Ha ok.

quote:

Originally posted by Sunsnail Ha ok.

I look at being libertarian much like using common sense (which, if you pardon the cliche, not common).

Give the people space to do their thing (as long as it's legal, moral and ethical) and in the end, everyone benefits.

___________________
"...End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path...one that we all must take.
The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all change to silver glass...and then you see it...
...white shores...and beyond...the far green country under a swift sunrise."

uh kush...I can't think of anything you said that I disagree with. Yeah, local government all the way and reducing federal control wherever possible...thats the idea. Some people may call you extreme for believing this, but I memorized a little quote you can respond with.

"It is sobering to reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for independence."

-Charles A. Beard

And sunsnail, on the DUI comment...that would qualify as a form of violence wouldn't it? Personally I think drunk driving penalties should be MUCH harsher than they are today. It is completely unacceptable to behave irresponsibly and risk the life others. If we eventually do go the libertarian route of decriminalizing drugs for personal use, we should also increase penalties for driving under the influence. If you take a shot of heroin and get on the highway, that would be an instant felony in my book...and give you a suspended license and minimum 6 month jail term. The idea is to make the penalty so severe that nobody would even dream of doing it. The freedom to be an idiot stops when someone else's well-being is at stake.

Last edited by Capitalizt on May-05-2007 at 20:02

Hm, I don't think violence would really be the right word for it, but I understand what you're saying now.

The biggest misconception is equating libertarian with anarchy. There's no way to sum up the libertarian ideology in a sentence or two, but I'd say:

- Allow people to make decisions first, politicians second (especially when it comes to authoring broad, widely-scoped rules and regulations).

- If the only "victim" is the person doing it, it should be allowed (including getting rid of the notion that the government should protect people from themselves).

- People should be responsible for their actions, and the government too.

- The balance of government power should be; local, state, federal. In that order.

- The federal government does have important, specific roles, but those should not be expanded or up for ridiculous interpretation.

Each one of those topics can be expanded upon, but when people ask me what I believe as a libertarian, these are a few of the big points I bring up first.

quote:

Originally posted by Capitalizt Libertarian Party Platform

I have to say, sort of hope they start to get a footing in the US as they (the country) could use a decent 'moderate' representation as the left and right parties at the moment aren't exactly awe inspiring unless you count their failures since the 2nd world war at playing "lets make the whole world like 'US' cops" as awe-ful ...and in the latest lot of administration, crooked cops but that hardly makes them remarkable I suppose.
Sure, the current representative people might not like very much but give it time perhaps another will pop up in the next decade or so. Real key to them getting anywhere would be to perhaps rope in the independents under the same banner to get some support.

I think if nothing else, a strong 3rd party option would help to keep the other two bastards a little more honest, make them work for votes rather than people have to pick a poison and perhaps ground the place in reality rather than idealistic crap like making the rest of the world a model like the USA. (when most of the time they DO NOT WANT it)
No, you could do a lot worse than have them as a 3rd party option and I hope they do well and really, they would only do as well as people make their society. Admittedly, a lot of people don't have a sense of responsibility but that's due to a number of things where they simply are not empowered enough to take on social charge at that micro-level of the human unit and family, hence they blame the government and authorities in power for their woes.
Short version- take some responsibility for your lives instead of whining about it!
"Oh the public health care sucks"
Well then fix it!
"Oh our government gets us into so much debt and taxes us to death!"
Well STOP them doing it
"Oh we're in a war which is ruining our international reputation and costing us billions a day"
Well don't elect idiots that do it to your country!
Stop taking it.
Stop getting repeatedly slapped in the face every time by either the right or left hand of your government!
Doesn't seem to matter if it's a right hook or a left jab, you're still stinging from it aren't you?

Most people simply aren't experienced when it comes to responsibility, there is a problem in US society I've seen where it does the 'blame-game' when people make a mistake, too proud to admit they stuffed themselves over and aren't willing to fight for anything but themselves if they think it'll get them further in life.
But I do believe that people have an innate sense or right-wrong and justice which is fundamental to everyone.

That could be harnessed, with an education into something workable, not quickly mind you, these things sometimes take a generation or three.

My question is, what would a libertarian do with already existing government programs like social security, medicare and medicaid, food stamps, financial aid etc? Would they privatize it? Would that really make them better? What would a "weak" national government under a Libertarian president do? Would it give more control to just local and state and let them do what they want? Would their be government regulations on things like the food industry, oil industry, contractors etc? What about taxes, how would they go about revenue being brought in for services? Would those all be privatized? I have a lot of questions, and that platform helped me some, it didn't give me specifics, esp what Ron Paul would do. He rails against "big" government, but IMO the government needs to be in control of certain areas like the economy (not just the "free market") and taxes should be fair (not too high, but not too low either). So would they support a flat-tax? What would they do in a situation like Katrina? What about a terrorist attack?

quote:

Originally posted by Capitalizt I certainly wouldn't mind. Those men helped build this country...creating millions of new jobs and billions in new wealth for their shareholders and employees. And their philanthropic contributions continue helping the poor today (80 years after their deaths). Free enterprise and limited government are far more effective poverty-fighting tools than any "great society" program the feds can come up with.

They are the definition of monopolies. Nothing is worse than a power hungry capitalist.

___________________
"You won a new refrigerator, great! Where you gonna put it?" - Tony Danza

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Summers Nothing is worse than a power hungry capitalist.

Except a power hungry bureaucrat, with the legal power to control your life and steal your property at gunpoint.

quote:

Originally posted by Capitalizt Except a power hungry bureaucrat, with the legal power to control your life and steal your property at gunpoint.

lol, this sounds like bizarro world.

Anyways serious question, since you are a libertarian.

"Life, Liberty, and Property" was replaced with "Life, Liberty, And the Pursuit of Happiness" in the Declaration of Independence? What are your thoughts?

___________________
"You won a new refrigerator, great! Where you gonna put it?" - Tony Danza

Well pursuit of happiness does have a nice ring to it...but I think if they had kept "property" in there, they would have saved us a LOT of trouble over the past 100 years, since taxation is the main way government deprives people of property. If Thomas Jefferson were told that most people would eventually be working through MAY each year just to pay their tax bill, his expression would probably be something like this--->