Protect Life, Protect Liberty: Ron Paul's Pro-Life Libertarianism

One of the interesting things about Republican Congressman and Presidential hopeful Ron Paul is how he balances pro-life convictions with libertarian values.  Libertarians in recent years have almost universally favored the pro-choice position, not necessarily personally, but in an effort to be consistent with their political worldview.  They emphasize freedom, and particularly personal freedom and responsibility, and cringe when the government tells someone - anyone - what they can or cannot do.

This does not mean that they favor anarchy, but that the government that governs best is the government that governs least.  This is easily applied to social issues like abortion, gambling, sexuality and marriage, or even civil rights.  Should the government pass a law that says who business owners can and cannot hire or serve? The Civil Rights Act of the 1960's said that business owners cannot discriminate against blacks.  Was that a violation of personal liberty?

Or what about abortion?  Many libertarians say that they would not personally have an abortion but do not believe it is right for the government to make it illegal. After all, what someone does is their own business.

But Ron Paul is the exception to the rule among prominent libertarians.  Fellow Republican Presidential hopeful and libertarian Gary Johnson is pro-gay marriage and abortion because he is libertarian.  But why not Ron Paul?

Below is a recent ad that the Paul campaign team put together explaining his views on abortion and why he is pro-life and why he believes that government ought to ban abortions.





His basic argument is apparent.  How is it morally justifiable that a baby at 36 weeks unborn baby not have rights but a baby born at 36 weeks does?  The last line of the ad is also particularly helpful. Unless a society protects life (one of the main objectives of government I would argue), then liberty cannot survive.  How staunch Constitutional-libertarianism can miss the bed rock of the American political system - "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" - and yet at the same time promote a policy that involves the taking of life.

It is not libertarian to defend abortion.  If the government is to do anything, it is to protect its citizens - born and unborn - from all threats foreign and domestic.  So regardless of what one may think of Ron Paul, this is a helpful video.


The Blaze - Ron Paul Relives Witnessing Late-Term Abortion in New Pro-Life Ad


For more:
Blogizomai - Pro-Life Libertarianism?: Ron Paul Makes His Case
Blogizomai - Morality and the Role of Government:  Libertarianism vs. Conservatism -  What Rand Paul Has Taught Us 
Blogizomai - Morality and the Role of Government:  The Danger of Libertarianism 
Blogizomai - To Legislate or Not:  Condelezza Rice, Libertarianism, and Morality 
Blogizomai -  Legislating Morality:  We All Do It, But Only a Few Get Blamed For It  
Shortblog - The Short-End of Libertarianism
Blogizomai - Alcohol Today, Marijuana Tomorrow:  When Money Changes Our Values 
Blogizomai - Fox News and 9/11 Truthers