The Libertarian Cult: Party Members Mistake Philosophy for Dogma

I joined the Libertarian party because I believe in a truly free America, where adults are treated like they are capable of making their own decisions. Most Libertarians I have met are reasonable people who understand that no individual will ever agree one hundred percent with any other. However, like any other organization; even Libertarians have their fundamentalist fringe of hardliners who believe that anyone who deviates even one angstrom from their point of view is not a true Libertarian.

Like any other political party, there is a party platform, planks, and an agenda. These are usually determined by a majority vote, like anything else in such a large, diverse group. I cannot agree with everything the party stands for, but I agree with MOST their platform, and that should be good enough. To the party's Moonies, however, I am a heretic; a blasphemer who isn't a true Believer, because I don't march in lock step with them on every issue.

For instance, one plank of the Party platform concerns open borders. The official Libertarian stance on the issue is that America's borders should remain open, and anybody should be able to come and go as they please, without checking in at the border or requiring documentation. My opinion on this issue is that, especially in times like these, there needs to be regulation at our borders for a multitude of feasible reasons. I am not saying build a 100 foot wall topped with razor wire, but simply check in our out as you enter or leave.

So, my views on this matter caused these cultish types to actually call me a Nazi. Why? The way I see it, I lock the front door to my house, and I require visitors to knock, ring my doorbell, or otherwise announce their presence before I decide whether or not to let them in. If I had the cult mentality of these Libertarians, I should just remove my front door, and let everyone in town come and go willy-nilly! So now I am an enemy of freedom because I think visitors should knock on our door before they enter? Why that is so unreasonable, I'll never know!

Another characteristic of the cult-minded Libertarian is the unconditional election of Libertarian candidates to any and every office, irregardless of whether they are the right person for the job. I like the Libertarian party because they are, for the most part, different from the two major parties. The RepubliCrat mentality is to fill every vacant seat with members of its own party, so why there are Libertarians with this same mentality is beyond me.

Is not the purpose of a multi-party system to help establish and maintain checks and balances that preclude any one party from having too much power? How is making a totally Libertarian government any different from Jerry Falwell's dream of fundamental Christian rule, or the Taliban's vision of a unified theocracy? Besides, I believe a true Libertarian would vote for the candidate who would most likely lower taxes, shrink the size and scope of government, and uphold personal freedoms, irregardless of party affiliation.

Using myself as an example, I have voted twice to elect Democrat Phil Bredesen as governor of the great state of Tennessee. I didn't like everything he ever did, but for the most part, he ran a lean, efficient state government, and did a damn good job, better than his Republican predecessor Don "We Need A State Income Tax" Sundquist. Also, I regularly vote for Republican Congressman John J. Duncan to represent the 8th congressional district of my state, because he favors individual liberties and pushes to keep America sovereign. If the Libertarian spirit is based on individuality, you'd think more of us would vote for the PERSON over the PARTY!

The Branch Dravidian wing of the Libertarian party also seems to be obsessed with fund raising. I understand campaigning takes a lot of money, but are we a political party, or a fund-raising machine? Are we out to change minds, hearts, and attitudes, or is it all about the accrual of money and power? If our party is to prosper and remain a breed apart from the reeking herd, we must carefully balance fundraising and other important functions of the party, like community outreach and policy making.

Seriously, if the "Libbies" ever take control, then fundraising will be the number one priority on the Party agenda. When that happens, all our hard-won efforts to reach the grassroots level (the backbone of ANY party), will be for naught, because then only the biggest contributors will matter to the party elite, while every working person in America will be marginalized, and eventually ignored, just like the RepubliCrats have done to the average American.

I guess any group can have its overzealous adherents. Some "Star Trek" fans like to wear the Spock ears. Some Christians own nothing that's not emblazoned with a cross or a stylized fish. And, as is the case in Knoxville, some Tennessee Football fans cover everything they own in Volunteer Orange. Likewise, some Libertarians think anybody who doesn't worship Ayn Rand and vote Libertarian straight down the line is not a "true fan". As for myself, I refuse to be so fanatical about my Libertarianism that I question the authenticity and sincerity of other Libertarians, just because we disagree.