what exactly is a libertarian?

[AlanCranston]

it seems to be a new popular movement in modern american politics. But the word is loosely used and often incorrectly used. Many say the tea party is a libertarian movmeent but Michele Bachmann, who is the so-called grand dragon of it, doesn't strike me as one at all. Who in the U.S. house would be the closest thing to a libertarian? Maybe Jeff Flake or Ron Paul? If the Libertarians were a major U.S. party, which states would they have the most power in? Maybe Colorado or Wyoming? Lastly, are they a type of voter we should try to incorporate in? Colorado seems like sort of a libertarian state where the democrats have made a lot of inroads in recent years, but Wyoming on the other hand is a staunchly republican state.

[meegbear]

1. An arch-conservative with a sex fetish

[xchrom]

13. ...

:thumbsup:

[smirkymonkey]

2. A republican who smokes pot?

[Viking12]

21. hey, you stole my response!

:)

[onehandle]

3. Here in Georgia a Libertarian is a Republican with his Asshole knob set to '11.' nt

[DJ13]

4. Conservatives still ashamed they voted for W .... TWICE

[nonperson]

5. A libertarian is a sociopath with a political agenda

Their political agenda centers around what they consider to be the center of the universe -- themselves.

[FLAprogressive]

6. This.

[devilgrrl]

9. That about sums it up

:thumbsup:

[hifiguy]

14. That's as concise and correct as it gets

+100.

[WhollyHeretic]

7. A greedy asshole with horrible taste in books

[Crazy Dave]

8. They support...

Gay marriage

Legalizing drugs

A woman's right to choose

Ending all foreign wars and nation building

But...

They want to abolish literally all social programs and privatize everything which is what is happening now regardless so it makes you think.

[MicaelS]

11. Not all support a woman's right to choose

Ron Paul is vehemently anti-abortion.

Here's the 24 types of Libertarian http://www.leftycartoons.com/the-24-types-of-libertarian/

[Crazy Dave]

16. As with democrats so it's a non-point

Not all support a woman's right to choose or another's civil rights but at least the libertarians have it written in their bylaws.

[atreides1]

10. This may help.

1. One who advocates maximizing individual rights and minimizing the role of the state.
2. One who believes in free will.

Libertarianism is a political philosophy that upholds individual liberty, especially freedom of expression and action. Libertarianism includes diverse beliefs and organizations, all advocating minimization of the state and sharing the goal of maximizing individual liberty and freedom.

Libertarian schools of thought differ over the degree to which the state should be reduced, with minarchists advocating reduction to only state protection from aggression, theft, breach of contract, and fraud, and anarchists advocating complete elimination of the state. Additionally, some schools are supportive of private property rights in the ownership of unappropriated land and natural resources while others reject such private ownership and often support common ownership instead. Another distinction can be made among libertarians who support private ownership and co-operative ownership of the means of production; the former generally supporting a capitalist economy, the latter a libertarian socialist economic system.

[IndyPragmatist]

18. At least someone gave a reasonable answer

Everyone else just jumped to extremes. Using that logic, Democrats are Communists who envy North Korea, and Republicans are anarchists who envy Pakistan. See, I can say things that make no sense at all too! Yay, I'm part of the group!

[Warren DeMontague]

20. With some people, certain words set them off bigtime.

it's like waving a red cape in front of a bull.

I particularly like the perpetual tantrum about 'republicans who smoke pot' ... isn't that at least better than one who doesn't?

[IndyPragmatist]

27. Haha, yes, I guess that is better.

I think third parties scare people. Libertarians scare democrats and republicans because they are the first legitimate third party to emerge in some time. It may be a while, but New Hampshire and Colorado are starting to see a lot of growth in the Libertarian party. I've met a lot of people that seem like they are more libertarian than democrat or republican. There are actually a LOT of republicans that are closer to the libertarian ideology than the mainstream republican ideology. However, they dont want to "waste their vote" on a third party.

