A New Libertarian Code

For years, the two parties that run our government have been putting a great deal of effort into coming up with various ways to say what they want to do, without using the hot button words that they believe will turn away voters.  They use  witty turns of phrase to draw in support from those who can be swayed by framing the discussion in a totally different way.  For example, nobody talks about banning gay marriage.  Instead, they come up with "Defense of Marriage", implying that it is under attack from the evil people across the aisle, and at the same time positioning themselves as defenders of the good.  Likewise, people who have crossed our borders without going through customs, presenting a passport, and so on, aren't illegal immigrants.  They aren't even criminals.  They are "Undocumented Workers", or according to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, "New Americans".  (I guess us "old Americans" need to just get on off to our rocking chairs!)

Libertarians, generally speaking, don't spend very much time doing this sort of spin.  Perhaps that's why our ideas don't make much headway.  We're too honest. Most people don't really want to know or understand what their senators and congressmen are doing, and the more radical the change someone is looking for, the less likely people will want to take the time to hear about it, let alone accept it.  I think it's time we start redefining how we speak about the different things we want to see change.  I've come up with a short list of possibilities:

• We need to stop bashing the War on Drugs.  Not because it's a good policy, but because complaining about a war is un-Patriotic, and automatically leads people to assume we are the enemy.  (After all, if we were on their side the war wouldn't bother us, right?)  Instead, let's defend the right to grow and smoke cannabis, by decrying the government's "Herbal Profiling"!  How dare they single out one plant among so many, and only subject that one plant to persecution!
• Dismantling Social Security, Welfare, mandatory health care, and other entitlement programs established by Congress drives too many people away.  Not only does it scare people who depend on such programs for their own, or their loved ones' well-being, it's a big, big change, and many folks just don't know how to talk about it.  Instead, let's write up a "Defense of Personal Responsibility" law.  Let's get people angry at the idea that the government is labeling them as too stupid, or lazy or irresponsible to make these decisions, and so is taking away their right to decide.  What decisions will they take next?
• All those government requirements that make it so hard to start a new business when there are already big players there?  W can't talk about removing them as "Deregulation" any longer.  So, how about we declare a "War on Anti-Competition".

Why not give it a try?