TLDR (Summary)
Libertarians believe in self-ownership and the Non-Aggression Principle should be upheld. In comparison, Democrat philosophies adopt collectivist principles and the Republican Party boldly lies on the topic of personal ownership and liberty.
Motivation
In the Party of Warren County, Ohio, we recognize that many people have NO IDEA what libertarian philosophy is, much less what policies the Libertarian Party uses to address the issues that the world is presented with today. In this series, we will walk through libertarian philosophy by walking through Libertarian Party’s platform and discussing what it contains.
The Platform
Like any political party that’s worth anything, the Libertarian Party has created a Platform. This is a document that spells out the policies that the LP pursues. The LP’s platform is available for anybody to see on the LP.org website: https://www.lp.org/platform/
Here, we will begin to walk through that platform to help everybody understand Libertarian Party (LP) policies, as well as how these are carried out by The Libertarian Party of Warren County.
1.1 Self-Ownership
This is how section 1.1 of the platform reads:
Individuals own their bodies and have rights over them that other individuals, groups, and governments may not violate. Individuals have the freedom and responsibility to decide what they knowingly and voluntarily consume, and what risks they accept to their own health, finances, safety, or life.
https://www.lp.org/platform/
Libertarian philosophy is very much based what is called the Non-Aggression Principle (NAP). Essentially, this means that it’s wrong to hurt somebody or take their stuff. All interactions should be voluntary and coercion is wrong. Further, government cannot exercise rights or powers other than those that are possessed by the citizenry. If citizens cannot violate the NAP, then the government cannot, either.
Section 1.1 shows that the LP recognizes that individuals own themselves. By definition, infringement on an individual’s rights is a violation of the NAP. Also, rights are not held as a function of a mythical collective; they are held by individuals.
Note that both the Democrat and Republican parties violate the NAP by infringing on individual rights. Obviously the Democrats, as what has become a hard-left party, will violate individual rights for a mythical “greater good,” in clear violation of the NAP. As much as they might deny it, however, the Republicans do exactly the same thing. They usually use different window dressing.
One example I’ll provide is the creation of enforced masking, social distancing, lockdowns, and curfews that were instituted in Ohio by a Republican-controlled government, including a Republican Governor. It’s also true that these were initiated under the encouragement of a Republican President. One might expect a party with the term “republic” built into its name might understand that DeWine’s dictatorial moves exceeded those of an executive in a constitutional republic. Right?
Wrong! State Representative John Becker (R) and two co-sponsors drafted papers of impeachment to remove DeWine from office in 2020 — a righteous effort that should have succeeded in the eyes of any consistent Libertarian. Becker’s effort only received slim support from a handful of state representatives. Further, the Ohio GOP actually CONDEMNED BECKER’S ACTION!
Remember that the GOP is telling a big, fat lie when they say that they oppose the government’s overreaction and overreach with respect to Covid. Their actions tell another story entirely. They were in control, they let DeWine do what he did, and they played along with his dictatorial approach. These collectivist behaviors are expected from the Democrats, who are honest about their dislike for the NAP, but the Republicans are lying about the content of their policies.
Get Involved!
As a county affiliate of the Libertarian Party, our goal is to make Warren County the freest county in Ohio! When we pull that off, then we can go viral and infect the rest of the state with liberty. Please consider the following actions:
- Come to our meetings. We meet at Doc’s in Lebanon on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm (though, in February of 2024, it would fall on Valentine’s Day / Ash Wednesday, so we will have our business meeting at the Coffee Social date / time / location). We complete our business meetings quickly (30-60 minutes), and move onto the truly important business of our social. It’s a great time for open discussion on issues and to meet with like-minded people.
- Join for our Coffee Socials. We meet at Kala Coffeehouse in Mason on the third Friday of each month at 2:30 pm. The gathering for these is generally quite small and it’s a great opportunity for small, casual discussions with people who want to explore getting involved.
- Share your talents and interests! Let us know what you can do and what interests you. Your unique capabilities can enhance liberty, whether you are out in front of the public or in the background making things work.
- Donate to the Libertarian Party of Warren County
- Join the Libertarian Party of Ohio
- Join the national Libertarian Party