Essay:My Life Story in a Libertarian Parallel Universe

Introduction

I am proud of my life. I have taken what little I started out with and am now at a middling level in a large company, and in the coming years I will be helping my partner to set up her own company as well as build our own home. I got where I am because I live in a country (the UK) that seeks to level out the playing field for those born into impoverished backgrounds, a country where anyone can succeed if they have the talent.

The real version

When I was very young, I fell down the stairs in the family home and fractured my skull. I received free treatment from the NHS and made a full recovery. Only a year later, my parents divorced, and through one reason and another, my grandmother raised me. She had been left penniless by my grandfather, and so relied on a state pension to get us both by. We lived in a council house, where the local council took good care of the property and charged reasonable rents.

Luckily, my education from the age of 4 until 18 was completely free, and as it was a comprehensive school system, was not selective on the parent’s ability to pay. I also got free (mostly healthy) lunches due to my circumstances until age 16. I received a good education from teachers that cared about their pupils.

When I went to university, I received a state-sponsored grant (and an interest free student loan) that enabled me to go to a top UK institution. I worked during my holidays in order to make up the shortfall in money, but also to improve my CV. By the time I graduated, I managed to get into a FTSE 100 company, where I am to this day.

I climbed out of the poverty trap, and would not have succeeded if any of the social structures in place had not been there. I am happy now to be paying my taxes and national insurance in the knowledge that it provides other people the ability to do the same. My national insurance has also paid for other NHS treatments I have had, and will continue to do so into my old age. (I am not happy that my tax money goes towards funding unlawful wars, but that’s another story.)

The Libertarian version

When I was very young, I fell down the stairs in the family home and fractured my skull. Unfortunately, my parents were not rich, as they worked in manual jobs, and so had to use nearly all the money they had to pay for my treatment, even dipping into my education fund. When my parents divorced, leaving my grandmother to bring me up, I had little family contact with her. Despite her advanced age, she still had to work, as there was no state pension. Our landlord was a piece of scum, who charged extortionate rates, and never took care of the property.

The nearest state school was 40 miles away, and not being able to afford the transport costs, I was unable to go to it. Luckily, the local school was sponsored by McDonalds, and so I was able to attend for free until age 16. I did not receive free meals, although the school was kind enough to provide discounted cheeseburgers. By age 12, I was already chronically obese, and addicted to junk food. (The government did not see fit to interfere in people’s lives, and so did not provide any kind of nutritional advice.)

With little family support, teachers who were on commercial-style target and bonus schemes (they concentrated only on the students who they felt they could get the target grades), and feeling constantly fatigued due to my weight problems, I failed at school.

Consequently, I ended up in the local factory, welding trailers, just like my erstwhile father, stuck in this libertarian caste system. I would have liked to have done something else, but there was no other industry in my town. Any time a new business tried to start up, the larger companies in the area would drive it out of business instantly through anti-competitive measures.

Shortly after my 30th birthday, I suffered my first heart attack (costing me a tidy packet in hospital fees!), while the average age in my town is only 48. I'm also not helped by the fact that the air in my town is very polluted, as there is no government incentive to industries or car manufacturers to "go green," and so I have developed respritory problems in to go with my heart problem in recent years.

But – hey – at least we don’t get involved in any foreign conflicts!

Conclusion

In short, Libertarianism is, like other forms of extreme politics, counter productive and leads to a society that cannot make the best of its people. A balance between ideals gives a steady economy, a happy society, freedoms and protections. Companies can be competitive, new businesses can succeed, individuals can reach the heights their talents deserve.

An extreme form of govenence, such as Libertarianism (or any other for that matter) would simply lead to a multi-tiered society - the haves and the have-nots. I, for one, prefer live in a world where anyone can succeed.