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Libertarianism defined

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Antigen:
This is a letter written by a local (to PA) guy in response to a NYT article that grossly mischaracterized Libertarianism. I think it hits pretty close to the mark on what most Libertarians seem to think.


--- Quote ---Libertarians agree that citizenship is a cooperative endeavor.  But government fosters, not cooperation, but regimentation.  To libertarians, including the statesmen who founded this country, government's proper role is to protect us from those who would initiate force.  Mr. Dionne and the communitarians want the government to force us all to work for what someone decides is "the common good", and then call the result "cooperation".

--- End quote ---



When the government's boot is on your throat, whether it is a left boot or a right boot is of no consequence.
-- Gary Lloyd

--- End quote ---

JDavid:
Libertarian is a term with a really whacked history of its definitions.  At some point, it was basic anarchism.  The idea I get is that it later became Libertarian Communism when the basic anarchists couldn't come up with any productive solutions or something.  Now it's "The Libertarian Party" in the US whose government model is much larger than both of the original libertarian groups that I have heard of.

Antigen:
Well, I don't know all that much about the history of Libertarianism outside of ppl like Ludwig von Mises and Ayn Rand. I do know that terms of distinction like liberal, conservative and others have been so grossly distorted and misused over the years as to be completely meaningless.

tompaine.com seems to be an entirely socialist site. Ol'e Tom must be turning in his grave. The Founders were refered to as 'liberals' in their day, and proudly so, because they advocated dismantling the status quo for something different and the 'liberal' ideal they wanted as a replacement was individual liberty from government, except a certain, narrowly defined role.

If you want to know the official Libertarian position, go to http://lp.org/ and/or all the various state and local chapters. libertarianism is much more broadly defined, as it's used by a lot of people who don't necessarily agree with everything the party stands for; hence the charge that "Libertarian Party" is an oxymoron.

Personally, I like the definition I posted.

return (undef()) if /coercion/is;

Bigot: One fanatically devoted to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and intolerant of those who differ.
Webster's
--- End quote ---

JDavid:
Nozick's Theory of Justice and the Locke Proviso are Libertarian fundamentals.  They seem like excellent principles for justice, but they are missing a few important details.  If you look into those, imagine the difference of practicing those with a state and without one.


[ This Message was edited by: JDavid on 2003-06-05 20:43 ]

Froderik:
Earth's a padded cell
Defanged and declawed
I'm living in hell it's a paradise fraud
Straight jacket minds in line to be old
Telling me to want,
Let time slip through my teeth
Well i'm not the fool,
I'm going to town
Manic reactions are always a buzz
I'm suspect, the stranger in disguise
It's forced itself upon me,
Something i can't hide

Looking at you inside of you
Behind your eyes, through your mind
Looking at you, inside of you
I'm invisible, nowhere to hide
I'm obscene the living dead
See the flys feed off your head
Looking at you i'm inside of you
It's walden two but the flower's dead

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