8 thoughts on “Why Are Libertarians…?”

  1. “Go peruse Reason magazine and see if you can find a single article about corporate abuse of power.”

    Did Mike Wallace, Ralph Nader and Michael Moore and all of their wanna-be’s suddenly fall into a black hole and require instant replacement from the least likely candidates?

    It’s like the premise of a bad movie — Seth Rogan plays an intern at the CATO institute who, after a devastating cosmic plot-device in Act I must investigate the Very Large and Evil Corporation of America and expose them on live national TeeVee in the final 10 minutes of the film so he can bang the hot starlet in the denouement.

  2. It’s like the premise of a bad movie — Seth Rogan plays an intern at the CATO institute who, after a devastating cosmic plot-device in Act I must investigate the Very Large and Evil Corporation of America and expose them on live national TeeVee in the final 10 minutes of the film so he can bang the hot starlet in the denouement.

    Flesh it out a bit and maybe we can get the ball rolling on this.

  3. Amazing how people can look at what is effectively massive high school peer pressure (a corporation) and equate it with the ability to imprison, torture, and kill. That’s the difference between a corporation and the state. The former absolute cannot imprison, torture, and kill without consequences. The latter can and does, LEAGALLY. That’s why we have a Constitution. To prevent the State from having the legal *privilege* of doing those nasty things.

  4. I’ve always considered the defining feature of Libertarianism to be that society is devoid of physical coercion to the maximum degree practical. That being taken care of, in any subsequent conflicts the use of physical force should be to promote liberty.

    Some protection against fraud, and the other lesser forms of coercion would be nice, but it’s a secondary concern. Regulation to ensure a free market and the means to enforce that, similarly.

  5. The problem with labels is they are seldom exact. Actually they are abstractions so we can manipulate concepts. Peoples first instincts seem to be to want to control others but not be controlled themselves. Somehow they don’t see this as a contradiction.

    We need contract law and tort law. I’m not sure we need any other.

  6. “Peoples first instincts seem to be to want to control others but not be controlled themselves. Somehow they don’t see this as a contradiction.”

    I totally disagree. Most people don’t want to control others…they just want very long leash, and at the other end is a managable, self controlled pet that doesn’t need a choke chain around it’s neck to keep it from misbehaving.

  7. Disagree ok. Totally disagree, how Babs? Control freaks are everywhere (to the point I think it may be universal.) I’ve had more than one employer want to control what I do when I wasn’t on the clock (not that I’ve ever been on a clock.)

    Forgive me for saying this Babs, but “they just want very long leash, and at the other end is a managable, self controlled pet that doesn’t need a choke chain around it’s neck to keep it from misbehaving” is EXACTLY the sort of thing a control freak would say.

  8. Ken, you may have over looked the words “self-controlled” and “doesn’t need.”

    I can understand your reply, but the truth is I believe in self control. I don’t want to tell others how to lead their lives or have them tell me how to lead mine. As long as I am a law abiding, tax paying citizen who does not tread on the rights of others, to keep my rights intact, then every man or woman for themselves.

    I live within a budget. I can’t say the same for the government. I am no fiscal genius but even I can understand that if you stop printing more money, get rid of the fed-state tied programs that hang us all up by our Christmas ornaments eventually, we might be able to see some daylight.

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