Libertarians?

[blulilacgrl]

I have to ask because I see a lot of references to Libertarians and their beliefs and these statements are quite often wrong.

How many people here are Libertarians? If not, how many have done their research on the party or do they simply subscribe to the false notion and media spin that the Libertarian Party is simply a branch of the Republican Party?

 

[Squibbs]

Go back to where you came from.

We have enough of your type already.

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

I have to ask because I see a lot of references to Libertarians and their beliefs and these statements are quite often wrong.

How many people here are Libertarians? If not, how many have done their research on the party or do they simply subscribe to the false notion and media spin that the Libertarian Party is simply a branch of the Republican Party?

Libertarians are a figment of your imagination.

 

[run_silent]

I have never found the perfect match with a party. They all espouse some things I like and hate. I look at the candidate and see general views because there is no perfect candidate either.

 

[blulilacgrl]

Go back to where you came from.

We have enough of your type already.

My type?

 

[ms_ann_thrope]

My type?

Non-simian.

 

[PeteHulbert37]

My type?

Pay no mind to the monkey. It's not mine.

I don't necessarily affliate myself directly with a party. I am a conservative and neither the Republican or Libertarian Party are a perfect fit for what I believe in. Though, I align myself with the Republican party as it has relevance.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Be nice. She's a sweet lady.

There are no real libertarians, theyre like atheists in foxholes, they don't exist. There are no libertarians in a financial crisis, all are in line crying for a bailout.

 

[GradeACdnBeef]

Well, you have a right to your opinion, James, and you're certainly not afraid to voice it. I count myself as a libertarian. Different from being an anarchist. I quite like the voice Ron Paul has given Libertarianism (not his voice), but if I were in the US I wouldn't vote anyway.

The idea of Libertarians, people dedicated to their own personal freedom and the freedom of others, 'belonging' to a party is anathema to me. Neither do I vote. I no longer consent to be ruled. STOP! Please read the rest of the post before your knee jerks.

For anyone interested (you don't have to tell me if you're not... James), find yourself a copy of "Democracy: The God that Failëd" by Hans-Hermann Hoppe. It's really worth a read regardless of which side of the debate you're on.

Nobody thinks about the fact that you have two parties down there (in reality) who both want the right to coerce you in the way that you should go.

Do I have a better system? Yeah, but it's loose and the powers that be would never allow it. It's called Freedom and independence. People in the US used to believe in that. Now they want security.

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin

 

[renard_ruse]

I have never found the perfect match with a party. They all espouse some things I like and hate. I look at the candidate and see general views because there is no perfect candidate either.

Even the Front National in France has a few policies I disagree with, but its pretty close.

 

[lilredknotyhood]

I am a libertarian, as I believe some of our fore fathers were true libertarians as well. Like TJ and Franklin. Its not a branch of the Republican, however many Libs have found their way into office running under the GOP ticket which might be why some get confused. Why you ask? While our beliefs are not perfectly aligned we simply do not share an commonalities with the socialist left

 

[blulilacgrl]

I am a libertarian, as I believe some of our fore fathers were true libertarians as well. Like TJ and Franklin. Its not a branch of the Republican, however many Libs have found their way into office running under the GOP ticket which might be why some get confused. Why you ask? While our beliefs are not perfectly aligned we simply do not share an commonalities with the socialist left

I will admit that drives me crazy! Because the Democrats want to throw us with the Republicans and the Republicans want to co-opt us.

But then Republicans find out that we are for legalization of prostitution, drugs and (yes) gay marriage and suddenly Libertarians are bad to Republicans

But Democrats forget all of that because we don't support the idea of government spending and funding. (for lack of a better word)

So how do we step out? How do we get Democrats to stop aligning us with the Republican thoughts & issues? And how do we get Republicans to stop thinking that we are just a financially anarchistic group of their own party?


Hey Ricky and James~ yes I am dipping my toe in the GB pond. [laughs]

 

[kbate]

What you want to do is read (or listen to) this:

http://www.recordedbooks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=scholar.show_course&course_id=97

It will give you a good base of understanding on how and why Libertarians are considered nothing but a soon-to-be-absorbed splinter of the republican party.

 

[Liar]

So how do we step out? How do we get Democrats to stop aligning us with the Republican thoughts & issues?

Depends. What's your opinion on Obamacare? Is it...

a) ...a well meaning but probably misguided attempt to adress a problematic health insurance situation by means of updated regulation and commerse legislation.

or

b) ...a Marxist, Socialist power grab to inject Government buerocrats between doctors and patients with the ultimate goal to destroy all private healthcare and make free Americans wardens of the State.

?

If it's the former, 99% of Democrats would probably want to find common ground with you and treat you like adults.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Libertarians ARE a wing of the Republican Party. So much so that known Libertarians run on the Republican ticket and win offices. Libertarians are just Republicans who are ashamed of Rick Santorum.

