Big Word Dive: Libertarianism versus Libertinism


David French, a Republican, published a good analysis about abortion rights and the self created and impossible dilemma Republican politicians have created for themselves. The Party has set itself up so that Republican women and men vote for abortion rights and feel they are voting for Party principles. It involves the two big words, libertarianism and libertinism. 

I'll take a stab at defining the two words. Libertarianism is about everyone having rights. In the case of abortion, it would advocate the fetus has rights and the woman has rights. It makes for long debates as to which has the most rights.

Libertinism is about me and my rights. As French points out, Donald Trump is the ultimate libertine. He is completely selfish and cares not one twit about anyone else. His view of what the Republican Party is all about, libertinism, has come to take over much of the Party. 

How does this affect abortion rights politics? I would explain it this way. Let's take a young couple, both with careers and aspirations of a prosperous and happy life. They would like to have a child or two but the pregnancy has to be scheduled carefully to minimize disruptions in the wife's work schedule. They feel this is their life and it does not belong to the government. That their focus on self is very Republican--they are doing what Trump does. In Ohio, they voted for abortion rights. Signatures for another abortion rights vote are being gathered in the very Republican Florida. Does anyone want to wager how Republicans will vote there? I would wager it will turn out like the Ohio, and all of the others. Trump Republicans are libertines, not libertarians. Goodbye forced birth. 

It seems like we can figure out what is going without using the words libertarianism and libertinism. Republicans painted themselves into a corner by talking up less government while advocating more government. The latter, of course, is government deciding whether women can or cannot have abortions, what books can and cannot be on the shelves, who can marry who, what can and cannot be taught by teachers and more to come. Voters are saying time to move on. 

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