Voters Character

I regret that I have been unable in my lifetime to preserve liberty for my issue.

On this Election Day, like any other election day in a democracy, people will vote for the candidate that has the most flowering rhetoric, "We have a righteous wind at our back" or "We will change the world." When someone says they want to change the world, hold on to your wallet and freedoms because they will likely use force and aggression to affect the change they want.

People will vote for the candidate that has promised the most advantages to the most people. People will vote for the candidate that promises to improve the voter's status. They will vote for the candidate that promises to improve the lives of the voters. The voter will vote for a future filled with hope and promise, much like newlyweds. Like all other elections, and like most newlyweds, their illusions of the future will be exposed as just that, illusions. Then the disappointed voter, like the disappointed newlywed, will look for bliss in another suitor.

The voters will not vote for a candidate that demands liberty. Campaigning on a platform of liberty will mean the voter must assume responsibility for their own welfare, housing, food, and health care. Any Libertarian candidate that campaigns on such a platform never receives more than 2% of the votes! Libertarian candidates that propose a real free market with real competition do not get large campaign contributions from big business, Wall Street, bar associations, unions, doctors, teachers, and other groups. Barack Obama raised $640 million from people and organizations that want, something, but, not liberty!

Why do voters not vote for liberty? The voters' basic instincts are displayed at the ballot box. Their fears, greed, envy, wrath, and vanity are exercised when they cast their ballots.

Some voters claim they vote their virtues; hope, charity, justice, etc. But, they want to use force and aggression on others to enforce their desires on others. Forcing someone to surrender a portion of their production to the State is not charity. How can using force and aggression on others be virtuous? Many voters pay very little tax, yet they want to use force and aggression to confiscate even more money from 1% of the voters who already pay most of the tax.

If you want to know the character of your friends and neighbors, ask them, "Did you vote Libertarian"? Ask them why they voted? It will be a rare voter who tells you they voted for freedom.

This is an indication that humans are to be feared. When I hear someone say people are basically good, I want to ask them what would happen if only one race could vote. Do they think that race would be fair to the other races? What if only one gender was allowed to vote? Would that gender oppress the other? What if only one religion could vote? Would that religion be tolerant and kind to the other religions? What if only psychologists could vote? I think they would use force and require each one of us to get counseling each year and force us to pay for their services.

People will do what is in their best interest. If they think torture is in their best interest, they will torture.

Charles Tolleson, the Happy Misanthrope