Lots of people probably think it’d be hard to come up with a libertarian definition. The news media certainly doesn’t understand us and neither do many politicians. The propaganda politicians spout often confuses people about actual libertarian beliefs. They say that libertarians agree with part of their platforms but that’s normally not true in practice.
In reality, we believe in some of the things the right wing claims to believe in like economic freedom and we also believe in some of the things the left wing claims to believe in like civil liberties. But, we truly believe in both of those liberties we don’t just pay them lip service like the two parties do.
A libertarian definition isn’t really based off of parts of what the statists claim to believe. It’s actually our beliefs that are what they’ve adopted parts of not the other way around. This libertarian definition is independent of the false left-right spectrum but still contrasts against both sides.
One of the best parts of this libertarian definition is that it’s short and sweet, and gives a good comparison to the two parties. We’re for freedom, they’re for force, and it’s as simple as that. Unlike the left and right wing we believe in freedom on all issues not just a select few. We believe individuals should be free from government force and able to make their own personal and economic decisions. We believe that adults should be treated like adults and allowed to control their own lives. They should be able to consume what they want, choose who they marry, what kind of unregulated healthcare they buy, use any type of currency they choose, not be forced to pay income tax, and not be forced to fund wars. Live and let live is the most basic libertarian definition.
It’s harder to define the two parties and the left and right wing. Each of the two parties has a segment that claims they’re for freedom in some areas and state control in others. It gets really confusing because of the arbitrary way they pick issues to apply freedom to. Some Democrats claim they’re for civil liberties but then they’re still for government licensed marriage. Some Republicans claim they’re for economic freedom but then they’re still for agriculture subsidies. It really doesn’t make much sense and it makes their definitions much harder because of those frequent inconsistencies. Even though they say they believe in freedom, it’s easier to define them all as statists. They all support government force in most areas of people’s lives. It’s a sharp contrast with the consistent libertarian definition.
Share this with your friends so they can see what a libertarian definition looks like and get to understand libertarianism better.
Eh. Not that clever or enlightening.
Funny thing about the health care issue is that people who don’t have insurance harm the rest of us. As do people that don’t take care of themselves.
If we play out the overly simplistic model presented don’t those who opt out of personal responsibility and health insurance also opt out of care once they fall apart?
If people opt out they need to stand by their convictions and stay out when they get ill. The health care issue is a piss poor example of individual rights since the individual will come crawling back for help.
As for charity: Ron Paul had a guy on staff, his chief fund raiser I think, the man died of cancer. The Libertarian Party raised about thirty thousand to offset the medical debt left by the man. I can’t recall how much the family had to come up with. Suffice to say the premise of charity failed miserably.
“Funny thing about the health care issue is that people who don’t have insurance harm the rest of us.” – How about left people pay directly for their health care?
“As do people that don’t take care of themselves.” – Let’s hear the fascist answer to “solve” this so called problem.
Your logics doesn’t apply. The reason is very simple. Currently hospitals cannot turn someone away due to their lack of ability to pay. Eliminating government regulation of healthcare, means you will have 2 types of hospitals. For profit and charity. Don’t be fooled. So called non-profit hospitals today still are allowed to make a profit and will file a lawsuit against you for non-payment just like a for profit will.
So with no government regulation, you will only be paying for your healthcare. Not those with no insurance. Also, government supports much of the price structure today. Healthcare and pharmaceuticals. So the reality is, that it is far more likely that healthcare would be better and cheaper for all with the government out of it.
Yes the idea is you take care of yourself. However without all the govt funded medical programs and insurance being optional the market will be forces to be competitive and come down in price. Not only that but if you are not forced to use bank note currency you could barter or trade with your doctor for care.
I have both conservative and libertarian leanings. I don’t think this chart was accurate for either of them. I don’t know a libertarian who thinks we should not fund wars in the name of self defense or self preservation. I don’t think conservatives believe that the people should be forced to fund marriages of any kind. Conservatives tend to believe in the sanctity of marriage as a religious tenant, but most could care less if gays actually live together or get a tax break as a life partner with someone else. There were other issues with this, but those two jumped out at me. The problem is with progressivism, which has become prevalent in both parties. True conservatives are classic liberals. Many true liberals are also classic liberals. The mainstream influences on both parties right now is progressivism, which is pushed harder and in more extreme ways by the leading Democrats. If it involves big government, fascistic and socialistic tendencies, and seeks to control the lives of the people by subverting freedom and liberty, it is most likely a progressive agenda.
