imported post
Sea_Chicken wrote:
What is the difference between libertarian andthe stereotypical left wingliberal? I know there's a big difference from reading on this forum but I seem to be out of the loop. I don't pick party affiliationeither and retain more conservative beliefs on most issues.
Well, first of all, before you read any of this, go take the quiz and see where you stand:
The Quiz
So now that you've taken the quiz (you have, right?)
Roughly speaking...
A conservative or republican believes that individuals should have a great deal of freedom economically (ie., strong opposition to taxes and spending), but should have little control over social issues (ie., banning certain, common types of sex, banning abortion, banning gay marriage, banning drugs, enforcing morals through censorship of things like pornography, etc).
Roughly speaking...
A liberal or democrat believes that individual should have a great deal of freedom regarding social issues (ie., chose who they marry and how they use their body), but advocate for strong economic control (high taxes, wealth redistribution, government programs for most things, etc.)
Liberals and conservatives have in common that they use the force of the state to coerce people into complying with their goals, whether they like to or not. Remember, the guns are what make politics more than just a game which you could simply opt-out of. If you choose not to live the way the government tells you to, they will hurt or kill you. See: Ruby Ridge, Waco, all the activism in New Hampshire, and countless other examples.
Roughly speaking...
Libertarians believe that so long as whatever you're doing isn't hurting anyone else, you're capable of making your own choices. Libertarian's are "pro-choice on everything," be it drug use, gun ownership, marriage, pornography, abortion, economics... Libertarians are guided by what is called the "non-agreesion" principle, or the "zero-aggression" principal, which states that you shall not defraud others and that force shall only be used in self defense; you shall never initiate force against others. Libertarians are strong on property rights and generally anti-state. Libertarians range from big-L or "party" or "minarchist" libertarians, which believe in a government who's maximum function is to protect property and rights, and provide services to help individuals peacefully resolve disputes (essentially, government shall be limited to police, courts, and national defense), to small-l or "pricipled" or "anarcho-" libertarians, which advocate for the complete abolision of the state. Services such as police protection and courts (usually called "arbitrators") would be provided as needed by the free market. Anarcho-libertarians realize the government is nothing but institutionalized force/violence (after all, if the government didn't use force or violence to get their way, they'd essentially just be a busines, free to compete with other business and fail like other businesses), and thus take the zero-agression principal to it's logical conclusion, and thus oppose any state or government on moral grounds. Anarcho-libertarians share a lot in common with anarcho-capalists or free-market anarchists.
The Comparison of Philosphies should give you a pretty good idea about how libertarians different from conservatives and liberals (and about how much the same conservaties and liberals are). In our mind, conservatives and liberals are advocating for two different types of big government (big economic controllers vs. big social controllers), while libertarians are advocating for small government.
The wiki series on Libertarianism is packed full of good information. Also check out the wiki series on Anarchism to see where some of the roots come from, and the wiki on Austrian economics.
If you're still interested in LIbertarianism (you should be!), be sure to check out:
http://www.freetalklive.com/ -- Internationally syndicated libertarian talk show, with hosts ranging from minarchists to anarchists
http://www.mises.org/ -- Austrian school economics.
http://www.reason.com/ -- Reason magazine
http://ncc-1776.org/ -- The Libertarian Enterprise (TLE)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/ -- Free minds and free markets
http://www.cato.org/ -- The Cato Institute -- Libertarian/free-market think tank.
http://www.theadvocates.org/ -- The Advocates for Self-Government
http://www.bureaucrash.com/ -- Libertarian blogging, news, and social networking.
http://www.freestateproject.org/ -- Project to try to free a state
http://www.freekeene.com/ -- Project to try to free a city
And uh, this post is about open carry and therefore topical because, uh, erm, hrm.. Uh... Oh! Libertarians are pro-firearms ownership and for unrestricted carrying, whether open or concealed. Yeah, that's the ticket...
/Libertarian, in case you haven't figured it out already...
//Oh, and then there's this related philosophy called objectivism...
///And let's not forget about the "left" libertarian phiolosphies, like libertarian socialism and geolibertariasm...
////Does your head hurt too?