I think I am a Libertarian

[spacejunkiehsv]

I never really checked into it before, but none of the Republicans look really good to me. So, I started looking into other political parties. Here's what Wikipedia had to say about the Libertarian party.

Here is a link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Party_(United_States)

Key tenets of the Libertarian Party platform include the following:

-Adoption of laissez-faire principles which will result in the complete separation of state and economics. This will include, among other things, enormous reduction in taxation, privatization of Social Security and welfare (for both individuals and companies), elimination of business regulation, abolition of labor regulations such as the minimum wage and the cessation of government interference in foreign trade.

-Protection of property rights.

-Minimal government bureaucracy. The Libertarian Party states that the government's responsibilities should be limited to the protection of individual rights from the initiation of force and fraud.

-Strong civil liberties positions, including privacy protections, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and sexual freedom.
In the area of abortion, though, there is a division in the ranks. Pro-choice Libertarians see the issue as one where the woman has a right to rule her own body, with government having no right to dictate otherwise. Pro-life Libertarians see the issue as one where the unborn child also has individual rights which should be protected by the government.

-Support for the unrestricted right to the means of self-defense (such as gun rights, the right to carry mace or pepper spray, etc).

-Abolition of laws against so named victimless crimes (prostitution, driving without a seatbelt, use of controlled substances, etc.).

-Opposition to conscription.

-A foreign policy of free trade and non-interventionism.

-Support a fiscally responsible government

 

[hexidismal]

Well if you think you are, then you just might be
I think you'll find there are a good number of Libertarians on this board.

 

[dogloose]

Take the World's Smallest Political Quiz...

...see where you really fit in. Millions have taken this short (takes a few seconds) quiz... It definitely expands on the myth of liberal versus conservative.

I've taken this many times (it has changed slightly over the last 20 years) but I always come out a Libertarian... go figure!

http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html

 

[spacejunkiehsv]

I took the test and was easily in the Libertarian scategory. I chaned the answers to see if it always said that. It changed. ... pretty neat link.

 

[davhina]

take that test

I think I am a Libertarian

just found out i am just short of the top of that chart
i am what i am(Popeye)
Time to re-register to vote.
one more for Ron Paul

 

[SIRVEYR666]

I agree with most of the Libertarian's platform...except for the pro-gay stuff., but that's just my worthless opinion. I like their pro-gun stance, and have spoken at length about it with many of their "booth workers" (for lack of a better word) at numerous functions I've attended.

 

[SaMx]

www.politicalcompass.org is another good one.

 

[Soybomb]

Welcome to the party. I find the libertarian party is the only one that really pushes true freedom and less government. Most people want to legislate against things that don't effect their lives because they don't approve of them, for some people its gays for some its firearms.

Left-wing politicians take away your liberty in the name of children and of fighting poverty, while right-wing politicians do it in the name of family values and fighting drugs. Either way, government gets bigger and you become less free.

 

[Standing Wolf]

At least I know what Libertarians stand for, which is considerably more than can be said of the Republicrats and Democans.

 

[dogloose]

Sadly... the Libertarian Party... clearly a party of principle... has made little or no impact on the political scene. While the two major parties... whose members and actions are clearly less principled... control the game.

The only way we will see change is to make change. As painful as it may be... every one of us must take a principled stand... and cast our votes for what we believe. Until we change our behavior -- we will never change the politicians' behavior.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

I am too - in theory.

Just an example: the open borders position only works if/when all other nations are also Libertarian.

 

[wQuay]

Most people want to legislate against things that don't effect their lives because they don't approve of them, for some people its gays for some its firearms.

I have never heard anyone even close to the mainstream advocate legislation prohibiting homosexuality... comparing that to firearms is disingenuous.

 

[Glockfan.45]

Im a proud of out of the closet libertarian . Actually come to think of it I always have been. My only beef with them is on the border issue, oh well pobodys nerfect.

 

[Charles Martel]

Those are some pretty sound principles. Hard to believe that anyone could disagree with much of what's there. I suppose I am a pro-life Libertarian.

 

[spacejunkiehsv]

I may vote for a Libertarian in 2008. I do feel that it is almost throwing away a vote, but if neither of the other two parties represent me very well, I may as well help to send a signal.

This 2 party system with career politicians seems hopeless. I don't believe they should be allowed to make a career out of running for office. Oh wait, that goes against my libertarian beliefs! Oh well... I think we would be better served by people that just want to do good, instead of ones worried about getting re-elected.

 

[rock jock]

The LP's biggest problem is that they almost take pride in being viewed as a bunch of kooks. Afterall, look at their nominees for POTUS. Michael Badnarik is a good example. In that sense, they resemble a frat party dressing up for a kegger, i.e., no one takes them seriously.

