What it feels like to be a Libertarian (ethical, brainwashing, independent)
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freedom scares too many people in both the democrat and republican parties.
if we the people got as much freedom as the documents our founding fathers gave us, the democrat and republican parties would lose way too much of their power.
that is something they could not live without.
The end result of laissez-faire capitalism is the same as when a predator becomes too successful: The prey become extinct, and the predator then becomes extinct itself.
The end result of laissez-faire capitalism is the same as when a predator becomes too successful: The prey become extinct, and the predator then becomes extinct itself.
Libertarians have never supported lazy fairies - only their right to be so.
I find this whole "the government has to protect us from the evil corporations" argument a bit ridiculous, and more than a bit ironic. What is the worst thing that corporations have done? Put people to work in sweatshops? That's bad, certainly, but the fact of the matter is that people work there because it is better than the alternative. We talk about how horrible it is to 'force' third world citizens to produce our tennis shoes, but never stop to think about the fact that they have a say in the matter, and as bad as the working conditions are, they're still obviously better than the agrarian farming lifestyle they're used to.
On the other hand, what's the worst that the government can do? I guess I'm not sure if it's the absolute worst, but genocide is pretty bad, and was committed by multiple governments in the last century alone. Hell, even our own government institutionalized slavery; the forced subjugation of millions of people. That wasn't a product of the free market, that was a system that could only survive if the government enforced the laws that allowed people to be considered property. You can sit there in fear of big corporations all you want, but government is the real villain. Less government (to a point) equals more freedom, which corespondingly equals greater prosperity, and thus higher living standards.
I find this whole "the government has to protect us from the evil corporations" argument a bit ridiculous, and more than a bit ironic. What is the worst thing that corporations have done?
Journalist Files Charges against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and Intent to Commit Mass Murder (http://www.naturalnews.com/026503_pandemic_swine_flu_bioterrorism.html - broken link)
I consider myself a libertarian, but complete de-regulation of financial markets is part of what spurred our current economic situation. The article even points this out by stating that hands off economics have been proven wrong.
Actually, what spurred the economic downturn was all the new home buyers who agreed to and signed ARMs & sub prime loans without knowing the details of such risky endeavors. Then they failed to make the mortgage payments & ended up with their houses being foreclosed. The banks that offered these deals were just as much to blame ... so they should have been allowed to fail without any kind of stimulus money or bailout.
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Originally Posted by Memphis1979
I do believe we should have let AIG, and some of the other big insurance companies falter. It would send a message to future investors that gambling like that will not get you anywhere. In the future, people would have been more cautious about their investments.
Absolutely! Unfortunately, what actually happened was these corrupt firms were bailed out with taxpayer money ... which sent the message that if you screw up, Big Brother will take care of everything. All that does is allow people to shirk personal responsibility even further!
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Originally Posted by Memphis1979
Where I tend to go left of some of my libertarian brothers and sisters is in my liking of things like cap and trade for CO2 emissions. Its worked in the past to reduce emissions, while creating new jobs. I also believe we should have a government healthcare option, not universal healthcare however.
I disagree here ... especially about healh care. The private sector has managed health insurance and the medical industry just fine. It's not perfect, but nothing in this world is. The health care industry is not broken enough to need any kind of government option. The majority of Americans have health coverage, and are satisfied with their plans ... so it's best to leave well enough alone.
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Originally Posted by Memphis1979
Just like any other political group, we have hardcores and centrists. Still, I think the libertarian philosophy is the best to take.
The hard core Libertarians are often anarchists ... and I'm not one! I believe some limited forms of government are necessary, such as the military to protect our borders and fight enemies when needed. The legal system and law enforcement are also needed, but even they have become too bloated. Overall, it's best to let people live their own lives as they so choose.
I consider myself a libertarian, but complete de-regulation of financial markets is part of what spurred our current economic situation. The article even points this out by stating that hands off economics have been proven wrong.
I do believe we should have let AIG, and some of the other big insurance companies falter. It would send a message to future investors that gambling like that will not get you anywhere. In the future, people would have been more cautious about their investments.
Government bail out money of GM and Chrysler only prolonged their inevitable bankruptcy, because they were building vehicles that no one wanted.
Where I tend to go left of some of my libertarian brothers and sisters is in my liking of things like cap and trade for CO2 emissions. Its worked in the past to reduce emissions, while creating new jobs. I also believe we should have a government healthcare option, not universal healthcare however.
Just like any other political group, we have hardcores and centrists. Still, I think the libertarian philosophy is the best to take.
What amuses me most about this thread is that it's littered with your comments, yet you haven't written one thing I'll even remember two minutes from now.
I try it all the time, and its rather enjoyable thanks for asking.
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