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A Dispassionate Assessment of Libertarians
The Heritage Foundation ^ | 5/28/1988 | Russell Kirk

Posted on 04/17/2012 4:03:24 PM PDT by WPaCon

The term "libertarianism"is distasteful to people who think seriously about politics. Both Dr. F.A. Hayek and your servant have gone out of their way, from time to time, to declare that they refuse to be tagged with this label. Anyone much influenced by t h e thought of Edmund Burke and of Alexis de Tocqueville - as are both Professor Hayek and this commentator - sets his face against ideology; and libertarianism is a simplistic ideology, relished by one variety of the folk whom Jacob Burckhardt called "the terrible simplifiers."

Nevertheless, I have something to say favorable to today's libertarians in the United States; later I shall dwell upon their vices. With your indulgence, I mean to make three points about persons calling themselves libertarians, whic h may warm the cockles of their rebellious hearts.

First, a number of the men and women who accept the label "libertarian!' are not actually ideological libertarians at all, but simply conservatives under another name. These are people who perceive in the growth of the monolithic state, especially during the past half century, a grim menace to ordered liberty; and of course they are quite right. They wish to emphasize their attachment to personal and civic freedom by employing this 20th century word deriv ed from liberty. With them I have little quarrel - except that by so denominating themselves, they seem to countenance a crowd of political fantastics who "license they mean, when they cry liberty."

Descendants of Classical Liberals.

(Excerpt) Read more at heritage.org ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: libertarians
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To: Dead Corpse
"Everything is property. Starting with 100% ownership of your own life and the products of your efforts."

At exactly what point does a person have 100% ownership of his own life? When he becomes 21? 18? When he is born? When he is conceived?

21 posted on 04/18/2012 8:54:18 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: Dead Corpse
"Everything is property. Starting with 100% ownership of your own life and the products of your efforts."

Is the child born to a couple the 'product of their efforts'? If so, is that child always 100% owned by those parents?

22 posted on 04/18/2012 8:55:55 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: who_would_fardels_bear

From conception.

Those rights are held in trust by the parents/legal guardians until reaching an arbitrary age of majority and then it is up to them to advocate for themselves.

This also ties in to the pro-life libertarian stance of “If it’s human, killing it is murder.”


23 posted on 04/18/2012 9:04:39 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (Steampunk- Yesterday's Tomorrow, Today)
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To: who_would_fardels_bear

No. The parents cannot “own” their child any more than they can “own” anyone else. As legal guardians, they are responsible for holding their child’s Rights in trust until they are old enough to exercise those Rights themselves.

Full neurological development is generally achieved around 18 years of age. This makes it not only congruent with the generally accepted age of majority, but backs up that age with a bit of biological science.


24 posted on 04/18/2012 9:08:44 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (Steampunk- Yesterday's Tomorrow, Today)
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To: WPaCon; Dead Corpse
The other side of the argument:

Passionate Defense of Libertarianism

25 posted on 04/18/2012 6:22:11 PM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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