Comments on: No Presumption of Liberty in Conservative Magazines

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:28:00 +0000

As Thomas Paine said, we establish society to fascilitate intercourse; we establish government to control our vices.

By: Methinks

Methinks — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:57:00 +0000

I like that. Very accurate.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:14:00 +0000

There is a difference between ordered freedom and anarchy. Inherent Rights with which we were endowed, not by men who can be overruled, but by our Creator come with corresponding duties to one’s self, to other humans in society, to our Creator, and to the society itself. Some things are so toxic to the human spirit they should not be allowed anywhere near children. This and the Randian anti-religious bigotry is where some libertarians go off the road into the ditch. They think that having a house of prostitution that sells crystal meth across the street from an elementary school is fine. And they are usually the same ones who think there is no right to self defense or defense of one’s family or property, and that a baby in the womb is an rights-less interloper that can be killed and throw in the trash for the mother’s convenience.

By: gappy

gappy — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:21:00 +0000

In theory, it’s a known fact that libertarians are distinct from Progressives and Conservatives. At the very least, a libertarian is indifferent to conservation of tradition, the legislation of virtues, and the supposed evils of immigration. Also, is repulsed by the myths of progress and Utopia and the coercive means to attain them. In practice, pure libertarians like Boudreaux, Balko and Williamson are a tiny minority.

A good number of self-professed libertarians do read the Weekly Standard, and they call Democrats Socialists. They tweet under the hashtags of #tlot and #tcot (“top libertarians|conservatives of twitter”), and vote for mostly conservative candidates in their districts. Interestingly, some true socialists, like Chomsky, also like to call themselves libertarians.

There is nothing terribly wrong with that. Misnomers are commons in everyday life. Simply, it is fashionable to claim that one is a friend of liberty while advancing his own agenda.

By: JohnK

JohnK — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:19:00 +0000

Liberals seem to want social freedom but they want to legislate economic affairs.
Conservatives seem to want economic freedom but they want to legislate social affairs.

Libertarians seem to be the only ones who support negative liberty in both economic and social affairs.