January 2005

By Ken Bush

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This past summer, for the first time in the 118 years of their existance, the Ethical Society of St. Louis had libertarianism as the topic of their prestigious Sunday forum.

On July 25th long-time libertarian PR-activist Ken Bush, of Creve Coeur, MO was the Society's "Platform Speaker." Such addresses are presented to the Society's congregation from the pulpit in their main auditorium every Sunday morning by a guest lecturer, followed by an informal question-&-answer session at a coffee reception.

Bush's topic, "The Ethos of Libertarianism and the Fun of Libertarian Activism," gave the crowd a first-hand account of Bush's sundry experiences with what he described as "libertarian encounters and run-ins with officialdom, corporate bigwigs, and popular liberals and conservatives alike."

Bush noted: "Many folks, like myself and the late Frank Nugent, have been periodically after the Society for over twenty-five years to have libertarianism as a topic. Their Platform Committee finally approved, thanks primarily to the efforts of Ethical Society member Alan Easton."

This past year Bush has also spoken to other groups like Kawanis Clubs and at a retirement center.

In the Society's weekly program handout was published Bush's own speech summary:

You own you.

This distilled axiom is the bold foundation of libertarianism.

You may not own much in this world but you own yourself. You've a right to self expression and to honestly obtain and own private property.

Others own themselves too and as such everyone has the inherent right to mutual interaction for pleasure or profit.

Consenting adults, self owners, have a natural right to trade their affections, tangible objects (goods), their time and skills (services) and thoughts (speech).

The letter of libertarianism involves freedom of choice.

The spirit of libertariansm embraces tolerance, diversity, and respect for the rights of others.

The ideal libertarian population transacts and interacts voluntarily, free of coercion and fraud. Libertarians believe in the non-initiation of force and respect for the rights of others, and the rule of (limited) law. Thus, ideally, governments' focus is narrow but vital: to protect our inalienable & constitutional rights and to assist in investigating and punishing fraud and aggression (from street crime to white-collar crime) by a "lean but mean" police, national defense, court system, etc. And Governments may be involved with some infrastructure and diplomatic functions.

[Ethically, to libertarians, a government generally has no jurisdiction over you to impose regulations or reduce your privacy or wealth unless you have agreeed to it, or (if a court or arbitration determines)you've broken a contract or aggressed upon another.]

These fundamentals form the basis for libertarians' unique three-pronged advocacy: true free markets, full civil and economic liberties, and a non-aggressive foreign policy.

By privatizing and "charitizing" most government services, prohibitions, subsidies, and "taxes," libertarians not only create a fair and equitable system but liberate underutilized entrepreneurial spirits and creative resources in us all, thus leading to a more prosperous and peaceful world.