This story is sweeping the media right now and people all across the left end of the political spectrum are making snide comments about the reality of what 'libertarian' America would be like, so if you haven't heard the 4-1-1 here it is: in this particular rural area of TN, the county operates their Fire Department on a subscription fee. Pay $75 a year and you get all the benefits of the Fire Department. This couple, for whatever reason, didn't. So when their house caught on fire, the fire department pretty much sat around and watched it burn, because they hadn't paid the fee.
All of this (and a few other things) have gotten me thinking: just how far does my libertarianism stretch? Well, before you ask, kids- not this far. I think we can all agree that we've got a right to expect basic services (fire and police, for instance) from the government without some bureaucratic rule or fee getting in the way. Personally, if I was a firefighter, my job would be to put out fires. Screw the fee and grab the hose, is what I would have done- firefighter or not.
But all of this has gotten me thinking: in a country where the extreme ends of the political spectrum set the tone of political discourse, do we really want to live in a country of either extreme hippy dippy left or crazy wingnut right? I don't think so. The truth and the best solution (as it always does) probably lies somewhere in the middle. The truth is that our community ties aren't what they used to be (see Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone- one of the many, many books I HAVE to read) and without them, what's the glue that holds us together as Americans? What does it mean to be American when the far right preaches a nation of rational self-interest where unrestrained corporatist capitalism is king? Do conceptions of a nation-state even matter when we get to that point?
I have no problem with paying taxes for government services. Things like education, police, fire and yes, to a degree (somehow, in someway) health care should all be provided for by the government. BUT: the real problem facing America today isn't too much or too little government, it's deciding how much we want the government to do and how we're going to pay for it. The entitlement state we have, from Social Security, Medicare right on down through to education and public pensions was designed in the 30s and is entirely and utterly unsustainable in the long term. When we cut through the media noise, I think most Americans want something from our government. The battle we should be fighting is over what and how to fund what we want in a way that's going to last. But that's not the battle we're fighting now.
How far does individual responsibility extend? When do the right of a 'group' impinge on the rights of an individual and vice versa? I certainly don't know where to draw that line and while I'm no fan of collectivism and don't really think the government should wipe my ass, I think unrestrained libertarianiam is just a cover for a corporate free-for-all which would offer no protections for the rights of the individual any more than a runaway nanny state would. Call me crazy, but I think I want power to and for the people. Not the rich people, not the corporations, unions or government. Just people.
I just have to figure out how to do that.
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