We Are Libertarians helps you sound smarter while talking to your friends. If you struggle to understand politics, we explain it from an independent, libertarian point of view with all of the irreverence it deserves. We toss out the screaming heads, put people before political parties, and give context to the news to make you think. We exist to demystify, delegitimize, and desanctify government.
Our founder is Chris Spangle, a fifteen year veteran of politics and media. He leads a discussion amongst friends and high-profile guests that span the libertarian spectrum of thought. Founded in 2012, the main podcast was titled We Are Libertarians until 2021 when it became the Chris Spangle Show. We Are Libertarians now serves as the overarching brand for our network of shows.
What is We Are Libertarians?
We Are Libertarians is a news commentary brand that examines current events from an independent, libertarian point of view. We approach every story with a simple framework:
- We choose the topic that is on the tongue of everyone around us. Thinking like traditional journalists, we ask who, what, why, when, and how. Establishing basic facts before wading into opinions is essential.
- We examine central arguments from all sides, including the left, the right, the government, the media, the mob on social media, and from various libertarian corners. We also look at historical arguments of a subject.
- We examine all of this information against our own biases and explain our own opinions on a subject.
- We then compare all of this information to traditional libertarian beliefs. We ask first and foremost, “What will increase liberty, prosperity, and justice for our society?”
- We offer extensive show notes so listeners can then research a subject to come to their conclusions.
A listener should feel fully informed, which allows them to confidently discuss a subject with their friends from a libertarian perspective after hearing an episode of one of our shows.
We believe that through this process, people will hear the libertarian alternative without asking people to change their worldview immediately.
Anchoring the We Are Libertarians Network is our main podcast called The Chris Spangle Show. It was started in 2012 by our founder Chris Spangle. It features the main show that explains the news from a libertarian perspective as well as several special series. The Swamp Explained is a look at the inner workings of Washington DC with Rob Quartel. The Path to Libertarianism features interviews with prominent libertarians discussing the influences that led them to libertarianism. Path to Libertarianism Q&A takes all of the basic questions that new libertarians may have about the philosophy and answers them. The Cost – The Human Toll of Public Policy is a conversation with someone that has dealt with the true costs of government intervention. We also feature political and ideological debates. We also offer two bonus shows for our Patreon members. Ideological Origins is an in-depth look at how political ideas have developed through history. Build the WAL is a show that discusses the inside details of building a platform like WAL.
From there, we’ve expanded into an active website and blog, a significant presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, and a daily email newsletter called the Libertarian Aurora. We also help start local chapters of Liberty & Chill, a social organization dedicated to building community.
We are also a family of podcasts. The Brian Nichols Show is the leading interview show in the libertarian movement that talks to leaders from every strain of the ideology. The Boss Hog of Liberty has developed into the primary source of information for residents of East Central Indiana. It is a template show for how to grow libertarian media focused on a small geographical area, thus becoming a normalizing voice for libertarian ideas. Liberty Explained is a simple entry point for new libertarians to learn about the ideology and movement. On The Run is a fun look at the world through the lens of independent journalist Remso Martinez. GingerArchy with Tricia Stuart-Mann and Freedom Strips with Keaton Tucker is a fun look at thought leaders within the liberty movement. Upward is a podcast devoted to training libertarian activists in grassroots organizing, campaigning, and communication. We also feature Now Hear This, a local radio show hosted by Chris Spangle that features the work of nonprofits in Indiana.
In all, 30 to 40 dedicated libertarians work to produce podcasts, writings, and videos that reach tens of thousands each week. Our Patrons fund our operations, so we are completely independent of corporate interests.
Our Ten Principles
We hold the following ten principles for our political analysis:
1. First and Foremost, We Ask ‘What Is Best For Liberty?”
There are many strains of libertarianism, but ours is best defined by David Boaz’s article titled “Key Concepts of Libertarianism.” Our philosophy is determined by these concepts:
- Individualism
- Individual Rights
- Spontaneous Order
- Limited Government
- Free Markets
- The Virtue of Production
- Natural Harmony of Interest
- Peace
As a result, we believe in capitalism, noninterventionism, and American constitutionalism. Libertarians often term this as minarchism.
2. All Contributions Towards Moving Society in This Direction are Valued
We are nonpartisan. Our founder Chris Spangle spent four years working for the Libertarian Party of Indiana and votes Libertarian the majority of the time. Many of our cohosts are Republicans. Some are former Democrats. Some are anarcho-capitalists that do not believe in voting. The principles of libertarianism transcend the empty vessels of political parties. If a libertarian is making progress towards a more free society, we think that is worthwhile.
3. The Golden Rule is the Foundational Principle Of a Libertarian Society
‘Treating others as you’d like to be treated’ is a profound and straightforward precept for life. Every human is worthy of dignity and respect. We reject any ideology or policy that depends on stripping an individual or group of their humanity for implementation. We are not libertarians because of greed or selfishness. We are libertarians because government policy often strips individuals of their dignity and fails to provide them with effective outcomes as detailed in our podcast ‘The Cost: The Human Toll of Public Policy.” We believe that the rules of good interpersonal relationships extend to the masses. While many libertarian outlets start with economics, we believe telling the human story is more relatable.
4. Government Exists And Politics Will Not Cease In Our Lifetime
We support libertarian ideas and believe the world would be better if we existed in a libertarian society. The reality is that our times demand a counter-argument to the leviathan of the modern city-state. We believe in engaging in the debates of the day to insert a libertarian voice to move our current government in a libertarian direction. Utopian scenarios are always exciting for the libertarian mind, but usually, serve to drive libertarian-curious individuals away from our movement.
5. We Are Libertarians Will Serve As an Entry Point into the Libertarian Movement
Acting as the entry point for those interested in the libertarian philosophy is one happy outcome of focusing on current events. We do our best to teach individuals about the entirety of the libertarian movement without bias. While we favor certain individuals and outlets, we recognize that not every new person will have the same tastes. We don’t believe in shaming other libertarians for engaging in political activities that we do not personally find worthwhile.
6. We Believe in Presenting All Sides of An Issue To Let the Listener or Reader Make Up Their Minds
While we have a clear bias towards freedom and liberty, we want to present as many sides of an argument to let our listeners and readers make up their mind. We reject all forms of censorship. All voices must be heard to have a healthy society. The best way to neutralize dangerous ideas? Expose them to scrutiny. Propaganda and echo chambers have become pervasive in the social media era, and have caused the atrophy of critical thinking. We reject the idea that any idea is off limits for discussion.
7. Achieving Liberty is a Never-Ending Fight and Libertarians Must Invest in Future Generations
Progressives in the early 20th century planned to spend 100 years advancing their political goals. Libertarians must show the safe preparation and coordination to begin moving us towards principles of self-government. Those looking for short-term success will be frustrated quickly.
8. Every Individual Can Make Societal Change
The average individual has the power to influence modern politics with a post, a tweet, a discussion, a vote or through their voice. Every act is an extension of their values and must be used wisely.
9. We Embrace Complexity and Reject Tribalism
Our newer listeners and readers are always trying to determine our “tribe.” We reject the tribalism of modern politics and do not try to fit our content to curry favor with the biases of particular political movements. We are not right or left-libertarians. We believe that there are valuable ideas from all different ideologies within global politics. We do not engage in flat and simplistic thinking. We reject propagandist tactics. Humans are complex animals that deserve in-depth study and analysis.
10. We Treat Modern Politics With All of the Irreverence It Deserves
Political commentary is boring. We recognize the serious outcomes of politics while not taking it too seriously. We believe that humor is a useful tool to explain complex ideas. Our podcast reflects a kitchen-table conversation as opposed to experts sitting at a news desk.