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Where do you think a libertarian who enjoys urban living would feel most comfortable in the U.S.? I'm currently living in downtown Baltimore and love being able to walk anywhere I want to go (groceries, bars, movies, parks, museums, etc.), but the taxes and bureaucracy are mind-boggling. Are there any major American cities left where the government is still viewed as a necessary evil and actually discouraged from getting involved in matters not directly related to physical safety? Where could I go and not get funny looks (or angry stares) for suggesting that the government shouldn't be running the schools, paying for medical treatment, operating homeless shelters, persecuting drug users, prostitutes, and gamblers, running transit services, or subsidizing sports stadiums? Is there anywhere where the consensus is that these things are best handled by private organizations?
I know that New Hampshire is the home of the Free State Project, and that Alaska has the lowest tax burden, but they're not exactly known for their urban centers. Any other suggestions?
I don't think any state is due to big brother and people just generally not allowing for people to live. In order for a libertarian city you need a libertarian state and we don't have that. I am so going to get burned by all the Americans'
Definitely won't find that on the East Coast. Look out west. The largest "libertarian" cities would probably be Denver, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. The Intermountain West is much more conservative than the East and West Coasts. With conservatism comes libertarianism.
I believe it is the politically ideology that the government should only be involved in matters of defense of its citizens, and allow everything else to be run by the people. It is based upon strong civil and personal rights.
I don't think you will find a libertarian nirvana in any city in America (or in Canada or Europe, either). The very concept of the city is a collectivist one. As cities evolved over the past several centuries, it became evident that public education, public infrastructure, public safety, and public health were necessary to sustain them, as was a way to pay for those things (taxation).
Ben, given that cities have arisen from the economic growth made possible by the division of labor, I find it counter-intuitive (to say the least) to regard them as an essentially collectivist concept.
Also, more to the point, I believe it is possible to aspire towards and promote an educated, mobile, and healthy populace without resorting to government provision of schools, buses, and hospitals. While it may be the present reality that governments across the country are involved in all these things to a greater or lesser extent, my hope is that there are a few large metropolitan areas in which views similar to my own are, if not in the majority, at least recognized and well-represented in the local political forum. This would be in contrast to my present experience where the barest mention of school vouchers or private buses draws near unanimous looks of either confusion or derision. If you are telling me that such a place does not exist, then I will take it as a summary of your experience. If you are telling me that such a place cannot exist, then I would politely ask where you live and if you feel your view is the dominant one so that I might pass over your city and spare us both the uncomfortable encounter.
Definitely won't find that on the East Coast. Look out west. The largest "libertarian" cities would probably be Denver, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. The Intermountain West is much more conservative than the East and West Coasts. With conservatism comes libertarianism.
Salt Lake City never comes to mind when I think of libertarian. Too many restrictions on alcohol and no gambling. I think of Las Vegas and Reno.
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