I’m a Libertarian – I Like Smaller Government
Did that headline get your attention? Good. Why do I say that is good? Because everyone doesn’t share the same viewpoints, dogmas, or policy positions. Assuming that everyone agrees with you is a mistake, and within our nonprofit management profession, assuming everyone agrees that the sky is falling because there is a new administration in Washington, DC, is short-sighted and divisive.
A few weeks ago, I was talking with a long-time friend about ongoing issues in the world around us, and she accused me of “sounding like a Republican.” She meant it as an insult, and I took it as such, not because I’m against Republicans, but because she hurled it at me for not sharing her worldview.
I’ve always been a Libertarian but I don’t usually talk about it because politics is one of those third rails that you should avoid in mixed company. I think it’s especially important when interacting with colleagues, no matter what your profession, because you could end up creating bad feelings and negativity if everyone doesn’t agree with everything you say.
When groups decide that “everyone must have this opinion because I do” it turns into Group Think. And that’s not a good thing. Group Think leads to thought silos, dogmatic approaches, and refusal to see the other side of issues. This prevents us from finding solutions to problems.
Group Think can lead to individuals accusing others of “not thinking or understanding” because they don’t share exactly the same viewpoint. Thus, Group Think leads to the very thing those outside the group are accused of doing: lack of thinking and lack of understanding.
As a Libertarian, I don’t necessarily fit any mold of dogmatic thought, not even the Libertarian Party platform. There are many things in the party platform I do agree with like protecting individual rights and privacy. I don’t agree with them on the death penalty.
When it comes to the current administration in Washington, some things I agree with, like smaller government. Other things I don’t agree with, like confusing the practice of DEI with wokeness and discrimination. An overarching societal issue on my mind lately is this: I don’t like supporting those who break the law, but I see the human condition of those who feel they have no choice but to break the law. This is the tangled web of the mass migration we are seeing all over the world.
Making informed decisions about the issues facing us requires us to challenge our own viewpoints and see the other side of the situation. If our position cannot stand any pressure, then we need to revisit why we have that position. Policy is meant to guide us, not handcuff us, and we cannot allow policy to become dogma.
The nonprofit management profession and its community are in trouble, not because of the current administration, but because of our inability to resolve longstanding problems like Board performance and where we get our revenue. We also don’t address the serious threat presented by the abuse of the nonprofit status.
This trouble started long before the current administration arrived in town. The trouble will continue to worsen if we can no longer talk to each other unless we 100% agree with each other.