Is BlueMassGroup a libertarian blog? How many people here consider themselves libertarians? Please take the poll.
Also, it wouldn’t hurt to identify yourself in the comments.
Who’s a Libertarian? (WITH POLL)
dont-get-cute
| Tue, Aug 31, 2010
10:42 AM EST
( - promoted by Charley on the MTA)
Discuss
12 Comments . Leave a comment below.Until I read that someone else already did.
At this point, I'll take tax and spend libertarian. I bristle at the knee-jerk political correctness, Goo-goo tendencies, and general nanny-statism of the majority of self-described progressives. My tolerance towards expanded gambling is quite obviously the biggest difference between me and the rank-and-file progressive. I'm sure dog racing, motorcycle helmets, guns, fireworks, and the fact that I don't see a bias-crime behind every off-color joke would be on the list, too.
On the other hand, I'm a firm believer in the right to organize and collective bargaining, the right to marriage equality, of an attentive and vigorous government oversight of the economy (especially of those companies that are "too big to fail"), and that healthcare is not only a basic right, but something that decent people do to help a fellow human being. And your church (or synagogue/temple/mosque/shrine) should stay the hell out of my government, and your government should stay the hell out of my church (or synagogue/temple/mosque/shrine).
And for the sake of the poll, I'm registered Democratic, and I vote that way.
There are an awful lot of flavors of libertarianism. Today, you have been exercised about some folks who are absolutist in their libertarianism.
I think that there is something valuable in the libertarian worldview, even if one does not accept it in its most simplistic and absolutist terms.
The something of value is that the proper beginning point on a public policy question should not be "How can the government make this better?" but rather "Should the government attempt to make this better?" This should be the beginning point because one must acknowledge that by attempting to make THIS thing better, government, because of its degree of power, can make all of THESE other things worse, by unintended consequences, even if not by malice.
The other insight, which departs forcefully from liberalism and liberaltarianism, is that big government is worse than big business from the perspective of individual liberties, because businesses don't have police powers or their own army (yes, Blackwater, I know, haha). Failed business programs die (unless they are taken over by the government, but failed government programs are immortal.
Lastly, libertarians provide a useful critique of the traditional left-right political parties. Liberals have far to little regard for property rights; traditional conservatives have far to little regard for privacy rights.
This is not to say that government never has a role, or that government can never be successful in fixing a problem, or should never make an attempt, but rather to recognize that government is not, and will never be, able to create utopia.
In this respect, libertarianism is not unlike other -isms: it provides a useful perspective and criticism of the function and role of government, but doesn't really add up to much as a policy prescription.
I sometimes boil it all down to an incredible urge to yell at all progressives, liberals, big government / nanny state advocates who want to try to solve every problem with the government:
STOP!
JUST STOP!
JUST STOPPPP!!
STOPPP!!! STOP IT!
Which I didn't necessarily get from Buckley. Its just my own visceral reaction. Just stop.
I'm confused. I used to be able to proudly wear my Democrat pin. Some Dems are starting to act too much like Republicans. So I'm actually in a transitional place. I think that makes me more like an independent, but I'm not completely ready to take that step yet. I'm still a registered Democrat. I hate Republicans.
I liked Liberatarian principles until this year, when the candidates winning elections showed themselves to be too extreme. I'm not into anarchy.
BMG is a liberal blog that is willing to take the challenge to debate the issues from all perspectives. You can disagree here and not be deleted. I think it's the best darn thing to happen to the Democratic Party. It shows the diversity within the party and enlightens us all. We all love each other, really. We just yell at each other a lot.
and for that I respect progressives like David and friends. The so-called conservative community is not as inclusive.
consider myself a "libertarian Democrat" in the past. This was mostly due to my issues with Democratic Party leaders and elected officials supporting or ignoring things like the Patriot Act, increased military budgets, the failed drug war, warrantless wiretapping, etc. But now I do not have much use for the term. Perhaps its because of the Tea Party and libertarian Republicans like Rand Paul who have greatly disturbed me.
Perhaps this is a bit out of fashion, but lately I find myself more and more comfortable with the term "liberal Democrat."
:)
...take this quiz. I fall on the line between centrist and left-liberal and slightly closer to statist than libertarian.
Those questions are designed to pin you to an extreme, or answer maybe on every one.
It doesn't make sense to be "against regulation" or "for regulation" in the abstract. I'm for regulation that works, where regulation is needed, recognizing that all regulation comes at a significant cost, and will not work as well as advertised.
...but I'm pretty close to the center and the result pretty much matched how I would have described myself before taking it. I only answered maybe on the free trade question.
« Blue Mass Group Front Page
Wed 22 May 5:16 PM