Is Libertarianism Consistent With Voting? A Personal View.

Coercion is the opposite of a live-and-let-live attitude. And our current American governmental coercion enforces subjugation and imposes laws and taxation on unwilling, unconsenting individuals. To vote is to participate in this process, enabling governments to claim a “mandate” for their coercive activities. Thus, voting is inconsistent with libertarian ideas.

“The fact is that the average man’s love of liberty is nine-tenths imaginary, exactly like his love of sense, justice and truth. He is not actually happy when free; he is uncomfortable, a bit alarmed, and intolerably lonely. Liberty is not a thing for the great masses of men…like knowledge, courage and honor. It takes a special sort of man to understand and enjoy liberty — and he is usually an outlaw in democratic societies.”
H.L. Mencken, Baltimore Evening Sun 12 February 1923

Libertarian voters claim they want to remove government tyranny, but if they attempt to do so via voting then they are forcing their ways on others. Most people do not want liberty or freedom; in fact, they often not only desire to be part of a collective mass of people swayed, manipulated, and  “protected” by a “state,” but they also want others forced into the same mold. This is where libertarians should differ from Republicans and Democrats, who do seek to control others.

We universally agree it is immoral if one person forces another to do his will when it is against their own. Unfortunately, this principle is forgotten when election time comes. If someone desires to control another, he can vote, or worse, make a good living by entering politics. Democracy creates an entire tax-funded system of bullying. It is not a loving but a mean system of governance.

To enter into politics via voting, we are joining a war that is opposed to libertarian ideas. To force our ways on others who do not desire it. Even if what we are trying to impose is our view of liberty and freedom, if that is not what they want, it is tyranny; it is government coercion; it is prideful to levy our ways on others. God does not impose His way on us; He gives us the chance to choose Him as Lord.

Democracy indulges the worst part of human nature; the desire to rule others. It brings out the Saruman and Sauron within us as we seek to use the One Ring – or in our case government power – to coerce others to do our bidding. It is a corrupt, backward, and oppressive system.

Voting is not about getting the government you desire; it is more about preventing others from having theirs. It propagates a mindset saying we must fight over Tolkien’s “One Ring to Rule them all.” We puritanically believe we are better than the other dumb peasants, those who do not vote like us. So we must vote to coerce them away from their self-governance and into our mold. Democracy is one big war of people denying each other self-rule.

One thing I won’t be doing is voting or attempting to force my way on others; instead, I will follow the golden rule and treat others the way I want them to treat me. I do not want others to use government coercion and power to force me to do what I don’t desire or support what I would otherwise not, and even though they will continue to do that, from now on I choose to turn the other cheek and not repay evil for evil.