Thursday, June 5, 2008

Libertarianism Is Stupid

Libertarians do have some beliefs that I support wholeheartedly among them legalization of marijuana, pro-gay marriage, anti-censorship, pro-privacy, women's right to choose and pro-property rights. Most of the rest I find kinda screwy. If we were to go so far as the Libertarians would like, our highways and other roads would not be maintained, environmental protection would be solely up to the individual and unproven medical treatments would be widely available. Bush has personally proven that a totally free market economy would only bring our republic further ruin.

Libertarianism is not practical. It's stupid.

In my experience, there are only two kinds of libertarians:

  1. The wild-eyed true believing anarchist types.
  2. The "former" Republicans who claim they're "Libertarian" because they're currently ashamed of their party and wish to duck responsibility for the George W. Bush Presidency.
Almost all* those in category #2 are TLINOs (Temporary Libertarians In Name Only). They have no intention of leaving the GOP or joining the Libertarian Party. They'll either hold their noses and vote for McCain or sit this one out instead of working to rebuild their party for within. Until Republicans regain their self-respect back, Libertarianism is serves as a fashionable holding pattern. Whatever happens, it's not their fault.

I respect the crazies in category #1 far more than I do the #2s.

-AF

*The exception to this rule being the Bob Barr/Christine Smith types (though I've never seen anyone join a party, make a bid for that party's Presidential nomination and quit that party as quickly as Christine Smith).

4 comments:

Liesl said...

Did you hear about the father and son running against each other somewhere or other? I can't remember where. I suspect that's what the cartoon you posted comes from. The son says he'll run as an anarchist if he doesn't get the nomination. Lovely.

What is it about their stance on property rights that you support?

Anacher Forester said...

Dunno where I came across the cartoon. I scavenge interesting graphics sometimes saving them for months before using them.

As far as property rights go, libertarians are against the kind of Federal gov't. bullshit that allows a New Haven developer to take people's homes by eminent domain to build a private hotel and office space.

-AF

Liesl said...

I can definitely get on board for, at the very least, limiting eminent domain. What I can't support is the idea that property rights trump public safety and equality. But yeah, eminent domain can be bad, bad, bad.

Anacher Forester said...

That property rights should trump public safety and equality is one of those places libertarianism goes all stupid.

-AF