A Simple Request

In my experience the primary reason why individuals reject libertarian philosophy is because they are unwilling to tolerate the notion that free people may engage in activity of which they don’t approve. They imagine that the world would be “better” without gambling, alcohol, drugs, pornography, prostitution, violent video games, guns, knives, single-parent households, trans fats, GMOs, large sodas, bottled water, nuclear energy, lemonade stands, raw milk, unlicensed massage therapists, or some other good or service they think is “bad”; and so they proceed to impose this prohibition on everyone else as they try to remake the world in their image of perfection. There’s an old joke that libertarians are diligently plotting to take over the world…. and then leave you alone, and it’s not far from the truth. Beyond politely requesting that you refrain from initiating force against others, I have no reason (and no inclination) to tell you how to live your life. Why can’t you just extend the same courtesy to others?

Parrish

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Parrish Miller has worked as a web designer, policy analyst, blogger, journalist, digital media manager, and social media marketing consultant. Having been largely cured of his political inclinations, he now finds philosophy more interesting than politics and is focused particularly on alternative ideas such as counter-economics, agorism, voluntaryism, and unschooling.