Any libertarians here?

[CroMagna]

What does libertarianism mean to you? Why are you a libertarian? How do you live out your value system?

[scorpio1980]

I am libertarian. I support Ron Paul and his positions. I believe in small limited government. I believe in the ability to keep the money I work for without being taxed to death. I believe I have the right to buy a piece of property, and not have to continue paying to live there through taxation. I believe war is a racket to profit for special interest. I believe a person should have the right to do what they desire with their own life as long as it hurts no one else. I don't believe in locking up non violent drug offenders. Drugs should be legalized. We should stop policing the world. Bring home the troops, protect our borders. Have free trade with many nations. I am libertarian, because a large government with too much taxation, and regulation burdens and destroys our freedoms. The military industrial complex and welfare state we have in place are both to blame for our major problems we have in America. I live out my value system by not judging others for what they choose to do with their lives as long as it hurts no one else in the process.

[CroMagna]

I totally agree. I live out my value system by daring to be different, as long as I hurt no one in the process of making my unorthodox decisions.

What is your take on welfare, disability, and other social measures to aid those less fortunate?

[Gabo]

I support the philosophy of encouraging people to live life how they see fit, without trying to control them.
Some might call it libertarian, but I just call it love.

[CroMagna]

Aww

[NoJobRob]

I've always considered myself a libertarian. I don't fit into either the left or right, I agree with both of them on some things, and disagree with others. I believe in small government, not too small for it to not function, but small enough to be cost effective, yet have 100% functionality. I equate big government with pre-installed bloatware on new computers. It's just useless crap that slows down what needs to be done. I believe in the constitution, and I support the notion of people pursuing happiness, so long as it doesn't impede on anyone else's rights. A lot of people think we need a big government to tell everyone what to do, how to do it, and when to do it, but that just seems too much like having an overbearing parent, or living in Nazi Germany or communist Russia. I can't speak for everyone, but I'm not a child. I don't need anyone or anything telling me how to live my life, or that I need to fit myself into a tiny little box and conform. If I had gone that route I'd be broke, up to my hole in student debt, potentially unemployed because of the crappy job market, and living a life of indentured servitude until my debts were paid off. No thanks. I'd rather be dead. LOL

That brings me to another reason why I support the libertarian party. They don't believe in regulating every tiny little thing out there and making it as difficult as possible to be an entrepreneur or an innovator. Libertarianism encourages innovation, and rewards those who have the courage to try and do something great or unconventional. It opens up doors that would otherwise be very hard to open due to red tape and licensing fees. Sure, some things need to be regulated like food safety, product safety, etc, but someone shouldn't have to pay all kinds of ridiculously high application fees and frivolous taxes just to get approved to start some sort of business. If the government desperately needs that money then maybe they should learn how to manage their money better instead of coming to the people with their hands out like a crackhead who just spent his last dollar on a fix. What we really have in America these days is an Idiocracy. LOL Just look at Michelle Bachman or John Edwards. Bachman always sounds like she's talking to a 3rd grade class, and Edwards hasn't done anything of worth in his life. He made his money targeting doctors and suing them. Yeah, that's really noble... Suck a fart out of my expletive, John. LOL

[elucidate]

If I was American I'd be Libertarian.

[Blueskied]

@scorpio: I like the values you are propagating.
On the downside don't you think a libertarian society would be a "only the strong survive" society? For example people who are sick would die cause they can't afford health care.

[givejonadollar]

I am of the Ron Paul and Murray Rothbard ilk. That should sufficiently explain my libertarianism.

[Curtis2011]

Originally Posted by CroMagna

What does libertarianism mean to you? Why are you a libertarian? How do you live out your value system?

While I don't call myself one, my political position usually qualifies me as some form of moderate libertarian when I see charts and stuff that "define" what it means to be one.

[juancito]

I love the ideals of smaller government, less taxes, more privacy, ending the imperialism of current American policies. I won't peg myself as being affiliated with one political party, but libertarian is probably the closest to what I believe on many policy issues.
The current 'two party' system of America is a very bad thing. Somehow, the two parties can both agree on one major point - increasing the size, scope, and power of the federal government. Both parties are guilty of this.
The typical scale taught in America of left vs. right is inaccurate. A more helpful scale is one of total control on the left and anarchy on the right. Any government that is big, powerful, controlling would be on the far left, and this would include communism, fascism, and any dictatorial-type government. What we currently have in America is more like socialism every year that passes. We keep sliding towards the left, towards a total-control government. I'm for less power for the President - he already has over-stepped the powers that were legally given.
Liberty!

[CroMagna]

Originally Posted by Curtis2011

While I don't call myself one, my political position usually qualifies me as some form of moderate libertarian when I see charts and stuff that "define" what it means to be one.

What do you call yourself?

[CroMagna]

Am I a libertarian? I'm all for the idea that people should be able to do whatever they want insofar as they don't infringe on anyone else's right to do whatever they want. I'm all about treating adults like adults and letting them come to their own decisions about how to direct the course of their lives, as long as they're not impeding on anyone else's decision-making process. I feel very strongly about this. I would like to see prostitution and drug use legalized.

I'm not so sure about the limited government part though. In the past I relied on the government for healthcare. I don't like the idea of just letting the poor sick people fend for themselves.

I'm militant about free speech. I think all words including the n-word should be used freely. I like equal opportunity offenders like Jared Taylor.

