Selfish Libertarians?

One important thing I come away with from events like the Porcupine Freedom Festival (aka PorcFest) is that the stereotypical image of Libertarians as 'selfish' is often completely false, and it's hard to find a group more open and sharing... because voluntary sharing is the only kind that matters.

Upper Valley Democrats Chairman John Chamberlin was quoted as saying “The Libertarian stuff all seems to be totally ‘me-centric; I'm alright, Jack, just leave me alone,’ and that’s so antithetical to everything I see as Democratic.” I wish Mr. Chamberlin would have seen the events of the last weekend... he'd have to do a double take.

For those who aren't aware of what PorcFest is, it's the one and only event that the Free State Project does organize in New Hampshire, and it's a weekend (and a bit) filled with speakers, camping, and general fun. The goal is to promote New Hampshire, in all of its' glory. Universally, it seems to work its' magic, as many of the attendees told me that they can't wait to move, because of how wonderful it all sounds, especially compared to where they are living now. New Hampshire's "Advantage", sometimes invisible to those of us here in the midst of it, is readily apparent when you live in another state with high taxes, high crime, and a low quality of life.

PorcFest is free to attend, so Strike One for the myth that Libertarians are selfish. People who showed up last minute and needed a space to sleep were offered one...

As usual, in packing, I'd forgotten a few items, like a big frying pan, but we all quickly found that whatever we'd forgotten, someone was glad to share what they had. Offers of food, conversation, and everything else sharable were common place. Walking around the campsites, everyone was friendly and open and happy. Strike Two.

A free BBQ was held on Friday, and over 250 participated, consuming piles of hamburgers, hotdogs, veggie burgers, salads, and brownies. John Babiarz, that 'selfish' Democrat, sweated in front of 3-4 grills, cooking as fast as he could, to feed the masses. A purely voluntary donation was asked, and enough was collected to pay for the BBQ costs... The leftover food continued to be eaten over the next 2 days, as grills cooked at open parties held at various campsites ran thru the night. A Sunday morning sermon, held at one of the campsites, also offered breakfast, and many people donated a variety of items to the shared meal. Strike Three.

So what might separate this annual event from one that was held by say ... the Democrats? No public funds were used - all costs were privately paid for... Guns were visibly and openly carried by a large number of people, yet no one felt uncomfortable leaving personal items sitting unattended at campsites, or having dozens of people floating around for a party. Some were smoking cigars... some were drinking a variety of alcoholic beverages... Meat was openly consumed, as were veggie burgers. Bonfires burned, and stories were told, songs sung while guitars were strummed.

Lest someone think this is only a yearly happenstance and the rest of the year, these folks are 'selfish', let me disabuse you: almost every event or party I've attended here with this crowd has the same flavor. Potlucks, weddings, meet-n-greets, birthdays... no matter the event, the last thing you'd think about the attendees is that they are all just "me-centric". The first offer of hospitality will cure you of that view.

Perhaps next time, someone can invite Mr. Chamberlin, or Ms. Sullivan, to attend. I think it would help erase the ugly stereotypes they seem to hold. And that would be a good thing for their Political Correctness, right?