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The Libertarian Nook


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Do we have a Libertarian thread on here? Maybe we should open one.

 

I definitely have a libertarian streak, but I've started to realize that EVERYONE has a libertarian streak. It's kind of how we're hardwired.

 

The problem is that to become a political party, Libertarians need rules and leaders, and that goes against the ideology itself.

 

The other problem is that we all want to be free to make our own damn choices, but we all want to draw the line somewhere.

 

Then you have to define the line that works for most people.

 

Then you're right where we are.

 

Discuss.

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I don't discuss political theory on the internet anymore. But, I do pledge my full and undying allegiance to the one and true anti-leader, Ron Paul. Just throwing that in for fun. Not even going to respond to anything further related to Paul.

But I will say this: Libertarians adhere to Austrian economics, primarily. And this country is desperately in need of austerity right now. Desperately.

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18 minutes ago, Guy Chamberlin said:

I definitely have a libertarian streak, but I've started to realize that EVERYONE has a libertarian streak. It's kind of how we're hardwired.

 

 

Same. If you live in the hyper individualized West, you've got libertarian bents in certain areas of your life because everything about your existence has reinforced to you that you are an autonomous singular entity responsible for everything that happens to you. It's the fundamental fantasy of America, the land of the weirdos and outcasts and sub groups of fringe groups who valued their own lofty ideas over rational thinking. That's the DNA of our country so it makes total sense.

 

But, intuitively we all know somewhere deep down that that isn't actually the case at all. 

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7 hours ago, Undone said:

But I will say this: Libertarians adhere to Austrian economics, primarily. And this country is desperately in need of austerity right now. Desperately.

No, hell no. Read Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea by Mark Blyth to find out why austerity is a terrible idea but keeps coming back over and over. (There's some good youtube videos of presentations he's done on austerity if you'd rather not read the book.)

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As for libertarianism: to me it's just the other side of the coin of communism. Communism takes power away from the evil corporations and gives it to the government in hopes of utopia  but seriously underestimates the bad things the government can do with that power. Libertarianism takes power away from the evil government and gives it to the corporations in hopes of utopia but seriously underestimates the bad things the corporations can do with that power.

 

I don't think any single ideology can ever hope to govern a dynamic society. Instead we need a mix of ideas that society can use to adapt over time and not be stuck behind some particular way of doing things.

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10 hours ago, RedDenver said:

As for libertarianism: to me it's just the other side of the coin of communism. Communism takes power away from the evil corporations and gives it to the government in hopes of utopia  but seriously underestimates the bad things the government can do with that power. Libertarianism takes power away from the evil government and gives it to the corporations in hopes of utopia but seriously underestimates the bad things the corporations can do with that power.

 

I don't think any single ideology can ever hope to govern a dynamic society. Instead we need a mix of ideas that society can use to adapt over time and not be stuck behind some particular way of doing things.

 

I agree, and here's a radical idea that folks should consider: what if we had a government whose purpose was to serve the people, and we wrote a law the separated the powers of the government, limited the powers of the government, provided a system of checks and balances, and had democratically elected representatives? We could even include a specific list of personal feedoms that were guaranteed, while the purpose of said government was to insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty. 

 

We should try something like that. It would only fail if a single political party seized power, lied to the people, and changed the rules to further their own greed and corruption. 

 

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Or we can also try some sort of anarcho-syndicalist commune. We can take turns to act as sort of executive officer for the week, but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting by a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs but by a two thirds majority in the case of more important matters.  

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