• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Yogi's Podcast Network

The network with the most engaging content

  • Our Shows
    • Elite Podcast Academy
    • Fitness Freedom
    • Liberty Revealed
    • Peeling the Orange
    • The Nightly Rant
    • The Technology Alchemist
    • Trashed Talk Podcast
    • Your Favorite Blockhead
  • Be Our Guest
    • Liberty Revealed Booking
    • The Nightly Rant Booking
    • The Technology Alchemist Booking
  • Join the Network
  • Advertising
  • Media

September 30, 2019 By Mike

LR25: Pragmatic Libertarianism Should Be Our Future

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain our own.

Pragmatic Libertarianism

Liberty Revealed Episode 25 Show Summary

Mike talks the importance of being a Pragmatic Libertarian. He explains how it helps in the political arena.

Listen to Liberty Revealed Episode 25

Subscribe on iTunes
Subscribe on Google Play

Liberty Revealed Episode 25 Show Notes

Welcome back to another episode of Liberty Revealed, the show dedicated to revealing personal liberty to all who listen. I am your host, Mike Mahony, and today I want to discuss what it means to be a pragmatic Libertarian.

I’ve spoken about things like this on the show in the past. So many Libertarians are dogmatic with their positions on the issues. They want to see the Libertarian position in play and nothing less. Unfortunately, we live in a society where there are people who think like Libertarians, Republicans, Democrats, etc. Unless one election cycle every other party is voted out and Libertarians replace them, this is not a likely thing to happen.

The United States is not likely to create an open border policy any time soon. However, it is highly possible that Congress will expand the number of highly skilled immigrant visas allocated each year. 

It is highly unlikely that drugs will be legalized in the United States in the near future, but it is possible to expand access to Naloxone programs to reduce deaths by overdose.

The USA Patriot Act is likely here to stay. However, we could reduce some of the powers the NSA has to enhance personal liberty.

I do not see our government privatizing marriage, but at least every American is now entitled to be married.

This is why I strongly believe in pragmatic Libertarianism.

It is clear that if all Libertarian policies were implemented, it would be radical. However, being radical does not cause policy change in the short term.

A pragmatic Libertarian understands this issue and is happy making policy changes at the margin of issues. By continuing to work with lawmakers and making these small changes at the margin, we slowly move policy towards more and more Libertarian ideals. Being pragmatic and approaching governance in this manner, we slowly create a better society where personal liberty is at the forefront.

Many advocacy organizations seem to believe that public opinion can and does shape public policy, but the research disagrees. This is because public opinion tends to be very fickle.

If public opinion shaped public policy, trade would be more restricted, the minimum wage would be much higher, and corporations would be more regulated and more heavily taxed.

If honest, most Libertarians would admit that they, too, oppose public opinion. They believe that influencing legislators is only possible through the use of carrots and sticks: campaign contributions to reward good behavior and vocal activism to preempt or punish bad behavior.

Because most politicians are not influenced by public opinion, it gives us the opportunity to influence the formation of policy in other ways.

If public opinion matters less than most people think and politicians are motivated by more than simply election concerns, it is clear that engagement with policymakers, politicians, and bureaucrats can produce better returns on investments than grassroots activism aimed at moving the needle of public opinion.

While public opinion and activism can be effective at stopping policy changes perceived as negative, it is wholly inadequate at the task of furthering positive policy change.

Some libertarians argue that policy compromises are “selling out” fundamental principles to the government machine. But we libertarians will never pass pro-liberty legislation without assembling larger coalitions or without working toward small gains within the machine itself.

Politics is all about compromise–like it or not. When we are unwilling to engage in politics in pursuit of Libertarian policy, we are accepting the status quo. While public support of Libertarian policy is very helpful, it doesn’t define our success.

Obviously, it would also help if we elected pro-liberty politicians. The problem is that there are not many pro-liberty lawmakers. One thing is for sure–there are many Republican and Democrat lawmakers who are pro-liberty on a range of issues.

It is a fact that many young people find Libertarianism due to their belief that our political system is broken. Libertarianism offers a new narrative, seemingly unique, revolutionary, and focused on improving the lives of all people. However, most pro-liberty success, including the recent Supreme Court decision on marriage and the legalization of cannabis in a handful of states, falls short of the revolutionary political change many people are looking for.

