In the Economist's "Democracy in America" blog today I came across this gem:
"IF YOU'RE a gay polygamist, there's a libertarian somewhere in Nebraska who wants you put in jail."
This statement, from an otherwise reputable news outlet, shows just how misunderstood libertarianism remains. The basic pillars of libertarianism are 1) self ownership and 2) free markets. The term self ownership simply means that we own our lives and should be free to do with our lives as we wish so long as we do not infringe on other's freedoms. That includes the right to be free of government intrusion into your personal life. In a libertarian's mind a gay polygamist is free to do as he (or she) wishes and marry whomever they choose so long as the other parties involved are all in it consensually.
A similarly irresponsible statement was made about Ron Paul in the Telegraph in its list of the 100 most influential conservatives (the Telegraph is another UK news outlet) as a "[m]averick former Libertarian who believes in strict interpretation of the Constitution and an isolationist foreign policy." Unfortunately the Telegraph misses the point on Representative Paul's foreign policy. He clearly states that he doesn't believe in an interventionist foreign policy nor does he believe in ceding the country's autonomy to foreign entities, i.e. the U.N.
Completely irresponsible in my book. Both of these news outlets should try reading up on a topic before wagging a disapproving finger at it.
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