Posted on 09/13/2013 10:40:10 AM PDT by Dysart
"I've lived in Washington now for 44 years, and that's a lot of folly to witness up close," says Washington Post columnist George Will. "Whatever confidence and optimism I felt towards the central government when I got here on January 1, 1970 has pretty much dissipated at the hands of the government."
"In part, I owe my current happiness to Barack Obama," continues the 72-year-old Will, who "so thoroughly concentrates all of the American progressive tradition and the academic culture that goes with it, that he's really put the spring in my step."
More recently Will has become a champion of libertarianism, both in print and on the air. "America is moving in the libertarians’ direction," Will wrote in a 2011 review of The Declaration of Independents, "not because they have won an argument but because government and the sectors it dominates have made themselves ludicrous."
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
I recognize that Will's not at the top of the chart's with many here, and often for good reason, but I thought his observation re the rising tide of libertarian thought is due in large part to the laundry list of failings and increasing soft tyranny of government we've endured for decades.
I'd actually give more credit than Will does to our innate yearning to be free and that this is a "root cause" to steal a phrase from the other side. This is expressed in the building libertarian movement.
Social libertarians are the enemy of conservatives
Is that related to "The Declaration of Independence"? by any chance ;o)
Repressive, authoritarian impulses are not conservative values.
libertarians are not civilized either
Happy with 10 year old prostitutes on drugs are not conservative values
Strawman.
Don’t blame people for taking a long look at the Libertarian Party. I don’t agree with some of their views on foreign policy and social issues but they’re the only political entity voicing opposition to liberalism. The GOP sure as hell isn’t doing anything.
Don't play anti-God lefty games, you know very well that God fearing social conservatism is the foundation of conservative values.
What you may not know is that social liberalism not only destroys the American nation and it's people, but it makes conservative economics impossible.
Libertarian social positions breeds, creates, and imports voters who want to vote for more economic liberalism and government, not less, the last 50 years proves that.
“libertarians are not civilized either
Happy with 10 year old prostitutes on drugs are not conservative values”
So Libertarians have no values? Bull! What you are describing is complete depravity. I have yet to meet a libertarian that would support your supposed example.
Libertarians do not believe the age of consent is constitutional. They think kiddie porn is art. Some libertarians pretend otherwise to be palatable to the mainstream.
Libertarians also want open borders, state sanctioned gay marriage (destruction of the institution) and a long list of other things that will help destroy this country.
Libertarians are not friends of America, period.
Geez, what do you think liberalism is?
Just this year the left/libertarians have gotten homosexuality accepted in the military, the end of a definition of marriage as a man and woman, homosexuality given equality in immigration, and a real push to just open the borders.
Do you think these libertarian victories will result in America moving to the right?
Will has always been a Big Government neocon prog.
You don't have to meet them, or to know them, look at what they promote and fight for, and what they oppose and who they focus their fight against.
While the head of the beast usually talks about money issues, look at what passions really stir libertarians, depravity.
On freerepublic which is a conservative site, there is no arguing about economics with libertarians, instead it is always about libertarians fighting against conservatism and for a radical left/anti-God social agenda.
Do you think that libertarians have an official position on pedophilia? Well they don't, the ones calling to oppose it were defeated, and they choose to remain without a position on it.
Only because you want them to be your enemy.
I don’t know the official position of libertarians on pedophilia, but given that it means sex with someone under the age of 14 in most states, I can tell you Libertarians I have known believe that children need protection by the law.
By definition children cannot give legal consent to many things. I don’t know of a libertarian move to remove protections afforded to children.
I would welcome any evidence to the contrary to reduce my ignorance.
Are you still humping the “10 year old prostitute” leg?
I do not believe in gay marriage, open borders, amnesty, ending the age of consent and legal drugs and prostitution.
They are my enemy
And you think that by browbeating people like me who are social liberals and economic conservatives is going to help turn this country around? I’m with you that the liberals are destroying our country but it seems you think people like me are no better than them. If Ted Cruz were to get the GOP nomination I will support and vote for him. Never mind that I differ with him on abortion and gay marriage. Those issues I’m willing to put on the backburner so we can clean up the economic mess, but don’t shut out Libertarian-leaning people out of the argument. Social conservatives need to remember that there are plenty of others, who may not agree with them on issues such as abortion, gay marriage, and legalizing drugs, but are just as fed up with the direction of this country as they are. If we all split into factions and not unite we won’t beat them.
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