Am I “Woke”?
The term “woke” is used in two ways, but currently only the first one is used much. It’s mostly used to mean someone who is performatively careful to use certain words or phrases meant to signal that they are against racism, sexism and generally, inequity. The second (more original) meaning is that a person is aware of harms being done to people other than themselves, and tries not to be harmful themselves.
I would say that I’m a little bit in the first group, and trying very hard to be in the second. If a person says that their pronouns are “zey/zem”, I will use those (if I remember!) because that is something meaningful to them, as “doctor” or “professor” is to others, even if it doesn’t mean anything special to me. More importantly, I want to be aware of implicit biases that don’t affect me personally. For instance, as a male I almost never have to wait in line at a public restroom, while I constantly see long lines for women. If there are misguided regulations that say that restrooms must be segregated by gender and give the same square footage to each (a well-meaning governmental solution that could make the problem worse), then I should be aware of how that affects people negatively.
Am I patriotic?
I love our country, but I don’t support everything that our government does or even everything that our society likes. Most people in the world have affection for the country they grew up in, and I’m no different. I’m also thrilled to live in a country that has a Bill of Rights and attempts to protect everyone. I think the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are impressive. I think that idolizing the US flag is a little bit fascist, but I respect people who understand that it is merely a symbol of a more important movement toward freedom.
Do I Hate Poor People?
I only put this question here because a popular opinion is that libertarians support destroying all welfare programs.
I’ve been poor. My mother used welfare (AFDC–Aid to Families with Dependent Children) and food stamps and free government food. I had free lunches at school when that was not universal. As a young adult, I had grants and lower costs for some years at community college. I’m grateful that we were supported, but I’m also aware of how the bureaucracy treated my mother (sometimes well, but not always), which never led to saving the taxpayers money, but did lead to fear of aid being cut off.
I think for the most part, the main difference between poor people and not-poor people is how much money they have. A few poor people have so many problems that they will never be self-sufficient. A few rich people are so talented and driven that they will always succeed. Most of us are in between; if we have money already we can keep it, and if we don’t we’ll always be scrambling.
I don’t know anyone in the US who would want to let a citizen starve or be turned away from life-saving medical help. Until the happy day when safeguards spring up voluntarily from a totally free society, protecting the vulnerable must (in my opinion) be added to the core libertarian principles of protecting people from force, fraud and theft.
I’m open to creative ways to keep people from dying of neglect. Maybe a Universal Basic Income would make Welfare obsolete. Maybe universal basic (say, preventative and emergency) health care would cost less than the current mandate that no one can be turned away from emergency services, where some people get their only care. As long as the goal is to use as little force (for instance, on taxpayers) as possible, I am willing to extend government to cover societal goals that are not “strictly libertarian.”
Do I think libertarians are always right?
Obviously not, I think quite a few in the Libertarian Party (and others who call themselves libertarians without thinking it through) act like juveniles, but the majority seem to be in it to advance liberty for everyone, not to get elected or famous. For a party that is often accused of being filled with selfish people, it’s surprising how many people volunteer their time to make society better for everyone, rather than using it to enrich themselves.
Now consider whether you’ve ever heard another candidate call out the behavior of a member of their own party (before that behavior caused a viral storm, say). An honest Democrat can like former president Obama and also criticize questionable drone strikes that violated international norms. An honest Republican can vote for president Trump and still think that he used pardons immorally, is wrong about tariffs, and should not be starting wars for vague reasons, without congressional approval.
Can I put my main philosophy into a single sentence?
You own your body and your mind.
Adults–and in some cases kids with the help of their adults–should be able to control what happens to their bodies and should be able to express what’s on their minds. Thankfully, we have the First Amendment (constantly under attack, constantly being defended) for the second part.
But what about bodily autonomy? People who are pregnant should be able to get an abortion, at the very least until the fetus is viable–but others shouldn’t have to pay for it. People who want gender-affirming care should not be restricted from accessing it–but others shouldn’t have to pay for it. Adult people who want to use drugs (with informed consent) for medical reasons, or just for entertainment, should be able to (on their own dime). Adult people who want to use their sexuality to make money should be able to. Adults who face pain and death should be able to terminate their lives on their own terms, legally.
I’m all for informed consent, and I don’t believe that kids should be allowed to use drugs or do sex work. But I do think adults have the right to decide what is right for themselves (as long as they are not aggressing against others), without society’s laws deciding for them.