What kind of Libertarian are you?

[cawagner01]

Since there seems to be a fair number of Libertarians posting to the R/P section I was wondering what kind of Libertarian are you. If you look at the link I posted, it lists several types of Libertarian. For my own benefit, I am casually trying to understand more about the Libertarian movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian

[malfee]

Libertarian conservative, I guess. I agree with almost all of what Ron Paul speaks, only really disagreeing with him on abortion. I agree that the issue should be brought to the states, however, I believe that the mother's civil liberty of being in control of her body supercedes that of the fetus. I also am a staunch atheist, however, as Ron Paul does not bring his faith into his politics (though one could argue that his personal stance on abortion may be influenced by it), I have no issue here.

[cawagner01]

Originally Posted by malfee

Libertarian conservative, I guess. I agree with almost all of what Ron Paul speaks, only really disagreeing with him on abortion. I agree that the issue should be brought to the states, however, I believe that the mother's civil liberty of being in control of her body supercedes that of the fetus. I also am a staunch atheist, however, as Ron Paul does not bring his faith into his politics (though one could argue that his personal stance on abortion may be influenced by it), I have no issue here.

Thanks! Repped

[JamesGatz83]

Progressive libertarian here. I believe in fixing social problems with voluntarism rather than the federal government.

I'm socially liberal.

I'm economically conservative. I subscribe to the economic ideas put forth by Friedman and Mises. I'm opposed to government welfare and other programs classifiable as coerced charity.

[Uncle Bob]

Minarchism in general. The less government does the less it can screw up, but you do need governmental order for the common good (roads, schools, courts). I also believe in minimal government programs such as short term unemployment pay.

[Merakon]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

Minarchism in general. The less government does the less it can screw up, but you do need governmental order for the common good (roads, schools, courts). I also believe in minimal government programs such as short term unemployment pay.

You're not a minarchist if you believe you need government to provide roads and schools, or government programs in general.

[Uncle Bob]

Wow, I didn't know they were that bare bones about government. I'll have to take one of those political tests to see where I'm at. I consider myself fiscally conservative but more moderate on social aspects such as gay rights, abortion, and feel my country should put domestic issues before foreign ones.

[J-Bol]

Originally Posted by malfee

Libertarian conservative, I guess. I agree with almost all of what Ron Paul speaks, only really disagreeing with him on abortion. I agree that the issue should be brought to the states, however, I believe that the mother's civil liberty of being in control of her body supercedes that of the fetus. I also am a staunch atheist, however, as Ron Paul does not bring his faith into his politics (though one could argue that his personal stance on abortion may be influenced by it), I have no issue here.

Same except I'm pro-life and a Christian.

[Kiefer 2004]

I'm a libertarian republican.
I'm a Barry Goldwater-Ron Paul type of Republican.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_Republican

[malfee]

Originally Posted by J-Bol

Same except I'm pro-life and a Christian.

Normally I would "harass" you for being religious, but at times like this, I feel our nation's future is far more important.

[i_bleed_texan]

Originally Posted by malfee

Normally I would "harass" you for being religious, but at times like this, I feel our nation's future is far more important.

Why would you do that, bro? I share an overall political stance with both you guys...and I too am a Christian. But what does that have to do with anything? Like you said, the only real place that even factors in is the abortion issue.

[The_Reaper]

I like Thomas Sowell... so whatever he is.

[malfee]

Originally Posted by i_bleed_texan

Why would you do that, bro? I share an overall political stance with both you guys...and I too am a Christian. But what does that have to do with anything? Like you said, the only real place that even factors in is the abortion issue.

I said I wasn't going to do it, haha, so no need to worry. It's just that I have a strong distaste for religion, but I post enough about this in other threads, so there's no need to drag it into here. :]

[Morbid_Mind]

Libertarian-Conservative.

Inbetween Friedman/Rand and Rothbard. Some of my views could be considered anarcho-capitalist, though I think they're more Anti-Federalist.

[Gadsden]

Right Libertarian. I believe in the market much more than the government.

any morality that is legislated (all legislation is morality anyway) should 1. be cost effective, 2. should not have other, necessary ill effects 3. should be possible to enact and to meet desired goal. 4. should legislate against something that is necessarily wrong...so basically most regulations are pretty dumb

[Ben76]

Originally Posted by JamesGatz83

Progressive libertarian here. I believe in fixing social problems with voluntarism rather than the federal government.

I'm socially liberal.

I'm economically conservative. I subscribe to the economic ideas put forth by Friedman and Mises. I'm opposed to government welfare and other programs classifiable as coerced charity.

this.

