I’ve been engaging in correspondence with someone, apparently a Libertarian but definitely right wing, on one of my blog posts. He raised the possibility of a Libertarian candidate possibly winning the presidential election in a close race. That kind of statement shows how little people who think they’re Libertarians understand politics and what politicians who claim they’re Libertarians are.
Libertarian politicians are liars and hypocrites. Take Ron and Rand Paul—please. Both claim to be Libertarian yet both are dues-paying members of the Republican Party, which is as anti-Libertarian as a party can be, unless it’s the Democratic Party. Republicans hate social welfare but are big on corporate welfare, which is funded by taxpayers who are Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green, whatever.
Back to Ron and Rand Paul, who are both members of Congress and as such, receive free taxpayer-paid government healthcare as part of their perks. These are two men who demand that Medicaid and Medicare be eliminated because people should either be responsible for their own healthcare plans or die. Yet, neither of these men have refused their taxpayer-paid government healthcare plans and insisted on diverting the taxpayer-paid funds back into the U.S. Treasury. Liars and hypocrites.
Ron and Rand Paul, who are both members of Congress, are entitled to receive a lifetime taxpayer-paid government pension after they leave office, if they have spent (I will not say “served”) a minimum of five years in office. So, if Rand were to serve only one six-year Senate term, he collects his taxpayer-paid government pension after he turns 62. Where else but in Congress could one receive a government pension for a short-term temp job? Neither of these men have refused to be included in the taxpayer-paid government pension plan. Yet, they both demand Social Security either be eliminated or privatized because people should be responsible for their own retirement or starve and die. Except for Ron and Rand Paul. Liars and hypocrites.
The Pauls believe that if something is worth doing it’s worth doing it yourself, kind of, with help from your local community. Let’s put some reality into this fantasy. Both Pauls had medical practices (they had to practice because they never got it right) ensconced in medical buildings. It is unknown whether they were situated on the ground floor or forced their wheelchair-bound patients—if they accepted any—to surmount or descend several flights of stairs. Undoubtedly, public roads directed patients to the Paul’s offices. Public roads are maintained through tax dollars, paid by people who pay taxes so their local governments can maintain public roads and infrastructure. But the Pauls don’t believe in paying taxes to maintain public roads and infrastructure. Roads get potholes. Roads crack. Roads need maintenance or they can no longer direct patients to medical offices run by Ron and Rand Paul. So, if potholes developed in those public roads leading to or outside the Pauls’ medical offices, how would they handle repairing them? Being Libertarians, they should call on their fellow business owners and pass the hat around to pay to hire a road crew to fix the road. That’s the Libertarian way—taking care of things yourself and with your community. Or, being business owners and Republicans, do they call their city council or county board of supervisors rep—or even the mayor county executive—and demand the road by fixed by a city or county road crew at taxpayer expense? You can bet they’re on the horn pressuring the politicians to plug the potholes. Liars and hypocrites.
Every single public opinion poll shows that while small groups of fools will elect a faux Libertarian to Congress, no national majority will put one in the White House because we all see through their lies and hypocrisy. Libertarianism may work in a small unincorporated community, but never on a national or even a municipal level. This country is not a small remote village founded on some desolate outpost. We’re a bit more than a population of forty people. The “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” barter system only works on the frontier and in Congress (well, it used to work in Congress).
So anyone, like my Libertarian/right wing correspondent who truly believes in the possibility of a President Ron or Rand Paul is a complete fool and sees American politics through the spectrum of his own skewed ideology.
Show me a Libertarian dreaming of starting a business who would reject a taxpayer-paid government-subsidized low-interest SBA loan he qualifies for, and I’ll show you a fictional character. Libertarians aren’t even Libertarians; they’re Republicans. Liars and hypocrites.