Why is libertarianism so laughable?

Question

Please, spark some political debate and by all means disagree with me, because I'm trying to learn all I can. A couple of years ago, when Ron Paul's name started buzzing, I felt like I knew what he was saying. Let people be people, the government should not mess with anyone, we wouldn't be in Iraq if we had a libertarian government, etc. I bought that, then, you know, when I was 15 or 16. I was more of an idealist then, but a realist now.

Not now, though. I don't really know why. The idea seems pretty cool, from a distance. It just makes SENSE. The government shouldn't do anything but keep the peace. I finally thought about why libertarianism just doesn't sit right to three things:

3. Libertarianism is anarchism in a suit. Like it or not, we depend on the government, and to take it away assumes humans are inherently good, which is dangerous thinking.

2. We're the USA. Don't we owe humanity our services? I know that sounds really conceited and patriotic, but we are, after all, one of the biggest and richest and strongest and smartest and advanced countries in the world, and to deny other countries our helping hand just seems plain wrong.

1. Ron Paul fans. God they're annoying. I don't know what it is about his ideology, but he seems to attract the douche-iest set of groupies imaginable.

By all means, go ahead and embarrass me for my narrowmindedness. I'm just trying to learn.

Answer 1

Well, really, all parties are about idealism.

Your points are right on and you shouldn't be embarassed.

I think you know libertarianism is so laughable when you mention Ron Paul along with it. What a joke. He isn't a Republican, he just says he is because being a libertarian gets you dirty looks (see above answerer).

Answer 2

Because it's Utopian, the goals are noble enough but the means to get there unrealistic and in fact disastrous in the real world.

The false premise of libertarianism is that the free market is the best for every situation and every time. The facts don't support their free market fundementalism and America's current state really proves they couldn't be more wrong.

In the United States, far-Right Republicans and Democratic liberals alike have sold many people on the notion that the market should be the main force to drive the economy and define social relationships. They maintain that government should stay off people's backs and out of our wallets. They promote rugged individualism and consumerism couched in terms like "personal responsibility," "freedom" and "independence." "Greed is good!" was the mantra of Michael Douglas' character, Gordon Gecko, in the 1980s movie "Wall Street," and those became the words to live by in the '80s and '90s. The philosophy and value of greed was taken to heart by many a corporate CEO, and, over the past three decades, this twisted logic -- underlined by the values of individualism and the culture of consumerism -- has turned back the clock on human development with devastating consequences.

http://www.alternet.org/story/92426/the_...

http://www.spotlightonpoverty.org/why_sp...

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?c...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...

Second point where they're totally wrong: Appealing to the original intentions of the Founding Fathers is mistaken for three reasons:

1. The Founders were a contentious, disagreeable lot.

2. They were often personally conflicted on the issues.

3. Times change

Today's Americans do not limit themselves to 18th century medicine, 18th century science, 18th century technology or 18th century English. Why they should then limit themselves to 18th century political science and economics is therefore a challenge to conservative and libertarian thought

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-intentio...

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-reverenc...

Ron Paul is not the man a lot of his supporters take him for. He himself only follows the constitution when it suits him and deliberately misrepresents his positions to hide his backward views on most social issues.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 3

3- If people are inherently bad, then what makes you think government leaders, who correct me if I am wrong are people, are inherently good?  Governments just consolidate power into the hands of a ruling class, nothing more.

2- No.  We don't owe people a dammed thing, especially not invasions which we call "liberation."

1- Know who is worse than Ron Paul fans?  Republicans and Democrats, you guys really need to look in a mirror and objectively look at how pathetic you guys are.  You have taken politics, what is supposed to be an important part of American life, and turned it into a Bears Verse Packers game.

Answer 4

LOL! lol rofl

Answer 5

young people are often swayed by what seems reasonable. It is because they often don't really understand history, or how we became the nation we are. There are few periods of time when we haven't had soldiers in the field. WW2 brought home how vulnerable we were.There was no defense worth talking about. We had to raise an army overnight, and were hardly prepared to fight, but we did and won. I'm not sure we could raise the same kind of army today  with the liberal attitude and selfishness we see today. Our young don't realize that peace is earned through war and winning.

Answer 6

Haven't you heard? All world is stage, and we are but players. Tonight Sarah Palin did her impersonation of Roseanne Barr, and tomorrow night John McCain will be performing as King:Lear.

The point of this political masquerade is to divert your attention away from the reality.that you have no real freedom of choice.

Answer 7

Libertarianism does not go over today because it asks people to be self reliant, responsible for their actions, and have the maturity to behave like adults.

There is only a small percent of the population who have same rugged individualism that our forefathers possessed.  They prefer to have the government provide a security blanket to help them should they ever fall on hard times.  Or the more common way it is phrased is that we have traded our freedom for temporary security.  

Answer 8

For starters, you should try to ask a question because this is what Yahoo considers a "rant"...

Secondly, everything you've said about Libertarians is actually more true of Republicans...

It's Republicans who latched on to the "smaller government" cliche and combined it with religious fundamentalism to create an anti-government attitude.

3rdly - Ron Paul is a Republican, not a Libertarian.

Lastly - I know a few Ron Paul supporters and they are more educated about US History, the constitution and economics than the McCain supporters by a long shot.