Calling All ‘Libertarian’ Democrats!

Are you a fiscally conservative, socially liberal Democrat? Have you toyed with the idea of becoming a Libertarian? If so, the Democratic Freedom Caucus might be for you. The DFC describes itself as “a progressive, pro-freedom caucus, which promotes the values which the Democratic Party was founded upon: individual liberty, constitutional democracy, and social responsibility.”

Those of you who are familiar with the Libertarian Party will recognize the DFC’s principles of individual and economic liberties, and limited government. These are the basic principles of classic liberalism. I like the idea of getting the government out of my house, out of my mind, and off my body, and I don’t see the Democrats or the Republicans taking a stand against the top heavy status quo. I’ve thought of jumping to the LP because they make sense … most of the time … but I don’t share the Libertarians’ faith in private charity, and I see a legitimate need for things like Social Security, NASA, and public schools. The Libertarians are just a little too extreme for me.

The DFC offers a reasonable, socially responsible alternative to the Libertarians. Let’s look at some excerpts from the DFC statement of principles:

Economic Liberty:

3) Consumer protection. There should be strong laws against business fraud and false advertising.
4) Worker protection. There should be strong laws against fraud in employment practices, such as misleading workers about the safety of work environments.
5) Environmental protection. There should be strong laws against polluting the air or water that others must use. Government should not subsidize developers.
6) Free trade between free countries. We should phase in free trade with other free countries at the same time that we are phasing in freedom within our own country, by removing the obstacles that hinder productivity here. It is unjust to allow imports of foreign products made with slave labor (in countries with very little freedom, the workers’ lack of freedom can sometimes border on slavery).

The above principles differ from the Libertarian belief that adults should be able to enter into any contract they wish. While the Libertarians certainly do not wish to harm workers, consumers, etc., they may not be willing to use the government to protect people if they think the free market has adequate protections in place. It could be argued that free market competition protects consumers from false advertising because a company that engages in false advertising would eventually lose business to an honest competitor. It could be argued that in the free market, employees are not coerced into entering any fraudulent agreement with an employer. The DFC takes a clear stand against such unethical practices.

The biggest difference between the Libertarian Party and the DFC is probably in the fourth DFC principle:

Social Responsibility:

In cases of essential services, such as infrastructure or assistance for the needy, there should only be cuts in these services if adequate services can be provided in the non-government sector. Recipients of government assistance also have a responsibility to help themselves if they are able. A goal of government assistance should be to try to get people to the point where they can take care of themselves, if at all possible.

The Libertarian Party believes that essential services and assistance for the needy should be provided exclusively by private charity. There would be no government assistance under Libertarian rule. The DFC approach is responsible and politically feasible.

Another interesting difference between the LP and the DFC is the way each proposes to pay for the government. Although both would do away with the income tax, the Libertarians would implement a national sales tax, while the DFC proposes a tax on land and the depletion of natural resources. In other words, the DFC would like to remove taxes from labor and production, and tax the items that no one produces but everyone uses. I do like the idea of a sales tax, but there is also merit in the DFC proposal. While it probably wouldn’t be popular here in rural Shiawassee where the median annual income is $45,000, it is working in the 20 (or so) US cities where it is in use. It has had the effect of lowering the cost of goods and services in those areas.

The DFC is founded on the principle of classical liberalism, made famous by Thomas Jefferson, the founder of the Democratic Party. It’s unfortunate that his ideology has been reduced to a caucus within the party.

You can find the Democratic Freedom Caucus at http://www.democraticfreedomcaucus.org/. You can join the discussion group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dfc_talk/. You might also be interested in http://groups.yahoo.com/group/prolibertydemocrats/.

Other references:
http://www.urbantools.net/
http://www.manhattanlp.org/
http://www.belmont.edu/lockesmith/essay.html