Indeed, where do we go from here?

Libertarians – both the political type and the less-political lovers of liberty – face a set of serious challenges in this horrid year of 2020 and in the future.

We know that there is no indication that things will go better in the next few months, or next several years. We have seen the excuse of the Beer Flu to steal away more and more liberty, invent and apply more and more controls, and demand more and more taxes and debt.

Jacob Hornberger wrote about that a few days ago, in his blog. He made some strong points based on history and the current situation. And it was not pleasant reading. I don’t think he intended it to be. In recent months, with good reason, Jacob has been more and more critical – even “mean” – towards “reform libertarians.” Those are LINO, Libertarians in name only, even for most minarchists. They are willing to accept the various elements of socialism and the warfare-welfare state invented by progressives. And for the most part, bought into by conservatives. Wilson, Roosevelt, Johnson in particular. They deserve every word Jacob throws at them.

He states that one reason the so-called reform libertarians are afraid to call openly for the elimination of the “crown jewels” of Social Security and Medicare is fear. Fear that the Libertarian politicians will be rebuffed by the electorate if they are calling for these programs to be ended. That the general public and the mainstream media will reject them.

Frankly, exactly HOW would that be different from what we see in 2020? Rejection? In an election where both Trump and Biden got more than 70 million votes (honest or not) each, but Jo Jorgensen got a mere 2 million? A whole 1.4 percent. Really? People, the general public and the mainstream media have rejected the Libertarian Party and its candidates since the Party was founded. A few two-way races (as in South Dakota, when the Libertarian candidate for US House got 20% against the incumbent Republican) are nice – but NOT any reason to claim that even South Dakota is moving towards political Libertarianism.

As Jacob states, “Americans will never be free under a welfare state.” No compromise on that is possible: not Social Security, not Medicare, not Medicaid, not Public Schools. Not and still claim to have the moral high ground and that we are seeking to restore liberty.

Jacob urges that all “libertarians” get on board and promote true liberty, real freedom, by advocating and supporting “absolutely essential prerequisites” for liberty and freedom: “dismantling of the national-security establishment and the restoration of a limited-government republic.”

Supposedly, that is what minarchists – everyone but us idiotic free-market anarchists – have been promoting for nearly half a century.

Guess what? It hasn’t worked. And it is not going to work now. It takes MORE than just advocating and promoting: and certainly far more than the compromise which Jacob strongly attacks. No, it takes action. Action to refuse to play the games of the Statists, to reject their programs and their claims of compassion, love, and protection. Action to push back against attacks on our liberty and the liberty of others.

Yes, we need to preach liberty – and to much more than the choir! But we also need to LIVE liberty, and to help others to live in liberty. And peace. Unless we actually live what we teach, we are hypocrites.

That still does not mean that the mainstream media won’t reject us. Or that the general public will suddenly accept our ideas. Or even accept us. But it does mean that we are there and visible and supportive of those who do see the truth and do want to become free. Even if it is just another 1.5%, to give a grand 3% who love liberty.