If you do your research on Libertarians they are supposed to be open borders and free trade. They seem almost universally to be for strong borders and for keeping jobs in the US. True libertarians are a myth.

For the rest of their beliefs they offer few if any solutions to a lot of the problems that exist in the modern day.

 

[GradeACdnBeef]

If you do your research on Libertarians they are supposed to be open borders and free trade. They seem almost universally to be for strong borders and for keeping jobs in the US. True libertarians are a myth.

I understand what you're saying, but I would say that if they're a politician, it's unlikely they are truly a Libertarian. They just like the name. Few vote in a way that purports freedom and a hands-off International posture like the original constitution presented.

 

[Sean Renaud]

I understand what you're saying, but I would say that if they're a politician, it's unlikely they are truly a Libertarian. They just like the name. Few vote in a way that purports freedom and a hands-off International posture like the original constitution presented.

If you don't have any representation within the official government you're not really a political party are you?

Also there isn't much in the Constitution that says anything about International Posture (that was later) and small government is at best something we've kinda sorta revisioned into being.

 

[blulilacgrl]

Depends. What's your opinion on Obamacare? Is it...

a) ...a well meaning but probably misguided attempt to adress a problematic health insurance situation by means of updated regulation and commerse legislation.

or

b) ...a Marxist, Socialist power grab to inject Government buerocrats between doctors and patients with the ultimate goal to destroy all private healthcare and make free Americans wardens of the State.

?

If it's the former, 99% of Democrats would probably want to find common ground with you and treat you like adults.

Ummm... both and neithe? [laughs]

On the one hand do I support changes to health insurance regulations? Yes. I think there are many ways to change and overhaul the system to the betterment of our nation.

Do I believe that best way is the government taking it over? Um Hell no! My fear there is that it leads us down the path of more regulations and restrictions on our life and liberty because our health is now communal property. We must eat better, exercise more, etc... because the government has a vested interest in it. And they have the tools to make us conform with the idea of denial of benefits if we don't do as we are told or they will just pass laws and regulations to make us. They will decide how much soda, bread, veggies we should and should not eat.

In truth the government has not handled anything well, it gets bloated with power and becomes at the very least is ineffective or at worst dangerous. Moreover I feel it has created many of the situations that today it needs to fix. And these problems need to be laid at the feet of the two parties that have had control.

Ultimately I believe that government health care should have been a last ditch, tried everything else, nuclear option. There were many options that were not examined, instead they jumped to creating a system that forces Americans to become dependent on the state for their health decisions. That seems dangerous to me and should have only been a last resort kind of thing.

 

[lilredknotyhood]

I will admit that drives me crazy! Because the Democrats want to throw us with the Republicans and the Republicans want to co-opt us.

But then Republicans find out that we are for legalization of prostitution, drugs and (yes) gay marriage and suddenly Libertarians are bad to Republicans

But Democrats forget all of that because we don't support the idea of government spending and funding. (for lack of a better word)

So how do we step out? How do we get Democrats to stop aligning us with the Republican thoughts & issues? And how do we get Republicans to stop thinking that we are just a financially anarchistic group of their own party?


Hey Ricky and James~ yes I am dipping my toe in the GB pond. [laughs]

We are our own party, how ever we have been forced to temporarily run under the GOP ticket because society is to blind to see beyond the corruption and lies of the big two

What you want to do is read (or listen to) this:

http://www.recordedbooks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=scholar.show_course&course_id=97

It will give you a good base of understanding on how and why Libertarians are considered nothing but a soon-to-be-absorbed splinter of the republican party.

Absorbed,I think not eventually we will either swallow them or break out

Libertarians ARE a wing of the Republican Party. So much so that known Libertarians run on the Republican ticket and win offices. Libertarians are just Republicans who are ashamed of Rick Santorum.

If you do your research on Libertarians they are supposed to be open borders and free trade. They seem almost universally to be for strong borders and for keeping jobs in the US. True libertarians are a myth.

For the rest of their beliefs they offer few if any solutions to a lot of the problems that exist in the modern day.

If you don't have any representation within the official government you're not really a political party are you?

Also there isn't much in the Constitution that says anything about International Posture (that was later) and small government is at best something we've kinda sorta revisioned into being.

You sir are just another sheeple with you're eyes covered in GOV wool. You read something like Locke and take it literal


Stand with Rand, support the Libertarians

 

[KyleW]

I have to ask because I see a lot of references to Libertarians and their beliefs and these statements are quite often wrong.

How many people here are Libertarians? If not, how many have done their research on the party or do they simply subscribe to the false notion and media spin that the Libertarian Party is simply a branch of the Republican Party?

Libertarians don't exist. People just like the sound of the word but when you ask them their political views, they are not libertarian.

 

[kotori]

...they are not libertarian.

They are actually librarians.

 

[KyleW]

They are actually librarians.

Probably. Which makes them ripe for librarian porn.

