Can we work with SOME libertarians?

[BrentWil]

Some libertarians are very good on civil liberties and foreign policy. Where can we work with them? Where is working with them dangerous?

[MineralMan]

1. Maybe where they stomp on the necks of people?

That occurs to me. I can think of others, like not putting out fires, letting homeless people starve, and stuff like that.

Screw 'em.

[BrentWil]

4. That is true.. there are issues...

That doesn't mean that Rand Paul doesn't want to cut funding for DOD, end the warfare state, and protect constitutional rights of individuals.

[LAGC]

2. Well, if the Republicans one day abolish elections...

I imagine gun-owning Libertarians will make their reign very unpleasant...

[niyad]

3. you mean, those who want to eliminate public education? social security? medicare?

public roads? THOSE libertarians?

[BrentWil]

6. End the wars, cut DOD budget, protect civil liberties..

The point of the thread isn't that there is disagreement or agreement on issues. The point is that there is a mixture.

[niyad]

22. not in any of the libertarians I know.

and something that always amuses me--all these libertarians want smaller, almost non-existent government--so long as THEY have their cushy little government jobs. that has always stunk of hypocricy to me.

[niyad]

23. adding, none of the ones I know has any interest in cutting the DOD budget, or reining in the

military at all.

[BrentWil]

24. From the Libertarian platform

http://www.lp.org/files/platform-2010.pdf

American foreign policy should seek an America at peace with the world. Our foreign policy should emphasize defense against attack from abroad and enhance the likelihood of peace by avoiding foreign entanglements. We would end the current U.S. government policy of foreign intervention, including military and economic aid. We recognize the right of all people to resist tyranny and defend themselves and their rights. We condemn the use of force, and especially the use of terrorism, against the innocent, regardless of whether such acts are committed by governments or by political or revolutionary groups.

[abelenkpe]

5. no. nt

[laughingliberal]

7. Working with them is dangerous when they're pushing to privatize public services.

I could work with them to legalize drugs, I guess.

[benlurkin]

8. No.

They are too squishy.

[stray cat]

9. Of course and even some conservatives - but maybe not with politicians or pundits

[Chatt]

10. Yes

Libertarians are wrong in some issues and right in some others. We can work with them in the issues in which they are right, and refuse to work together in issues in which they are wrong.. But some people are absolutists and won't accept any cooperation from anyone else outside their group.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. +1

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. Politics makes for strange bedfellows. Find your "friends" where you can, but only on

the issues where you see more or less eye to eye.

[Atman]

13. Libertarians/Libertarianism are a myth. Libertarianism doesn't work in real society.

Libertarianism is a workable system in a commune, or even a small society of a few thousand people. It it totally contrived bullshit in a nation of 300,000,000. It DOES NOT WORK. Someone has to fix the potholes, someone has to run the schools, someone has put out the fires. When everything is a for-profit endeavor by a small handful of profiteers, society just falls apart. Government is not a bad thing. The way government is run, though, certainly can be, as we are now witnessing. But anyone who thinks Libertarians have an answer is as deluded as they are.

[Ruby the Liberal]

27. They don't take into account the greed factor.

If greed wasn't such an issue, they *might* have had a point. Because they don't, they aren't grounded in reality.

I like your commune comparison. Like the kibbutzim in Israel. They CAN work within a libertarian framework because they are ALL working for the same goal, not out to compete with each other.

[w8liftinglady]

14. I protested at the Republican straw poll Ft Worth 2005 with Ron Paul supporters

Very strong anti-war advocates...
favor legalization of marijuana...
favor no government intervention re:gay marriage,religion...
favor government staying out of private conversations(i.e. Patriot Act repealment)

In that respect,we could work with them.

They DO deny the need for any publicly-funded programs...we can disagree on those.

we don't all need to walk lock-step.

[calimary]

16. That's the reason half the graduating class at my son's high school were eager to

vote for Ron Paul for president a couple of years ago: anti-war and pro-marijiuana legalization. That's all they needed to hear and they were in the bag for him.

[calimary]

15. Only on SOME things.

I'd work with them to dismantle the war on drugs and cut the military - absolutely!

[de novo]

17. We can work with libertarians on SOME things, it isn't the person, it's the policy,

[Stevenmarc]

18. There's no need to work with them.......

If they came into the game with a decent civil liberties agenda then why enter into a deal that can only make one beholding to the bullshit part of their agenda.

[The Straight Story]

19. Some on some things, but be careful here - people will call you a libertarian on things like

Your body, your choice and the ability of adults to congregate with other like minded adults.

It is their way of trying to label instead of trying to pull out the principles of choice and apply them in an manner consistent with other areas.

All for school funding, govt projects, unemployment, welfare, sensible regulations of industry - but if you believe in freedom of choice on anything but abortion you will be called a libertarian.

[Chulanowa]

20. Thing is, they're not actually interested in civil liberties or foreign policy

Their approach to both issues amounts to "whatever, fuck it" - the entire philosophy revolves around the notion of "fuck you i've got mine and I'm going to do whatever I want." This can create the illusion of interest in civil liberties, but the truth is they're only interested in their civil liberties, and don't care about yours. Similarly their foreign policy is pretty much predicated on 100% perfect isolationism. Which works so well.

Working with htem isn't so much dangerous as it is stupid. They're one and all fucking insane and ignorant of how the world around them really works.

[BrentWil]

21. Wouldn't that depend on the libertarian? I know some that are very interested in civil liberties NT

[Chulanowa]

29. No you don't

Either they're whackjobs who haven't expressed their philosophies to you in detail, or they're a leftist who thinks calling themselves "libertarian" sounds more impressively avant garde on campus.

Guaranfuckingtee you they're one or the other. A true libertarian's interest in civil liberties ends beyond their immediate personal space; And their liberties include trunicating YOURS if they feel it'll entertain them or make profit. And if you don't like it, well, let's have a bidding war to see who the cops or courts listen to!

[Blue_Tires]

25. +1000

I worked with a couple of 'personal freedoms' fanatics in my past job (one who thought he could convert me)...There were a couple of minor things we agreed on, but once I started talking to them about racial profiling and driving while black, I may as well have been talking to them in Swahili

[Ruby the Liberal]

26. The inane war on drugs, defunding the MIC, auditing the Fed, end middle east wars

Yeah, there are a handful of things.

But with Libertarians you also get the closing of the Department of Education, eliminating the EPA, eliminating the FDA, eliminating USDA, eliminating OSHA and the complete deregulation of all businesses (including banks and insurance companies). Add to that the notion that they do not take into account the greed factor (and wanting to eliminate federal income taxes, Social Security and Medicare), then you have a recipe for disaster.

Pick your battles, but watch your backs.

[DailyGrind51]

28. "Social" Libertarians, yes, "Economic" Libertarians, NO!

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. Yes, remember the libertarian movement

goes from the cookie right to the cookie left... (One reason why they will never become a VIABLE third party)

[RonReagan]

31. On social issues

On most social issues like gay rights, marijuana(although I guess that's not really a democrat thing), and freedom of religion. However, they're usually like republicans only worse on most issues taxation, spending, regulation, social programs. Honestly, I think it's easier to work with republicans. Not being a party of any real size, libertarians tend to be ultra-idealistic and uncompromising.