ELITEOFWARMAN8
King
Why do people people not seem to like them all to much?
Libertarians
- Thread starter ELITEOFWARMAN8
- Start date
Global Skeptic
King
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2012
- Messages
- 618
I can't speak for people, but I can speak for myself. The standard idea of some libertarians, that property rights are individual, is currently false as far as empirical falsification go.
I think most people consider libertarianism a phase that teenagers go through; I know I flirted with when I was just starting to think about politics and there are a number of other posters in the same boat. It's a very idealistic philosophy and trying to come with a way that it might work in reality tends to lead to dystopia pretty quickly. Adult libertarians tend to stand out as being a bit naive; generally their policies and platforms have several flaws which are relatively under-reported due to the lack of people advocating said positions in the first place...
potatokiosk
Deity
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2005
- Messages
- 2,292
Because they have different views on what the proper course of government policy is. See the epithets "liberals" and "conservatives" throw at each other.
What Truronian said. It's appealing to younger types because in my opinion its an (overly) simplistic philosophy that gives young people the feeling that they understand this big wide complex adult world. The fact that so many people (older, wiser) disagree only makes it more appealing in the way that when your parents tell you not to do something it only makes you want to do it more.
In large part I think it's because libertarians, at least as they exist in the US, don't really present a unified and coherent group of what they are and what they stand for. And, like with religion, the average person outside that group does not much hear from the rational and decent among them, but rather hears from the extremists and the radicals. So if the whole picture of libertarians is of the extremists, then what kind of opinion can people have of them? Imagine if everything you knew about Christians was Jerry Falwell and the Westborough Baptist Church.
There are also some really nasty people who justify themselves as being libertarian, so that in their minds their actions, or the actions they would want to take if they thought they would get away with it, should be considered OK. The bulk of the people I've encountered on the net who call themselves libertarians are people I would not allow past the door of my home.
But on the other hand a few of the nicest people I've met call themselves libertarians as well. It's just that you hear a lot less from this group, and so they tend to be forgotten.
Now beyond that you have to keep in mind that the policies many libertarians advocate for in the public sphere are really dangerous to many people. And in general are things that we have fought tooth and nail to get away from. Libertarians would undo all of the gains society has made in the past century. And so to people who really understand what they are advocating, it is not the least bit attractive.
It's a position with no philosophical, moral or intellectual basis. It's like someone said, "Hey lets take the anarchist tradition, but restrict it to only social issues and cut out any of the really complex theories regarding the nature of hierarchy; authority; and coercion, add a dollop of selfishness and serve cold and angsty. That'll win em over."
Libertarians are intellectual and moral midgets.
Libertarians are intellectual and moral midgets.
ELITEOFWARMAN8
King
I'm a Libertarian and I think there should be more 3rd parties. The Big 2 haven't done anything good for us in the US.
Oruc
Reactionary
The same reason lots of kids are communist or marxist
sophie
Break My Heart
Direct election of senators? social security? medicare? the civil rights bill? secret elections? end to slavery? womens' suffrage? the panama canal? Nothing good at all?
Murky
Deity
It's usually not a personal dislike. I don't know that many personally. The one's that I have met seemed like they were well intentioned, but they too often put their ideology before what is the most practical option. Most people disagree with them about the role of government and the free market system.
ELITEOFWARMAN8
King
Increased debt every year from BOTH parties for the past 100 years? Yup, good job!
That didn't really start until Reagan took over. Then Clinton put an end to it. And then Bush brought it back and made it permanent.
Clint-on left with a surplus
sophie
Break My Heart
And that counters my point...how, exactly?
Also balanced budgets are ********. See California for why this is so.
See this is the reason people don't like libertarians.
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