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You don't give specifics, but I don't understand left-leaners who ID themselves as "libertarian." Bill Maher is an example of this. Remember that Maher donated $1 million towards the re-election of Pres. Obama. How can you support a big-gov't, big welfare state proponent such as Obama and claim to be libertarian? The welfare state and nanny state go hand in hand.
Left libertarians take 1% from libertarianism and 99% from liberalism.
I personally think it's just for the coolness factor of calling yourself a "left libertarian" rather than a plain old "liberal" because the two are virtually indistinguishable from one another. It's like left libertarians are libertarian wherever libertarianism already coincides with liberalism and are left wherever libertarianism disagrees with liberalism.
I am a Republican who opposes capital punishment. There are more people on the left who oppose it than there are on the right. But that doesn't mean I call myself a "right wing Democrat" just because I agree with the Democrats on one particular issue.
I personally think it's just for the coolness factor of calling yourself a "left libertarian" rather than a plain old "liberal" because the two are virtually indistinguishable from one another. It's like left libertarians are libertarian wherever libertarianism already coincides with liberalism and are left wherever libertarianism disagrees with liberalism.
I am a Republican who opposes capital punishment. There are more people on the left who oppose it than there are on the right. But that doesn't mean I call myself a "right wing Democrat" just because I agree with the Democrats on one particular issue.
"Left-Libertarianism" is stupid. Like you said it predicated on being "cool" and different by not just being a leftist, but a "left-libertarian."
It's easy to agree with many libertarian principles, and I think most people do, but some people are purists and that is just not workable.
To paraphrase a quote I remember reading "Most of us see a stop sign and say, "Great! A way to ensure we don't all crash into one another." while a libertarian will say "How dare the government tell me I have to stop when I don't want to! They are infringing on my freedom!" This is a metaphor for those who didn't catch it.
Libertarian principles mixed with common sense are a great thing. But then the problem is, we all have different ideas of what "common sense" is. And who gets to decide when the government steps in and sets some boundaries? Then you are creating all kinds of slippery slopes. I get that. I don't think a libertarian in the oval office is feasible, but I don't belittle libertarians. They are very important. They are a constant reminder that we are meant to be free, and freedom can easily slip away unless it is protected. If their voice can pressure the democrats to value economic freedom a little more, and the republicans to value personal freedom a little more, then they have done a great thing for the country.
However, in spite of my strong libertarianism, I can't help but utterly hate so many other libertarians. The reason is that many of them appear to hold on to 2 utterly stupid and a selfish ideas which I believe is why libertarianism has gotten a bad name with many people from both the left and the right:
Am I the only libertarian on this forum who feels this way?
IMO, yes
I am a libertarin of the Libertarian Party, and Libertarians I know, don't "hate" other people.
It's counterproductive. We are the party of peace, self respect, as well as respect for others
I consider myself to be a conservative libertarian, in that I reject statism and believe the state should stay out of most economic and social issues, but only because I distrust the state and am actually fairly conservative as a person. Hence conservative libertarian.
However, in spite of my strong libertarianism, I can't help but utterly hate so many other libertarians. The reason is that many of them appear to hold on to 2 utterly stupid and a selfish ideas which I believe is why libertarianism has gotten a bad name with many people from both the left and the right:
-The idea that nothing can possibly be unethical just as long as it isn't illegal to do.
-That individual liberty means you have no reason to show consideration towards other people.
The first is self-explanatory, and is simply the idea that as long as drowning puppies isn't against the law then doing so must be totally fine.
The second, is the idea that because people have freedom this means they have no reason to care about the effect it has on others. I will use nudity and cursing as an example. There are some libertarians who believe that cursing and being naked in public should not be illegal and are just fine things to do, because they believe it's just "other people's fault" if they find it offensive, and that their individual liberty should not be infringed upon by being told that they cannot curse or be naked in public. However, even as a libertarian myself I find the reasoning behind this to be total bull****.
The libertarian ideal is that you can do as you please as long as you are not causing discomfort or harm to others. If some fat ugly piece of crap walks naked into my room and forces me to stare at his horrible body until it makes me want to puke, and also curses in every other word until it makes me want to tear of my ears, then how on earth is he not causing me discomfort? Don't get me wrong, I don't think cursing (I do it all the time) or nudity are bad things per say, I just don't think people should throw it into other people's face.
But ok, let's say that their argument isn't wrong and that it's only other peoples fault if they get offended at their public display of cursing and nudity, and that it should thus not be illegal. Well guess what, they are still selfish pieces of ****s for doing it. There is a reason for why the term "legal but unethical" was coined. Even in a setting where doing those things is not banned, if a person decides to do something like this even knowing that it will be frowned upon by everybody around them and claims the reason they do it anyway is simply because they don't give a **** about other people then that person is still a major *******, regardless of if they have the right or not.
Basically it's this "I have rights so I don't need to be considerate towards others" bull**** that pisses me the **** off. Liberty and freedom are valuable, but they also need to be treated with respect. A person who believes they should just do anything they want as long as it's not banned without regard for others is a sociopath. Nothing more.
Am I the only libertarian on this forum who feels this way?
Like freedom of speech, it is unattainable unless all men in their degree are capable of reason and moral responsibility.
Human systems are a composite of logic, custom, common sense and (one hopes) compassion. Common sense is subjective, does common sense even exist? Compassion is also subjective, becuase many believe
"taking care of my own people" is the highest level of compassion
Laws against racial discrimination are effectively an action of the heart. They are legal under our constitution, they are morally right, and they constitute one of the infringements on perfect personal liberty that I am happy to see. Do you believe this is one of those areas where the free market would ever solve the problem?
Libertarians are naturally combative and abrasive. It tends to attract people who are cynical and concerned with their own interests.
But we make better neighbors than the nosy busybody types.
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