Should Libertarians Accept Government Benefits?

I think it’s fine to accept government benefits, but I wouldn’t encourage seeking them out beyond beyond things such as tax deductions (if we’re counting them as “benefits”). If libertarians have to worry and work at purposefully avoiding government benefits, that decreases the quality of our lives and essentially increases the burden of government on us in that we have to expend time and effort simply avoiding the government.

There is nothing inherently wrong about benefiting from a policy you oppose. Despite all the rhetoric from the statists that the US tax rate is too low, I find it exceedingly doubtful that they will send the gov’t extra money this tax season to pay a higher and more “equitable” rate. Moreover, many of us have paid into and funded these programs, whether it is social security, medicare or the spending packages. If I could opt out and keep my confiscated income that supposedly helps maintain these “benefits,” I would. Until that becomes an option, there is nothing hypocritical about taking advantage of programs we are forced to invest in.

I like Walter Block’s analysis of the issue. Consider, B steals from A, than C steals from B. The ideal situation is if the stolen property is returned to A. However, considering the alternatives, it is far preferable that C keep B’s ill gotten gains than that B be allowed to keep them.

The whole thing along with a ton of other interesting thought on the proper libertarian interaction with an unjust government can be found in his paper – Radical Libertarianism: Applying Libertarian Principles
to Dealing with the Unjust Government, here: http://www.walterblock.com/wp-content/uploads/publications/block_radical-libertarianism-rp.pdf.

I have had these thoughts with the individual mandate. I am a healthy, young adult who does not want to spend my money on health care, but the government says that I have to buy it. So this is very beneficial to me at the cost of everyone who pays the mandate (and all of those other taxes). The mandate will not be enforceable unless I have a refund. Sure I can pay the penalty, but the IRS cannot get the money from me like they can for normal income tax. My automatic withdrawals are lowered as much as I can, and now I can ride the pre-existing conditions train. I love how self-interest works, and hopes everyone will act on his or her self-interest until the government wakes up.

Refusing to accept the benefits of government coercion that you have no choice in is like a rape victim refusing the rapist’s offer to use a condom.

Everyone is worried about jobs going overseas, but I think should they should be more optimistic. America is great for generating new jobs and dealing with change. My grandfather said railroads once lost a lot of business when electric companies switched from burning coal to nuclear power. Railroads also needed less workers when trains stopped using cabooses. Yet while some railroad jobs may have disappeared, new jobs like webpage designers and video store clerks have appeared. Horse buggy manufacturers became car manufacturers and typewriter companies now make computers. Many industries that were supposed to disappear like movie theatres due to VCR’s and accounting because of computers have never been stronger.

While manufacturing jobs may go overseas to cheaper locations, the United States still manufactures more than any other country.

http://investing.curiouscatblog.net/2009/10/13/data-on-the-largest-manufacturing-countries-in-2008/

Even if more jobs go abroad, the USA will always have factories. I highly doubt that the United States will buy fighter jets from China. The price of labor may be cheaper in Asia now, but as oil and shipping prices rise, buying American products will not seem to be so expensive. Chinese products also have a reputation for poor quality and counterfeiting. BMW does not worry that Chinese car companies will steal their customers.

Many jobs cannot be outsourced, either. You are not likely to call a doctor, lawyer, mechanic, mover, driver, barber, electrician, locksmith, real estate agent, or plumber in China to fix a problem you have in the USA. Are all the farms, mines, stores, hotels, museums, restaurants, churches, security guards, banks, government workers, schools, and athletes in the US going to be shipped overseas, too?

Even if all the manufacturing jobs in the United States went to China, wouldn’t the Chinese need American skills? You could move there and teach English. Most of those container ships returning to Asia are EMPTY. Why not think of something the Chinese would like to buy? Americans are creative. Do you think China will be known as the new Disney and Hollywood? Will China become famous for apple pies, hamburgers, hot dogs, baseball, gun rights, democracy, free speech, and religious freedom?

While change is sometimes scary and being cautious is good, hysteria is not. Think for yourself and don’t be a Chicken Little.