ARTICLE FEATURED IN THIS WEEK'S 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can afford, the more their school suffers: larger classrooms, outdated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.
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