BTW, a real education for the "true" libertarians would be to study up on the unvarnished history of laws in the early colonies when the Founding Fathers ran the show. A few examples: several states required that legislators be Christians, cussing was outlawed, as was adultery, and fornication (sex outside of marriage). Abortion would have been seen as so far outside the plausible that it wasn't even considered.

Your heads might have exploded.

 

[karlsgunbunker]

I've been heading toward the libertarian way of thinking slowly but surely.
The only prob is the Abortion and Gay thing.
My conservative christian upbring foresure.

 

[xd9fan]

The only prob is the Abortion and Gay thing.
My conservative christian upbring foresure.

I am a "conservative Christian" but I find no problem having Govt stay out of the "Abortion and Gay thing". I want less Govt Period. At this point that forces me into the Libertarian party.....and then there is the whole Bill of Rights thing. Its about liberty....Its about getting back to basics.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/rothbard137.html


Welcome to this brave new world......

 

[Autolycus]

I am a pro-choice Libertarian.

"The Gay Thing:

I feel that gays should have the right to get married and do as they please in their bedrooms just as everyone else. What do I care if two men love each other or two women make love to one another. It is not my business. If they are happy who am I to decide if they are right or wrong for it. I am not god nor do I have the right to judge others when their actions affect nobody but themselves.

The Abortion Thing:

The same thing with abortion. It harms me not what a woman chooses to do with her body. I dont think that many people know but abortions are a good thing in some regards. If you look at it as people murdering a child that is your perogative. However look at what might happen if the child is born. I dont even consider it a child until it is born. Either way I just feel that it is best to keep my noise out of other peoples business. So long as it doesnt harm me than I have no say.

I would love to see a Libertarian world myself but I dont think it will ever happen. Once people get power they seem very reluctant to give it up.

Either way welcome to the Libertarian Party. You will find a lot of them here on THR. And try to get your friends involved. People dont take us seriously but I think we are slowly growing as a party. Look at it like this... for everyone who says we are wasting our vote imagine all the people who want to vote LP but wont because they consider it wasting our vote. If they all voted LP we would probably have a much different country.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

Problem #1 remains that a Libertarian - by definition - places little value on government. So how does a true Libertarian ever gain any power?

To affect any real change, a Libertarian would have to somehow gain power and then give it up -- like Cincinnatus or the Founding Fathers. Lightning just does not strike all that often.

 

[Autolycus]

That is an excellent question.

 

[strambo]

Since the quiz is kinda subjective, I took it 3 times with slightly different answers. 2/3 Libertarian, last one on the Centrist/Libertarian line. So, I guess that's that. I am a Pro-life Libertarian because I think the unborn child has individual rights. I feel the woman's right to choose was that she had all the power to control her reproductive choices prior to conception. Sex or not. Use birth control or not etc...freedom comes with an equal share of responsibility.

I don't believe Libertarians will ever get serious power or the White House. I would like to see them gain popularity and seats at the city, county, state and Congressional level though. This would have a positive effect on both major parties as they change views to regain the votes they lost. Dems would push more pro freedom stuff and relax on some taxation perhaps, Repubs would bail on some of the anti-freedom, it's for your safety type laws and relax on the "drug war". I'm not entirely sure about total legalization...but I am sure our "war" on a substance and our national LE priorities and spending are horribly out of whack.

 

[skinnyguy]

I tested out as a libertarian as well. I'm not surprised though, as I can't really agree with either of the "big 2" parties on any or all issues. I personally call myself Unaffiliated.

I've long said that there is only one difference between Democrats and republicans. That being the lies that they tell the public that calls themselves Democrats or republicans.

 

[Nehemiah Scudder]

But, would you vote for Howard Stern?

 

[scurtis_34471]

The Gay thing ultimately comes down to two fact:

1. They pay the same taxes everyone else pays.
2. The only arguments against Gays are fundamentally religious.

The government should not enforce the dictates of a particular religious morality. Nor should it arbitrarily attribute rights and privileges to some groups while withholding them from others.

The correct answer to the question of Gay marriage is that the government does not belong in the marriage business to begin with. There are two components to any marriage. The first is a binding legal contract between two people that carries with it certain legal protections and benefits. The second is the religio-social institution of marriage. We need to more cleanly separate these two things. As the terminology seems to be the root cause of much contention, I think that all marriages should be classified as civil unions in the eyes of the government. A civil union is that first component. Marriage should then be left up to the individual church. Church's could then marry Gays or not as each religious group sees fit. This maintains a proper separation of Church and State, while protecting the rights of all citizens.