[J-Bol]

Originally Posted by malfee

I said I wasn't going to do it, haha, so no need to worry. It's just that I have a strong distaste for religion, but I post enough about this in other threads, so there's no need to drag it into here. :]

OT- Christianity isn't religion and religion isn't Christianity. It's simply a relationship with Jesus Christ. Nothing more, nothing less.

[HitItHard]

whats a good online test to take?

[Daswiz]

I'm sort of in between being a conservative and progressive libertarian.
Fiscally conservative: balance the budget, eliminate wasteful spending, cut taxes, eliminate the welfare state

And more socially liberal or more along the lines that I don't really care what other people do as long as it does not have a negative impact on my life or the lives of children or other innocent people. Leave it to the states to decide on issues like abortion and gay marriage.

[Pheidippides]

I'm not sure how helpful those Wikipedia labels are, because there is so much overlap among the different "kinds" of libertarians. My view is that all forms of individual liberty -- whether they are classified as social, economic, whatever -- are equally important, and that the protection of individual liberty in the general sense -- in all areas of life -- is the paramount principle that should guide government activity.

A good test to take is the World's Smallest Political Quiz, which was created by the Libertarian Party and is available at its website www.lp.org. It will give you an idea of where you fall, in libertarian terms, on the political map.

[JamesGatz83]

The best online quiz I've seen is the Political Compass Test.

It can be found here: http://www.politicalcompass.org/test .

[JamesGatz83]

Originally Posted by J-Bol

OT- Christianity isn't religion and religion isn't Christianity. It's simply a relationship with Jesus Christ. Nothing more, nothing less.

That sounds like a denominational definition, specifically born again or something similar.

Being raised as a Catholic, I was always taught that Christianity is the religion founded on the principles taught by Christ. That's pretty much the dictionary definition, too. There isn't much emphasis on a "relationship" with Christ in Catholicism.

[HitItHard]

Originally Posted by JamesGatz83

The best online quiz I've seen is the Political Compass Test.

It can be found here: http://www.politicalcompass.org/test .

thanks bro

[Wooderson316]

On the World's Smallest Political Quiz I score as a pure 100% Libertarian. I haven't taken the Political Compass test in a while, but I do recall that I don't like it because so many of the questions I neither agreed with or disagreed with but thought needed more context than the questions gave. I think I was always in the bottom-right somewhere.

To paraphrase Milton Freedman, I'm an anarcho-capitalist but I'm libertarian for expediency. I'm very much paleolibertarian in the economic and small government sense, but I favor liberty in the social context where as the paleolibertarians tend to be more socially conservative and prohibitive.

It's really all splitting hairs though.

[raybbaby]

I'm the kind who's really a republican. I just tell anyone who will listen to me I'm a libertarian so I can support the proto-fascist agenda of the repubs while claiming I'm not loyal to the party. My whole anti-regulation spiel is really aimed at creating huge monopolies and minimizing any sort of services or protection for the citizens. Think of Denis Miller or Tucker carlson, that's kinda like me, only I didn't have a show to get cancelled.

[JamesGatz83]

Originally Posted by raybbaby

I'm the kind who's really a republican. I just tell anyone who will listen to me I'm a libertarian so I can support the proto-fascist agenda of the repubs while claiming I'm not loyal to the party. My whole anti-regulation spiel is really aimed at creating huge monopolies and minimizing any sort of services or protection for the citizens. Think of Denis Miller or Tucker carlson, that's kinda like me, only I didn't have a show to get cancelled.

Fail.

I'm neither Democrat nor Republican. My social views align very closely with those of the current Democratic Party, and my economic views align very closely with those of the Republican Party of the Reagan era.

Partisanship and ignorance seem to go hand in hand. SeniorDiscount once accused libertarians of being liberals who were too afraid to use that term.

[Pheidippides]

I don't care for the Political Compass Test; I think it's ideologically incoherent, and too many of the questions are facially silly. For example, the first statement:

"If economic globalisation is inevitable, it should primarily serve humanity rather than the interests of trans-national corporations."

What does that mean? How are the legitimate -- I emphasize "legitimate" interests of corporations incompatible with the interests of humanity? Doesn't business activity, as long as it is legal and fair, serve humanity? What does it mean to "serve humanity" anyway? The question presents a false and incoherent choice.

Or the statement, "Our race has many superior qualities, compared with other races." That statement may ferret out one's racism, but it won't tell you one's politics. You can be far left or far right and be a racist. You can be a racist libertarian or a racist authoritarian. I don't see how this question is politically relevant.

The test is full of statements like these, worded vaguely and presenting false choices, and not shedding light on one's actual politics.

I prefer the Smallest Political Quiz because it asks where one stands on actual policy choices, and is worded more simply.

