Libertarian
Libertarian/Classical Liberalism, is just the belief that liberty should be the core principle of their philosophy.
~ Aristotle Sabouni
Created: 2019-04-13 |
In Europe, this would be left wing, in the U.S. it is right wing. (Technically, Libertarian can mean the party, or a form of Classical Liberalism).
Basics[edit | edit source]
The basics are Thomas Jefferson was a libertarian, as were most of the founding fathers. Which means most libertarians are conservatives, in that they want to go back to when the U.S. had more individual liberties, smaller federal government (more state governmental control), lower taxes, more opportunities, and less regulations. There's a huge spectrum of how far back, and in what areas first. And it's important to remember that this is opposed to most European conservatives: where when they want to go back, it's often back to more imperial or monarchistic autocracy or centralized control (our histories are different, so back means different things).
| 🗒️ Note: |
|---|
| Also, libertarianism is a philosophy that can't always be achieved. (At least to the more pragmatic/realistic). So it's something to be strived towards, with gaps. Jefferson felt we shouldn't go into national debt... then the Louisiana purchase opportunity came up, and he said, "screw that, I'm buying the land rights!". He also had slaves, while hating the institution and wanted to figure a way out of the economic trap it was for both sides. Things like that. |
Libertarians are "classical liberals". Basically, what liberal (where libertarian came from) originally meant is, "Liberty": maximizing autonomy, freedom of choice, and the primacy of individual judgment. Around the turn of the 19th century, American progressive socialists started to usurp the name liberal, and re-invent it as meaning themselves (heavy state control and what federalism used to mean): even-though everything the left stood for was the opposite of classical liberalism. Since this didn't take root in Europe, "liberal" means opposite things in the U.S. and Europe (generally American libertarian is what Europe means with liberal -- though Americas misuse of the term has muddied the waters as Europeans have started using it wrong as well).
More[edit | edit source]
Here's a list of things that are, or are not, Libertarian -- and what the term or philosophy means.
- Am I a libertarian? - I lean little-L Libertarian (not a party Libertarian. I'm for less government (especially federal), for more isolationism and less militarism, and for more individual liberty and property rights and so on -- all things that align well with Libertarianism. But I generally don't align with the Party in how far or fast to get there.
- Big-L versus little-l - Little-L Libertarian is a philosophy or belief system, Big-L Libertarian is a political party. Few Libertarians can seem to agree on what the political priorities should be, but I'm more moderate than most... and they have litmus tests into belonging that I often fail. Plus I think it's best to work within the 2 party system, instead of just belonging to one with no influence.
- Classical Liberalism - Which party (or side of the aisle) is more authoritarian or totalitarian? That depends on country, culture, time, and personality. Historically, while the right in some countries CAN be authoritarian/totalitarian, the left MUST be. And in America? It's by far been the left or at least progressives (and all them pooled to the left now).
- Frederick Hayek - An Anglo-Austrian economist and philosopher best known for his defense of classical liberalism. He showed why Socialism fails: the dispersed knowledge problem -- that the people on the bottom know more than the people on the top about the specifics of issues, so the more you have to push up the chain for decision making, the more errors and delays will be introduced.
- Left Libertarian - Is there Left-wing Libertarianism? Not in America. It's like saying "kind rapist" or "compassionate gennoacide". You are either trying to increase individual liberty (and accountability) and are on the libertarian spectrum, or you're trying to seize the means of production and force social equality through government force. Social Justice or Individualism. But not both.
- Libertarian Joke - Oh, you're a Libertarian? What kind of Libertarian are you? Free-market or Socialist? Paleo-libertarian or neo-libertarian? Chicago or Austrian school of economics? Hayekian or Rothbardian? Consequentialist or deontological? If you fail any of those litmus tests, then "Die Statist!"
- Libertarians are anarchists - There is a reductio ad absurdum argument by the left, that Libertarians are all anarchists, or it would lead to anarchy. This is like saying anyone for a single social program wants complete Authoritarian Marxist Tyranny. There might be a few that far out on the bell curve, but they're not the norm of the movement, nor close. And you have to be willing to ask to find out.
- Light Rail - In the real world Light Rail doesn't work: it costs more, increases fares, does less, increases total travel time, reduces rider overall and from other services, slows other traffic, increases pollution, and thus supporting them is anti-environment, anti-economics and anti-science. But cities promise they'll make up those losses in volume. They never do.
- Mass Transit - If an idea has to be subsidized, it's probably not a good (economically viable) idea that will offer mass benefit. Of course if the goal is wealth redistribution (stealing from some and giving to others in trade for votes), then these are great. Mass transit is an example of the failures of public policy, but a great way to buy votes from the gullible.
- No true Liberals remain - Liberals used to fight for "liberty" (individuals). In American, Liberalism was taken over by Progressives. Progressives don't fight for individual rights, but for groups, Social Justice and collective rights. (Identity politics). This isn't liberal, or tolerant. Watch how they treat those that say somethign they don't approve; do they fight for liberty or authority?
- Roads and Infrastructure - Some think Nordic countries such as Sweden and Finland as socialist due to their extensive welfare system, yet they're have lower business taxes, and the vast majority of roads in Sweden and Finland are operated by the private sector and maintained by local communities. It costs less, works better, like was the case in the U.S. before FDR got the Fed involved.
👁️ See also
- Memes/Politics/Libertarian - These Memes are just about Libertarian.
🔗 More
| |
| |
