Libertarians- why does anyone take them seriously?

[Geekzilla]

So the enormous growth of the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries had nothing to do with freedom?

Native Americans would take issue with that.

[CookieMonster]

Ooops. Someone hasn't read his Ayn Rand.

Oooops. Someone who has read it but didn't understand it.

[CookieMonster]

This really takes the cake. In the first post you mock me for taking consistent anti-government positions (more consistent than yours), then you describe a horrible episode in American history, instigated by the US government, and then blame it on capitalism.

You need to take a long walk...

I did ask, twice.

[cHeal]

Anarchic Capitalism is a hideous and un-workable but Capitalism in and of itself is not and succeeded for a short time in the US, however, it like any form of government will always succumb to popularism, pragmatism and utilitarianism, not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but popularism is a largely damaging effect on society and is also the most prominent in nations without any form of ideological standing. So either a nation follows a strict doctrine of principles to solve any social issues which may arise and forego pragmatism and ultilitarianism*, as well as popularism or they allow all 3 to shape society, it's laws and it's institutions. This is what has happened in most nations, and most nations are a bit sh*t.

2000 miles concept of the right to secede is one means by which such popularism and "tyranny by majority" can be curtailed and I would support it within a frame work. I see no problem with each individual county or province having the right to secede however it would appear to me to be largely unworkable after that point.


Utilitarianism here refers to a short cited form of ultilitarianism (economic intervention such as bail outs for instance), however, the strict aderence to any particular ideology could also be term utilitarian.

[DS-09]

I did ask, twice.

Cookie two quick questons (1) Are you a libertarian, and (2) Do you in the UK?

[CookieMonster]

Cookie two quick questons (1) Are you a libertarian, and (2) Do you in the UK?

1. Not quite.
2. Not quite.

[Dios]

So just to clarify this once and for all, lads you are in favour of the complete abolition of social welfare and its replacement by voluntary charities?

[Monkey-Magic]

Even that ridiculous statement is a backtrack from you.

So now you admit that a Libertarian System can work with huge human system and large private armies for longer than 3 seconds? Kinda contradicts your first post...

Anywho, from a Socialist Party member ergo a Trotskyite I find a criticism of any other system for bring about "huge human suffering" kinda unnerving. Do you remember by any chance the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics... the gulags weren't exactly a holiday camp nor were the purges & show trials or the famines.

I would take libertarianism over socialism any day.

Yes it probably could work for longer than 3 seconds if the capitalists could afford enough security to protect their ill gotten gains from the people they dispossessed.

And the USSR wasn't socialist. Don't be fooled by the name. What about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea- do you believe it's democratic? Well you must do because it says so in the name!

[Panopticon]

I can't stand libertarians, they always charge me fines when I bring the books back late.

[macdarawhitfield]

The idea that anyone could find anything even faintly redeeming in that squallid pulp is the fundament of my pessimism.

Riddle me this.I recently read an interview with Martina Navratilova ,the former tennis champion.The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand is her favourite book.One of the questions was :Which living person do you most despise? A.Dick Cheney.

Now I'm not up to speed on these loonies but I thought the recent War was promoted by the libertarian right ( hence the rush to steal -sorry privatise - Iraqi assets and the malign involvement of Cheneys firms) but now I'm confused again.

2000,if you get a spare mo ,could you do a little diagram showing where these lads are on the spectrum? Like - Old Conservative, Religious Right, Libertarian /neo con, Becontree .Where do they all fit in ?