[JamesGatz83]

Originally Posted by Pheidippides

I don't care for the Political Compass Test; I think it's ideologically incoherent, and too many of the questions are facially silly. For example, the first statement:

"If economic globalisation is inevitable, it should primarily serve humanity rather than the interests of trans-national corporations."

What does that mean? How are the legitimate -- I emphasize "legitimate" interests of corporations incompatible with the interests of humanity? Doesn't business activity, as long as it is legal and fair, serve humanity? What does it mean to "serve humanity" anyway? The question presents a false and incoherent choice.

The question doesn't include qualifiers such as "legitimate" for that very reason. I think most would discern that question as asking whether economic globalization should be sought solely with the interests of trans-national corporations and their shareholders in mind, or whether there should be trade restrictions and regulations to insure against the exploitation of third world peoples, environmental violations, etc.

I took it as a simple question of whether or not the respondent advocates free trade and/or believes in the social responsibility of corporations beyond the duties to which their shareholders hold them accountable (i.e. generating a profit).

Originally Posted by Pheidippides

Or the statement, "Our race has many superior qualities, compared with other races." That statement may ferret out one's racism, but it won't tell you one's politics. You can be far left or far right and be a racist. You can be a racist libertarian or a racist authoritarian. I don't see how this question is politically relevant.

That's true. That question should've been worded more specifically. I imagine their intention was to determine whether the respondent subscribes to government nationalism.

Originally Posted by Pheidippides

The test is full of statements like these, worded vaguely and presenting false choices, and not shedding light on one's actual politics.

I prefer the Smallest Political Quiz because it asks where one stands on actual policy choices, and is worded more simply.

It's highly unlikely that the Political Compass would return a result incompatible with the beliefs of the respondent. It isn't going to tell a right wing fascist that his politics are comparable to those Mahatma Gandhi.

I do like the Smallest Political Quiz, but I don't think it's as thorough as it should be.

[Wussy]

I know I'm fairly libertarian but I don't know what type exactly.

I don't think my money should have to pay for anything I don't agree with. If it is valid enough people would agree and pay the tax as a group to keep it going. So I think taxes should be a yes or no choice(even a I would pay upto X a month to support Program a/b/c/etc). You want the benifit of a program pay for it. If those that agree can't support it. It is a bad idea. Like here in Canada I would happily give up health care and welfare. I don't agree with either of it.

I think what I own is mine and mine alone. My actions are the same. I don't agree that any government should be allowed to impose a draft or anything that mandates my behaviour to that level.

Now on to the difficult side. I also feel the if damage to myself or my property is done then the person should have to repay me. So things like Auto insurance I believe in and would pay for. If you disagree though I would have to allow you to not pay for it and if I damage your stuff then to bad for you. My own insurance should then cover my damage(I'm currently working with my insurance on an accidient that was not my fault, under the law here they pay the coverage I have protecting my car. Only thing the other persons insurance will do is pay for injury/pain and suffering. So really the only change is they would pay that aswell in the case someone choose not to pay into an insurance)

The environment. I think I would pay for a tax or a charity to protect it. Any thing that does large scale damage is not my right. I can't just distroy my property so bad that it damages your property. Your property should be protected from me. And vice versa

For most things though I think a charity or a optional tax should be in place. On the tax side if you don't contribute you don't benifit from the tax period. With charities it would be up to them to cover nonsupporters.

Don't pay health care tax? and your injured. . .well that was your choice. Don't pay into welfare and now you don't have a job to bad. I would agree to that to not have to pay for programs I disagree with.

I personally am healthy I don't smoke, I keep fit, I eat well and take care of my self. I haven't even been to the doctor in almost a decade. Why should I pay for people that don't take care of themselves? I would fund research for treatments but not actually treating those that can't pay for themselves or don't make any effort to be healthy. (I have an fund in the area of 10,000 dollars right now to cover myself if I get ill, it will grow with time. I have refused any personal/work insurances I am legally allowed to avoid)

And myself and financee have a child and crappy jobs. Yet we are struggling(and succeeding) in purchasing our own home, buying a new car, raising our child, on our own. Yet I have friends that don't work and have there house given to them for nothing. I work damn hard and plan constantly to live like I make double what I in reality make. And I don't feel I should pay for anyone to do the exact oppisite.

Yet if I don't pay I will be fined and likely jailed. This is wrong. But not worth the trouble.

To me its all a matter of being as free as I can be without directly harming others. And others should be as free as they can be without harming me. If I make a choice that results in harming myself that is my choice and I should own it. I don't believe in cop-outs.

In terms of traffic limits. Punishment should only be used as necessary. I work nights running a red at 330 am is not a bad or unsafe thing to do and as such I should be able to do it. doing the same at 330pm puts others at risk. . .and if I want to drive fast I should pay the fines(and I do :P)