Second Thoughts -- Part III

Okay, so it's conclusion time. Where do my second thoughts lead me?

As choices obviously must be made as to which segments of the population will bear the primary burdens of "libertarianizing" society (and I do believe that this libertarian direction is ultimately the one in which, to save this country, we must go), I must admit that I definitely have strong preferences in the matter. Those who bear the primary burdens, who pay the biggest share of the price, must be those best able to afford it. It must be the wealthy and the comfortable, the powerful and the privileged.

The only way this would ever happen would be if the libertarian movement moved to the Left, the Left moved toward libertarianism, and the twain met in the middle. A movement full of former Right-wing Republicans just ain't gonna cut it. That is, however, exactly what today's libertarian movement is.

Do I think more liberals will be attracted to libertarianism as I have been? Given the heavy-handedly statist turn of the Right wing, it is certainly possible. But thus far I see very little sign of it.

I will be blunt. Ultimately, I would prefer to see our society conform as closely as possible to the libertarian model. But if that does not happen -- and UNTIL it happens -- I would vastly prefer to see the Left running things than I would the Right. And I would rather see the Left running things forever and evermore than to see the country become libertarian at the expense of those who would most suffer to bear the brunt of it.

At this point I can just see libertarian eyes narrow. "You're not a true believer," they would sneer. And no, I suppose I'm really not.

We can't simply flip a switch, or wiggle our noses like Samantha on Bewitched, and make the libertarian vision happen. I wish we could just as much as the libertarians do, but I think we can all just pretty much shit in one hand, wish in the other and see which one fills up faster. If our vision ever comes to be a reality at all -- and that is a very big IF -- it will only happen slowly and gradually. Imperfectly. Because we aren't angels, and we do not yet reside in Heaven.

I don't know yet how this affects my party affiliation. Here comes yet another national election, and the Libertarian Party is as disorganized and head-in-the-clouds as ever. The Democrats show little sign of returning to their former convictions, so to run right back into their arms may not be the answer either. Though it could very well be that I -- and people like me -- have a better chance of reforming the Democratic Party than we ever would of helping the Libertarians come down to earth and come up with a strategy that has any hope of making their party a contender.

Immediately on the horizon is the necessity of taking our country back from the jackbooted fascists who now run it. For the time being, at the very least, I will back whichever party shows itself most up to the task.

To mark the first September 11th of this blog, I will officially launch its brand-new format, concentrating from then on on what I have come to believe should be its biggest concerns. Stay tuned, darlings. It's taken awhile, but Born on 9-11 is about to hit its stride.