 

[Sean Renaud]

In truth the government has not handled anything well, it gets bloated with power and becomes at the very least is ineffective or at worst dangerous. Moreover I feel it has created many of the situations that today it needs to fix. And these problems need to be laid at the feet of the two parties that have had control.

Ultimately I believe that government health care should have been a last ditch, tried everything else, nuclear option. There were many options that were not examined, instead they jumped to creating a system that forces Americans to become dependent on the state for their health decisions. That seems dangerous to me and should have only been a last resort kind of thing.

The government has handled many things well. We have the greatest military in the history of ever, we have roads from coast to coast, we have libraries, street lights, police, fire fighters, postal service and even if the US government is flawless government schools are a cornerstone of the modern era.

As for government health care, first we didn't do that despite the wishes of a lot of Americans. We decided to trust the private sector. We did try everything anybody could think of though and we've seen that this would have better results.

We are our own party, how ever we have been forced to temporarily run under the GOP ticket because society is to blind to see beyond the corruption and lies of the big two

You sir are just another sheeple with you're eyes covered in GOV wool. You read something like Locke and take it literal


Stand with Rand, support the Libertarians

You're not a party if you don't have the critical mass to run by yourself. You're under the GOP ticket because there aren't enough of you to win an election and that's because you aren't a party.

Rand is wrong. Baaaa.

Libertarians don't exist. People just like the sound of the word but when you ask them their political views, they are not libertarian.

Egg-fucking-xactly.

 

[blulilacgrl]

Libertarians ARE a wing of the Republican Party. So much so that known Libertarians run on the Republican ticket and win offices. Libertarians are just Republicans who are ashamed of Rick Santorum.

If you do your research on Libertarians they are supposed to be open borders and free trade. They seem almost universally to be for strong borders and for keeping jobs in the US. True libertarians are a myth.

For the rest of their beliefs they offer few if any solutions to a lot of the problems that exist in the modern day.

No we are a party that gets affiliated and lumped in with the Republicans.

https://www.lp.org/issues/immigration

Just because someone stamps a "Libertarian" in front of their party affiliation does not make them a Libertarian

Libertarian Republicans "represent a political faction within the Republican Party. They are strong believers in the traditional Republican principle of economic libertarianism that was advocated by past presidential candidates such as Senator Robert Taft, Senator Barry Goldwater and Representative Ron Paul. Individuals who self-identify as libertarian Republicans do not necessarily share the same political beliefs across the spectrum, though there do seem to be several issues that bind them together, including beliefs in fiscal conservatism, personal responsibility, and personal liberty.[citation needed]

The most common belief libertarian Republicans share is fiscal conservatism – specifically, advocating for lower taxes at every level of government, a reduction in the level of spending in the federal budget, easing the burden of federal regulations on business interests, the reform of the entitlement system, and ending or making significant cuts to the welfare state. Additionally, they oppose budget deficits and deficit spending and work to minimize it as much as possible. Libertarian Republicans tend to support more fiscal conservatism than their mainstream counterparts in the party, and are less willing to abandon these principles for political expediency.[citation needed]

Libertarian Republicans often differ from traditional Republicans in their emphasis on protection of civil liberties.[1] It is distinct from the religious right wing of the Republican Party because it sees state-enforced conservative social policies as encroachments on personal privacy and individual liberties.[1] Libertarian Republicans disagree with the activities of mainstream Republicans with regard to civil liberties since the September 11 attacks in 2001, opposing the PATRIOT Act, REAL ID, and President George W. Bush's domestic intelligence program" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Republican)


And there are Libertarian Democrats who "support the majority of positions of the Democratic Party. However they do not necessarily share identical viewpoints across the political spectrum; that is, they are more likely to support individual and personal freedoms.

In general they support tax cuts, Second Amendment rights, same-sex marriage, the decriminalization of marijuana, a non-interventionist foreign policy, and to a certain extent, hard money. They are more likely to oppose deficit spending, protectionism, subsidies (especially to corporations) race-based affirmative action and many regulations on small businesses.

They staunchly support civil liberties and agree with the national party's stances on civil rights, separation of church and state, and habeas corpus for unlawful combatants; they oppose indefinite detention without trial or charge, the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, the USA PATRIOT Act, warrantless wiretapping, the War on Drugs, bans on gambling, and prohibition of prostitution.

While maintaining a relatively libertarian ideology they differ with the Libertarian Party on issues such as consumer protection, health care reform, worker and union's rights, anti-trust laws and the overall amount of government involvement in the economy." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Democrat)

ETA* I hate using wikipedia but it actually did a good job explaining the differences between the two.


So you see neither group consistently supports nor adheres to the principles of the Libertarian Party. They co-opt the name and somehow their motives, thoughts and policies become synonymous with the Libertarians.

And if you look at the true stance of the Libertarian Party, and not what the Reps or Dems tell you, you will see that the reason we can be so easily absorbed into either party is because while financially more conservative than Republicans, we also tend to be socially more liberal than Democrats.

 

[Adre]

Libertarians are liars.