I'm Only Interested in Freedom
by Sunni Maravillosa

A colleague and too-infrequent correspondent of mine in the freedom movement has, for as long as I've known him, signed his emails with the line "Only interested in freedom". The first time I saw it, my immediate response was, "Well, duh!!", but over time I've come to appreciate some nuances inherent in the phrase. At the risk of sounding like a purist who wants to herd the cats, I've been finding myself wishing more liberty-lovers would adopt the line and its implications.

Anyone who's been in the movement for more than a day knows that we are often our own worst enemies. Far and above all the divisiveness separating Objectivists and Libertarians or anarchists and minarchists is the human tendency to put our own personal interests or desires ahead of freedom. Thus one can find examples of individuals who say they're anarchists supporting laws that coerce individuals into certain behaviors, or that prohibit nonfraudulent, voluntary transactions. In recent conversations with individuals, I've been surprised by emotionalism that often appears to be guiding their thinking, and the negative responses to even hypothetical situations that would challenge the world they want to see. (Read the rest here)

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