liberty is a small operation. I’m told that fewer than 20 students attend regular meetings or events. Still, there are few diehards, most of whom I met this past weekend when I traveled with AUSFL to the 2009 Students For Liberty Mid-Atlantic Conference. The event took place at Drexel University, smack dab in the middle of the Cradle of Liberty itself — Philadelphia. The journey I took there and back again is something I won’t forget soon. It taught me about an alternative governing philosophy, but it also gave me a glimpse at what it’s like to be part of a political counterculture.
Our odyssey began last Friday with a Chinatown bus ride. On the way from D.C. to Philly, I got a primer on libertarian philosophy and policy from a few members of AUSFL. For two hours, I asked hundreds of questions and took furious notes. The young libertarians explained their core principles of nonaggression and self-ownership. They argued that taxation is slavery. They dismissed the entire idea of slicing up the economic pie, saying the solution is simply to make that pie bigger.
Throughout the conversation, I had several realizations about libertarians. First, many of them don’t love Ron Paul. True libertarians want government out of their lives in every respect, so they don’t understand Paul’s pro-life stance or his opposition to gay marriage. They say the state shouldn’t be involved in any of this.
Second, libertarians disagree amongst themselves — a lot. In fact, it seems to me, based on my little exposure, that there is greater diversity of thought within the libertarian movement than within the conservative or progressive movements. There is a great libertarian debate over just how tiny government should be. A few of them like public education, but most don’t. Many think the government should run the justice system, the military and the police force, but some don’t.
As I learned talking to AU and Drexel students at a mixer late Friday night, there are two main camps within the libertarian movement: the minarchists and the anarcho-capitalists or anarchists. The former advocate extremely limited government. The latter, at least ideally, prefer no government at all.
Learning about anarcho-capitalism shocked me, as I imagine it would shock many people. Certainly, I am familiar with the argument that limited government means more freedom. I get it. It’s compelling. I can conceive of a scenario in which America reverts to the traditions of the Founding generation and structures government simply to provide justice, defense, security and maybe a limited form of welfare. That transformation, which is what minarchists want, would be radical, but it could happen.
What I found unbelievable was that anarcho-capitalists think the Founders’ government was way too big. They have so much faith in capitalism, so much faith in free exchange, that they literally wish for a world where markets make the rules. They philosophically and practically think the state is a problem. Its abolishment, they argue, is the rational endgame of the liberty movement.
These are radical views. They fly in the face of the Founders’ intent. They’re outside the mainstream of American politics. I think they’re insane and an overwhelming majority of Americans — nearly everyone — would reject them outright.
The students I talked to know this. They’ve faced reality. None of them wear rose-colored glasses. The minarchists understand government will always be bigger than they’d like and the anarcho-capitalists know they’ll never have the government-free society of their dreams.
At Saturday’s conference, the students and the speakers made mention of these realities. The presenters — college professors, organization leaders and authors — spoke of setting small goals and pushing for incremental change.
I left the conference early, but I stayed long enough to get the gist. I saw Irena Schneider, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, give an impassioned speech in her capacity as Mid-Atlantic Director. I saw Eagle columnist Alex Knepper realize he was the moderate in the room. And most importantly, I saw a group of earnest political activists enjoying each other’s company, which is always cool.
The Students For Liberty may have unconventional views about government, but they’re well within the mainstream as far as how to have a good time. I hardly knew any of them before last weekend, but everyone was accommodating and appreciative of an Eagle writer tagging along.
I had many personal firsts last weekend. I made my first visit to Philly. I ate my first Philly Cheesesteak. And for the first, and likely last time, I saw an apartment full of libertarians sing “Don’t Stop Believing” at the top of their lungs.
“...Some will win, some will lose/Some were born to sing the blues.”
Sounds like libertarian economics to me.
You can reach this staff writer at gvyse@theeagleonline.com.