Why We Left the Left Personal Stories by Leftists/Liberals Who Evolved to Embrace Libertarianism eBook Tom Garrison
Download As PDF : Why We Left the Left Personal Stories by Leftists/Liberals Who Evolved to Embrace Libertarianism eBook Tom Garrison 
One political question intrigues almost everyone who studies, participates, or is interested in politics “Why do people identify with a certain ideology and/or political party?” Numerous scholarly and popular books examine political ideology/party identification and why certain ideologies attract certain individuals. This book examines that question in two separate, yet joined phases. Why do people initially identify with the Left/liberalism and why do these same individuals abandon that ideology to evolve into libertarians? This inquiry is unique in its focus on former liberals/leftists who become libertarians.
Included are 23 stories from Americans and one Irishman, baring at least part of their souls to answer these questions. All contributors at one point identified with the Left/liberalism. Each explains what originally drew them to the left part of the political spectrum. Virtually all mention some version of the popular stereotype of liberals/leftists “caring for the average person.” And all came to see that as a wispy apparition, based more on intention than fact.
A common theme for why the liberals/leftists abandoned their ideology is the ugly discovery of the inherent elitism of leftists/liberals. Over and over in these stories, the contributors give examples of their liberal/leftist “comrades” explaining how they (liberals/leftists) are needed to steer the people in the proper direction, for their own good of course. The true believing leftists/liberals cling to this illusion. Through many different paths, the contributors to this volume come to see the anti-democratic, elitist nature of this belief.
An equally common denominator is the lack of respect for, or even acknowledgement of, personal responsibility in ones behavior. A core value of the Left/liberalism is victimhood. Everyone—women, gays and lesbians, people of color, public employee union members, the working class, and so on—is an actual or potential victim. As such, any dysfunctional behavior can always be excused as the result of societal oppression, racism and sexism, rich people and capitalists, corporations, “the man”, and on and on. Of course, negative external forces do exist, but they are not always (or even most of the time) the cause of crappy behavior or failure. Many of the stories in this book note that this refusal to acknowledge personal responsibility strongly influenced the contributor to turn away from the Left/liberalism.
Of course, disillusionment with the notion that government action is needed for every problem—real or imagined—is inherent in turning from leftism/liberalism to libertarianism. Many contributors expound upon this theme.
Many contributors also cite the power of classical liberal economic theory—truly free markets—as a factor in their leaving the Left. Real world examples of the failure of socialist/welfare state economic policy became too difficult to ignore.
Finally, a minor, yet telling, theme is the lack of humor or playfulness in liberals and the Left. Several contributors note the feeling of liberation once they rejected the dour self-importance of the Left/liberalism.
One popular conception of libertarians is that they are, for the most part, disgruntled old white guys. While that group is represented, more than 25 percent of the stories are from women and more than two-thirds are by people younger than 50. This gender and generational diversity extends to occupations—contributors include college students, law students, an attorney, a professional artist, public school teachers, a chemist, writers, a filmmaker, a law professor, a stay-at-home mom, a firefighter, the CEO of a $40 million company, a TV reporter, an editor, the CEO of a free market think tank, and a research engineer.
It is my fervent hope that this collection of stories will hasten the day when libertarianism is widely recognized for what it is—the political movement for adults.
Why We Left the Left Personal Stories by Leftists/Liberals Who Evolved to Embrace Libertarianism eBook Tom Garrison
Disclaimer: I am a contributerFYI to the disclaimer: I received no compensation for my contribution, nor will I receive any in the future.
I wrote my essay in a bubble of my own reality and experiences. I wondered how Tom Garrison--this name on an email and picture on a Facebook page--could possibly organize all of the contributors into a cohesive book. Based on my own experience, I knew he was not heavily editing the essays. For the average political book reader, this may sound like a negative. However, I am someone that hates poor editing, and I didn't notice it with this book. I was too involved in reading about normal, everyday people that wrote about their experiences and their reality from their bubbles.
