How much do you value your freedom?
How much will you endure to protect it?
Well, these are tricky questions. And there’s actually a simple approach that I use to tease out some answers.
It’s about the use of traffic lights.
It goes like this:
- Personality Type #1 — Some people believe that traffic lights are always good. So we should have them at every corner and every intersection. As much as humanly possible.
- Personality Type #2 — Some people believe that traffic lights are usually good. So we should have them at certain corners and certain intersections. Only when necessary.
- Personality Type #3 — Some people believe that traffic lights are never good. So we should remove them completely. It should be free flow. Everywhere and anywhere.
So…which personality type do you think you fall under?
Now, of course, I have come across Type #1 and Type #2. They are quite common. And it’s safe to say that 99% of the people in our society fall under these categories.
They usually don’t dismiss the necessity of traffic lights. When they engage in debate, it’s usually limited to the presence and utility of traffic lights.
Where? How? Why?
However, on the rare occasion, I have come across Type #3. They’re the 1%. One-percenters. And I find these people to be the most fascinating. They’re ideologically pure. The most honest. That is, if you can accept their uncompromising views.
These people are libertarians.
These people are anarchists.
They are defiant and proud when it comes to freedom.
Here’s how a random chat with one of them usually plays out…
A conversation with Libertarian Joe
Source: Wikimedia Commons
ME: ‘So…you don’t believe in traffic lights?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Nope. I believe in self-responsibility.’
ME: ‘Which means…no traffic lights?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘None. Nada. Zilch. Traffic lights are symbols of oppression.’
ME: ‘What?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Look, I just want the freedom to drive how I choose. Why should I have to deal with traffic lights just because other people are too stupid to navigate an intersection? The government needs to lay off. Stop controlling us. Stop telling us what to do.’
ME: ‘But traffic lights are there to keep us safe—’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Nah, you’re being brainwashed by the reptilian global elite. Remember Benjamin Franklin? The guy on our American $100 bill? Well, he says this, “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”’
ME: ‘Okay. Benjamin Franklin. Founding Father. Got it. But, practically speaking, without traffic lights, there would be more accidents. More fatalities. Surely that’s not a good outcome—’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Give me liberty or give me death!’
ME: ‘But if people are driving too fast and don’t stop in time—’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Give me liberty or give me death!’
ME: ‘Uh, okay. Liberty. All right. So…let’s switch topics for a moment. Forget the traffic lights. Can we do that? Let’s just imagine that you’re at home. It’s the middle of the night. And you hear a violent crash. Criminals are at your front door. They are trying to break into your home. Trying to force their way in…’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘You’re talking about a home invasion?’
ME: ‘Yeah. Home invasion. 2am. They’re armed and dangerous.’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Well, hoorah. I’ll handle the bastards myself. I’ve got enough ammo. And my brand-new AR-15 is ready to rock and roll.’
ME: ‘You won’t call the cops?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Hell, no. That’s government oppression. I reject the idea that I should pay taxes to fund a public service that I may never use.’
ME: ‘Wait. Hold on. Aren’t the police a useful public service? They exist to deter crime. Enforce social order.’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Social order, my ass. The cops are just licenced gangsters. Ever heard of the Gestapo, KGB, or Stasi? I don’t trust any of them. I wouldn’t want their jackboots on my throat.’
ME: ‘But if you’re a law-abiding person, surely you’ve got no reason to fear the police? They are there to protect you and serve you.’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Give them an inch, they’ll take a mile.’
ME: ‘Excuse me?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Read Richard Morgan, why don’t you? He says, “Society is, always has been and always will be a structure for the exploitation and oppression of the majority through systems of political force dictated by an elite, enforced by thugs, uniformed or not, and upheld by a wilful ignorance and stupidity on the part of the very majority whom the system oppresses.”’
ME: ‘Mm-hm. Okay…that’s deep.’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Yeah, it is deep, isn’t? Anyhow, like I said, my home, my castle. I’ve got enough ammo. I know how to pull the trigger. I know how to put steel on target. So I pity the fool who dares to trespass on my domain. In fact, with the money that I save from paying taxes, I could buy more ammo. And another AR-15. And another. So…forget the cops. Don’t need them.’
ME: ‘Sure. All right. You’ve got that under control. But…let’s switch scenarios, all right? Let’s just say the problem is not a home invasion. What if it’s an act of nature? What if your home catches fire? What if it’s burning down?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Oh jeez. Are you dense, man? I can put out the flames myself. I know how to handle a hose. It’s just water. It’s not rocket science.’
ME: ‘So you won’t be tempted to call the fire department?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Hell, no. Are you deaf? Like I said, that’s government oppression. Why should I pay taxes for a public service that I may never end up using? Besides, I practise self-responsibility. My home will never catch fire in the first place.’
ME: ‘You don’t like taxes. I get that. So does this mean you’re not in favour of any form of social welfare?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Good Lord. Socialism is the biggest con ever. It’s for lazy people who refuse to work hard. People are poor because they choose to be poor.’
ME: ‘They choose to be poor?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Absolutely. People love handouts. Haven’t you noticed? Parasites. Bloodsuckers. Won’t happen on my dime, I’ll tell you that.’
