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Author Nick Gillespie, Reason TV editor-in-chief, on individual liberty and the growth of the independent party.
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This -- nick Gillespie of reason television and the author of declaration of independence how libertarian politics can fix what's wrong with America.
You say there -- rays of hope.
I -- like at least three reasons to be optimistic in the current moment and one of them is that.
A record high 40% of Americans the targets of a rally of Americans refuse to identified.
As either Republican or Democrat and in that this affiliation and say I don't want to be.
Seen in public as one of these two things that's the beginning of right with a -- Like what we need to understand is that politicians and politics it's like the -- or Perino.
Of American life it is the last it's the last person through the sorts last person to get the joke -- DI we DIY culture do we yourself culture.
A Lady Gaga culture.
Republican and Democrat liberal and conservative does not offer up the flexibility in the personalization.
That being a libertarian does and that's one of the reasons not the only reason but it's one of the reasons why so many people now -- saying Democrat republic not meant.
And that's that's that we should be optimistic about.
So this skepticism about Democrats wanting economic police and the Republicans wanting other kinds of police.
But when I -- -- libertarian people say what's that he be deliberate teen years.
Favor.
Let's let's not put that down either -- right now.
I find when you say look I am socially tolerant and I'm fiscally responsible aren't you know -- gets people's attention because what you're saying is.
I don't want to run your bedroom and I don't wanna run your board -- and I would certainly don't want to police the world.
And then suddenly people are more willing and more interest and to talk to -- I would think so Blake is our Republican governor of a democratic state who was elected twice by good margins he left the state great financial condition.
He couldn't make a dent in the Republican primary talking but Jerry Jones yeah.
Okay.
Johnson might not have done well in the Republican primaries he's running for the libertarian candidate.
Presidential -- and -- will have some action there but.
He's a ray of hope as sort you know because this is the guys that you know what we want we want to shut down the prisons we -- -- change the drug laws.
We want to open up school choice we don't want to invade Texas or Arizona I mean these are.
You know these are pretty sound principles.
But beyond him and he's out there and he's more we know with him more now than we did when he was governor in New Mexico and a but beyond that you have people like Ron Paul you have groups like this there is a move -- growing out there.
About talking about these ideas of what they mean in real life and the -- -- one other ray of hope is that we are dead broke at the federal level at the state level and at the local level and being war.
If your interest in you know radical change in government.
Being -- being -- should never feel so liberate.
Questions for -- we have read.
Or write yet.
My question is does the future of libertarian -- resided in the Republican Party where within the context of the two party system.
Or do you feel like libertarians should.
-- seek -- too partisan and try to do their own way.
I think that the future of libertarian as -- resides in the heart of every malcontents who said you know what I wanna make a better world I'm not satisfied with this world.
I want expand my ability to choose the life that I've -- So libertarian -- them is.
-- it will be expressed through politics but its main focus will not be politics it won't be beyond well.
And I just want to add to your point about Republicans and Democrats when I was at ABC and I discovered this new movement and all this makes sense to me.
And I tried to convince people I thought.
Well the Republicans the social conservative Republicans will resist this -- this is their religion this is there -- I can't talk a lot of their beliefs.
And the liberals once I explain the economics that they'll be more open -- it.
And I found the opposite has been true conservatives welcomed -- to their conferences let me speak it all kinds of social conservative as they were polite they might entirely agreed but -- Wanted to discuss the ideas my kids went to school -- Al Franken kids he had this left wing radio show I thought I could go on and reason with him.
And he was an animal he just would let me get a word in edgewise.
And my experience has been that the progressives.
Most of them their mind is just close them delivered.
-- sequence is the brunt of this university John just talk a little bit about people haven't really close mind.
And you can talk to them.
That could one of several -- that we have is entitlement cap and that.
I have a right to job education have a right house you know like that's a huge roadblock to actually be able to progress well I -- They've right up the -- that you do not have a right to a job or house.
But I have my first your premise.
-- record highs of people according to Gallup and other polling services say we want a government that does less and pay and cost less.
And I think most people in -- know they want to be able to work hard they don't wanna be guaranteed a job they wanna be guaranteed an opportunity.
They don't want I can tell you now somebody who owns a house I don't necessarily want to own a house I want -- And that's not gonna happen.
And just for the record I disagree with that and I agree with your premise I think we're addicted to this entitled feeling I think that's what they're writing about Greece -- they want to make.
Tiny cuts but people say this is my.
And social security and Medicare when my generation retires and bankrupt you know most of my peers feel entitled to all that.
I don't -- -- step on jobs lines but you know when you retired you're gonna be old and we.
And the rest of us here we're gonna help us we're gonna we're gonna tip the scales and in our culture so.
LS mean now I should say most of the students here are not -- most are not prostitutes.
Many don't gamble or use drugs but you want laws that forbid other people to do those things.
Our when we return we're gonna look at that and talk to someone who says we libertarians.
Are wrong the same --
