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It is an unfortunate truth that, as the liberty movement gains traction in the political arena and becomes more diverse, we are going to face our fair share of hurdles when it comes to ideological differences on some hot-button issues. Issues such as drug use and the legality and acceptance of abortion have plagued the party in recent days. A house divided against itself cannot stand, and if we in the liberty movement want to continue to gain traction and stay relevant, then we must address the proverbial elephant in the room.

Addressing the division within the movement will be no easy task. Many of us have very deep-seated moral objections against allowing certain actions in a libertarian society, and each of us are entitled to our individual opinions on the subject. The division happens when we try to find the one truly libertarian stance on any one of these issues. Considering that, libertarianism values individual freedom highly and is comprised of such a diverse group of individuals, it can be assumed with relative certainty that we will never find a singular libertarian position.

What can be done about this division? How can we address these issues and not look like the dysfunctional laughing stock of American politics? We obviously cant simply sweep these issues under the rug or ignore them; eventually they will need to be addressed. What I propose is a plan where we return to the basics. We all joined this movement for a reason and we all did so of our own free will. The Libertarian Party is driven on principle, rather than politics. What this means is that, we as libertarians are not driven by a desire for political power or position, nor are we interested in forcing our views of morality on others. We are driven by the idea of liberty and non-aggression.

While the issues are important and should be addressed, they are not the foundation on which the Libertarian Party is laid. The core principles of liberty and non-aggression must be first and foremost in the mind of any libertarian that wishes to attract more people to this movement, and thus make an impact on society. Constant infighting and purity tests not only further the divide between libertarians, but also serve to deter some would-be libertarians from wishing to be involved in such a tumultuous party.

Libertarianism is not an exact science, and I dont claim to have all the answers on what should be done about the issues we face today. However, I do believe that my proposal can help to quell the intensity of the infighting amongst us. These issues must be approached in a liberty-first mindset, and we as libertarians have to accept that not everyone thinks like we do. That fact alone does not make them more or less libertarian than anyone else, so long as they believe in non-aggression and individual liberty. United on those two guiding principles, we can move forward and change this country, and possibly even the world.

In short, its time for us as libertarians to remember why were here. We are united under the basic premise that good ideas dont require force, especially government force. Be the change you want to see in the liberty movement and society. Stop trying to force other libertarians to conform to your idea of what libertarianism is, just as we want the powers that be to stop forcing their respective ideas and plans for society on us, their constituents.

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Corey Todd was born and raised in Lakeland, Florida. He is still new to the movement and currently on active duty in the United States Marine Corps. The views expressed in his article are his own personal views and not those held by the USMC, Dept. of the Navy, or DOD.

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The head of the Libertarian Party says Democrats and Republicans are "just shrinking and dying."

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Libertarian Gary Johnson was his party's presidential candidate last fall.(Photo: Gina Ferazzi, TNS)

MADISON The Democrats were sent into the wilderness after the November elections.

The Libertarians can relate. Theyve been there since their founding in 1971.

But thats changing because of demographics, according to Nicholas Sarwark, the chairman of the national party who will be in northern Wisconsin this weekend for the state partys annual convention.

The Democrats and Republicans are just shrinking and dying, he said in an interview.

My top goal for 2018 is to have every disgruntled voter who is tired of both parties lying to themhave an option on the ballot.

Ideas that Libertarians have long embraced such as allowing same-sex marriage and legalizing marijuana now enjoy mainstream support, he said.

The partys presidential nominee, Gary Johnson, received more support than any Libertarian presidential candidate before him. That said, Johnson still took only a little more than 3% of the vote.

Its getting better, but its slow, said Sarwark, adding it may take 20 years to elect a Libertarian as president.

The Wisconsin Libertarian Party convention began Friday and runsthrough Sunday at Treehaven Education and Conference Center in Tomahawk.

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Wisconsin Libertarians gather in Northwoods - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Ken Krall and Phillip Anderson

A state political convention is coming this weekend to the Northwoods.

The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin is hosting a convention and liberty retreat this weekend at Treehaven near Tomahawk. Founded in 1971, Libertarians strongly oppose any government interference into their personal, family, and business decisions.

Phillip Anderson ran in last year's U.S. Senate race and is the interim Wisconsin party Director.

He says among the speakers is the party's national leader...

