Libertarianism: Our Common Enemy

Published in The Catalyst 

There is no denying it: Colorado Springs stands boldly as the epicenter of American Libertarianism. It’s more than just a red city in a blue state. The Springs represents a unique breed of conservatism. Libertarianism means small government- a city based on community solutions. At the “Occupy Wall Street” forum in Palmer a couple weeks back, many students stood up and asked questions from libertarian perspectives, advocating trademarks of the movement like repealing the Federal Reserve and abolishing publicly funded agencies like the Department of Education and the EPA. 

So, what’s the deal with Libertarianism? And more importantly, what are it’s deepest flaws? Well, look no further than the Springs itself. The trouble with limited government is once you take away government’s ability to look after the poor based on the votes of the rich is that necessities they have depended on for decades disappear. And what does this look like? Less street lights in lower class neighborhoods, no trashcans downtown and expensive and very inadequate public transportation. And that’s just now- just the begging. The more government you rid, the less access the poor and general community have to better safety (street lights), more convenience (trashcans) and more environmentally friendly options (city buses). Take it further and you are playing with fire. Colorado Springs has been forced by budget cuts pushed by it’s libertarian movement to make big cuts to it’s police force and public libraries. That means an even bigger threat to public safety and a smack in the face to parents who want their kids to have the access to books that they did. The problem with libertarians, is when you give the power to the public on matters of safety, accessibility and public rights, the poor get the short end of the stick even more than they already do. Look no further than the classrooms of the children in Colorado Springs. Take an education class at Colorado College that goes out into the schools of the community and you will see a dramatic difference between classrooms in communities living below the poverty line and schools where student’s parents’ come from the shrinking Middle and Upper Income brackets. The higher education taxes the district’s residents are willing to pay, the better the school. The less they can afford, the more their school suffers: larger classrooms, outdated textbooks, and as a result of Obama policy, less assistance from Washington D.C. A system that does not discriminate against underprivileged districts would have city or statewide taxes go to all schools, with the rich among us paying more so that poor kids are not doomed by underperforming and under funded schools. Libertarianism does not allow for this. It insists that the community has the “right to pay what it wishes to pay without the government dictating the tax system. Essentially, fuck the poor. Just let them look after themselves.

Libertarian and tea party policies nationwide have furthered one of the biggest problems we face in the United States- When it comes to looking after the elderly, the poor and the homeless, we rank at the bottom of developed nations, often on par with undeveloped countries in South America. We have a frightening lack of safety nets and systems of assistance for children and their impoverished families, especially compared to European nations like The United Kingdom and Sweden that have an abundance of safety nets for their poor, with higher taxes and a healthier, wealthier general population.

If you want a model of libertarian, tea party policy, a nation with no government involvement, visit East Africa. Somalia, with less government than any country on earth, is plagued by AIDS, war and historic levels of starvation nationwide. Sure, limited government and no government are very different things and state rights have their appeal. But, how far can we afford to go? When does limited government become dangerous? Surly, Colorado Springs has gone far enough.

Libertarianism plays its role nationwide, far from just Colorado Springs. Wall Street  is benefiting greatly  from a limited-government-involvement-agenda displayed by the Bush and Obama administrations. A lack of regulations and oversight allows banks and corporations to run wild, exploiting consumers left and right, maximizing profits in a free market gone wrong. Libertarian leaders like Ron Paul are advocating for an abolishment of the Federal Reserve and an economy based on regulations ensured by consumers instead of the government. Libertarian ideals of no big brother are, believe it or not, incredibly upheld within the Obama administration, with former CEOs and big bankers calling the shots at the top of our president’s economic team. They want trickle-down policy rounded out by small government and no regulation. In last year’s Oscar winning documentary “Inside Job”, the Obama administration was boldly exposed for supporting Wall Street and the banks, against campaign promises of regulation and accountability. These policies have led to more fraud and more exploitation, with more people giving up looking for work every month than getting jobs. In all, the libertarian policies of those in power have resulted in a widening of the gap between the rich and the poor and a dramatic growth of the lower class. Look at Wall Street’s home itself. Manhattan has the largest separation of wealth of any urban country in America and the Bronx is the poorest urban country in America. There’s no coincidence there in a city and a state dominated by a pro-Wall Street government.

So, next time you hear a Ron Paul supported advocating for state rights and limited government, call them out. Libertarianism is hurting America from sea to shining sea. No regulation and no safety nets equals no middle class. We need policies that look after the  non-rich now more than ever. Sure, lets reign in wasteful spending on wars and earmarks. But, cutting assistance to the lower class and making them foot the bill for our economic crisis will not bring us out of our slump. It will only worsen our poverty crisis and doom or children’s future.

Libertarianism is not the answer. It is no more than part of the problem.