The Libertarian Times #4

LIBERTARIAN TIMES – ISSUE #4, MAY 1, 2009


Editorial

Once again, my heartfelt thanks to all of you who responded, commented and made suggestions on the past 3 issues! I really appreciate it! Please keep it going!

Special thanks to Nick Sorrentino, who has made “Libertarian Times” available on his site www.libertyandeconomics.com.

Swine flu seems to have stolen the headlines this week from the economic crisis. The really bad news is that this flu gives governments even more reasons to put restrictions on our lives, “for our own good” of course. The economic crisis, however, hasn’t gone away yet. The World Bank this week even spoke about “calamity”, especially for the third world. I am still in Kenya and while at least 4 million people are starving here and 10 million are facing severe food shortage (according to the local papers), government leaders have brought all government business to a standstill over a dispute as to who should be Leader of Government Business in Parliament.

Just a small example that politicians in power do not care about the people they officially “rule”. But you already know that! (As an aside, the Speaker of the Assembly, who was to rule on who should be the Leader of Government Business in Kenya’s Parliament, in a novel judgment, appointed himself to the position until such time as the coalition partners can agree on a candidate).

Interestingly enough, the perception by the majority of people who know a little about Libertarians is that we are the ones who don’t care. Libertarians are selfish to the extreme, they charge, and don’t give a damn about others. After all, we believe in the “Virtue of Selfishness”.

Others have said that the Libertarian philosophy can only work for highly intelligent, educated, sincere, competent, and fair people (the likes of John Galt in Galt’s Gulch) and is not “practical” for the real world, for the masses of people “out there”. It is suitable only for a special “elite” and a small one at that.

Even some of you have pointed out that it is very difficult to get Libertarians to agree on something or to be organized into a community: it is a bit like “herding cats”, a hopeless task. The individualistic nature of most Libertarians prevents them from collaborating too closely and each one is focused on achieving his or her own objectives, rather than the objectives of a group.

I have reflected a lot about these thoughts and perceptions. Ever since running as a candidate in parliamentary elections in Australia in 1980, when I was very idealistic and also very naïve, it bothered me that the benefits of our philosophy of personal liberty and responsibility were not obvious to the majority of the voters. Nearly 30 years on, not much seems to have changed.

I must admit that “me too” started to focus on my personal objectives after losing my deposit in the elections. Changing the world was just too hard! Better to focus on what I wanted to get out of life and pursue it. When I came across the concept of “PT” or Perpetual Traveler, I knew this was for me and the PT lifestyle has been very satisfying for me for the past 18 years.

A few years back however, while working in Indonesia and “experiencing” (as in observing) absolute poverty for the first time, it struck me that there must be more to life than merely fulfilling my own desires. I also came across the words of Martin Luther King, JR: “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity”.

While not changing my number one objective (“to discover my own potential and then to realize it”), I added a second objective: “to help other people discover their own potential and to realize it”. Of course, only for those people who were seriously interested.

I found, in hindsight not surprisingly, that those people turned out to be “non-conventional” people; people who did not necessarily do and act as was expected of them, be it from parents, teachers, friends, peers or society. In other words, the basic characteristics of Libertarians! It reignited my interest in things Libertarian, got me involved in the Liberty Camps organized by the Language of Liberty Institute (LLI), and many of you, my readers, are on my list as a result of these camps.

Today, faced by the economic crisis, the government reactions to it, the attacks in the media assigning blame for the crisis on capitalism and free markets, the imminent destruction of our money and savings, and contemplating the future that young Libertarians potentially face, stirred me to start this newsletter and find out what the Libertarian community is thinking and doing in light of this.

We will have a closer look next week at the options that you have suggested. They cover a wide range of topics and I am still asking you to contribute more ideas and opinions.

In this issue, however, I want to focus on one option that featured previously: a real-life Libertarian Community in a physical location, reminiscent of “Galt’s Gulch”. (If you are not familiar with Galt’s Gulch, please read “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand).

This Community, consisting of some 100 Libertarian-oriented individuals from 11 countries, is located in the northwest province of Salta, Argentina. It is the work largely of one individual, Doug Casey, who needs no introduction to Libertarians.

An area of 1,200 acres in the Calchaqui Valley, called La Estancia de Cafayate, is home to these freedom-loving individuals, at least for several months a year. It has rich farm land, world-class vineyards and spectacular scenery. For a closer look at the scenery,the vision and other details, please go to www.laestanciadecafayate.com. If you love wine, horses and golf, La Estancia de Cafayate is for you! And while it sounds more like a holiday resort, far away from the troubles of the world, members of the community can engage in money-making activities, from dairy-farming to wine making, and many of them follow events in the global economy closely, including Doug himself.

In previous issues we talked about the Libertarian Diaspora and our search for a “homeland”. Places such as La Estancia de Cafayate, while not independent countries, are sufficiently “autonomous” to allow for a large amount of freedom for its inhabitants. They could be an excellent “interim” solution for Libertarians who want to retreat from the world, if only temporarily, and mix with the members of the “Diaspora”, exchange intellectual debates, engage in commercial activities, and enjoy life and liberty.

Some of you may think of this community as the “lucky elite” of Libertarians who have the financial means to afford such a lifestyle. The rest of us have to survive in the “real world” and feel the immediate impacts of an economic crisis. As Libertarians, of course, we all strive for individual success and we respect the way individuals choose to celebrate their success. It is a fundamental principle of personal liberty. Even if we do not agree with the way an individual spends his success, or his money, we respect his right to do as he or she pleases.

For me, the ideal situation would be to have multiple Estancias around the world, (and I know that Doug is also looking to replicate his community in different parts of the world) and to have them for Libertarians from a variety of economic backgrounds. We are all members of the “Diaspora” and none of us should be “left behind”. Some of you have already proposed such communities that can be established for very little money and members could contribute by becoming engaged in their physical construction. Combine the establishment of the community with commercial activities appropriate to the location and to the skills of its members, and you have the basis for a functioning community.

Finally, linking the communities around the world into a virtual community that collaborates on a global scale and pursues agreed goals and objectives could be the next best thing to an official “homeland”.

I mentioned previously that I thought the establishment of physical communities would be a long-term objective, but so many of you mentioned this topic that I decided to discuss it in this issue.

So now I invite you to continue the discussion. How many of you would be interested or willing to live in such a community? Is La Estancia de Cafayate an appropriate “role model” for Libertarian Communities? Are such Communities a good “interim” solution and possibly an alternative to a “homeland”?

Love to hear from you!

Andy