THE AUTHENTIC ECLECTIC

The Loneliness of the Left Libertarian

On wanting to be left alone, but with social equality

Photo from author’s private collection. Image designed in Canva by author.

“Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it’s just the opposite.” JK Galbraith

I’d always identified as left wing. The leftier the better. I was passionate about all things “progressive” and would dismiss people who disagreed with me as “horrible bigots”. But I rarely debated with them as my arguments were flimsy and backed up with little besides feelings.

Luckily for the world, this was just a temporary state of affairs.

I’m not sure if it was hitting my 40s but the critical thinking I’d been endowed with at school kicked back in. It dawned on me that I was not 100% affiliated with the far-woke progressive crowd who seemed to be dominating left politics — a tribe I’d previously thought of as the “cool kids”.

Worse still, I found myself not 100% disagreeing with some of the right-wingers I’d disliked most of my adult life.

I’d reached that time in a person’s life when they experience an existential political crisis.

I’m going through changes. Or am I?