Behavioral consequences are largely theoretical to a person who has thus far been spared the necessity of having to deal with them. It is only with the cumulative experience of maintaining mature relationships, employment, raising children, and managing a household budget that the big light bulb tends to go on, illuminating truths hidden to many, if not most younger people.
29 year old, unmarried, libertarian who votes republican here.
Although I fail to see your point. Are you saying that when I have kids I will find statism and the drug war somehow reasonable?
Keep in mind I pay the same taxes that you do (a month's pay per year on property taxes that pay for the schooling of kids that I don't have), and that my vote counts just as much as yours. Your ballot is not weighted because of the number of kids you have or how many life lessons you think you've learned.
“Are you saying that when I have kids I will find statism and the drug war somehow reasonable?”
A LOT of your opinions are going to change when you have kids....happens to everyone, including me.
I will ask you to trust me - with caution, if you desire, but trust me: when you get married and have children, and (if like me) you own guns, you will see the shadows of drug dealers (as well as terrorists) in the targets you fire at during practice rounds at the range.
My freedom includes the responsibility to protect my children from predators. The mistake our government has made is in federalizing the problem of drug abuse. State and local enforcement should be paramount. As for education, local control is vital. Dismantle the Department of Education and let localities control the process and content of education. That does not mean the content of learning ought to be "value neutral" - morals matter, and content ought to be reviewable by parents, not solely by the government or by teachers' unions.
And just so you know: when you are 50, it is quite likely that you'll look back at what you believed to be the indisputable truth when you were 30.....and smile.