Reducing federal spending on “social programs,” and reducing taxation, should always be priorities for libertarians, however, they are not necessarily the top priority. Especially at a time when the government is committed to waging “perpetual war for perpetual peace” and shredding the Bill of Rights in the name of freedom, reducing domestic social spending might not be our highest priority. It does not serve libertarian goals to have an imperialistic state with a balanced budget that controls our lives through freedom-stifling laws and regulations. especially since running an empire is one of the most expansive projects a government can undertake–a fact that seems to have escaped the notice of most “fiscal conservatives” inside the beltway.

Yet, too many libertarians have made focus on “fiscal conservatism” the litmus test for whether a politician deserves libertarian support. Thus, someone can support the PATRIOT Act, the Iraq war, domestic spying, the Marriage Amendment, new Federal regulations on indecency, yet still be considered a “libertarian” if they vote for Bush’s tax cuts and against some domestic social spending. Again, I am not saying that taxes and welfare spending are unimportant issues. I am merely saying that a commitment to balanced budgets and reductions in the marginal tax rate does not necessarily equal a commitment to liberty.