Posted on 07/08/2009 9:27:16 AM PDT by r-q-tek86
I dont speak for all Libertarians any more than Sean Penn speaks for all Democrats. Im not even sure my LP membership card is up to date. Ive voted Libertarian as long as I can remember but I dont really remember much before the Clintons and the Bushes. Those clans made a lot of us bugnutty. When I go on Glenns show he calls me a Libertarian, I think thats my only real credential.
There are historical reasons and pragmatic reasons to be a Libertarian, but there are historic and pragmatic reasons to be a Democrat, a Republican or a Socialist. I dont know if everyone would be better off under a Libertarian government. I dont know what would be best for anyone. I dont even know whats best for me. What makes me Libertarian is I dont think anyone else really knows whats best for anyone. My argument for Libertarianism is simple - personal morality.
I start with the Declaration of Independence: Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. So, essentially our government does what they do with my consent.
I know barely enough about Max Weber to type his name into Google, but it seems hes credited with asserting the idea that the state has a monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force. I put those two ideas together (my consent and use of physical force) and figure we all give our government the right to use force. So, the way I figure, its not okay for our government to use force in any situation where I personally wouldnt use force.
For example, if Im not willing to kill a cute cow, I shouldnt eat steak. I dont have to kill Bessy right now with my bare hands, but I have to be willing to snuff her if I want to chow down on a T-bone. If its not okay for me, its not okay for a slaughterhouse. Asking someone else to do something immoral is immoral. If its not okay for me to break David Blaines hands so my magic show has less competition, its not okay for me to ask someone else to beat him up. Someone else doing your dirty work is still your dirty work.
If I had a gun, and I knew a murder was happening, (were speaking hypothetically here, Im not asking you to believe that I could accurately tell a murder from aggressive CPR), I would use that gun to stop that murder. I might be too much of a coward to use a gun myself to stop a murder or rape or robbery, but I think the use of a gun is justified. Im even okay with using force to enforce voluntary contracts. If I were a hero, I would use a gun to protect the people who choose to live under this free system and to stop another country from attacking America. But I wouldnt use a gun to force someone to love something like say a library.
Look, I love libraries. I spent a lot of time in the Greenfield Public Library when I was a child. I would give money to build a library. I would ask you to give money to build a library. But, if for some reason you were crazy enough to think you had a better idea for your money than building my library, I wouldnt pull a gun on you. I wouldnt use a gun to build an art museum, look at the wonders of the universe through a big telescope, or even find a cure for cancer.
The fact that the majority wants something good does not give them the right to use force on the minority that dont want to pay for it. If you have to use a gun, its not really a very good idea. Democracy without respect for individual rights sucks. Its just ganging up on the weird kid, and Im always the weird kid.
People try to argue that government isnt really force. You believe that? Try not paying your taxes. (This is only a thought experiment though -- suggesting someone not pay their taxes is probably a federal offense, and while I may be a nut, Im not crazy.) When they come to get you for not paying your taxes, try not going to court. Guns will be drawn. Government is force.
Its amazing to me how many people think that voting to have the government give poor people money is compassion. Helping poor and suffering people yourself is compassion. Voting for our government to use guns to give money to help poor and suffering people is immoral self-righteous bullying laziness. People need to be fed, medicated, educated, clothed, and sheltered. If were compassionate, well help them, but you get no moral credit for forcing other people to do what you think is right. There is great joy in helping people, but no joy in doing it at gunpoint.
Im a Libertarian nut because I dont want my government to do anything in my name that I wouldnt do myself.
Penn Jillette is a celebrated magician, comedian, actor, author and producer. He is best known as the larger, louder half of Penn & Teller, a role he has held since 1975. With his partner Teller, Jillette has been awarded an Obie and an Emmy Award. Their critically acclaimed stage show spent several years both on and off-Broadway, and now has a permanent home at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Jillette can be seen weekly co-hosting the 11 time Emmy-nominated Showtime series, "Penn & Teller: Bullshit!" He also posts daily rants on his "Penn Says" VLog at Sony's www.Crackle.com site.
So you seem to believe that following the Constitution according to Original Intent & having a foreign policy of non-intervention prescribed by the Founding Fathers is a nutty idea, huh?
Amazing. No wonder why Juan McCain became the 2008 GOP Presidential nominee!
There are no leftists among the Libertarians. There are anarchists and libertines but no leftists.
Throw open the borders completely; only a rare individual (terrorist, disease carrier etc.) can be kept from freedom of movement through political boundaries.
Maybe we should impose border restrictions between states since it's such a good idea. What do you think? To me, the only legitimate argument against open borders is the welfare argument and if we end all welfare, that problem is solved.
On drugs, prostitution etc - These vices happen in spite of laws against them and the laws seems to make the vices more profitable. If we pass capital punishment for those who destroy the lives of others with drugs and sex slavery, then I would be in favor of decriminalizing substances and prostitution. In other words, if the junkie you sold crack to dies of an overdose, you hang. If the father of a family dies because you gave him AIDS, you hang unless the AIDS get you first. If you take minor girl, pump her full of meth, and pimp her body, you hang.
On abortion, I would never vote for a Libertarian who believes in taking the life of an unborn person without due process of law. Since unborn persons can't break laws, there should never be a reason to take their lives.
