Guest Author - Cynthia Phillips

No, it does not mean being a liberal, although it is a part of the word libertarian. Liberalism and libertarianism do share the same philosophy of individual liberty. Upon further research of liberalism today, it is more like social liberalism (which supports heavier regulation of the economy and more welfare—hmm, that's about where we’re headed) as opposed to classical. Classical liberalism embraces individual freedoms, free markets, and limited government—these views really belong to the Libertarians today.

Libertarianism’s mottos are "live and let live, The Golden Rule, and the non-initiation of force." I love the website Libertarianism.com's definition:

"The core idea is simply stated, but profound and far-reaching in its implications. Libertarians believe that each person owns his own life and property, and has the right to make his own choices as to how he lives his life - as long as he simply respects the same right of others to do the same."

Another definition is: "Libertarianism is a philosophy. The basic premise of libertarianism is that each individual should be free to do as he or she pleases so long as he or she does not harm others. In the libertarian view, societies and governments infringe on individual liberties whenever they tax wealth, create penalties for victimless crimes, or otherwise attempt to control or regulate individual conduct which harms or benefits no one except the individual who engages in it." And, you will never guess the author of this quote--the U.S Internal Revenue Service! They wrote this "during the process of granting the Advocates for Self-Government status as a non-profit educational organization."

Did you know that libertarianism share the same views as the liberals and conservatives when it comes to economic and social issues? Conservatives tend to be libertarian in economic issues while liberals tend to be libertarian in social issues. Therefore, anyone involved in politics (whether you are a Democrat or a Republican) may have some libertarian tendencies—I don’t mean to burst your bubble.

Being a libertarian does not enslave you to the left right mentality that so often divides people. You have more choices in politics, business, and your own personal lives. According to Libertarianism.com: "Libertarians advocate a high degree of both personal and economic liberty. Today's liberals like personal liberty but want government to control your economic affairs. Conservatives reverse that, advocating more economic freedom but wanting to clamp down on your private life."

Personal responsibility is another trait of libertarianism. In my observation, it seems that we as a people are straying from personal responsibility and looking for government to give us a handout or if you are a big corporation, a bailout (oops, I meant stimulus). I must keep up with my Newspeak.