What do you think of someone who identifies themself as a libertarian?

[Hugabear]

My thought: what a cold, heartless asshole. You'd rather allow people to die than to offer them a helping hand.

That really is the bottom line. Survival of the fittest. If you can't make it on your own, then you deserve to die. That's the libertarian view.

[thelordofhell]

1. I think of this......

[Scout]

2. i think that they are really a republican, but ashamed to admit it. libertarian sounds better. n/t

[CurtEastPoint]

3. Yep. Ashamed to say 'Republican'. "Libertarian" sounds kinda hip (in their minds.)

[JoePhilly]

12. I have a friend who did that for a while ... but it did not last.

He had voted for Bush twice, realized he was duped ... and so for a while claimed that he was "really more of a libertarian"... and so for a while I jerked is chain on that. Turns out, it was just a step on his "recovery".

He's now realized that the GOP played on his "patriotic" sense (he is a veteran, and national guard member) ... and he now realizes that the GOP has never been his friend. And he also knows he is not a libertarian either.

He's socially liberal, fiscally moderate ... and realizes he got played in 2000 and 2004. His family was from the south, and had always been Republicans ... and Dems were supposed to be evil.

He caught on in 2007, switched to Dem, voted for Obama in 2008 ... and is huge Obama supporter in 2012.

So I tend to see many of the Republicans who turn Libertarian like an addict on a 12 step program to sanity. The can't jump straight from GOP to DEM, so they shift to Libertarian for a while, try on the social issues, which they agree with ... and then run screaming from the rest of the kill the UN, kill the DOE (both) and so on.

And they come to realize that they have been voting against their own interests for a long time.

[barbtries]

48. yeah.

how embarrassing it must be to be a republican right about now. if it was me i'd switch parties.

[eShirl]

4. I tend to generously think them just a poser, because of my belief in the innate goodness of man.

[Kellerfeller]

37. Under your beliefs

Wouldn't a Libertarian society (i.e. one with very few governmental social safety nets) still work just fine because the innate goodness of man would drive him to help take care of those less fortunate on an individual basis?

And no, to avoid the accusations that inevitably appear on here when someone dares to think outside the box or just look at things from an academic standpoint, I AM NOT A LIBERTARIAN.

Something someone said below just made me think about your comment.

[renie408]

5. Paranoid. Libertarians all seem so damned paranoid.

They are always wanting to run off and start their own country in Nebraska or some other sparsely populated place to avoid being 'controlled' by the government. So instead they are controlled by their paranoid fears.

[Tomay]

24. "Paranoid" best describes the only libertarian I know

He's a Ron Paul fanatic and always going on about some big conspiracy or other, usually involving the Federal Reserve.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

6. there are a couple of different libertarian models out there

One big faction is nothing but a bunch of republicans who were too embarrassed by George W to call themselves republicans anymore. They still want all the same crap, but call themselves libertarians.

This group kind of morphed into the 'baggerLibertarian faction. They got their PalinJesus on (which, incidentally, helped them to forget about GWB even more). These people want government to be hands-off--except where they don't want them to be hands-off, as with abortion, marijuana, etc. They're also known as hypocrites.

Then there are the old-style libertarians. Many can be found yelling, either at clouds or at children playing on their lawns. This was the Ron Paul support base from years ago. They want a strong military, 3 roads to service the nation, and that's about it.

I have libertarian tendencies--especially where personal freedoms and domestic spying are involved, but there's no systematic, programmatic libertarian policy set that even comes close to being realistic, or worthy of a vote.

[Populist_Prole]

40. Good summation

I especially like this:

One big faction is nothing but a bunch of republicans who were too embarrassed by George W to call themselves republicans anymore. They still want all the same crap, but call themselves libertarians.

These are the types I seem to run into the most. They somehow like to see themselves as more complex and less partisan than a yellow dog GOP-er; as if it gives them more credibility.

[MADem]

7. My thought? Republican who wants to smoke pot! nt

[Ter]

19. And is horny

[Bluenorthwest]

8. It is a dark kind of silliness.

Years ago I met this couple who said they were Breatharians and their philosophy was that food is an addiction and humans are really supposed to draw all we need from breathing alone. Libertarian thinking is similar in that neither thing can actually last long if practiced, and anyone who thinks it through can see that.

[Carolina]

9. Ignorant!

The same response to those who say they made it on their own.

[EC]

10. I figure they don't really know anything about government and don't

want to know anything or learn, so they take the cop-out. The leave me alone to do what I want party.

[MineralMan]

11. I think I'll call them if I ever load Linux

on a computer. Linux consultants need work, too.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

20. Linux is the Libertarian OS?

That new, I will give you that much.

[MineralMan]

22. I'm not sure about that, but about half the

libertarians I run into are Linux evangelists or consultants, it seems.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

25. OK, its really focused on the concept of the commons...

so I would not have made that link. I also will not argue your experience.

[HopeHoops]

13. Dude, ya got any weed?

[SalviaBlue]

14. Sociopath,

Selfish, lack of empathy.