What I agree with you and Gillette is with the overstepping of the federal government into areas it has no province. That does not preclude state governments from enacting laws affecting us. Gillette makes it sound like all laws that tell people what they can and cannot do are wrong. That is muddled thinking. He probably doesn't believe all of what he says, but he doesn't explain himself very well. Like many libertarians, he believes morality has no role in governmental decisions concerning human behavior. I beg to differ.
Immigration, 2004 Party Platform:
The Issue: We welcome all refugees to our country and condemn the efforts of U.S. officials to create a new “Berlin Wall” which would keep them captive. We condemn the U.S. government’s policy of barring those refugees from our country and preventing Americans from assisting their passage to help them escape tyranny or improve their economic prospects.
The Principle: We hold that human rights should not be denied or abridged on the basis of nationality. Undocumented non-citizens should not be denied the fundamental freedom to labor and to move about unmolested. Furthermore, immigration must not be restricted for reasons of race, religion, political creed, age or sexual preference. We oppose government welfare and resettlement payments to non-citizens just as we oppose government welfare payments to all other persons.
Solutions: We condemn massive roundups of Hispanic Americans and others by the federal government in its hunt for individuals not possessing required government documents. We strongly oppose all measures that punish employers who hire undocumented workers. Such measures repress free enterprise, harass workers, and systematically discourage employers from hiring Hispanics.
Transitional Action: We call for the elimination of all restrictions on immigration, the abolition of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Border Patrol, and a declaration of full amnesty for all people who have entered the country illegally.
Libertarian position on abortion—Do what ever you want.
Penn may be a nut, but he’s my kind of nut.
That’s because you have libertarian derangement syndrome. You wouldn’t know a libertarian if they were force feeding you a copy of Atlas Shrugged.
And you are still misrepresenting the abortion issue. Over turning Roe V Wade, defunding Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics fed by tax dollars, and handing the issue back to the States (where they can add it to the Murder statute if they want to), is all a hell of a lot more effective than what we have now. Not to mention a lot more "ethical" in a broader sense.
Give it a rest...
I agree with a lot of what Gillette is for. I just find some of his explanations for his beliefs puzzling if not illogical.
Amazing. No wonder why Juan McCain became the 2008 GOP Presidential nominee! See, this here is EXACTLY what I'm talking about.
I suspect that you and I would actually agree on a very large number of issues. We would also disagree vehemently on some, as well. If people agree with me on the larger questions of liberty, I'm willing to cut some slack, personally.
Therefore, I'll admit that calling Paulians "nutters" is a part of the same problem, too, so sorry about that.
I still think that we of the right/liberty end of the spectrum need to learn how to be happy with relentlessly winning little battles, rather than futily tilting after big windmills right out of the bat. That's the point I'm trying to make. I'm an incrementalist, not a revolutionary.
For now, anyway.
That is nonsense, if everyone in the world can get on a plane and come to America legally and live better with better infrastructure and wealth and work and living conditions then hundreds of millions will flow in from everywhere, the immigration and birthrate would be beyond imagining, why struggle to work or run a taco stand in Asia or Africa or Latin America or the Middle East when you can do it in Houston or Minneapolis or Seattle or Wyoming without any immigration hassles, just come and go as you and your countrymen please.
One thing about libertarians is that a person has to ignore their fantasies, here is the 2008 party platform on abortion. It translates into “do what you want”
Abortion: 1.4 Abortion
Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides, we believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.
I assume he is surrounded by liberals and is therefore unable to speak plainly and openly. ;o)
Oh, and by “one of us” I mean one of the good guys. I’d wager he votes Republican...
(or at least anti-dem.)
I agree w/ you...I think we need to focus on getting liberty-minded / pro-Constitution candidates elected into the House of Representatives more than we do the POTUS, ‘cuz it’s the House that controls all of the fedgov’s purse strings.
We need the states to step up & defend their 10th Amendment rights as a sovereign government that will not kiss the a$$ of Washington, D.C., even if that means losing federal $ (which, IMO, is a form of extortion to begin w/).
Great stuff and very informative.
If you ever want a chance at really changing someone's mind about gun control, sit down with them and watch the episode of Bullsh*t! (season 3 episode 9) that deals with gun control.
The segment featuring Suzanna Hupp, talking about seeing her parents slaughtered by a madman, and being unable to do anything because the law didn't allow her to carry her weapon into the restaurant is one of the most compelling pieces on TV I have ever seen.
Everyone I have shown it to was shaken, and many have begun to look at things differently, even those coming from an "anti-gun" stance.
It was available on Google Video/YouTube last I checked.
The problem is that since 1996 the GOP has not been about winning any battles, however small. It's been about losing liberty just a bit more slowly than the Dems.
(sarc)Oh Heavens. We can't have hard working entrepreneurs coming to the US. What would the neighbors think...(/sarc) Did you even TRY to re-read that statement to make sure it didn't sound really stupid?
If ending Roe V Wade, government funding for abortion mills, and States being able to write their own statutes is "do what you want" free for all baby killing... Then you've completely gone around the bend.
So, in your fantasy, your libertarians only take over the federal government, not the state?
You sick fuc+s you call that a left wing agenda?
Try not to let your Omnipotent Nanny State paranoia get the best of you.
I want an effective end to my tax money going to Planned Parenthood and their amoral butchers. You idiots have done very little to rectify this atrocity.
Time for something else.
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