The Libertarian Distorted Freedom

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Many staunchly conservative Republicans, especially those associated with the Tea Party and Libertarian movement, strongly advocate the appealing concept of 'freedom' and promise to uphold it in Government. Steve Eicher, C.E.O of the movement claims that the Tea Party is 'keeping alive the voice of freedom'. The slogan of the American Libertarian Party is 'Maximum Freedom, Limited Government'. Sounds appealing does't it? Well, when analysing what freedoms are supported and what principles are supported to fulfil those freedoms one might realise that this approach to freedom is only guaranteed to certain people and for certain monetary interest. Freedom is not upheld for all and there is a grave clashing of freedoms, where the freedoms of the more vulnerable in society would be diminished to uphold and increase the freedoms of the powerful.



Those associated with the Tea Party or the Libertarian Party would, for example, justify the unregulated mass environmental damage caused by industry based on the corporations freedom to pollute. This leads one to consider the peoples freedom to breathing clean air or their freedom to enjoy an unexploited landscape. The Libertarian organisation Get Liberty is running a 'defund the EPA' campaign to 'protect businesses from radical environmentalism'. They are fighting against the EPA's regional haze rules and carbon restrictions on plants as they disagree with the statement made in the Clean Air Act that carbon dioxide of a 'harmful pollutant' because they believe that this gas is 'necessary for the very existence of life'. There is now 400 ppm of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; humanity's all time record for highest CO2 concentration. The aim of reducing or even repealing the federal pollution caps on corporations will only protect the finical interests of the already wealthy business owners while the environment, which is lived in and supports the whole of the population, is degraded and damaged beyond repair.
Secondly, the Libertarians believe that education and healthcare should not be provided by the government and should instead be a personal responsibility of the parents to provide for their children. This is upheld on the basis that people should have a freedom not to sacrifice their personal money as taxes and a freedom from overly intrusive government intervention and a breakaway from the 'nanny state'. Again, one persons freedom to be autonomous over schooling and getting their healthcare privately would conflict with another persons freedom to essential free education and medical aid to ensure somewhat of a good quality of life. With about 50 million Americans living in poverty a withdrawal of government funding on these paramount issues would exploit the freedom of a significantly numerous and vulnerable section of society. If the access to quality education is dependent on ones finical situation the inequality divide will only increase, making it even more difficult for the poor to even work their way above the poverty line. These regulations are only designed to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. They are protecting the 'freedoms' that will benefit the financial interests of those who already hold the majority of the money.
Our very own Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said that the subsidies for wind and solar energy 'should be phased out through tax reform'. He would 'reduce the power and authority of the federal Department of Education and, according to Politico, 'Bush said that Obamacare needed to be repealed'. During his Senate 2012 campaign, Ted Cruz suggested 'we should cut corporation tax rates - 15% immediately'. He also lead a movement to defund Obamacare in a 21 hour speech in the Senate.
If this false 'freedom' ideal is upheld the environment, the peoples health and education and therefore their livelihoods and future life quality will be in grave danger. These fundamental freedoms to ensure the opportunities to work towards a better life will be completely trampled on to protect the already strong and supported wealthy minority. A freedom is only a freedom if it is shared by everyone and anyone and the distorted freedoms associated with the Republican ideal will eradicate the freedoms of the rest of the population.