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To: llandres
To your question about foreign policy issues - here, my FRiend, is probably the best summation I’ve seen of the important differences between Conservatives and Libertarians:

Well, this just looks like a hit list on Ron Paul. Not undeservedly, as I think Ron Paul is largely a kook.

Conservatism has different branches. The principles of conservatism are fundamentally libertarian, in that well cultivated individuals working together in common, voluntary cause are the ideal of civilization.

There are statist versions of conservatism that are more family, socially or religiously oriented. Just as libertarianism unchecked by conservative values devolves into anarchy, conservatism unchecked by libertarian values devolves into Puritanical tyranny.

I have no use for either anarchy nor Puritanism, except in the real estate between them where responsibility meets individuality.

As Ron Paul is an irresponsible crank, I'm happy to let him run wild, but he's no more an ideal libertarian than David Duke is an idea conservative.

120 posted on 08/29/2011 10:07:24 PM PDT by Steel Wolf ("Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master." - Gaius Sallustius Crispus)
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To: Steel Wolf

“Just as libertarianism unchecked by conservative values devolves into anarchy, conservatism unchecked by libertarian values devolves into Puritanical tyranny.”

I believe the first part, as strict libertarians actually have many things in common with liberals. But about conservatism - I think all true conservatives have a strain of libertarianism running through them. I just don’t see the reverse in pure libertarians having a conservative streak - at least in the case of Ron Paul, it’s a definite liberal streak.


154 posted on 08/30/2011 1:36:08 AM PDT by llandres (Forget the "New America" - restore the original one!!)
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