Benjamin Seevers | The Libertarian Institute

China Should Be Allowed to Buy American Farmland

by Benjamin Seevers | Jul 18, 2023 | Featured Articles, Foreign Policy

To suggest that Chinese businesses and Chinese nationals should be allowed to buy farmland in the United States will intuitively send many conservatives reeling. “But…but…it’s a national security threat!” This is presented by both Republicans and Democrats as the core “problem” of Chinese-owned farmland. Recently, several state legislatures have passed measures against foreigners holding U.S. land. However, thinking about it past guttural reactions will reveal that the farmland argument is full of hot air. Not only that, but these regulations are prone to heat up international tensions...

I Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Vote

by Benjamin Seevers | Jun 26, 2023 | Featured Articles, Libertarianism, Politics

I just turned 22, and I should not be allowed to vote. I agree with Vivek Ramaswamy that the voting age probably should be increased, but the good intentioned policy misses the mark because it does not go far enough. Raising the voting age would be a step in the right direction, but the criterion for voting should not be age, but instead if one owns property in land. Ramaswamy, a candidate in the 2024 Republican primaries, stated that the voting age should be increased to 25 years of age, granting exceptions to those that serve in the military, work as emergency responders, or pass the...

Libertarianism Must Be Exclusive

by Benjamin Seevers | Jun 21, 2023 | Featured Articles, Libertarianism

This Pride Month, like many before it, some libertarians are sharing the slogan “Liberty is Inclusive.” The slogan is meant to affirm the idea of equality, not only in the law, but also in how people treat one another outside of legal arrangements. Is this consistent with libertarian ethics? No. Liberty is inherently exclusive, not inclusive. The most consistent brand of libertarianism, Rothbardianism, holds that homesteading is the ultimate criterion for justice. Murray Rothbard comes to the conclusion that we own ourselves and any resources we first use or acquire voluntarily by virtue of...

A Response to My Memorial Day Critics

by Benjamin Seevers | Jun 2, 2023 | Blog, Libertarianism

My article against Memorial Day drew a lot of ire and attention. This should not have been surprising; I was making a controversial statement. What did surprise me, however, was that many critics were self-described libertarians or former libertarians. There were many rebukes, but few dealt with the content of my article, either saying that it was just simply wrong or attacking my character, neither of which were sufficient. I stand by my article, but I think that in light of the criticism, the argument needs to be stated one more time with feeling. It is not honorable to sacrifice yourself...

Libertarians Should Reject Memorial Day

by Benjamin Seevers | May 29, 2023 | Featured Articles

Memorial Day brings together people from all political persuasions in remembrance and celebration of dead American soldiers. Libertarians, however, should reject a holiday that consecrates and immortalizes the names and lives of those who sacrificed themselves in unnecessary wars. The National Memorial Day was originally a national day of prayer for peace. Prior to President Richard Nixon’s declaration, there were many regional memorial days established and spontaneously practiced for a similar purpose. Unfortunately, it has become less about ending wars and more about worshipping conflict....