- Joined
- Feb 6, 2010
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This is something I cant help but come back to time and time again.
I cant seem to shake the feeling that Libertarianism is a self-defeating policy. On it's surface, it seems a very self-deterministic, self-driven, self-reliant kind of ideology; Websters defines it as "a person who upholds the principles of individual liberty especially of thought and action." And that's an interesting belief that I think most of us can get behind, but when I see Libertarianism being used as a political identifier I get a little...antsy.
A repeating facet of Libertarianism is a shrinkage of government to disperse what Libertarians see as a government with too much power and control. Another repeated line is that the government's function is to preserve liberty and protect the rights of individuals. The problem is these are conflicting positions.
If you want someone to protect you, you need to give them the power and authority to do so otherwise they'll be able to do nothing for you. Wanting to have the government in the sort of policeman role is fine, but if you try to take it's ability to enforce the rules and consequences then you'll have an impotent government.
If I'm missing something, let me know. But it seems to me that Libertarianism is a self-defeating policy.
I cant seem to shake the feeling that Libertarianism is a self-defeating policy. On it's surface, it seems a very self-deterministic, self-driven, self-reliant kind of ideology; Websters defines it as "a person who upholds the principles of individual liberty especially of thought and action." And that's an interesting belief that I think most of us can get behind, but when I see Libertarianism being used as a political identifier I get a little...antsy.
A repeating facet of Libertarianism is a shrinkage of government to disperse what Libertarians see as a government with too much power and control. Another repeated line is that the government's function is to preserve liberty and protect the rights of individuals. The problem is these are conflicting positions.
If you want someone to protect you, you need to give them the power and authority to do so otherwise they'll be able to do nothing for you. Wanting to have the government in the sort of policeman role is fine, but if you try to take it's ability to enforce the rules and consequences then you'll have an impotent government.
If I'm missing something, let me know. But it seems to me that Libertarianism is a self-defeating policy.