Conservatives and Libertarians: A Crucial Alliance for the Future of the GOP and the U.S.

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In the last presidential election, Libertarian Party candidate Jo Jorgensen garnered 1,865,858 votes nationwide. Evidently, this number is not enough to be determinative in a federal election, however, the number of Americans who consider themselves “libertarian” is exponentially greater and can generate important changes in a confused society that seems to have forgotten America’s Founding Principles.

According to a 2014 Pew Research study, 11% of Americans consider themselves “libertarian.” A 2017 Cato Institute research is a bit more inconclusive, stating that between 7% and 22% of the U.S. population is libertarian. If we estimate that at least 10% of the population has libertarian values, it would mean that around 30 million people in the United States understand individual freedom as the maximum and main condition for the success of any society. This is a figure that would undoubtedly be decisive in any type of election: federal, state or local.

Now, there is no doubt that the poor results of the Libertarian Party in the United States are due to different factors: first, the undoubted and consolidated two-party; and second, the exaggerated ideological dogmatism of libertarians that prevents them from being pragmatic when providing concrete solutions to real problems.

For example, I think we can all agree that wars are undesirable; however, and sadly for us all, the world is not a utopia where the rulers only want the best for their citizens and neighbors. If you have criminal cartels and terrorists around you preparing to attack you, your solution cannot be to apply the principle of non-intervention and expect for your enemies to respect it.

Nevertheless, beyond certain moments where pragmatism must prevail over blinded and unproductive dogmatism, libertarianism should regain relevance in American politics. Yet, this is something that cannot be done through a third political formula, but by penetrating the heart of the Republican Party, where the majority of libertarian-minded citizens are to be found, and from where the interventionist and socialist policies of the current Democratic Party can be effectively fought against.

Like the Libertarian Party, the Communist Party and the Socialist Party of the United States have historically failed in their attempts to penetrate American politics in a third way. However, some of its top representatives, such as Bernie Sanders, have penetrated the structure of the Democratic Party to push it to the extreme left, and from within the two-party system change the foundations of the country. This is precisely what American libertarians should do on the other side: penetrate the GOP to try to change the traditional conservative values for more libertarian ones, and from there stand up against collectivism in the country.

The alliance between conservatives and libertarians is about fiscal responsibility

In these dark times, we must rescue the values of individual liberties, small government, and most importantly the moral courage to finally bring positive changes to the nation, without, of course falling into the hypocrisy of which the Republicans constantly accuse the Democrats of.

It is no secret that in the past, both Republicans and Democrats have been quite irresponsible in fiscal matters. While conservatives have generally advocated lower taxes, they have not lived up to the part of limiting government spending and reducing borrowing to avoid devaluing the dollar.

In fact, it was Richard Nixon, the former Republican president, who buried the Bretton Woods system, which would eventually lead to the constant manipulation of the dollar by the various administrations that have passed through the White House. Both Republicans and Democrats have used the FED as an arm of the government for the purpose of fulfilling their political agendas, which has led to the growth of a system of clientelism. Under this system, a large part of the population considers that the state, through monetary policies, is the one that should solve their problems, ultimately opening the door to populism and socialism.

If Republicans today want to make a difference with the current Democratic Party, they must commit themselves to fiscal responsibility and to the promotion of the libertarian values that shaped the most successful country of the last centuries.

Protecting the Constitution

Today, conservatives and libertarians can agree that America is at risk as never before from the new progressive fascism, media censorship, and the dangerous attempt by the left to proclaim a surveillance state that controls the lives of citizens. These are only the first steps towards the establishment of a totalitarian system never before seen in the land of liberties.

To triumph in the face of the onslaught of collectivism in the United States, it is crucial to promote respect for the nation’s Founding values, protect both the First and Second Amendments and highlight the importance of private property and the free market as fundamental aspects in the regeneration of a society that has deteriorated in recent years.

Today, conservatives can learn and take certain things from libertarians, and in turn, libertarians can do the same from conservatives. Union is indispensable to protect the country from the collectivist onslaught and maintain our freedoms; it remains for libertarians to join the GOP, and for conservatives to welcome them with open arms. 2022 will be a vital year to begin to restore sanity to the country.

Emmanuel Rincón

Emmanuel Rincón is a lawyer, writer, novelist and essayist. He has won several international literary awards. He is Editor-at-large at El American // Emmanuel Rincón es abogado, escritor, novelista y ensayista. Ganador de diversos premios literarios internacionales. Es editor-at-large en El American