The approach of direct political action is exemplified in the United States by the Libertarian Party (more information) as well as pro-free-market caucuses within both the Republican and Democratic Parties. Unfortunately, as was seen repeatedly in Section 4, the benefits of freedom are often subtle, and the advantages of repealing interventionist policies may in many cases become evident only over the long term. As a consequence, any attempt to implement free-market ideas without first achieving some degree of popular understanding of the reasoning on which those ideas are based is apt to backfire, possibly even accelerating the trend toward statism. As an analogy, suppose that we were to offer a severely ill patient a medication that would ultimately cure her, but that we neglected to explain to her first the short-range negative side effects and the reasons why the drug should be regarded as a long-range cure. Most likely, the patient would not only discontinue the medication, but moreover she would probably immediately change doctors—perhaps even turning to unproven herbal remedies or other quackery.

Libertarian Party www.lp.org

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