I Tried to Be a Libertarian, But I Was Rejected

In October 2012, I attended a "liberty conference". It was hosted by Students For Liberty at Michigan State University in East Lansing. Promised was three meals, free drink at a local bar, free books, and freedom lectures.

My ideology at the time was largely mainstream libertarian, but I knew I didn't quite fit in. Perhaps it was the fact I wore my jeans and leather jacket where a snobby majority insisted upon full business attire to what was promised to be a more informal setting. Perhaps it was the fact I also wore a Glock in a retention holster in plain view, in total disregard for the muddy gray-area laws that theoretically allowed it. Perhaps it was that not a damn one of them had a solution besides "love your constitution".

The first lecture did convert me to open borders; it was her argument that "between an illegal immigrant and the government, the government is always the greater threat to liberty." There were SIGNIFICANT murmurs of disagreement throughout, but I couldn't refute her economic and moral arguments. I got the feeling that some of these people had interesting ideas of liberty. But that wasn't even the ideological high-point for the day.

No, what it was, was what happened at one of the break-off smaller sessions of 30 people. I chose the session titled something to the effect "Problems With Liberty". Oh boy did that intrigue me. I couldn't wait, half-sarcastically, to hear someone who has spent their life at the Von Mises institute tell me why liberty sucks. While sitting there waiting for the lecture to begin, three drop-dead gorgeous girls walk in. 

The universe usually messes with this stuff, but to my absolute amazement, they choose the three empty seats next to me. I got talking with the prettiest one, a bottle blonde, who chose the closest seat to me. Yeah, to summ up the whole conversation, she was the biggest fucking retard ever; someone put her there through brainwashing, but she couldn't hold an ideological conversation beyond basic talking points. Ok, so there's no intelligence requirement to be a libertarian.

The lecture begins on "Problems With Liberty". He actually brought up a lot of points that is sometimes debated around the Non-Aggression Principle. One thing that still haunts me is exactly when does light pollution become aggression? Other debates, such as abortion, were easier for me to break down; a minority in the group insisted government ban it. However, at the end of the lecture, he concluded that we decisively need government for five functions at a minimum: police, fire, military, courts, and roads. The forum was opened for questions.

I was stunned at the silence. I was thinking to my self, "Really? Am I going to have to be the one to say it?"

I raised my hand and stood. "Why do we have to have those five functions from government? Do we really need government? Why can't we still source all five of those functions to general people?"

I had expected a loaded, logical answer for this question; I had expected he had received it before, or at least considered it for himself. He said, "Well... um, perhaps fire and roads could be privatized, as long as a good way to do it is invented... but ummm I think we still need police, courts, and the military."

Really? That's all the answer you have? Yeah it took him nearly a full minute to stammer out those two sentences. It's like he was half too amused by the question, half he never considered it. What really disturbed me was that the room accepted that answer, and didn't push the issue at all. Maybe these people were the "problems with liberty".

"Dude, maybe I am crazy..." is always the rational reaction of a brain craving truth, but I decided these people were crazy very quickly.

The dude in charge of the event, a senior at MSU, approached me and insisted I put my pistol in my vehicle. I insisted that it was both legal and allowed by MSU policy (i was shocked too), just not for MSU students. He said he would call in government and university coercion if I did not comply. I complied, but only because I had made two friends by this point. Also I wanted to hear the final speaker,

Justin Amash. Yeah, it was mildly cool, only because its a libertarian speaking to libertarians about how much DC sucks. He said he loses and gains support from his constituents like crazy because of his (he claims) straight NAP voting; he said he writes an extensive blog post about his adherence to the NAP for every single vote. I'm not saying I like or support him, but that's what I got out of it.

Anyways, since then, I've been swarmed by police for open carrying dozens and dozens of time (literally), including SWAT, horses, and helicopters.

But the very first time someone aggressed me for open carry was at a libertarian convention. I shit you not.

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