“Individuals are inherently free to make choices for themselves and must accept responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make.”
Those choices must be carefully made by conscious and deliberate thought and analysis because “responsibility” depends upon “truthful projection.”
All of us now seem to be faced with the daunting task of determining truth in a seemingly infinite fog of biased opinion. Our public atmosphere is saturated with statements that are based entirely upon the desire of individuals to denigrate society and our institutions, even our neighbors, in order to make their point, whatever that may be.
Political determinism has principles, regardless of their nature, which must rest upon thoughtful debate and historical accuracy of factual events and circumstances. If that principle is not upheld, it is more than the innocent who suffer from misinformation, it is the foundation of democratic governance itself that suffers the threat of dissolution.
“Our support of an individual’s right to make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or disapprove of those choices.”
It is not our goal to persuade nor dissuade an individual’s consciousness, but rather to ensure that it is based upon reality, not biased and blinded false personal perspectives.
Misinformation is more than just a bold lie; it is also the inference that is created through the use of linguistics. Facts are bold, biting and often painful. The increasing use of misleading adjectives, adverbs and conjunctions is being used to create false impressions, worse than simple false statements, since they are exceedingly difficult to counter, to answer or abut.
However, they are designed to make the reader the hearer and the innocent respond emotionally to the increased force of their detrimental symbolism.
“No individual, group, or government may rightly initiate force against any other individual, group, or government.” The use of pejorative information, artificial judgmental clauses, negative characterizations and outright falsehoods are nothing more than the blatant initiation of pseudo-emotional force against other individuals, groups, or our governmental institutions.
Those tactics are just blunt surgical instruments used to bludgeon the minds of free people.
We Libertarians “support the rights of the smallest minority, the individual.” Each and every one of us is that “individual.” Our intrinsic freedoms in a democracy depend upon the truth of our individuality and the emotional veracity of our public proclamations.
(Nb: Quoted and italicized sections are excerpts from the Libertarian Platform, 2025, of the Libertarian Party of the United States.}
By David Moran
David Moran is a West Virginia Libertarian and retired engineer from Preston County. Holding a Ph.D. from MIT, he has worked with the U.S. Navy, taught at several universities, and now operates a small farm with his wife. Moran is a longtime advocate for limited government and individual liberty and has run multiple statewide campaigns as a Libertarian.