Libertarian thought can be hard to explain, particularly to someone who is completely captured in ‘left vs right’ thinking, or those who only ask if they ‘like’ something, rather than if it’s ‘right’.

This blog post takes an interesting and useful approach. What if, when asked ‘what is Libertarianism?’ we replied with questions rather than with blather? It’s almost certain that asking questions will be more engaging for our listeners, and it will require a response from them, and reasoned disagreement, not dismissal or derision.

I think this is a fine approach, and I urge you to read it. To whet your appetite, here’s a sample:

What would your worst enemy do with this power?

Aye, there’s the rub. Think of the politician you hate and mistrust most. Do you want that politician administering enforcement of the law you propose, particularly in a time when other branches of government are aligned or weak?

And:

What would this power look like if it were expanded dramatically in scope or in time?

Power given to the government tends to grow, not shrink. Folks don’t give up power or money easily. What does the power you offer to the government look like if government actors fight to widen its scope?

So next time someone says ‘there aught to be a law’, or especially next time someone asks you that loaded ‘What’s a libertarian?’ question, hopefully with the help of that blog article you’ll be able to actually have an engaging and interesting conversation! Sadly right now libertarianism has a bit of a ‘boring’ ‘geeky’ image to it… and that’s largely our own fault. Too many out-and-proud libertarians are too quick to quote economists, or debate the merits of Mises or just tell someone to ‘Read Ayn Rand’ and be done with it. Far too few of us are ready and able to engage with the current issues in plain language and in a way that leaves people asking questions they’ve never thought of before, and open to ideas they’d never considered before.

This is what we need. More conversations, more questions, more making friends rather than winning arguments. And these 10 questions may help you to do just that.

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