Right, Left and Center: What is Libertarianism and what kind of Libertarian are you?

Libertarians try to find creative ways to increase individual freedom while simultaneously decreasing state power. The Libertarian Party can be very well called the Freedom party, which would be the only party that advocates for freedom in Canada. 

In response to critics that say libertarians are overly idealistic for opposing government intervention, many if not most libertarians say that they recognize that Canadian citizens are currently highly dependent on the Canadian government, particularly as the Trudeau government increases state intervention to virtually all domains of human life except in how we dress (for now). That is, there is a misconception that libertarians believe in suddenly removing the government overnight if they’re elected.  Instead of suddenly removing state interventions, however, libertarians seek ways for communities to raise their own social and economic capital if they so wish, thus willingly and of their own volition becoming more dynamic communities independent from the government. This process can be called decentralization, a cornerstone of the libertarian strategy. 

There are left- and right-libertarians. They each agree on the core tenets of maximizing freedom with a belief that the majority of government power is inherently corrupt. They each believe in the harm principle – that freedom should be maximized insofar as it doesn’t harm other people. They both believe in decentralization and, ultimately, individual and communal self-reliance. 

The difference between right- and left-libertarians is essentially in their economic outlook, with the right believing in a volunteer-based, non-governmental free market capitalism, whilst left-libertarians are socialist-minded and do not necessarily believe in private property and certainly do not believe in corporate property. Left libertarians are also typically more atheistic. 

Since there is a right and a left, there is also a center. I myself identify as center libertarian inspired by the English thinker William Godwin. The modern form of this perspective is less focused on economic theories, accepting private property for the simple reason that it is a reality of daily life, but not necessarily in principle. The focus is on unnecessary state intervention in all domains of life, a tenet shared by left and right-wing libertarians.