General News Did Anyone watch the Libertarian Party Debate on Fox Business?

Libertarians aren't republicans, never were, and I lean towards libertarian ideas. It's true, libertarians seem the most reasonable, which is why I like them the most.

I didn't watch the debate, but what political party is Bernie sanders from? Also, what's the GOP?

 

Hi sweetie :3

I think the US Libertarians are pretty disappointing. Two reasons why. First, although I agree with them on many economic principles, I find their economic reasoning ahistorical. Because it is ahistorical, it is brutally unfair. (Capitalism according to Hayek/Misean principles might be nice, but only if we spent the last 240 years playing by the actual rules of Hayekian/Misean/Rothbardian capitalism. Instead, we've played by the rules of cronyism, political corruption, other kinds of favoritism and protectionism that gave rise to the system of corporate merchantilism that currently masquerades (and Republicans ignorantly defend) as capitalism. To call it "capitalism" is unfair both to capitalists and to the socialists, communists and anarchists who critique the current economic system. To "go back" to real capitalism now would only work if we broke up all of the unnatural monopolies created by government action and the natural monopolies that arose fairly but turned corrupt later on. Ironically, that would require a redistribution of wealth that looks a lot like what people now call "socialism.")

My second reason for being disappointed with the national party: it just ends up taking many of the Republican party stances, even on social issues. Bob Barr, for example, is a noted opponent of marriage equality, taking the stance that it was a state's rights issue (which is fucking embarrassing given the history--state's rights are invoked only when the time comes to object to federal intervention to prevent morally degenerate states from oppressing their minority citizens). The libertarian party also notes that "government shouldn't be in the business of marriage." That's fair enough, but it's either stupid or disingenuous to claim that "getting the government out of marriage" (including marriages between heterosexuals) is somehow more politically viable than maintaining marriage as a discriminatory and exclusive institution.

A more philosophical reason I can't respect the Libertarians is that they accept the non-aggression principle (fine) but then refuse to consider forms of structural violence as aggression.

 

Bernie is usually an independent but for the purposes of this election he's a democrat, chiefly because it's borderline impossible for an independent to win the presidency.

GOP stands for Grand Old Party and refers to the Republicans, who are generally a bit...Mad.

 

I am a libertarian! I'd love to talk about it anytime--just send me a message or post on my wall (I haven't had the chance to watch the debate yet, but I taped it and I'm going to watch for sure! I have heard Gary Johnson speak live twice and thought he was pretty great.)

 

im a geo libertarian and bit of a hayekian. i don't buy into the homesteaders principle and open to ideas like basic wage.

i've long supported libertarians leaving the republicans. if republicans want a theocracy and big walls they should do it alone. all to happy to let the democrats win than see cruz or trump any where near power.

 

Libertarians run the gamut. I most closely identify with libertarians that oppose corporate welfare. And yes, Gary Johnson is very affirming of two legal consenting adults doing what they want. I believe that companies should not be bullied into letting the government gather their proprietary information, including hacks etc. I oppose the NSA. I unabashedly support free speech. I agree with easing the process for legal immigration and reducing government red tape to get here legally. I support medical marijuana but oppose complete legalization.

However, I don't agree with cutting taxes for everyone. I feel that the rich should be paying their share, and the government should go after the 1% tax evaders who have offshore accounts.

 

I'm libertarian-leaning (I don't want to abolish taxes, end the fed, end all foreign aid, or have completely open borders). I watched part one, haven't gotten around to watching part 2 yet. Gary Johnson's pretty cool, I just disagree with him on freedom of association.

Anyone who thinks libertarians are Republicans is probably assuming that 1) all libertarians are rightists and 2) right wing=Republicans, which is pretty politically illiterate in my opinion.

 

Agree 100% with those two points. The Bob Barr nomination was particularly laughable and pathetic.

I also find that most people in the US identifying as "libertarians" are just Republicans in disguise.

 

If you follow their chart and quiz found here, I agree with all but one of their social planks (which as Pret noted above, they don't follow) and I fundamentally disagree with all but one of their economic planks.

I don't think I could ever vote third party, as I've yet to come across a third party that espouses my views as well as the Democratic Party does. No matter how far left the party moves, even if it makes me a Blue Dog, I'll always be a Democrat. Especially if I want to have even a prayer of getting elected down the road.

 

I really hate all of the political parties in this country. I do find the libertarians entertaining though, as you can find people on both ends of the political spectrum who hate them for the most ridiculous and incoherent reasons ever. I think it's probably just because they aren't particularly mainstream in comparison to the other to parties and as a result when it comes u most people have no idea what the hell they're talking about, but I still find it funny. Personally I don't much care for them, although I do have some views in common with them. I personally wish we could just legalize all the drugs, lower the drinking age to 18, remove government from marriage, wipe guns off the face of the earth, disband the military, abolish countries, and all love each other forever.

Edit: Don't take this as a jab at the people on this forum. I'm not saying you don't know what you're talking about, I'm just saying I notice that a lot of people who get really heated about this do so from a place of ignorance. Not you guys though, I'm sure if you took the time to watch the debate you probably don't fall into that category. I really don't want to hurt anyone's feelings here.