Small policy changes like the marriage decision or the legalization of marijuana dramatically improve people’s lives. The dogmatic Libertarian tends to disagree with just small changes like this. They want to see bigger things and they feel that these small changes are selling out libertarian ideals.

Preventing 15,000 opiate overdoses through harm-reduction is not selling out libertarian ideals. It’s merely recognizing that a full end to the drug war is not plausible right now but that there is still plenty of room in the short term for policies that reduce the harm the drug war causes. By focusing on actionable policy improvements given the reality of the current political terrain, libertarians can achieve real change.

Launching a new guest-worker program in agriculture may not abolish the borders, but it will dramatically improve the lives of a few thousand Haitian immigrants. There’s beauty in that small step forward.

Libertarians can also look at historical examples of pragmatic libertarianism. During the Carter Administration, a diverse ideological coalition came together to deregulate the airline and trucking industry. The solution was not perfect. But it resulted in abolishing the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Interstate Commerce Commission. Abolishing government agencies is a huge victory for libertarianism and one that would not have been possible without sustained and strategic political engagement.

When I ran for Orange County Supervisor in 2018, I had many dogmatic Libertarians give me grief over my stand on the homeless crisis. They would tell me I am not Libertarian enough and that I didn’t deserve Libertarian support. This always baffled me because, to me, Libertarianism is about making lives better through expanding personal liberty and reducing the government. The position of these dogmatic Libertarians baffled me. I even referenced utopian Libertarian outcomes in many of my speeches, but even this didn’t satisfy the dogmatic crowd.

“Pure” libertarian orthodoxy should not dictate political strategy. Libertarian-friendly legislation and regulation are entirely plausible and desirable. Young libertarians should avoid rigid devotion to utopian outcomes at the expense of incremental policy improvements.

While most of us acknowledge the value of a let-a-thousand-flowers-bloom strategy, the overwhelming balance of resources devoted to the libertarian movement is geared towards changing, educating, and inspiring public opinion. We as a movement continue to underinvest in making incremental changes to public policy through engagement with the people and institutions that actually dictate the pace and direction of policy change.

There is a clear case for pragmatic libertarianism with a desirable influence in the halls of Congress. By directly engaging in the policymaking process, libertarians can have a real influence on our country, which means more liberty in our lifetime.

Tell me your thoughts on this by leaving a voicemail on the Yogi’s Podcast Network hotline at (657) 529-2218.

That’s it for this episode of Liberty Revealed. .If you like what you’ve heard, please rate us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and Google Play. If you’d like to learn more about personal liberty, grab your free copy of my book “Liberty Revealed” by heading over to http://yogispodcastnetwork.com/libertyrevealed. Until next time…stay free!

Links Mentioned in Episode 26

What is personal liberty?

Catch Yogi’s Podcast Network on YouTube

Yogi’s Podcast Network YouTube Channel

Filed Under: Liberty Revealed, Our Shows

Grammarly Writing Support

Primary Sidebar

Top Tier Rohst

Best of Liberty Revealed

LR05: Crime and Punishment

LR04: Civil Liberties | Freedom of Speech

LR03: How Politicians Caused Homelessness

LR02:The Economy

LR01:Taxes

10x Pure Gold Super 1000 CBD

Podcast Launch Course 50% Off!

Podcast Launch Course 50% off

Podcast Editing Services

FREE eBook Offer!

Liberty Revealed eBook offer

yogis_podcast_network

Yogi's Podcast Network is your home for all things:
🐕 Politics
🐕 Humor
🐕 Fitness
🐕 Erotica
All sarcasm, all the time!

Podcast Network & Editing
Singapore was one of the countries most mentioned Singapore was one of the countries most mentioned in pandemic surveillance discussions. 

Singapore was way ahead of other nations, but have the others caught up? 

Listen to this interesting episode from Liberty Revealed that was recorded at the beginning of the Pandemic. 

Give your thoughts on where Singapore and other countries lie in surveillance discussions in the comments. 

Link in bio to listen to the episode! 

Follow @yogispodcastnetwork
#yogispodcastnetwork #ypn
..
..
..
..
#podcast #podcastnetwork #podcasting #libertyrevealed #liberty #pandemic #pandemicsurveillance #countriesinthepandemic
The Nightly Rant was graced by the presence of The The Nightly Rant was graced by the presence of The Therapy Twins, Joan and Jane. 

The discuss the benefits of laughter and therapy, and why it's ok to talk about your own experiences in a session. 

