by A.T. Meininger

Created on: October 23, 2009   Last Updated: October 30, 2009

Similar to other political events, the significance of Tea Parties is to vent with your friends. Whether it be lower taxes, abortion, gun control, anti-war, or governmental medicine, the political rallies of our day have a redeeming value of expressing outrage with like-minded people.

The fact of the matter is you have no choice in your matters regarding the politicians. You don't control them, no matter how many letters (angry or not) you write, how much money you put into "getting the right guy into office" or who you approve of every other November. You can shout all you want, and that shouting will often get condescending media types to convince the non-political people that you're crazy.

The people in media do a fine job in belittling people who have opinions other than what they want to hear. There is no debate when you get into the major television networks-just condescension.

However, the people of the libertarian conservative bend have two choices: they can either oppose taxes in principle or approve of "smaller government" and "fewer taxes" and inevitably get the opposite. A dialogue ensues:

What if I said no taxes?

"No income tax", you say..."well, the Fair Tax is a really good way of..."

No, you miss my point.

"No taxes?" you say in half fear, half curiosity.

That's right.

"Well how do we pay for the police, the court system, and keeping illegal immigrants out of..."

It's not my concern. If you'd like those things, you can pay for them yourself.

"But we have an obligation to society..(as the tone begins more frustrated)

Who is society?

"We the people, as it says in the Constitution".

In over 200 years of a supposed limited government experiment with our Constitution, how many times over has the 1789 U.S. Government expanded?

"That's because the liberals and socialists came to power".

Why should one be in the power over another person's life in the first place?

This is a crucial moment in our time - decidedly for the people in the libertarian camp. You can put a fancy face on oppression or you can become an anarchist. The only difference is a matter of principle. The inherent contradiction in libertarianism is "life, liberty, and property are sacred, so we need a government to steal our life, liberty, and property in order to protect our life, liberty, and property". I sat home during the tea parties, I could have gone, but I feared too much of getting into conversation with people like the one above.

Learn more about this author, A.T. Meininger.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.