[hifiguy]

15. A selfish Republican asshole who

wants to smoke dope and hire hookers legally.

[libodem]

16. Secret Republikkkans

Who smoke pot. Some people are sick of the two party system and feel voting for either party promotes the perpetuation of a broken political system.


I just don't think a 3rd party can go any where and bogs down the party they are most similar to by dividing it.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

17. There is a broad spectrum of libertarians

Not unlike there is a broad spectrum of Democrats. Some also use the term while not knowing what it means.

Take em one at a time, like we all should do with everyone.

[Ter]

18. I see someone who doesn't like unjust wars, the Patriot Act, or NDAA

I have a problem with most of their views, but their stances on these views are so great they sometimes supersede the rest.

[Hugabear]

26. Oh really...do tell

So their views on the topics in your header are "so great", that they can supersede denying people basic human needs?

[msongs]

21. you conclude all that just because someone says they are libertarian? wow, not too judgemental eh

you could at least ask them what that actually means to them.

[atreides1]

23. I can't say

Because it wouldn't be very pretty...

[Lawlbringer]

27. Political parodies

An Alex Jones fan who bought all of his "survival grills" and "where to hide your guns from the feds" books.

Also, a person who will personally attack YOU when you disagree with them. If you bash one of Ron Paul's views, YOU LOVE WAR! If you don't vote for Ron Paul, you're all sheeple who don't think for yourselves.

Someone romanticizes their political beliefs to the point where they see themselves as an actual rebel who would much sooner open fire on the cops than stop at a toll booth. They fancy their cause as a REAL revolution.

It might have once been a legit political party, but really, Right Wing Libertarians (Left Wing Libertarians are far less annoying, probably because they don't flock to Ron Paul) have turned into walking parodies of radical political followers and even act as parodies for their own cause.

[OriginalGeek]

28. Penn Jillette is a Libertarian

I like Penn Jillette. I like his act with Penn and Teller and I like his atheism.
I like the fact that he gives generously and often to charities he believes in.
I don't care that he has never taken an alcoholic drink or a recreational drug.

I recently read his book "God, No!" and it was a pretty good read and it explained his libertarianism pretty well and I will probably fuck it up but I will try to relate it here (just keep in mind it's better to read his book and get it from the source):

All power the government has is freely given to it by we the people. They hold their authority over us at the point of a gun that we gave them. They make the laws and enforce the laws and if we break the laws then they will come and arrest us with the guns and authority we give them. Even if it's just a misdemeanor, we are forced to pay up or go to jail and we do this because they have the guns.

Now if I am reading his explanation of authority correctly he believes that the government should have some of the authority we give them but not necessarily all of it. His thinking is that he can be a good and decent person, generous and kind-hearted, without the need of a government telling him (at the point of a gun whether it is physically there or implied) that he shouldn't pay taxes to support all the programs that the government has in place.

I THINK he believes that if the country were libertarian, then all these other problems would handle themselves because we the people would voluntarily give of our time and resources and money to help everyone get along.

And all that is well and good except for the fact that some people won't. He is rich and he will but it's much easier for him. I'm not rich but I will. You, dear reader, most likely will regardless of your financial situation but not everyone will. I'm not even convinced most of we the people will. I am positive few, if any, of the huge corporations will. I firmly believe that, without regulations, huge corporations will spend every waking minute and some of their sleeping minutes figuring out how to devastate the environment and squeeze every last usable bit of good from the world just to maximize their profits.

And this is why I am a Democrat. I do believe the government has a responsibility to help the lowest citizen rise up. I believe it is their job to protect me from those who don't care about me at all except as a resource of either time, energy or money. And I am willing to grant them enough authority to meet those ends. I don't think the Republicans will or even want to do this. I don't believe the Libertarians will and I know they don't want to. I don't believe any of the other parties have the clout to get any of this accomplished. I do not believe it is right for a majority in a state to steal away another person's civil rights and it is the responsibility of my government to protect those rights for everyone no matter where they go in our country.

I'll never get an abortion. I'll never marry a man. I quit smoking pot decades ago. Etc...etc...It doesn't matter if I do those things or not. I believe it harms our civilization to tell other people they can't.

So that's where I am. If Penn Jillette is reading this and can clarify or correct me then speak up. Or even if someone who knows more about him than just me reading his book. I welcome any and all criticism because I know I have the capacity to be wrong.

[Major Nikon]

31. I don't think most libertarians think those problems will handle themselves

At least I hope they are not genuinely that naive (although given their ideology anything is possible). I think that most of them just don't give a shit about anyone. They believe in Ayn Rand's pseudo-philosophy of every person for themselves. The part I get a chuckle out of it most people who actually know something about philosophy consider Ayn Rand a hack with nothing more than a cursory understanding of philosophy. So those who think they are clever by channeling her are really far from it.

[OriginalGeek]

36. Oh I believe you are right

I just got the impression that that was how Penn Jillette thought but that could easily have been me reading into it with wishful thinking because I do like him a lot and I do not want to believe he is a cold-hearted bastard who would cheer an execution or let a man die at the emergency room entrance. I am pretty sure if he knew I was freezing he'd give me his jacket. He just doesn't want the gubmint to tell him to give it to me.

