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Difference between a Libertarian and Republican

solletica

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A Libertarian is someone who wants limited government.

A Republican is someone naive enough to believe the GOP stands for limited government.
 
A Libertarian is someone who wants limited government.

A Republican is someone naive enough to believe the GOP stands for limited government.

The republican party stands for limited govenment except when it is in power.
 
A Libertarian is someone who wants limited government.

A Republican is someone naive enough to believe the GOP stands for limited government.

Indeed, the GOP care far more about social conservatism and war than they do fiscal conservatism.
 
There are a lot of dimwits who are Republicans but who are too embarrassed to admit that they are Republicans after the whole GWB fiasco...so they call themselves "Libertarians". Its easy to spot the difference between between a true Libertarian and one of these Republican imposters....their posts give them away everytime.
 
You just might be a libertarian if you believe:
Government is too big, too expensive, too intrusive and needs to be pruned back.
Neither one of the two major parties is really for small government conservatism.
The real purpose of government is to protect our inalienable rights.
Government is a danger to liberty.

I'd be willing to bet that there are a lot of libertarians among the voters. So, why don't more libertarians get elected?
 
Libertarians stand by their personal beliefs in politics. Republicans stand by their party.
 
The libertarian puts on the Halloween costume and mask of the Republican in order to get elected.
 
I for one, as a Republican, would be happy if the libertarians would get off our ship and go their own way. They want limited govt fine I want govt that works and not fails. Libertarians like Ron Paul and others need to stop lying and telling people try are Republicans. Get honest. Be honest. You are libertarians be proud of it and stop trying to claim the Republican party for yourselves. I get why you do. You are the part of less than 1%. Look it up. Your candidate gets less than 1% of a national vote. Your party has ZERO senators, ZERO congressman, and you act online like you are the majority. BS. Recognize your place in the world already: irrelevant is that place!

A Libertarian is someone who wants limited government.

A Republican is someone naive enough to believe the GOP stands for limited government.
 
I for one, as a Republican, would be happy if the libertarians would get off our ship and go their own way. They want limited govt fine I want govt that works and not fails. Libertarians like Ron Paul and others need to stop lying and telling people try are Republicans. Get honest. Be honest. You are libertarians be proud of it and stop trying to claim the Republican party for yourselves. I get why you do. You are the part of less than 1%. Look it up. Your candidate gets less than 1% of a national vote. Your party has ZERO senators, ZERO congressman, and you act online like you are the majority. BS. Recognize your place in the world already: irrelevant is that place!

It is an unholy alliance between the statist Republican party and the limited government libertarians to be sure. The thing is, the Republicans are the ones making mouth noises about limited government, so libertarians sometimes gravitate towards that party.

The trouble with running as a libertarian is that people won't vote for them because they can't get elected because no one will vote for them.

But, if the Republicans want to actually be a party of limited government, then they need to adopt much of the libertarian philosophy.
 
A Libertarian is someone who wants limited government.
There was a thread on here a while ago about whether or not the government should sterilize people it deems "unfit" for parenting. The main, if not the only, people who supported the idea were libertarians. I don't buy that libertarians want limited gov. either. From what I've observed, libertarians want the government to be limited in their lives - **** everyone else.
 
There was a thread on here a while ago about whether or not the government should sterilize people it deems "unfit" for parenting. The main, if not the only, people who supported the idea were libertarians. I don't buy that libertarians want limited gov. either. From what I've observed, libertarians want the government to be limited in their lives - **** everyone else.

That's about as far from the libertarian philosophy as it is possible to get.
 
I think most Republicans believe less govt is better, but what I really want and I think most people want is government that works, is efficient, cost effective and trustworthy. That is so lost that "no" Goverment resonates with some. Still I would have left the party if Paul had won a primary and voted for Obama on foreign policy alone. His philosophy there is just not my own. And then of course you have extreme libertarians like my dear brother who thinks there is no need for police, fire, public schools. Then you have the pro gun libertarian that are constitutionalist in their minds. They want convicted felons to be issued guns upon release of prison and a full auto machine gun for all with out as much as an ID at the counter because that is how they read the 2nd. These extremist libertarians alienate their "party" from mainstream Republicans. I think some of them are plant liberals to try and prove Republican extremism actually.


It is an unholy alliance between the statist Republican party and the limited government libertarians to be sure. The thing is, the Republicans are the ones making mouth noises about limited government, so libertarians sometimes gravitate towards that party.

The trouble with running as a libertarian is that people won't vote for them because they can't get elected because no one will vote for them.

But, if the Republicans want to actually be a party of limited government, then they need to adopt much of the libertarian philosophy.
 
