Libertarians lack shared culture.

in libertarian •  3 years ago 

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One of the things I find most interesting about libertarians (as opposed to libertarianism) is our lack of shared culture. It makes us more individual, interesting, nuanced, and unique. It lends itself to legendary infighting.

I mean... think first about other modern political groupings. Republicans are disproportionately older and white. They come disproportionately from agricultural areas, are more likely to be religious and own firearms and all the rest. White Democrats my age (I'm 40), likely formed their political opinions in concert with hacky sack sessions in front of dorms after smoking a bit. They're urban, less likely to be religious (at least not fundamentally and more likely to say they prefer the term "spiritual".) If they went to Burning Man more than once, they're likely Greens instead.

Libertarians? Some are libertine, wanting big brother to step off their choices on drugs, sex work, and gambling, or just want lower taxes and the chance to make their own way in life rather than letting big business overtake their small little slice of self-sufficiency. Some are really religious, but just don't want the government to address immoral problems best left to God, churches, individuals, and communities, given government by definition is more immoral and less efficient at addressing these things. You know, unto Caesar what is Caesar's and God's what is God's, recognizing that what really sets government apart from private organizations is consent and a claimed monopoly on the use of violence. Some are just liberty-oriented functionally, recognizing how inefficient central planning by those who pay no price for being wrong really is, and see benefit in something more democratic than government like markets serving people better while repurposing greed for shared prosperity.

In other words, we're all over the map on culture, and our shared vision is based on policy rather than something easily manipulated like prejudice. Prejudice against tradition or change, immigrants or those who are successful, whatever. There's some base, underlying principles that are deeper than bumper stickers. It's one of the things that I appreciate about our community. As much as we disagree with not just everyone else but even each other, it ain't some shallow bullshit sloganeering. Love y'all.

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