You can claim that "conservatism and libertarianism are both right" all you want. But, at the federal level, there is simply NO DOUBT. Conservatives (as in John-the-tyrant Ashcroft) are WRONG! (And I can't believe he doesn't know it. If he doesn't, he's an idiot.) There is NO authority, under the Constitution, for the FEDERAL government to criminalize the manufacture or possession of ANY drug.
Complete BS. Libertarians support the rule of law FAARRRRRR more than Republicans! It isn't even close!
Do you realize how absurd this sounds? I guess not.
It only sounds ridiculous to YOU, because you apparently know NOTHING of the positions of the Libertarian and Republican parties! Get a friggin' clue!
Social Security? Republicans for it, Libertarians would abolish it (just like the Founders).
Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare? Republicans for ALL of them, Libertarians would abolish ALL of them (just like the Founders!)
Federal ownership of land outside of Washington DC and military bases? Republicans for it, Libertarians would sell or give away EVERY SQUARE INCH of federal land outside Washington DC and military bases...JUST LIKE THE CONSTITUTION says!
Once again, since you seem so clueless: It is NOT EVEN CLOSE! Libertarians would cut the size of the federal government by 80-90%...and Republicans are making the federal government BIGGER! Do you not understand arithmetic???! We Libertarians REALLY want to take the federal government back to the size it was prior to the New Deal. You're absolutely INSANE if you think the Republican Party is interested in doing that!
Libertarians talk of dismantling the criminal justice system...
Complete BS. Prove it. Show me a Libertarian Party position that indicates something even CLOSE to "the criminal justice system should be dismantled." Again, that's BS. Protecting people from harm by other people is the ONE function of government, according to Libertarian principle.
...and abolishing victimless crimes,...
Yes, that would make a HUGE improvement in the criminal justice system! As Jefferson said, the proper function of government is to protect people from harm by others, and otherwise leave them to the own pursuits.
...as though crimes againmst society and government,
You are so clueless. Counterfeiting is a crime against (the federal) government. Libertarians absolutely support laws against counterfeiting. Treason is a crime against (the federal) government. Libertarians absolutely support laws against treason.
Violating (local/state) public health codes could reasonably be called a "crime against society" (it's much better to call it what it really is...a "crime against many individuals"). Libertarians absolutely support state and local public health laws (such as food preparation in sanitary conditions).
Jefferson said: "The fundamental principle of the government is that the will of the majority is to prevail."
Again, get a clue! He most certainly was NOT talking about a majority decision to deprive a person of Constitutional rights! There's a friggin' AMENDMENT process to do that! When the federal government has a law against me smoking crack (not that I'm interested even in smoking marijuana)...that is a violation of my RIGHTS, under the 10th amendment, to be free from federal government interference in that matter. There is NO WAY Jefferson was saying that a majority could legitimately vote to take away Constitutional rights! (Only a Constitutional amendment can do that!)
You (or friggin' John Ashcroft) want the FEDERAL government to criminalize drugs? Change the #$@% Constitution! Follow the @#$% law!
You're a born pessimist.
If I was "born" a pessimist, my extensive reading (of Julian Simon, among others) has made me quite optimistic. The entire course of history is headed towards Libertarianism. Like I said, Costa Rica just elected over 10 percent of their Congress with Libertarians. In the Netherlands, List Pim Fortuyn--the party in the Netherlands closest to Libertarians--has just scored a tremendous victory in elections...coming in essentially a 3-way tie for the 2nd largest party.
In the long run (50 years) essentially the whole planet will have moved dramatically towards Libertarianism. As it already has in the last 30 years, since our Party was founded. Because we Libertarians are right. About everything. The most efficient form of government is a government that protects people from harm by others, but otherwise leaves them alone. Simple economics shows that The People will tend towards the most efficient form of government. That's why so many economists (Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, James Buchanan, Milton Friedman, and others) are libertarians.
Libertarians have been wrong about almost everything and on top of that, the Libertarian Party has been losing members for years. Take about being clueless. In the last general election, Harry Browne the Libertarian Party presidential candidate received 375,024 votes, or 0.367% of the total votes cast for president. Even old Pat Buchanan did better then that. Libertarianism is a political, societal and cultural failure and soon will be a footnote in the history books. When that happens, you'll really have something to whine about. LMAO.