I think most Republicans believe less govt is better, but what I really want and I think most people want is government that works, is efficient, cost effective and trustworthy. That is so lost that "no" Goverment resonates with some. Still I would have left the party if Paul had won a primary and voted for Obama on foreign policy alone. His philosophy there is just not my own. And then of course you have extreme libertarians like my dear brother who thinks there is no need for police, fire, public schools. Then you have the pro gun libertarian that are constitutionalist in their minds. They want convicted felons to be issued guns upon release of prison and a full auto machine gun for all with out as much as an ID at the counter because that is how they read the 2nd. These extremist libertarians alienate their "party" from mainstream Republicans. I think some of them are plant liberals to try and prove Republican extremism actually.

Republicans seem to think that less government is better when the Democrats are in power at least.

A government that works, is efficient, cost effective and trustworthy would be a great thing if it could be achieved. A government whose focus is on preserving our rights would be a great thing, too, if it could be accomplished.

I suppose the libertarian ideal of limited government carried to extremes would be the sort of anarchy you describe. That is not freedom, of course, nor is it workable, practical, or anything else. Government that is efficient, cost effective, and trustworthy would be a good goal. Look at that is going on in DC today, as well as in most of the state and local seats of government, and you don't find much efficiency, cost effectiveness, or trustworthiness.
 
It is an unholy alliance between the statist Republican party and the limited government libertarians to be sure. The thing is, the Republicans are the ones making mouth noises about limited government, so libertarians sometimes gravitate towards that party.

The trouble with running as a libertarian is that people won't vote for them because they can't get elected because no one will vote for them.

But, if the Republicans want to actually be a party of limited government, then they need to adopt much of the libertarian philosophy.

I honestly don't see how libertarians gravitate more towards the right wing than the left. I think libertarians could be a very helpful faction of the left wing, tempering the more overreaching parts of the Democratic platform. The platforms of personal liberty and fiscal liberty would make natural allies, I think. But that's where the problem of libertarians appears. Some really do care about a system of government and making a better country. Others are really just selfish pricks who don't want the government taxing them and benefiting other people. The former could help forge a really solid and effective Democratic party. The others have no place anywhere in civilized society and can stay with the Republicans and they can just be awful people together. Libertarians who care about more than just their own bank accounts would find a good place as Democrats.
 
There was a thread on here a while ago about whether or not the government should sterilize people it deems "unfit" for parenting. The main, if not the only, people who supported the idea were libertarians. I don't buy that libertarians want limited gov. either. From what I've observed, libertarians want the government to be limited in their lives - **** everyone else.

That thread was messed up. Where did those people learn about the NAP?
 
I honestly don't see how libertarians gravitate more towards the right wing than the left. I think libertarians could be a very helpful faction of the left wing, tempering the more overreaching parts of the Democratic platform. The platforms of personal liberty and fiscal liberty would make natural allies, I think. But that's where the problem of libertarians appears. Some really do care about a system of government and making a better country. Others are really just selfish pricks who don't want the government taxing them and benefiting other people. The former could help forge a really solid and effective Democratic party. The others have no place anywhere in civilized society and can stay with the Republicans and they can just be awful people together. Libertarians who care about more than just their own bank accounts would find a good place as Democrats.

I think perhaps they're just being misled by those mouth noises about limited government and personal liberty.

Or, maybe they remember guys like Goldwater and others who did actually advocate for freedom and fiscal sanity.
 
A Libertarian is someone who wants limited government.

A Republican is someone naive enough to believe the GOP stands for limited government.

I don't think too many Republicans actually believe that. Maybe the real dunces,but most know it's all crap.
 
I honestly don't see how libertarians gravitate more towards the right wing than the left. I think libertarians could be a very helpful faction of the left wing, tempering the more overreaching parts of the Democratic platform. The platforms of personal liberty and fiscal liberty would make natural allies, I think. But that's where the problem of libertarians appears. Some really do care about a system of government and making a better country. Others are really just selfish pricks who don't want the government taxing them and benefiting other people. The former could help forge a really solid and effective Democratic party. The others have no place anywhere in civilized society and can stay with the Republicans and they can just be awful people together. Libertarians who care about more than just their own bank accounts would find a good place as Democrats.

What a load of bile. The most nasty and unpleasant people reside in Democrat and "progressive"strongholds.
 
I honestly don't see how libertarians gravitate more towards the right wing than the left. I think libertarians could be a very helpful faction of the left wing, tempering the more overreaching parts of the Democratic platform. The platforms of personal liberty and fiscal liberty would make natural allies, I think. But that's where the problem of libertarians appears. Some really do care about a system of government and making a better country. Others are really just selfish pricks who don't want the government taxing them and benefiting other people. The former could help forge a really solid and effective Democratic party. The others have no place anywhere in civilized society and can stay with the Republicans and they can just be awful people together. Libertarians who care about more than just their own bank accounts would find a good place as Democrats.

