Libertarians: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
Disclaimer: opinion may not be that of the author. | Disclaimer: opinion may not be that of the author. | ||
I think libertarianism and objectivism are a glorification of the "survival of the fittest." While that was an acceptable way of life in the wild west (the only way possible, maybe), I would like to believe that we're ready to transcend it - and give the less fit an environment in which they have much better chances at survival (at the very least). | |||
Whatever libertarians may think, their freedom is not theirs alone: their freedom to carry assault weapons means others might be shot by them, their freedom to congregate and move around during a pandemic means others will get sick and die (or they'll get sick themselves and take up scarce ventilators), their freedom not to get vaccinated (and, therefore, not to participate in herd immunity) means the most vulnerable among us get exposed to deadly but avoidable diseases. In all of these cases, libertarians exercise "freedoms" that effectively take away others' freedom (to live, to be healthy). As long as we live in community there is no such as thing as absolute individual freedom - unless it's in a hyper-individualistic, self-centered moral vacuum that cares not for anyone else. | |||
Latest revision as of 08:00, 9 April 2020
On Libertarians
Disclaimer: opinion may not be that of the author.
I think libertarianism and objectivism are a glorification of the "survival of the fittest." While that was an acceptable way of life in the wild west (the only way possible, maybe), I would like to believe that we're ready to transcend it - and give the less fit an environment in which they have much better chances at survival (at the very least).
Whatever libertarians may think, their freedom is not theirs alone: their freedom to carry assault weapons means others might be shot by them, their freedom to congregate and move around during a pandemic means others will get sick and die (or they'll get sick themselves and take up scarce ventilators), their freedom not to get vaccinated (and, therefore, not to participate in herd immunity) means the most vulnerable among us get exposed to deadly but avoidable diseases. In all of these cases, libertarians exercise "freedoms" that effectively take away others' freedom (to live, to be healthy). As long as we live in community there is no such as thing as absolute individual freedom - unless it's in a hyper-individualistic, self-centered moral vacuum that cares not for anyone else.