Quote:
Originally Posted by PlumberKhan
Libertarian is Latin for "normal person".
We will never enact governmental change because we are lazy and not motivated by the dogma that motivates the D's and the R's to the polls.
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It isn't laziness. In fact, I'd say both your average (D) and (R) voter are far more lazy, because rather than attempt to educate themselves on the issues individually, most of them take at face value their preferred party's talking points and fall right in line with them en masse. You don't have to look very far to find people engaged in politics who obviously have never even considered any viewpoint but their own.
No, Libertarians have a different problem. They've come to their own belief structure based on an overall sense of importance of personal freedom, and the belief that government exists primarily to protect it. It is that inherent belief, that prioritization, that is the obstacle to massive Libertarian action. Think about what drives politicians - the primary motivation, whether they acknowledge it or not, is a desire for power; power over others. Most Libertarians inherently only desire power over their own fates. There is little incentive to join the ranks of a government if you seek to minimize it.
Most Libertarians I know are frustrated with our current course, but the overall attitude is "well, best to tune it out, and just do what I can within my own power to shield my own interests from it. My responsibility is first and foremost to myself and my family. If the collective desires to erode freedom, they will have to live with those consequences as much as anyone else will, but I will do what I can to minimize the damage here at home". We often try to live in the world that we desire it to be. The "fight" simply isn't interesting to many, as there are far more important things in life.
So laziness, no. You can say selfishness, but not in the sense of the way the word has been so demonized. It's a trait we all have; one that drives every single action that we take. It has enabled us to survive, evolve, and what made us the dominant species on this planet.