People who are not libertarians (or libertarian leaning) probably see most libertarians as pessimistic people.

I don’t like telling people that there will probably be a recession in 2023, but it is just based on the facts on the ground.

I don’t like telling people that they are getting ripped off by their own government (as if this is a secret). We are getting ripped off far greater than most people can fathom. I point it out in the hopes that more people will stop consenting to those who are abusing them.

Because I point these things out, it is easy for others to look at me as being a pessimist. I don’t think it is being pessimistic to point out truths around you, but I understand I am attempting to shatter people’s view of the world. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss, although I don’t think that was as much the case in 2020 until now with COVID hysteria.

If I were to always point out the bad situations, then it is understandable that others would look at me as a pessimist. I don’t want to ruin the party when everyone else is having fun.

There are some people with whom I just won’t discuss politics. I know better. I know they won’t be receptive. So as long as they are not challenging me, I leave them alone.

But even for those who may be receptive, there is a time and a place. It isn’t always easy to get those things right either. There have been times that I pushed too hard on a political issue that I regretted. Of course, there are also appropriate and not appropriate times to bring up a host of other issues that aren’t political as well.

The True Libertarian Pessimists

For some reason, I have become more annoyed by the libertarians who just can’t see anything good in the world. They see nothing to be optimistic about. They are just downers all the time.

Even if the political system is totally corrupt and irredeemable, it doesn’t mean we should live miserable lives all the time. There are many aspects of life to enjoy, even with the presence of a massive state. There is family, music, art, sports, and just the company of others.

I also get tired of libertarians who just constantly think everything is getting worse. And they are so skeptical that they talk themselves out of anything that should be seen as positive.

For example, some libertarians dismissed the political drama of Congress choosing a Speaker of the House. It really was mostly political drama, and who knows if it will make any difference. But there were a few Republicans in Congress who were tired of the establishment and pushed back a little. These people aren’t perfect, and maybe they partially did it for their own political reasons. But why should we just completely dismiss any pushback against the establishment?

We may get more investigations of the intelligence agencies because of this. We may get more investigations into COVID and the lockdowns and mandates. Maybe nothing will come of these committees and hearings, but at least there is more light being shed, which is better than before.

I hear the same thing with voting in general. Some libertarians will say that they don’t want to endorse the corrupt system, so they don’t vote. They may also say that it would make no difference anyway because they are all corrupt, as if every person running for office is exactly the same.

The reason for not voting often changes, but most of the time it comes back to pessimism. Some libertarians won’t vote at all because everyone is corrupt and there is no hope in changing anything.

But change can and does happen, even for the better. It is also important to acknowledge how much worse things could be. While the U.S. maintains some of the most draconian vaccine mandates (non-American residents/ citizens cannot enter the country without proof of “vaccination” against COVID), the U.S. has been far better off with other COVID policies compared to other major countries.

It was Americans who led the world away from COVID hysteria by opening things back up. Are these libertarian pessimists going to say that it doesn’t matter at all who is elected when Florida was opened up by the end of 2020 while most other states had major restrictions still in place?

In 2021, we started to see sporting events again with packed stadiums. It made it impossible for the hysterics to continue with draconian lockdowns.

There is a saying, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”

I think it is sometimes used as an excuse to support bad things. At the same time, there is an element of truth to it. I can criticize Ron DeSantis for things he does that are opposed to liberty, but I can also recognize that he is much better than most other governors.

I can disagree with Tucker Carlson on certain things, but I can’t just say that he is the same as Sean Hannity. There is a big difference between the two. If you can’t recognize that, then you aren’t paying attention or you just simply don’t understand what is being said.

In general, I think it is important to recognize the many gains in liberty and the shift in public opinion.

Homeschooling has exploded in the U.S. Gun ownership by everyday people is quite high. Marijuana has been largely legalized or decriminalized by a majority of states despite the laws of the federal government.

Even with technology, things are much better. It can be used against us by the spying state, but it is also a tool to spread the message of liberty that didn’t exist 30 years ago.

There are probably more radical libertarians today than there have been at any time during the 20th century. In fact, the libertarians of today are probably more radical (in a good way) than most of the American colonist of the late 1700s.

There is a lot to be pessimistic about, but there is also a lot to be optimistic about. We should recognize both. And don’t bring everyone else down when they are having a good time. It doesn’t help our cause anyway.