When the Tea Party emerged, I thought that it would eventually shift power from the Republicans to Libertarians. However, people like Sarah Palin hi-jacked the group and it turned into an anti-tax, pro-gun, racist rally. Before Fox News and Palin jumped on board, it was a group that fully believed they would improve the quality of life for all Americans. Now, its just people that want their own quality of life improved at the expense of the gays, blacks, mexicans, and poor. Libertarians are backing Ron Paul.

[Odin2005]

12. a Libertarian is an Anarchist that wants police protection from his slaves.

According to Kim Stanley Robinson

[hifiguy]

15. That is a description so pithy and perfect

as to be worthy of a Shakespeare or a Churchill.

[Warren DeMontague]

17. Depends, like many things, on how you define your terms.

There are big-L members of the Libertarian Party, there are Objectivist Ayn Rand libertarians, Milton Friedman/grover Norquist $$$ libertarians whose definition of 'freedom' begins & ends at them not having to pay taxes, there are also left-libertarians who share what I believe are good liberal values on things like equality for GLBT citizens, ending the drug war, opposing censorship of consenting adult porn, etc.

Unfortunately, these threads invariably become an excuse for more authoritarian-minded 'liberals' (like the pro censorship crowd) to conflate the different groups and wave the "l" word around like it's dog doo on a stick.

Oooh, ooooh, I've got one! "libertarians are Republicans who smoke pot!!! hyuk hyuk" :eyes:

[IndyPragmatist]

19. Another good thought, thank you.

I've read this forum for years, but only recently started posting. It seems that most would rather toss around insults than have a rational discussion.

I personally think I may fall into the left-leaning libertarian group. I get so frustrated by some of the protectionist policies of many democrats. It reminds me of Animal Farm sometimes...everyone is equal, but Americans are more equal. Why should we allow free trade? Those Mexicans deserve to be poor because they were born in Mexico!

[Warren DeMontague]

22. I think proetctionism is shortsighted & doomed to fail, BUT here's the caveat:

I don't think you can have true 'free trade' until you have some universal standards of environmental protection and labor rights. Also 'free trade' shouldn't mean 'free to import toxic crap from China'.

[Ikonoklast]

24. But 'Free Trade' is doing exactly that to Mexico.

NAFTA is killing the Mexican workers and farmers, 'Free Trade' means that multi-national corporations get to screw them over now, too.

[Cleita]

23. Conservatives who want to have free sex and smoke pot,

or so sez Thom Hartmann.

I once had an acquaintance though who claimed he was a Libertarian. He voted Republican but wasn't into the whole conservative agenda cause he liked to party. But he resented the money that was taken out of his pay check because he felt he could use it better. He didn't want regulations telling him what to do with his business ventures when he was involved with them. So he voted for the very Republicans whose policies would never help him achieve success as an entrepreneur or worker. He never would collect unemployment and would rather starve than get food stamps or welfare. He wouldn't go to the doctor because he couldn't afford it.

Towards the end of his life it was harder and harder for him to work because he was apparently sick and he kept losing jobs for underperformance. My DH and I took him screaming and yelling to the VA for medical help because he was a WWII vet. They found he had an incurable cancer and he spent a month in the hospital, thankfully, not having to pay. The VA found a small pension for him and when he was released from the hospital I convinced him to apply for SSI to supplement that pension. He also got Medi-cal and food stamps, all the things he resented in paying for from his paycheck and income taxes yet now he needed because he couldn't go to work anymore. He was 58 at the time. He lasted another year and died in a hospital bed with meds helping to keep him comfortable. He also voted for Democrats the last time he was able to vote.

[Blue-Jay]

25. Simply put. "I got mine, go get your own."

Selfish bastards. Sure, they like to brag about how they support all kinds of "liberal" stuff, but it boils down to the fact that they don't give two shits about anyone else. If it doesn't affect them, it doesn't matter. Selfish bastards.

Did I mention "selfish bastards"?

[Lizzie Poppet]

26. A free-market Republican with a bong.

I keed...mostly.