Libertarianism is secularized religion rooted in Calvinists beliefs. Devoted to the notions that spiritual life is meaningless, this sect of self-individualism worships at the altar of wealth and materialism. It schools its disciples on the entwinement of religion and government, corporate sovereignty, the supremacy of military, the endless pursuit of wealth and a belief we must be cruel to be tough. Philosophies devoid of compassion for those suffering the consequences of poverty, illness and age are the hallmark of this shallow philosophy. Free market zealots like: the Koch brothers, the Mercers, DeVoses, Adelsons, Murdochs and the Julian Smiths of the world orchestrate a succession of political opportunists who are systematically dismantling the middleclass by eviscerating collective bargaining, repressing wages and tilting the tax system against workers in favor global corporations. Through the illusion of knowledge and thousands of incremental, seemingly unconnected legislative actions and suppressed election laws, this treachery persists undetected. These economic royalists, who spur contempt for science, racial divisiveness and a disdain for the arts, continue to siphon the political and economic power away from the very people protecting them. This is the consequence of the wealthiest 1% of Americans convincing the dumbest 20% of voters that lying and cheating to protect the interests of merciless oligarchs is not only good, it’s godly. Accordingly, Libertarian voters don’t really want the truth; they just want the constant reassurance that what they believe is the truth. This type of radical agenda forfeits the country’s future for the financial gain of its benefactors. A perverted doctrine that bludgeons consumer protections, proliferates gun violence, spurs cronyism, corruption and fraudulent elections by placing personal wealth above the greater good. The best remedy for this social malaise is to remain vigilant of those who conflate the egoism of a secluded minority with the altruism of wealth. Recognizing that bravado is not the same as confidence, notoriety is distinct from integrity and that wealth is not always success. Only then can we begin to diminish the angst in our culture, the strife on our streets and the bloodshed in our schools.