"....Libertarian national party chair Nick Sarwark is the keynote speaker. We also have Professor Joseph Daniels, Economics Professor at Marquette University and the radio show host Glenn Klein(Milwaukee radio) will also be speaking...."

Anderson says he thinks Libertarians have positioned themselves for the future....

"...we had a lot of people that joined the Libertarian Party. We had a lot of people who identified as Lilbertarians already but hadn't been engaged in politics. In particular because of the two candidates that were offered up by Republicans and Democrats was an opportunity to open up people's eyes to see what's wrong with government, what's wrong with the two big parties. We were able to do that relatively successfully, grow our ranks and increase our visibility....."

Anderson says the party is being seen more frequently on the ballot...

"....not because the ballot access laws have changed, that's the unfortunate part, but we're getting better organized and people are more willing to have more choices on the ballot. As I was campaining for U.S. Senate, there were a lot people who identified as Republicans and Democrats but were happy to sign my petition because they felt that regardless of how they voted, they wanted more choices for everybody on the ballot...."

Anderson says they will be electing new state officers and representatives in the Congressional districts. The convention is Friday evening through Sunday at Treehaven.

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Libertarian Party State Convention This Weekend At Treehaven - WXPR

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By: Elias J. Atienza

Mass Effect: Andromeda has only been out for a couple of weeks, but the game already has me thinking about its libertarian themes. It is set 600 years after the events of the original Mass Effect trilogy, which centered around Commander Shepard and his efforts to stop a galaxy-wide extinction from the mysterious Reapers, bypassing the controversial ending of Mass Effect 3.

Credit: Roston Johnson/Mustang News

The majority of the libertarian themes within Mass Effect: Andromeda come from the Andromeda Initiative being a civilian project, not unlike SpaceX and our real life Elon Musk. It is built on the foundation of space colonization in a distant galaxy, with a 100,000 individuals of different backgrounds and species coming together to do so. It blazes a new frontier, one where governments have not been established and privatization rules the landscape. The objective of the Andromeda Initiative is to establish a foundation in the Heleus Cluster of the Andromeda galaxy, which is more than 2.5 million light years away from the Milky Way. It carries the brightest minds humanity and her allies have to offer: scientists, engineers, military specialists and traders, all of whom are dedicated to the mission of exploration.

The theme that resonates most with libertarians is probably that of diplomacy. The Tempest, which is the ship the Pathfinder uses, isnt heavily armored or armed, and the exploration vehicle, the Nomad, lacks a gun. The goal of the mission is to create new relationships with the species of the Andromeda galaxy, as highlighted by the extensive library and archives dedicated to teaching others. Of course there is a need for self-defense, so the Pathfinder does have access to high-end gear and weapons if necessary. However, the primary goal is to talk to the aliens inhabiting the cluster, not to shoot them.

Other libertarian ideas blossom throughout the game as well. Governments are portrayed as oppressive, as seen in the Kadara port and slums. The Angarans (the native species of Heleus) had been living under Kett occupation for decades. But the Kadara port is liberated by a band of Nexus exiles who were kicked off the station for rebellion. As a result, the Angaran are ruled by a pirate gang who extorts them just like the Kett. However, this new found corporate rule is in line with anarcho-capitalists, which are part of libertarian thought. The exiles charge protection fees and kick out anybody who doesnt pay them. Physical removal, so to speak, which would make libertarian anarcho-capitalist philosopher Hans Hermann Hoppe cry with joy.

However, the most prominent libertarian theme is that of self-reliance. There is no massive government, there is no welfare. Only the reliance on yourself, your friends and a lot of firearms. Unlike Commander Shepard, there is no military hierarchy you can fall back on for support, no massive fleet there to help save the day. It tells of the days of Mass Effect 2, when Commander Shepard had nobody but his crew and ship to rely on in order to take out the Collectors.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is probably the most libertarian game of the series. It reminds me of Firefly in a way, but much more nuanced and even more libertarian. Andromeda is filled with these little pointers. Its not as good as the other Mass Effect games, but it is still a fun way to waste time, just like the Libertarian Party.

diplomacyGovernmentgun rightslibertarianismMass EffectMass Effect AndromedaSci-FI

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'Mass Effect: Andromeda': A Libertarian Dreamscape - The Libertarian Republic