Why Libertarians Are
Unwitting Enablers of Socialism
American Greatness,
by
Edward Ring
Original Article
Posted By: M2,
10/3/2019 6:43:04 AM
There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.”
– John Rogers, “Ephemera 2009,” Kung Fu Monkey
Libertarians are handing America over to socialists. That’s not what they want, but that’s what’s happening. How can this be? After all, if you want limited government, you’re a libertarian. So where’s the problem? The problem, as John Rogers suggests
Reply 1 - Posted by:
NorthernDog 10/3/2019 7:10:53 AM (No. 196342)
He left out that Libertarian candidates are often funded by the Left to siphon-away the right leaning vote. There are numerous examples of Senate and Congressional races where the Democrat wins by a tiny margin as the Libertarian is pulling in 3-4%,
10 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
beancounter 10/3/2019 7:40:41 AM (No. 196362)
Is he saying there are no fiscal conservatives in government or are they failing their duty? What do we do about it? Keep re-electing them?
4 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Sunhan65 10/3/2019 7:47:32 AM (No. 196369)
It's fun to caricature political movements you disagree with. Just read this article. Here's the problem, though. What would the Republican Party be if libertarians didn't exist? Answer: a time-delayed implementation of Democrat policies.
The author confuses libertarianism as a set of ideas with the electoral impacts of the Libertarian Party as a political entity.
The core values that make the Republican Party different from the Democrat Party come from three sources: Libertarian political philosophy, true love of country and God. If the Libertarian Party didn't exist, would we elect more Republicans? Maybe. However, if libertarians didn't exist there wouldn't be much of a reason to elect Republicans at all. They would be Democrats in everything but name, and the a long-term outcomes would be identical.
The two best selling books of all-time are The Bible and Atlas Shrugged. There is something in mankind that hungers for salvation and freedom. These are not ideas that should be dismissed so cavalierly in a magazine that purports to be dedicated to American Greatness.
6 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Kate318 10/3/2019 8:22:18 AM (No. 196395)
I did read the article, #3, and the author’s point is what happens when the real world hits the political ideology of libertarianism. Your argument is the same that is used to justify socialism, which is that real socialism has never been tried; that it is a good political philosophy in theory. I, too, am a devotee of Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged, but we can no longer afford for good people to not join the fight for our republic, in a very real way.
3 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
ilovedogs 10/3/2019 8:48:11 AM (No. 196422)
I trend libertarian, and am a registered independent. I also am against socialism. Silly article.
3 people like this.
Rubbish! Apparently, author Ring believes we have a competitive two-party system, just like the civics book says. He is either blind or unwilling to look at the UNIPARTY that operates in Washington, debate and elections more like a pro wrasslin' exhibition than democracy at work. The whole operation is corrupt, from top to bottom: elected, appointed and employed, official and civilian. In Congress there are 535 people who should be closely watched and never trusted - no matter who they are or how stellar their reputation.
According to H.L. Mencken, "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." We the People are getting what we deserve. Voting "Red" under current political conditions isn't going to change anything...at best slow the pace slightly. So, go blame the libertarians for the corruption that is Washington.
3 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
DVC 10/3/2019 11:13:42 AM (No. 196578)
I have come to despise Libertarians. They destroy, and they are totally, totally blind to what their "freedom policies" actually create in the real world, a place most libertarians never even seem to visit.
1 person likes this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Starboard_side 10/3/2019 11:42:44 AM (No. 196610)
Libertarians will have a larger voice within the Republican party if they simply voted that way, and contributed accordingly.
They get NONE of what they'd desire from today's Democrat party, however.
Political parties look for reliable voters, and sitting out, protest votes, etc.. don't achieve anything except allow the other side to need fewer votes in any given election to win.
Showing up in massive numbers, and then reminding those candidates who showed up, who helped them get elected, and stand solidly by them to ensure they know you've got their back, sends a much louder message.
1 person likes this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
zoidberg 10/3/2019 4:15:49 PM (No. 196876)
I have met a few members of the Libertarian Party that were a lot like Ring's characterization. But most small-L libertarians want a government like our Founders envisioned, with limited powers and limited scope, where the Ninth and Tenth Amendments are given as much weight as the First and Second.
3 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
MickTurn 10/3/2019 5:58:54 PM (No. 196991)
I always wonder about Libertarians...is that Misspelled Librarians?
Anyway, they are so rabid the there is nothing Govt. should regulate they seem to want Chaos and Anarchy!
0 people like this.
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