There are a great number of libertarian projects out there -- the Libertarian Party is an ongoing experiment in freedom politics via the voting booth, while the Free State Project attempts to influence shape the government and society by convincing free folk to move to New Hampshire. Bureaucrash is home to grass-roots activism that one usually finds among the Left, but is oriented towards the defense of capitalism, free trade and other libertarian ideals.
These are all worthwhile undertakings, but even the most strident defender of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness needs to relax every once in a while ... and that's where the Libertarian Gamers Project (Join the Yahoo Group) comes in.
What is a Libertarian?
It means a lot of things to a lot of people, but I'd sum it up as a political philosophy incorporating individualism, limited government, capitalism, and free markets. Back in the day (and I mean way back, as in the 18th/19th centuries) this was called "liberalism". It was the philosophy of many of America's Founders (though clearly, not all were consistent in their views, as is evidenced by slavery).
Over time, liberalism has come to mean something else, so sometimes libertarianism is referred to as "classical liberalism"
In the U.S., libertarians generally fall between the two major political parties and are occasionally depicted as being right wing or left wing, depending on who you're talking to.
Libertarians, for example, are generally for smaller government (theoretically like the Republicans) and fewer taxes. At the same time though, they tend to be pro-choice, free-speech adovcates (pulling from the Democrats).
There is a formal Libertarian Party but many people who describe themselves as libertarians don't belong to it, for a variety of reasons (sometimes these people refer to themselves as independents, which is a nicely non-commital term.
In terms of formal definitions of "what is a libertarian", there are a few excellent resources out on the Web that you can check out:
- The Advocates: The "World's Smallest Political Quiz"
- Institute for Human Studies: What is 'Libertarian'?
- Libertarianism.com: Numerous resources explaining the philosophy
What is a Gamer?
It may seem strange to define the term "gamer", but outside of geek circles, folks I've met are as likely to think that "gamer" refers to someone who spends their weekends in Las Vegas or Alantic City as they are to think of someone hacking their way through the wilds of EverQuest, or battling online hordes in Unreal Tournament.
So what is a gamer? For the purposes of this project, it's anyone who enthusiastically and regularly plays games, including (but not limited to) computer games, console games, online games, role-playing games, board games, card games and war games.
Why Have the Project?
The concept of gamers coming together to rally around a common cause is not a new one. Clans and guilds -- groups of gamers bound together by friendship, common cause, or even gaming platform -- have a long history on the net. And yet, to my knowledge there's no libertarian-oriented clan out there, and that's a void that needs filling. People form guilds for the strangest reasons, why not create one for the best one of all? Defending liberty!
But the project's about more than just forming a new gaming group. I'd like this project to provide a nexus for libertarians -- a place where game masters can stop by to post announcements about openings in role-playing game campaigns, or where folks can arrange to meet at one of the major gaming conventions. Imagine being able to meet up with a group of like-minded gamers at GenCon to throw back a few beers, talk politics, and over throw an evil sorcerer tyrant?
Moreover, we live in an era where massively multiplayer games are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated. They provide, in a virtual context, the ability to re-imagine society. Libertarians love to debate social theory, but here, in a digital format, is a chance to put those theories into practice, to show that libertarian ideals really do work ... and to have fun doing it!
What are the Project's Goals?
- Provide an online meeting place for gamers with a libertarian bent.
- Organize games -- both online and off -- for libertarian gamers.
- Facilitate the formation of libertarian-oriented guilds and clans.
Joining the Project
The project is in its preliminary stages -- at this point, I'm trying to gather together libertarian gamers, and see what sort of common ground we share (favorite games, favorite conventions, etc.). To that end, I have created a Yahoo Group for the project -- you can join it by visiting this url: