Lord Acton once said that power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Nothing is closer to the truth and this essay helps uncover this.
The Libertarian movement is gaining momentum globally, due in large part to young people, who can identify with a strong push for life, liberty and property. The movement started in the 1980s but did not gain momentum and mainstream recognition until the 2000s, most notably with the 2008 presidential run by Dr. Ron Paul. A man well into his 70s connected so well with young voters because his message was basic, absolute, and defined. It is also timeless; the idea of minimal government and maximum social and economic freedom is largely based on the American constitution and other fundamental principles developed in the 18th and 19th century, but can still be applied today. Libertarianism closely resembles traditional liberalism developed around the same time where freedom and equality were viewed “narrowly and legalistically” as individual liberty and equality before the law, respectively.[1] Libertarians are attempting to bring back the individual as the most important actor in society and this is resonating with young people who are facing extreme taxation to cover aging worker’s pension plans and social welfare. Furthermore, Libertarians and young people alike are both identifying excessive government control as a threat to future freedom and liberty.
Libertarianism is centralized around the right to life, and states that the right to life is the source of all other rights, such as the right to free speech and/or the right to liberty. By ensuring the right to life, Libertarians can offer maximum economic and social freedom which appeals to a younger generation that is characterised by an era of free thinking and free information. Libertarians accomplish this by inheriting the idea of self-ownership, which simply put means, you own your life. To deny this is to imply or accept that someone else has a more legitimate claim over your own life. So just as you do not own the life of anyone else, no one owns your life either.
Accepting that a person owns their life, one must realize that they exist in the past, present, and future; which manifests itself in life, liberty, and property. If someone takes away your life, they are taking away your future; if someone takes away your liberty, they are taking away you in the present; and if they take away your property, they are taking away the portion of your past that produced the property. This is why John Locke argued that “all persons are endowed by God with natural rights to life, liberty, and property.”[2] Furthermore, Locked stated that these rights are “inalienable” and that “any law that violates these rights is illegitimate.”[3] Ultimately, the product of your life and your liberty equals your property and no one is entitled to that property without your consent. Two parties can exchange property voluntarily and will be both better off or they will not do it. This voluntary agreement necessary for mutual exchange is the basis of why Libertarians believe taxation is unlawful and a form of theft. Libertarians state that only the parties involved can decide if it is mutually beneficial. The Canadian Income Tax is an example of how people are forced to give up the fruits of their labour unwillingly. No one agrees to be taxed; it is enforced by threat of punishment. Not only is the income tax counterproductive as it taxes productivity (the more you work, the more you get taxed), it is a monumental evasion of our right to life and the rights associated with that life, namely the right to retain property. Young Canadians want to opt-out of social welfare and take responsibility for themselves economically, so that they can live their life virtuously to the fullest, however they see fit.
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[1] Brodie, Janine., Rein, Sandra. (2009) “Critical Concepts: An Introduction to Politics” 4th Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall: Toronto Ontario. P. 36
[2] Brodie, Janine., Rein, Sandra. (2009) “Critical Concepts: An Introduction to Politics” 4th Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall: Toronto Ontario. P. 37
[3] Brodie, Janine., Rein, Sandra. (2009) “Critical Concepts: An Introduction to Politics” 4th Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall: Toronto Ontario. P. 37
- Quote paper
- Cory Contini (Author), 2009, The Young Push for Liberty, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/211155