I found myself wanting to meet many of them (I haven't). Every single person was real. They weren't some talking head on TV or a picture above a syndicated news column. They were neighbors. As a Libertarian that feels civil rights are just as important as limited government, it's rare that I can find someone that sees life from a similar perspective. Even within the Libertarian party--as with all political parties regardless of how organized--there are schisms. This book is so optimistic about the future that I shake my head in disbelief that somehow 23 of us, independent of one another, and having no idea what the others were writing...we all managed to sound so POSITIVE about the future.
Libertarians are not known for being optimistic. At least, I've never felt like the group gave off that feeling. Republicans and Democrats shake their heads at our "stubbornness" and try and convince us (every 4 years) not to waste our vote. Sadly, many Libertarians (card-carrying and just leaning) are swayed to the right or the left so that their vote won't be lost. At that moment in the voting booth, the optimism that was displayed so vibrantly in each of these 23 essays disappears.
Republicans could read these stories and learn a valuable lesson. There are a few contributors that self-identify more with the right and admit to being Republican. However, I saw those contributors as on the edge of full conversion to Libertarianism. If Republicans read these stories and learned about why the right-leaning aren't over the Libertarian fence just yet...they might be able to coerce them off the fence. It would be a good challenge to see if Republican readers could use these stories to sway Libertarians to their cause.
Having said enough about Republicans, it's time for Democrats. Democrats and Liberals would like to believe that they are the party of optimism and hope. But I ask you, what is optimistic about cashing a government check? To me, that is the most depressing thing. To be at a point where charity, friends, family, and your own abilities have left you dependent on the one entity that won't say no--the government. It's a dark place to be. Let the optimism and different viewpoints from these everyday people pull you from that place. Liberals believe (I was one once after all!) that all of us not on their side are bigots, racists, sexists, elitist, money-grubbing, careless, angry, mean, cruel, heartless, evangelical snobs. I challenge any liberal to read all of these stories and then to believe in their big (dare I say bleeding? humor!) hearts that all of us in the book are exactly as you believe. As one of my fellow contributors is a schoolteacher in the public school system (and a few others were once there, but left), I don't think you can do it.
The most important reader of this book might be the least likely to read it. Libertarians struggling to stay optimistic during this election year are the ones that need this book the most. They need to know about the everyday people that are out there mentally supporting the right of all people to live their life. When Libertarians are in-fighting and arguing about the party platform, when they are struggling for ballot access, when they are fighting for Gary Johnson to get on the debates, and when they know that all of this fighting will most likely end in defeat...they should read this book. This book isn't the light at the end of the tunnel. It isn't the outside of the cave. This book is a call to make your own way and to stop following the path laid out by the right and the left. It makes you want to look up, instead of right and left. Look up into the third dimension. Look up and rise above all the fighting and bickering and government waste. And when you get to a higher place above all the two-party garbage, you can shine the beacon of liberty and feel the optimism grow. This book shows that you are not alone.
Lonely Libertarians...please read this book.
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Why We Left the Left Personal Stories by Leftists/Liberals Who Evolved to Embrace Libertarianism eBook Tom Garrison Reviews
Awesome book! A must read!
The stories here are wonderful, especially because they come from a very diverse group of people, young and old, male and female, gay, intellectual and so on. These are real people who have learned that the burdensome ways of federal, state, and sometimes even local government squash the entrepreneural spirit and infringe on our freedom to be left alone. There's sure to be at least one story in this book that will strike a chord with you!
I'm a contributor, but I have not had the opportunity to read the other contributions until now. This collection of essays, as the forward suggests, is not a collection of angry white guys complaining about taxes. These essays run the gamut of the socio-political spectrum and serve to remind the reader -regardless of political persuasion- that libertarians are not potheads who like guns. These are people who are deeply concerned about the issues affecting education and business, foreign policy and domestic policy, family and country.
I highly recommend reading this as it provides insight into another side of politics, the personal side. It is not a collection of arguments promoting austrian economics or laisse faire capitalism. It is who we are as libertarians deeply concerned citizens and deeply passionate about our beliefs and love of country.
The last Libertarians I remember seeing in the flesh were a couple of college students shouting humorous but unprintable things about Dick Cheney while they handed out leaflets. That was obviously a few years ago. "Spirited but extreme" was the thought that went through my mind.
So I was curious to get a more balanced perspective on this political viewpoint.
