Friday, February 11, 2005

Laughing All the Way To the Political Discourse

Perhaps it’s because Jerry Seinfeld’s in town. Perhaps it’s because it’s Friday Night Standup on Comedy Central. Perhaps it’s because anti-capitalist argument are so backwards, they’re funny, but I had a idea for something society really needs: libertarian comedians.

We do have some—Penn and Teller, Dennis Miller, Dennis Leary, Drew Carey (more here), but we don’t have enough and those we do have rarely make libertarianism part of their act. I’ve often said that the single biggest barrier to freedom is rhetoric (though not in so many words). The fact of the matter is, while the evidence favors liberty, the language favors control (aka “safety”).

Comedians, by the very virtue of their job, transform complicated ideas (or stories) into concise, funny sentences. They’re easy to remember and they make sense. Liberating the peoples of the world requires us to take back the debate. We need comedians to give us the pithy phrases we can pass on to others.

Thus, I call on libertarians everywhere to try to crack a joke that makes a point. Share them with others. Shout them from the rooftops. Rent billboards. Here’s a website to get you to start thinking succinctly about individualism.

1 comment:

David said...

I dunno how Jerry was...I didn't go. I heard it was good and it was sold out (though Quad-Citians will go to anything that's by a major celebrity because it makes us feel noticed). I like Stern but I haven't heard him enough to hear his libertarian stuff. Plus, I'm looking for stuff with greater scope.