But I don't think the majority of Libertarians feel the same way he does.

lol, I liked Anthem when I was a kid (well, late teens, early 20s...seems like so long ago...). More because of the Rush song than the book though.

[Major Nikon]

41. That sounds well and good till you realize those methods have already failed

We have government regulation because before regulation it was worse. We have government safety nets because without them it was worse.

Being pro-civil liberties is all well and good until you start believing civil liberties trump every other consideration like taking care of the unfortunate and insuring a level playing field for everyone. And those who think they are strict constitutionalists and want to regress back to the "intent of the founding fathers" fail to acknowledge that the founding fathers governed an agrarian society where most people never traveled more than 50 miles from their birthplace. The founding fathers fully expected the constitution to change, which it has through various amendments.

[OriginalGeek]

42. And that all seems so obvious to me

that I can't help but wonder why it doesn't seem obvious to Penn.

[Major Nikon]

29. Not much, really

[piedmont]

30. "libertarian" or "Libertarian?" There is a difference. nt

[cthulu2016]

32. That's a broad brush for such an ill-defined term

Unlike "republican," libertarian is not a well-defined political category in the US. That is somewhat typical of fringe parties -- if you are never in power you never really have to hash out your identity.

For instance, a person might self-identify Libertarian while rejecting half or more of the libertarian party platform because it's a protest party, not a governing party. A protest movement need not be policy consistent. (Witness OWS, which is, in its infancy, defined more by what it opposes than by what it seeks.)

If someone is an active, involved Libertarian Party person then they are typically an Ayn Rand type kook.

But if someone at a bar says, "I'm a libertarian" I would want to know whether they were speaking specifically or generally, without being sure I knew what they really think about the world.

(I self identify as a Civil Libertarian because I am a traditional ACLU Democrat and that's my axis of most interest. In the same way some Democrats identify primarily as pro-choice or pro-labor or environmentalist.)

[Brickbat]

33. IME, it's a Republican who likes to screw and smoke pot.

[11 Bravo]

34. I think they're probably a stoner Repuke.

[HughBeaumont]

35. Republican - "Teh Jesus" + Pot + Hot chicks with gunz.

Individualist boobage, y'all.

No, seriously, I'd be OK with them if they were solely about individual rights and liberties. It's when they start spouting the incredibly selfish and destructive "kill the poor" economic Darwinist crap straight from the likes of Arthur Laffer, Chuck Murray, (insert any CEO/wealthmonger here) and Milton Friedman that kills any chance of me taking them seriously. Destroying the safety net . . . great fucking idea, loons.

You want to differentiate yourself from your ROTM Republican, show me you have a heart. Renounce Trickle Down winner-take-everything Reaganomics. Tell me Horatio Alger is a lottery fairy tale. Otherwise, you're just Mitt Romney with a bong, my friends.

[mikeytherat]

38. A Republican too chickenshit to admit he's a Republican

mikey_the_rat

[onenote]

39. I would think that I woudn't know much about what they believed without talking to them

just as I wouldn't know what someone believed who identified themselves as a Democrat or a Republican or an Independent without actually talking to them about their specific beliefs and positions.

What I find more interesting is that you are able to make swift and definitive judgments about someone without actually knowing anything more about them than the label they apply to themselves.

[quinnox]

43. Nothing, I don't have preconceived notions set in stone

of what a libertarian might be like or believe, people can have different ideas.

Regarding libertarianism in general, I agree with some of the libertarian views such as on civil liberties, they are strongly against the police state for instance, and their isolationist view on foreign policy, and wish the Democratic party would adopt these views. That said, I don't accept the main argument of the philosophy and instead do think government has a strong role to play on social issues like helping the disadvantaged and striving for a fair society(taxing the rich at higher rates etc).

However on those two issues that I do agree with the libertarians on, both of them are big and rather important issues that unfortunately the Democratic party has gone wrong on in the recent past.

[sendero]

45. Mostly just...

... idiot. People who see everything in black and white terms, you know, idiots.

[ananda]

46. I think he or she is a closet racist.

Libertarian is just another euphemism for white supremacy.

[Cherchez la Femme]

47. Libertarianism isn't a monolithic term

Libertarians run the gamut from conservative libertarians (which is seemingly all we hear about) to liberal libertarians.

One of my heroes, Noam Chomsky, defines himself as a "libertarian socialist". I define myself the same as I feel this 'freedom loving' country should allow individual freedom, not freedom by consensus of the majority of the moment (Prohibition, for one; Marijuana laws, for two; anti-gay of course is another, but I have many more).

And I am about as far left as one can get.

[Marrah_G]

49. I think they want pot to be legal :)

That's my first thought.

[LanternWaste]

50. I wonder why they're not living their fantasy by moving to Somalia.

I wonder why they're not living their fantasy by moving to Somalia.

I say, "Bless your little heart..."

And I think "wouldn't it be nice if you would read book not on an 'Approved by Ayn Rand' reading list?"