Nathaniel, the other perspective is, corporations will design a system that you have to work to have healthcare, making a near possible to start your own company (here let me use the right words for that, take away your freedom to start your own company) any wage increases you get, they will simply take back by increasing the cost of healthcare, much like the company stores in old coal towns. Companies that do not want to hire older people, because they’re more expensive, but at the same time want to push out the retirement age. Corporations that want open borders, because they want to lower wages, higher unemployment, the lower you can negotiate wages; and with enough unemployment, who needs offer health care. You mentioned big government, I see big government is called The military-industrial complex, the drug enforcement industrial complex, the homeland security industrial complex, Oil subsidy industry industrial complex. I’m not sure what conservatives think freedom and liberty is, but it’s not about liberty and freedom.
One note, You cannot have a nation based on freedom and liberty, and at the same time claim special rights, and that’s what conservatives do when it comes to so-called religious liberty. Mormons believe in two different kinds of marriage, real ones that take place in the temple and those other ones that don’t. One is recognized by God and his forever, the other one is not. Yet they’re able to be civilized about it, and not demand any special rights in the secular world. They treat other marriages as equally as they do their own. Surprisingly, that this example is in the Mormon community, but it is an example of how religion can exist in a nation based on freedom and liberty. Not just play lip service to it when it’s convenient.
Heres a thought how the hell does the”Market Function” if we have no standard form of measure If there is no exchanged I.e tender?
bitcoins.
Damn right. I think right-wing ideas and left-wings ideas both have flaws.
Yeah market competition will take care of healthcare concerns, drug companies care very deeply about people and not profit margins. Good call.
I take my libertarianism to a greater extreme than most people. I’m probably a left-libertarian free market anarchist now though I’m willing to compromise with minarchism of necessary.
if i thought for a second that libertairan politics could do away with the war machine that is american imperialism i would go for them. dismantling the war machine would free up enough resources to do wonderul things
Maybe it’s time to try. Only Libertarians have been willing. But if you keep voting for Democrats and Republicans, we’ll never know.
its pretty simple we hold the rest of the world at the point of a gun and when they dont do what we want and fight back its self defense. if we had not had this exploitative relationship with the rest of the world we wouldnt need a big defense budget we dont fight wars for freedom. thats a huge lie that almost everybody buys into
I don’t agree with the definitions of any of the three groups as shown here.
I think the fund marriage comment is off base
Misrepresents both left and right wing to make Libertarianism look good. Following this logic, we shouldn’t have speed limits or laws. We’re back to the “free love” and “drop out’s” of the ’60s. People should just be free to do what they want because otherwise you’re being “forced” to do something. I’m sorry, living in society “forces” certain things on individuals for the good of everyone.
How simple
tldr: I’m a libertarian, and I can either easily afford healthcare right now or I have deluded myself into thinking I’ll never need it, I’m angry that businesses won’t accept beaver pelts, beads, or other wampum in exchange for goods and services, and I think I should be able to enjoy all the roads, utilities, public transportation, social services and police and military protection provided by the government without having to help pay for any of it.
Wayne is right (as usual). Fundamentalist ideology falls apart when facing reality. We need certain ‘socialist’ infrastructure to have a functioning nation. Therefore, taxes of some kind are always needed. In the course of our history, education evolved from being private to public thru grade 12. The end “minimum” education level changes as is deemed to be whatever is optimal for our society. Public roads, water, sewer, flood control, and national defense would all be unworkable without ‘forced’ taxation. Lack of EPA-style controls would poison our land. But I think we can agree that government is over-involved in some areas, like marriage and religion, and the tax code is a mess.
Spot on to me. Gladys Roman
No. This is stupid and makes libertarians sound stupid.
How the fuck will the government make money, if the citizens are not forced to give it money? Are libertarians trying to abolish tax? If so, then they are fucking retarded.
Federal income tax did not exist before 1913.
Hmmm…nothing about abortion. All about freedom…but selective freedom. Not much different from the Dems.
Brittany Zwierdo
This is kind of dumb as shit. The libertarian insight is what makes it an interesting political philosophy, the details, the reasons. That basic “you should not be forced to x because y” formula makes us sound like drones. You could have thought this out a lot better, but instead it comes off as snarky, stupid, and very “holier-than-thou”.
This is kind of dumb as shit. The libertarian insight is what makes it an interesting political philosophy, the details, the reasons. That basic “you should not be forced to x because y” formula makes us sound like drones. You could have thought this out a lot better, but instead it comes off as snarky, stupid, and very “holier-than-thou”.
Urm the libertarian view on taxation is moronic. According to this post.
Gary W Perry…..! Lol
This might be to much for the Establishment sheeples to comprehend their head’s might explode!!!!!!!!!!!
I paid around $90 for my marriage license in L.A. county. What on earth did I get publicly funded with?
Can’t believe it’s the year 2015 and people still unironically believe that ‘let the unregulated market function!’ would solve problems rather than exacerbate them.
