libertarian politics

[Guest ska girl]

hi im new to the forums and i strongly believe in the principles they set fourth. I was wondering if anyone was a libertarian or had an idea of what it actually is? I am unaware of any people or groups that are libertarian and associated with trans issues. any info or response would appreciated.

love,

Annah

[Guest meaenglsh]

hi i'm from iowa. in iowa city a well renouned transwoman was libertarian. she fought for her rights as a transgender early on. can't remember her name but i will look it up. i'm also a libertarian. it means differnent things to different people but basically less government is better. also banking is a big deal. the federal reserve is a problem for Ls. Ron Paul was the poster child for libertarians for awhile. many libertarians gravitated to the republican party because it was felt democrats were heading to big brother socialism. now most of us view both parties as out of step. legislating against transgenders is a big problem. but legislating for them can also be a problem. many see the marriage for gays a non sequitor and feel government should not be in the marriage business. tax breaks are considered a method of government control. like that. personally i feel like its best to take the good with the bad sometimes. while i don't feel marriage should be controled by government i do the see value it is having bring a more human view of gays in general to the public. so i am for gay marriage at this point. i am also for social security cause i paid into the system and expect a return. but i don't like how government rips off social security reserve for other purposes. also libertarians have been fighting for power for a long time. i feel that if they actually get power it will be a bit difficult to maintain purity. as it is they are a voice for the other two parites at the least. the tea party started off aligned with libertarians but became religiously dominated by dogma. religious control of government is not a libertarian concept.

[Guest meaenglsh]

the trans lady's name is Deirdre McCloskey

who was libertarian, here is a link.http://www.deirdremccloskey.com/gender/jane.php

[Guest Kendra K]

Of all the politico philosophies I consider libertarianism to be the closest match for me.

I'm trying to divorce myself from the political process.

The zero-aggression principle (also called the non-aggression principle) to be the best philosophy I've come across. It's not perfect, but it's as close as possible to a peace philosophy as you can get.

[Guest ska girl]

thanks Meaenglish for the link i found it an intresting read. ron paul was my introduction to libertarian principles and i have a special place in my heart for things he has done and having made available a beautiful message that as walter block says: "out mozart's mozart". it also made me smile when kendra said she wanted to divorce herself from the process it made me smile as i am very much uneasy with political parties even the libertarian one. its nice to hear from people that know what it is. libertarians are mostly demonized where i live. most people are big labor democrats and my views can be non-starters with people.

[Guest kristendk]

Annah,

There are libertarians (little 'L') and Libertarians (big 'L').

For an overview of libertarian philosophy, here is a link to Wikipedia.

The US National Libertarian Party site is here.

Let me know if that helps or if you are looking for something more specific.

Kristen

[Guest ska girl]

i have been smitten by the philosophy since 2009 and i had never heard the destinction described in terms of "big L" "little l" so i must thank kristen for making me look it up. by those destinctions i would difinitally fit into the small l side of the equation as i tend to see the "libertarian party" as a contradiction of terms. i <3 mises, rothbard and (dare i say it)samuel edward konkin. that being i am glad there are people that make the political establishment reconize its idological existence. as i see the struggle for human rights and implementation of the N.A.P. as an even more monumental uphill climb than my gender actualization. even tho it my be hard to see it that way on a day to day basis. thanks for everyones imput and if someone wishs to "set me straight" (lol, sorry for the pun i couldent resist) i would be more than happy to hear from you.

love,

-Annah

[Ravin]

I'm a social libertarian but in most ways not an economic one. There are things I'd radically change about this country, such as immigration policy (I'd open the borders to anyone who isn't a violent criminal, and get rid of pretty much all the restrictions), and health care (it should be single payer). While I think the tax code could use great simplification, I do think there are important roles for government many fiscal conservatives, including libertarians, would like to ignore--such as ensuring proper infrastructure and a social safety net, as well as doing something about the country's slide into a shrinking middle class and downward mobility. Keeping the government out of the economy does nothing but make the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

But, I don't think the government should be able to decide who can marry whom, and that the "War on Drugs," criminalization of addiction, and the warehousing of human beings by the bloated prison industry should be dismantled. Prison should be reserved for the worst of the worst violent criminals who represent a true danger to society. It's appalling that there are more Americans behind bars than citizens of any other country on the planet. We're worse than RUSSIA or CHINA when it comes to that.

I could go on, but the gist is that the government should do more FOR people and less TO them.