I would agree with you, however, with the progressive stranglehold on the Democrat party and the slavish devotion to big-government progressivism shown by liberals these days, the Democrat party is not a welcoming place for libertarians. The core principle of the modern leftist progressive is that you and I belong to the state. It is absolutely the antithesis of libertarian principles. I've worked with Democrats in the past as part of our Libertarian outreach, and the more moderate, liberal Democrats in California have been run out of the party in favor of those who toe the progressive line. The Democrat party is a machine that will not tolerate libertarians, period. The Republican party must tolerate libertarians to some extent as the attempts to purge libertarians from the ranks always comes back to make them look like the hypocrites that they are.

I was raised in a solidly leftist household. My parents were peace activists who absolutely detested Reagan and most of their friends, and the church we attended (the very liberal Unitarian Universalists) hammered in the message even more. Somewhere, however, I missed the message that violence against innocent or peaceful people is not only ok, but a moral imperative if the government has enshrined it into law and it's managed by bureaucrats. The Democrat party was my home until I started looking at my political principles. Being the rational, objective sort of person that I am, I adopted a principle that did not allow for any violence other than in defense of life or property. It's not about what I want from government, it's about what is just and moral. If it's wrong to use violence against peaceful people, then it's wrong for everyone, including a bureaucrat. Whether I want benefits for others or for myself, it is still wrong to obtain them through the police powers of the state.
 
That thread was messed up. Where did those people learn about the NAP?

I doubt that there was any such thread. I've been a libertarian activist for a long time. I've never met a single person who would advocate for government sterilization of anyone for any reason. That's a eugenicist concept. Eugenics is part of the progressive movement, not libertarianism.
 
... Others are really just selfish pricks who don't want the government taxing them and benefiting other people... Libertarians who care about more than just their own bank accounts would find a good place as Democrats.

Libertarians - consider themselves responsible for their finances which may include their own bank account.
Democrats - consider themselves responsible for other peoples finances, in particular bank accounts that have a lot of money.

So people who are worried about their belongings are bad.
But criminals who want to forcibly take the belongings from others...these are the heroes. Criminals have mouths to feed you know, they don't just keep it all for themselves!!

You really think you're on the side of the righteous....
 
I would agree with you, however, with the progressive stranglehold on the Democrat party and the slavish devotion to big-government progressivism shown by liberals these days, the Democrat party is not a welcoming place for libertarians. The core principle of the modern leftist progressive is that you and I belong to the state. It is absolutely the antithesis of libertarian principles. I've worked with Democrats in the past as part of our Libertarian outreach, and the more moderate, liberal Democrats in California have been run out of the party in favor of those who toe the progressive line. The Democrat party is a machine that will not tolerate libertarians, period. The Republican party must tolerate libertarians to some extent as the attempts to purge libertarians from the ranks always comes back to make them look like the hypocrites that they are.

I was raised in a solidly leftist household. My parents were peace activists who absolutely detested Reagan and most of their friends, and the church we attended (the very liberal Unitarian Universalists) hammered in the message even more. Somewhere, however, I missed the message that violence against innocent or peaceful people is not only ok, but a moral imperative if the government has enshrined it into law and it's managed by bureaucrats. The Democrat party was my home until I started looking at my political principles. Being the rational, objective sort of person that I am, I adopted a principle that did not allow for any violence other than in defense of life or property. It's not about what I want from government, it's about what is just and moral. If it's wrong to use violence against peaceful people, then it's wrong for everyone, including a bureaucrat. Whether I want benefits for others or for myself, it is still wrong to obtain them through the police powers of the state.

This is a good, honest response. I just have no idea how you came to these conclusions. I know of literally no one who thinks that a bigger government is better. I'm very serious about socialism and even I don't think this. Nor is it a part of the progressive platform. Most of the progressive platform is about solving problems of discrimination and poverty. That doesn't really have anything to do with "more government" just a different one. One that focuses more on social programs than on chopping taxes and funding giant corporations. It's not a call for more spending, just spending in different places. Nor is it a call to pour money down the drain. Vitalizing the lower classes and bringing them up into the middle, where they can work better paying jobs, spend more money, and pay more taxes, is an investment. Higher wages are an investment.

I think the partisan rhetoric has really made it difficult for more moderate people on either sides of the isle to realize how much common ground they have. "The core principle of the modern leftist progressive is that you and I belong to the state" for example, has no basis in reality. Only fascists think that people belong to the state. In fact, one of the big issues for the left right now is trying to reclaim the state for the people, as opposed to the state belonging to the tiny wealthiest class of people, who buy elections and elected officials.

In terms of government size, the left and right are generally agreed. And I don't really see the right wing being tempered much by the libertarian perspective. They want to cut taxes, sure, but mainly just for the rich. I think that an internal voice, rather than an external one, mired in partisan bickering, could be a way to keep the Democratic party from excess. I don't think the left wing would be as hostile to a libertarian wing as you do. And I certainly don't think it would simply give lip service the way the Republican party does. The left would either honestly embrace or honestly reject it. It wouldn't pretend to be your friend and then stab you in the back.
 
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