15 Arguments Against Libertarianism. Sounds like "freedom", and it is sort of

[vkkv]

"Libertarianism" sounds good, sounds like 'freedom'. And it is sort of:

* Freedom for corporations to buy up competing businesses and monopolize control of a single market.

* Freedom for corporations to bilk you with no legal remedies for you.

* Freedom for corporations to buy up and privatize beach front land - sorry, um, what's a surfboard?

* Freedom for corporations to build enormous hotels in the middle of a high elevation, pristine national park meadow.

* Freedom for sub-corporations to pollute your rivers, lakes and public water with toxins, go bankrupt, leave the mess to you while the umbrella corporation reaps all the profits. Oh wait, this is already happening, too, thanks to the G.O.P.

* Freedom for corporations to track your every online movement, it's for the good of business and the economy of course. (see Ebay and Facebook).

* Freedom for your crazy neighbor to own as many firearms as he wants - ah, but you get to shoot him with your AR-15 after he's already killed your kids, yay, revenge is so sweet!

* Freedom for doctors not to treat an emergency patient because they don't have the right insurance, or enough, or no cash, no credit card, no house to seize.

* Freedom to sue the person who has no auto insurance and no money who hits your car because your insurance no longer offers "uninsured motorist coverage" because under a libertarian government no one is legally required to buy liability insurance - yay!

* No EPA to slowdown the installation of a furnace to burn all of your garbage when someone else's house is downwind. This is especially great news for the hazardous waste creators like chemical factories, forges, tire dumps and hospitals.

* No messing with any unions!

* "Stand your ground" will the be the law of the land. But, most of the land will be owned by mega-corporations.

* No maternity leave pay!

* Privatized courts will always let you win as long as you're supplying the payroll.

* Privatized police forces will keep you safe from the other privatized police forces. You need "protection", right?

[Igel]

1. There must be conservative libertarians out there.

The ones I've known were also strong

supporters of gay rights

supporters of drug decriminalization

voting rights, including for felons


No government restrictions cuts both ways. Some view government as protecting us; some view government as oppressing us. It does both, simultaneously, and the big difference is whether you're protected or oppressed, a beneficiary or hurt by it.

Oddly, most were fine with the constraints in the US Constitution. Some things were necessary evils--military, for instance, or traffic laws. This stikes me as more outsplaining--somebody outside the community telling those ostensibly inside the community what they must feel and believe.

[vkkv]

2. Then they aren't actual Libertarians by definition. n/t

[Throd]

3. That's an odd cartoon you have created there.

None of the self-identifying libertarians I know would espouse any of that.

This really isn't Lounge material anyway.

[vkkv]

4. Then they aren't actual Libertarians by definition, they are just pretending to

be because it "sounds like Freedom and it is-sort of"

See list in a previous post above.