You have BP as an ad? How about following the Constitution and the bill of Rights. I am not for the libertarian any more than I am any other party. No more stinking socialism, or communism ideologies. That is part of the problem now. If you had a party that was a Constitutional party, and spoke the whole truth, that would get you a lot more support.
Libertarian,Right and Left – You should be forced by the government to let in all the illegal Mexican immigrants and pay for their healthcare.
So… It’s like Republicanism but with all the unnecessary and bureaucratic B.S. taken out of it?
Libertarian definition: Anarchy
While I do agree that we as citizens need much less government intervention in our lives, some of these political ideologies within the libertarian party are nonsense. Example; using any type of currency one wishes. I guess if somebody wants to pay for a loaf of bread with a rock, so be it. Doesn’t sound very sensical to me however.
Basically, Live and Let Live.
Ashutosh Amey Dilip Ashraf Chintan Saylee Sandeep Tanya
Read to Lead.
Mind blowing,all I can say!!!
Thank the creator you posted something libertarian. The Facebook hit squad seems randy today!
Denny Madera
Thanks for reminding me why I’m not a Libertarian or a Democrat. We live in a Democratic Republic ( rule of law ) Libertarians seem to resent that rule of law and want to replace it with anarchy in the name of ” freedom ” and ” liberty “
Seems more like the anarcho-capitalist positions not the libertarian platform. I dont think the libertarian position is there shouldn’t be any government whatsoever. Just a little as possible back down to the original constitutional limits.
One thing you left out. You have to be a sophomoric ass to belong to the LP.
Good luck drawing in votes by berating everyone that doesn’t have your narrow world view.
I don’t agree on taxation, money, or military. I thought the libertarian party was a good alternative. Not after seeing that. Now I’m a party of one, again.
Dylan Czarnecki this is pretty close to what I’m talking about. Notice the word froced used over and over. This is freedom.
so basically the college freshman of political persuasions
Well right wingers don’t want Medicare or Medicaid either. That shit was started by FDR
It’s not really true to say that libertarians believe in 0 taxes. This chart seems do describe anarchists to me more accurately than libertarians. I don’t mind having a publicly funded police, military, and court system, for example.
Sophmoric lol, freshman view lol… maybe you guys should really look at who’s views are narrow. I guess some people just like authoritarian rule as long as it is their way.
Don Asbridge just passing along info ????
Can’t read it
OK people that don’t understand the no taxation coercion. Here’s how it works. Income tax is an involuntary tax extortion. If you don’t pay it there is a penalty. Voluntary taxation, like sales tax for example, is not coercion. You can choose whether or not to buy things so you choose whether or nor to pay sales tax. If you save instead if buy you pay no (or minimal) taxes with no penalty.
Libertarians are not against taxation. They are against extortion. Having a tax with a penalty for not paying is extortion. Having voluntary taxes with no penalty is fine and the minimal government can be funded through those means.
Understand now?
If you don’t fund the military industrial complex you can’t have a military. The DOD doesn’t manufacture anything they purchase it all.
Libertarianism and anarcho-capitalism are right wing ideologies, though. A more accurate labeling would be: Liberal – Conservative – Libertarian.
Fuck the state
Here’s what I want. I want a country with some balls and a backbone. I want a country that will obey the constitution. I want a country that will stop religious genocide. I want a country that will support it’s veterans and elderly. Most of all I want all the political bullshit to stop.
Australian Sovereignty Party Liberal Democrats
Terry Hamm, check it out…
David Maisonet Jr. Erica Baht Yisrael Tyo
Read or sing the Preamble to the Constitution. “Provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare (meaning wellbeing)…”
No such thing as right wing.
I would have liked to read this but I can’t see it because of advertisements
Decent summary. The only thing I would amend would be the titles. Left Wing should read Democrat and Right Wing should read Republican. Why? Because in America, Libertarianism IS Right Wing. Republicans are often Christian Progressives. The Progressive Movement has two foundations: secularism and Christianity. Democrats are secular Progressives and Republicans are, usually, Christian Progressives.
The political spectrum in America is, from extreme Left to extreme Right:
Communism>Socialism>Progressivism>Centrism<Constitutionalism<Libertarianism<Anarchism.
It's time for Libertarians and Constitutional Conservatives to stand up and reclaim the Conservative/Right Wing, rather than let Progressives continue to define things inaccurately, just so they can score political points.
The Founding Fathers were all libertarians. The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution are both libertarian documents. They fought and over-threw their former government over taxes and tyranny. Most of them lost their fortunes and their lives in the effort to make this a better place to live. WE have thrown it all away.
I’m conservative and most of my friends are too. I don’t know any conservatives who are big on the government “forcing us to do x, y, and z” as this chart shows. Most conservatives I know and from a lot of reading from comments and articles that are conservative, most conservatives want the government out of our lives to a large extent.
Also, If you a Libertarian, you have to be anti-police