ME: ‘Okay, but what about the War on Drugs? Surely people shouldn’t be allowed to have easy access to heroin and cocaine—’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Well, why the hell not?’
ME: ‘Uh, because…it’s damaging to society?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘It’s their personal choice, ain’t it? People should have access to anything and everything they want. Why should the government dictate what folks can or can’t do to their own bodies?’
ME: ‘Okay. All right. Personal choice. But what about abortion? You must know what an incendiary issue this is in America—’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Man, weren’t you listening to me? It’s about freedom. Let me spell it out to you. F-R-E-E-D-O-M. Why should the government dictate what folks can or can’t do to their own bodies? Get that? Or…are you deaf?’
ME: ‘No, no. I hear you fine—’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Are you sure? Because your hearing seems awfully impaired. It must be that free universal healthcare you have in New Zealand. Socialism is destroying your eardrums. You don’t even know it.’
ME: ‘Um, sure. I see where you’re coming from. Honestly, I do. But—’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘There’s no but about it. Government regulation always leads to government oppression. So I reject that completely and utterly. Because what a woman wants to do with her body is her business. Just like what I want to do with my guns is my business.’
ME: ‘Okay. I hear you. My ears are working fine. Promise. So, just switching topics again, I take it that you don’t believe that climate change is manmade?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Hey, what do you take me for? Some dumb hillbilly? Of course climate change is manmade. It’s real. You can see it. You can measure it. I’ve done it myself.’
ME: ‘Wait, wait. Hold on. I just thought—’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Nope. You’re clearly not thinking. And I took you to be a fairly intelligent dude. Frankly, I’m disappointed.’
ME: ‘I just assumed—’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Don’t assume, okay? It’s all about observation. Tell me, have you ever driven out of the city and into the rural areas? And have you actually noticed how the temperature steadily drops the further away you get from traffic and buildings and concrete? And have you ever noticed how the reverse is true? The thermometer inches up whenever you leave the rural areas and get closer to the city?’
ME: ‘Uh, I must admit. I’ve never noticed that.’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Well, you’re a chump, then. And anybody who says climate change is not manmade clearly wasn’t noticing either.’
ME: ‘Okay. Does this mean you concede that government intervention is necessary to solve climate change?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Nope. Absolutely not. It’s not the government’s job to fix the climate problem. I reject that utterly and completely.’
ME: ‘Even if the government has enormous resources?’
LIBERTARIAN: ‘Give them an inch, they’ll take a mile.’
ME: ‘Right…’
LIBERTARIAN: ‘They really need to lay off from telling people what to do. In fact, they need to disappear. Cancel the government. Full stop. That would make me real happy.’
ME: ‘So…no compromise?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘No compromise.’
ME: ‘Give me liberty or give me death?’
LIBERTARIAN JOE: ‘Ah, you’re listening. Now you’re speaking my language. Finally.’
The bottom line
It’s so refreshing to talk to a passionate libertarian, isn’t it?
There’s a charming simplicity to their belief system.
Government is always the problem. So let’s cancel the government. No government, no problem.
I do admire such gumption.
But, personally, I wouldn’t go that far. I consider myself a political moderate. And I believe that governments have done their fair share of both bad and good.
If you choose to acknowledge the good, then you must concede that humanity would not have progressed as well as it has if we didn’t have law and order. And you must also concede that our civilisation would be meaningless if we didn’t make the effort to nurture a sense of community over the generations.
Nonetheless, we still struggle with the exact role that government should play in our lives.
Liberals want the government to push through policies that encourage social change. Meanwhile, conservatives want the government to push through policies that defend social order.
The controversy is ongoing:
- Perhaps you feel uneasy about certain trends emerging in the world today?
- Perhaps you feel uncomfortable about certain attitudes gaining pace in your community?
- Perhaps you’re wondering what the long-term impact might be on your family’s well-being and happiness?
Of course, it’s only human to worry. After all, we all feel it when societal winds shift and change. And depending on which way the prevailing breeze blows, some political beliefs grow stronger, while other political beliefs get weaker.
The Germans call this zeitgeist — the spirit of the times.
So, are you concerned about what you’re seeing at the moment? Do you feel like you need to be doing something in response to the zeitgeist?
Well, rest assured, I have good news for you. If you’re an investor worried about current trends, there’s actually one place where ideology holds very little sway — the stock market.
Here’s why:
- The market is neither liberal nor conservative. It’s politically neutral.
- The market does not care about your ethnicity or your religion. It is colour-blind and non-denominational.
- The market is neither moral nor immoral. It is amoral. You will notice that money doesn’t sleep. It simply wants to multiply itself through the magic of compounding. It also wants to earn a decent yield along the way.
So if you desire freedom — the freedom to live your life on your terms — this might just be the ticket.
John is the Chief Investment Officer at Wealth Morning. His responsibilities include trading, client service, and compliance. He is an experienced investor and portfolio manager, trading both on his own account and assisting with high net-worth clients. In addition to contributing financial and geopolitical articles to this site, John is a bestselling author in his own right. His international thrillers have appeared on the USA Today and Amazon bestseller lists.