This collection of short essays from two dozen former self-proclaimed leftists who came to embrace Libertarianism did just that. From college students to businessmen, plainspoken to eloquent, these pieces reflect opinions that are accessible to Democrats like me who think it's important to see the other guy's POV.
Although I'm still a (disgruntled) Democrat, I came away with a deeper understanding of a position not unlike my own. Living in the People's Republic of San Francisco, I found myself sharing many of the sentiments of these everyday people looking for a voice in a limited political landscape.
Tom Garrison's compilation of these stories is thoughtful and thorough and his piece and foreword some of the most insightful. If you want a quick deep dive into a political stance different from your own, you won't go wrong with this collection.
Disclaimer I am a contributer
FYI to the disclaimer I received no compensation for my contribution, nor will I receive any in the future.
I wrote my essay in a bubble of my own reality and experiences. I wondered how Tom Garrison--this name on an email and picture on a Facebook page--could possibly organize all of the contributors into a cohesive book. Based on my own experience, I knew he was not heavily editing the essays. For the average political book reader, this may sound like a negative. However, I am someone that hates poor editing, and I didn't notice it with this book. I was too involved in reading about normal, everyday people that wrote about their experiences and their reality from their bubbles.
I found myself wanting to meet many of them (I haven't). Every single person was real. They weren't some talking head on TV or a picture above a syndicated news column. They were neighbors. As a Libertarian that feels civil rights are just as important as limited government, it's rare that I can find someone that sees life from a similar perspective. Even within the Libertarian party--as with all political parties regardless of how organized--there are schisms. This book is so optimistic about the future that I shake my head in disbelief that somehow 23 of us, independent of one another, and having no idea what the others were writing...we all managed to sound so POSITIVE about the future.
Libertarians are not known for being optimistic. At least, I've never felt like the group gave off that feeling. Republicans and Democrats shake their heads at our "stubbornness" and try and convince us (every 4 years) not to waste our vote. Sadly, many Libertarians (card-carrying and just leaning) are swayed to the right or the left so that their vote won't be lost. At that moment in the voting booth, the optimism that was displayed so vibrantly in each of these 23 essays disappears.
Republicans could read these stories and learn a valuable lesson. There are a few contributors that self-identify more with the right and admit to being Republican. However, I saw those contributors as on the edge of full conversion to Libertarianism. If Republicans read these stories and learned about why the right-leaning aren't over the Libertarian fence just yet...they might be able to coerce them off the fence. It would be a good challenge to see if Republican readers could use these stories to sway Libertarians to their cause.
Having said enough about Republicans, it's time for Democrats. Democrats and Liberals would like to believe that they are the party of optimism and hope. But I ask you, what is optimistic about cashing a government check? To me, that is the most depressing thing. To be at a point where charity, friends, family, and your own abilities have left you dependent on the one entity that won't say no--the government. It's a dark place to be. Let the optimism and different viewpoints from these everyday people pull you from that place. Liberals believe (I was one once after all!) that all of us not on their side are bigots, racists, sexists, elitist, money-grubbing, careless, angry, mean, cruel, heartless, evangelical snobs. I challenge any liberal to read all of these stories and then to believe in their big (dare I say bleeding? humor!) hearts that all of us in the book are exactly as you believe. As one of my fellow contributors is a schoolteacher in the public school system (and a few others were once there, but left), I don't think you can do it.
The most important reader of this book might be the least likely to read it. Libertarians struggling to stay optimistic during this election year are the ones that need this book the most. They need to know about the everyday people that are out there mentally supporting the right of all people to live their life. When Libertarians are in-fighting and arguing about the party platform, when they are struggling for ballot access, when they are fighting for Gary Johnson to get on the debates, and when they know that all of this fighting will most likely end in defeat...they should read this book. This book isn't the light at the end of the tunnel. It isn't the outside of the cave. This book is a call to make your own way and to stop following the path laid out by the right and the left. It makes you want to look up, instead of right and left. Look up into the third dimension. Look up and rise above all the fighting and bickering and government waste. And when you get to a higher place above all the two-party garbage, you can shine the beacon of liberty and feel the optimism grow. This book shows that you are not alone.
Lonely Libertarians...please read this book.
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