I'm against affirmative action and multiculturalism. I believe people should be hired based on merit rather than race or gender. I believe in a melting pot and assimilation rather than the garden salad. I want everyone to learn English if they're to live and prosper in this country. I'm against illegal immigration.

[Sfumato]

Libertarian is good. But I prefer the older and a little more stoic principle of "Rational Anarchism"

See, Emma Goldman, Robert Heinlein, and George H. Smith for details on the myriad distinctions.

Essentially, the key principles that appeal to me are these:

1. Anarchism stands for a social order based on the free grouping of individuals for the purpose of producing real social wealth; an order that will guarantee to every human being free access to the earth and full enjoyment of the necessities of life, according to individual desires, tastes, and inclinations." E.G.

2. “A rational anarchist believes that concepts such as ‘state’ and ‘society’ and ‘government’ have no existence save as physically exemplified in the acts of self-responsible individuals. He believes that it is impossible to shift blame, share blame, distribute blame . . . as blame, guilt, responsibility are matters taking place inside human beings singly and nowhere else. But being rational, he knows that not all individuals hold his evaluations, so he tries to live perfectly in an imperfect world . . . aware that his effort will be less than perfect yet undismayed by self-knowledge of self-failure.” R.H. (Through the Character of Prof.)

3. I am free all the time, I may choose what laws to follow based on my own moral evaluation of the law in question. The government does not have the power to "enforce law" upon me only to punish my body for a violation of a Law that my mind deems immoral and/or unjust. (That is my own words)

Their is more from folks like Ayn Rand, John Locke. Thomas Paine and so forth but I don't want to bore to tears.

The essential difference between libertarian and Anarchist is that a libertarian expects to work with-in a government body, albeit a small one, whilst the Anarchist wants no government that can enforces its will upon the people. The Anarchist places responsibly for life and choice solely on the shoulders of the individual and from there the individual may choose to work with others for the betterment of the home, community or world, or in defense of it.

[russianrocket]

Originally Posted by scorpio1980

I believe I have the right to buy a piece of property, and not have to continue paying to live there through taxation.

I've always wondered about this. Where would the money come from, to pay for the streets, and lights, and fire department?

[scorpio1980]

Originally Posted by russianrocket

I've always wondered about this. Where would the money come from, to pay for the streets, and lights, and fire department?

Through the taxes I paid on said property when I purchased it. That also goes for food, cars, clothes, and any thing else produced. If we are forced to pay the government money every year on something we paid for long ago, isn't that a form of slavery. It means I will always be in some form of debt that I cannot escape. How is that free? Although if I want to buy new items I will pay taxes on them when bought. If you don't tax my property every year I will probably spend that money else where, meaning taxes will still be collected through my new spending.

[russianrocket]

Originally Posted by scorpio1980

Through the taxes I paid on said property when I purchased it. That also goes for food, cars, clothes, and any thing else produced. If we are forced to pay the government money every year on something we paid for long ago, isn't that a form of slavery. It means I will always be in some form of debt that I cannot escape. How is that free? Although if I want to buy new items I will pay taxes on them when bought. If you don't tax my property every year I will probably spend that money else where, meaning taxes will still be collected through my new spending.

The initial tax would have to be increased to compensate for the lost revenue. Now, that's not to say that the money always gets used wisely. But, the less money coming from property taxes, the less goes towards the city. If you don't spend money on property taxes, then you can spend it buying stuff online, and the city will NEVER see that money. Every single person in the city, can spend their money outside the city, and the city will go bankrupt. Then what?

Keep in mind, that you CAN move and build a house in places that have almost no taxes at all. The taxes are essentially there, to buy your right to live in the community and get all the benefits that comes with it. Live in the boonies, and you don't have to pay all the taxes. The house might be yours, and the land might be yours, but you are still using everything within the 50 mile radius of your house. The taxes you pay, also raise property values. The places with the least taxes, are usually either the shittiest, or the most sparse areas.

And no, I can't possibly see how it's a form of slavery. You bought a house and you bought the land, but you didn't buy living in the town/city. That's still owned by the government, and not any one single entity.

When you buy ITEMS, you aren't taxed on them over and over again, because there is no outside cost associated with your use of those items.

Now cars, are a different matter compared to clothes/food/stuff. Cars get taxed, because again, you use the road. You can own a car, and not register it, and never drive it, and you'll never have to pay taxes on it again. If you want to use it on public roads, then you have to pay taxes, to maintain those roads that you are using.

If you buy a shirt, well, that's that. It costs no body anything for you to wear that shirt. So of course you wouldn't need to pay taxes on it. Food, isn't taxed either for the most part. The bigger the house, the more cost. The nicer the area , the more cost. Buy a decent home, and pay off your mortgage, and live in a very modest area, and your never ending "debt" will be VERY little.

It's not a never ending debt that you can never pay off. It's a never ending cost in order to have the right to live in an area that costs money to maintain. You might as well say that paying for food, is a never ending debt. Now, income tax, is another story. You might have gotten the whole slavery thing from discussions on income tax.

[Curtis2011]

Originally Posted by CroMagna

What do you call yourself?

Well I haven't really decided yet, but usually a moderate conservative, or a conservative moderate, or just a moderate in general.

Basically my viewpoint on government is not really centered around the exact role that it should fulfill, but that whatever it seeks to do, it should do in the most efficient and effective way possible.

For instance, if people want nationalized healthcare, then I'm fine with the ideological basis for that. But I would want it to be implemented in a way that is effective and won't bankrupt our country.