This is an entertaining and interesting episode to listen to. It might change your perspective, or it might just be a good listen. 

Listen now! Link in bio. 

Follow @yogispodcastnetwork
#yogispodcastnetwork #ypn
..
..
..
..
#podcast #podcastnetwork #podcasting #thetherapytwins #thenightlyrant #comedy #comedypodcast #laughtertherapy
Ever finish your cold beer and shake the glass hop Ever finish your cold beer and shake the glass hoping theres more? 

You don't need to worry about that last drop with a membership with The Original Craft Beer Club!

The Beer Of The Month Club delivers beer to your doorstep. As an added bonus, give 2 to 12 shipments and receive up to 3 BONUS gifts and $30!

Link in bio. 

Follow @yogispodcastnetwork
#yogispodcastnetwork #ypn
..
..
..
..
#podcast #podcastnetwork #podcasting #affiliate #thebeerofthemonth #theoriginalcraftbeerclub #everylastdrop #beer
Did you know it snows in Las Vegas? Follow @yogis Did you know it snows in Las Vegas?

Follow @yogis_podcast_network
..
..
..
..
#podcast #podcastshow #podcastnetwork #snow #lasvegas #thenightlyrant #comedy #snowinvegas #comedypodcast #vegaspodcast
What a good employee Charles Lamb was. Are you th What a good employee Charles Lamb was.

Are you the same type of worker as him? Let us know in the comments. 

Follow @yogispodcastnetwork
#yogispodcastnetwork #ypn
..
..
..
..
#podcast #podcastnetwork #podcasting #CharlesLamb #CharlsLambquote #funnyquote #quoteoftheday #inspirationalquote
Don't throw away your soda bottles after use, they Don't throw away your soda bottles after use, they can be recycled in multiple different ways! 

One of these ways is as a backyard sprinkler! 

Try this hack out!

Follow @yogispodcastnetwork
#yogispodcastnetwork #ypn
..
..
..
..
#podcast #podcastnetwork #podcasting #lifehack #sprinklerhack #backyardhack #realhack #hackoftheday #yogihack
My body, my choice. Mike and Torya both agree on My body, my choice.

Mike and Torya both agree on this statement. 

It is crazy that the government and people in power can have a strong hold over your own body decisions, including vaccinations, abortions and more. 

What are your thoughts on my body, my choice? Are you a supporter? 

Listen to this episode of The Nightly Rant and hear some important topics discussed by your favorite hosts, Mike and Torya. 

Link in bio. 

Follow @yogispodcastnetwork
#yogispodcastnetwork #ypn
..
..
..
..
#podcast #podcastnetwork #podcasting #mybodymychoice #womensrights #bodyrights #comedypodcast #reallifeissues #thenightlyrant
Maybe you were totally distracted by the adorable Maybe you were totally distracted by the adorable cleaning dog...

But if you weren't, then yes it's correct! We do the dirty work FOR YOU!

Our podcast editing services are tailored so you can focus on what matters most - content creation. 

We will help your podcast sound amazing by working our magic and making you sound like a pro.

How does that sound? Check out our podcast editing services today!

Link in bio.

Follow @yogispodcastnetwork
#yogispodcastnetwork #ypn
..
..
..
..
#podcast #podcastnetwork #podcasting #podcastediting #podcasteditingservices #weworkforyou #soundlikeapro #dirtywork
If you haven't made any 2023 New Years Resolutions If you haven't made any 2023 New Years Resolutions yet... this puppy might convince you otherwise! 

How about a smarter way to WordPress? Build and create a faster, stronger and personally customized site with WPEngine. 

They have New Year sales that you can't miss! Or, you can have a puppy as apart of your NYE plan 🤷‍♂️ Link in bio. 

Follow @yogispodcastnetwork
#yogispodcastnetwork #ypn
..
..
..
..
#podcast #podcastnetwork #podcasting #WordPress #StudioPress #WPEngine #buildawebsite #NYEresolutions #2023
Do you know any high school youth that are extreme Do you know any high school youth that are extremely into politics?

Follow @yogis_podcast_network

..
..
..
..
#podcast #podcastshow #podcastnetwork #thenightlyrant #politics #youth #youthinpolitics #comedy #comedypodcast
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Footer

Search our site

  • Facebook

Copyright © 2023 · Yogi's Podcast Network · Log in

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy