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Swansonism is Not Libertarianism: Why A Good Actor Plays A Bad Libertarian

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Parks and Recreation is one of the most beloved sitcoms in the past ten years. Taking its cues from the office with its mockumentary style, the show focused on a small set of government employees, their daily hijinks, and their heart-warming relationships. But one character, Ron Swanson, truly stole the hearts of many fans with his stone-like demeanor, comical cynicism, and alpha-male actions. And though Nick Offerman plays a wonderful part, his character has one major flaw; he’s a very bad libertarian. Though many champion him as the poster-man of the party or use his outlandish quotes as fodder against it, a deeper look shows some holes in his apparent political views. So, the next time you need to clarify the difference between Swansonism and true libertarianism , below are some helpful thoughts. “All government crumbling to the ground.” First, libertarians do not oppose the government. It’s true, the libertarian’s rep in the national consciousness is often one of gov