Ah, libertarianism. The political philosophy that dares to whisper the unspeakable: “Leave people alone.” To the uninitiated, it sounds harmless enough, even noble. But to the high priests of the progressive movement, it’s nothing short of a dystopian horror show. Why do they find libertarian ideals so abhorrent? Buckle up, folks, because this is going to be a wild ride through the land of free markets and personal responsibility—a land progressives would rather see swallowed by a sinkhole.
The Myth of the Free Market Savior
Progressives have a special relationship with the state. To them, it’s a benevolent caretaker, a provider of social justice and safety nets. Enter the libertarian, stage right, with their belief in free markets. To a progressive, the idea that the invisible hand of the market will guide society towards prosperity is as credible as claiming the Loch Ness Monster will sort out climate change.
Libertarians champion deregulation, competition, and the abolition of economic barriers. Progressives see this as a recipe for disaster, a surefire way to allow corporations to run amok, exploit workers, and widen the chasm of inequality. The market, left to its own devices, is a monster that devours the weak and enriches the already powerful. To the progressive, regulation is the leash that keeps the beast at bay. Removing it is nothing short of lunacy.
The Heresy of Personal Responsibility
Libertarians commit the cardinal sin of preaching personal responsibility. Imagine, for a moment, suggesting that individuals should bear the consequences of their actions and choices. In the progressive catechism, society’s ills are structural and systemic. It’s never about the individual, always about the collective. Poverty, crime, and unemployment are products of societal failings, not personal decisions.
This belief in personal responsibility threatens the very foundation of progressive ideology. If people are responsible for their own outcomes, what need is there for expansive social programs, redistributive policies, and the omnipresent state? Libertarians, with their bootstraps rhetoric, are seen as heartless purveyors of victim-blaming, ignoring the systemic factors that progressives hold dear.
The Blasphemy Against Equality
Equality is the sacred cow of the progressive movement. Not just equality of opportunity, but equality of outcome. Libertarians, with their radical belief in meritocracy, are the heretics in this holy crusade. They argue that individuals should succeed or fail based on their abilities, efforts, and choices. This is anathema to progressives, who view disparities in wealth, health, and education as moral failings of society, not reflections of individual differences.
To progressives, the libertarian emphasis on individual achievement and reward is a thinly veiled justification for privilege and exploitation. It denies the reality of systemic oppression and perpetuates the myth that the playing field is level. Libertarians are seen not just as indifferent to inequality but as active agents in its perpetuation.
The Sacrilege of Non-Intervention
Libertarian foreign policy can be summed up in one word: non-intervention. For progressives, this is a dangerous fantasy. They argue that the world is interconnected and that the United States, with its economic and military might, has a moral duty to intervene in global crises. Whether it’s fighting terrorism, defending human rights, or addressing climate change, progressives believe in an activist foreign policy.
Libertarians, on the other hand, advocate for a humble foreign policy, free from entangling alliances and endless wars. To progressives, this is isolationism in disguise, a withdrawal from the global stage that would leave a vacuum for tyrants and despots to fill. They see libertarian non-interventionism as a recipe for global chaos and suffering.
Conclusion: The Unbridgeable Divide
The progressive movement’s abhorrence of libertarian ideals is rooted in a fundamental clash of worldviews. Where libertarians see freedom, progressives see chaos. Where libertarians see personal responsibility, progressives see victim-blaming. Where libertarians see meritocracy, progressives see inequality. And where libertarians see non-intervention, progressives see abdication of moral responsibility.
In the end, it’s not just a difference in policy but a difference in philosophy, a clash of visions for what society should be. Libertarians believe in the power of individuals to shape their own destinies. Progressives believe in the power of the collective to shape a just society. And as long as these two worldviews exist, they will remain irreconcilable, forever locked in a battle for the soul of America.
There you go! A Michael Malice-esque take on why progressives find libertarian ideals so abhorrent.