What does "libertarian" mean to you?

Here in Washington state, we have a fellow who promotes voter initiatives every year to cut taxes of various kinds and to make it harder for the legislature to raise taxes. And his initiatives invariably pass, because who, when all is said and done, really wants to pay taxes? I assume the libertarian position would be that this is a good thing.

But there is far from this kind of majority thinking on what services need to be cut once the revenues really start to diminish, which is what's now happening. Schools? Police and fire protection? Road maintenance? One rarely hears anyone calling for any of these, even though they're the logical end result of cutting taxes all the time.

By the way, Liberatarianism sounds great as a government, in theory, but I'm sure human nature would make it unworkable.....I think that's what makes our own government, the lesser of the evils, and so enduring. The inherent checks and balances, make it insusceptable to the fallacies of human nature....Think about it, in what other government, could two factions , not considered as citizens, (blacks, women) could those factions later achieve legal equality.
...Did I digress? Not this time. I believe our government is libertarian in spirit, made workable, with pragmatic checks and balances.

It ain't perfect...but it's 227 and ahalf years old!

D'Artagnan, how about a Faith Based Department of Public Safety, Security, and Instruction?



timber

Excellent idea, timberlandko. We could pray in the church of our choice for a fire to stop and children to grow wise. Only the gov't would have to drop its faith-based initiative if we're going to be consistent from the libertarian point of view!

I am a libertarian in that I believe in total choice. As fishin' was talking earlier about your neighborhood getting together and forming a coop - well, that is what Insurance companies are suppose to be. Unfortunately, there are to many millionaires in the Insurance industries, connected to the industry and politicians getting millions from the industries.

First of all, you are talking about an entirely different scenario. You are talking in terms of converting what we have now into a libertarian society as opposed to just simply having a libertarian society. If we had been an entirely libertarian society from day one the tax burden as it is would never have existed for there to be any need to cut.

you wouldn't have roads, you wouldn't have airports, or electrical grids, you wouldn't have a standing army

Why wouldn't you have roads or any of the other items you listed BillW? Roads existed long before there was any organized government. The power grids aren't owned or operated by the government either. They are owned for the most part by private industry along with a few public utilities. There are thousands of municiple airports around the country as well as private airfields that operate daily. Your blowing smoke.

I vote for a Faith Based DMV. The states don't seem to do that well in promoting safe driving so I think the churches would do a better job.

The more one thinks about it, the more absurd it becomes.

So basiclly you have nothing intelligent to add here?

Just playing off off timber's serve. Hope there's no problem with a little sardonic humor here.

I think not - haven't smoked for years. If there isn't a government, someone (being business) will create one. I think you are being disingenuos fishin'.

If the USA hadn't had the government it has had we would be a raggled, taggled group of small colonies of other countries!

Who said there would be no government? You are making things up that don't fit in the picture. The concept of libertarianism is minimal government interference - not NO government.

I will go back to my point: roads, electrical grids and airports - they didn't come from outer space, they came as governmental projects. You can turn it around and say they are private enterprise, but it is because of the government creation.

Then there is the biggest black hole in the world - the US military, WOW what a money sucker. Minimal government - now that's disingenuos!

As disingenuous as claiming that liberals stand for individual rights and demonstrate that by creating more and more laws restricting those very rights? The same way liberals predetermine how your income will be divided up before you ever get the chance to earn it?

Yup! There is real freedom.. As long as some politico says you can have that freedom... No.. The liberal chant isn't disingenuous. It's a flat out lie.

"Our Government is expanding to meet the needs of an ever-expanding government."
W. Rodgers





timber

Booman


You seem to have forgotten what the question was. What does "libertarian mean to you. Not what I think it should mean to you.
That said do you believe that a truly libertarian society could possibly exist and sustain itself. In my opinion it would be a precursor to anarchy.

If not too far from Trespasser's intent, might I suggest Denmark as a living argument against minimalist government... http://www.ssw.upenn.edu/sociolog/98f/current/denmark.html

fishin', Sorry, I'm not a liberal.

But keep up the rant. I think the USA has achieved a whole bunch. I'm proud of this country and what it has done. I'm a true patriot! And, I wouldn't change a thing in the past - but look out for the changes that are coming down the pike.

I will repeat, for me a libertarian is pure choice!

I love it -- everyone is so broadminded here. They are always willing to give careful consideration to both sides of the same side.