Why does libertarianism attract so many lunatics?

Question

I have come to adopt political libertarianism after careful consideration of our current political quagmire. Greater and greater government interference in daily life--personal, commercial, and other spheres, and greater and greater government intervention abroad, has ended up creating more problems than it has solved.

Every time government "fixes" something, it exacts a price in the form of demanding more control over our lives, at that moment, or later. Thus, I have concluded that the solution is to pull government back, to increase our personal liberties.

But when I communicate with others who likewise claim to support personal liberty, I am met with all manner of idiocy--conspiracy freaks, people who worship gold like some sort of God, people who think that increasing liberty requires exterminating Muslims or some other minority, and far more neoconfederate scum than I thought ever existed.

Am I the only non-insane libertarian?

Another example: I've come across libertarians who think that the Irish Potato Famine was engineered/faked as a conspiracy by the US and UK governments a decade before the US Civil War specifically to give the USA manpower to use against the Confederacy!

Am I the only non-insane libertarian???

An explanation for people who are not too bright: It is possible to adopt libertarian political philosophy WITHOUT BEING A MEMBER OF THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY. Do try to think, please.

And I won't join the Constitution Party because I'm not a hardcore right-wing lunatic who wants to impose theocracy.

Answer 1

First off, you are far from the only sane libertarian. There are more and more people looking for change from our current political situation. Eventually people will realize there are options besides democrat/republican. As far as being lunatics, the religious lunatics are much easier to handle in my opinion than the religious lunatics that bang on my door twice a week, but thats a story for another day.

Other considerations to make are what makes these people lunatics? Is it because they are looking for dramatic change now instead of implementing small changes in that direction over time? Is it because they have no concept of the consequences of what could happen if they follow through with their plans? I would like to better understand what exactly is making them lunatics.

I too am tired of the government having its hands in every part of my life. Like I tell everyone, nothing kills freedom and individual liberty quite as fast as fear (the war on terror).

I do live in a southern state, so i do know the neoconfederates you're talking about, but most of them here are fans of Bush, so i just considered them ignorant rednecks. The few "conspiracy freaks" i know are more independent than libertarian, not to say they dont vote for our canidates, but are not in sync with all our beliefs. I would like to see more backing from the information they throw around in their conspiratory circles like everyday facts that everyone should know. Shady sources and no citations at all dont do much good for an academic like myself.

Answer 2

I think that idiocy can be found within any political group. The reason I think you find it in the independant parties is because these diversified beliefs are filtered completely out by the majority parites, and settle into what's left to support. If libretarianism had a stronger following and influence politically extremists would branch off and create their own policial engine. Cause we would be more at liberty to do so. Libretarianism allows for a larger freedom of choice among the people, and therfore perhaps gains support from many different fringe extremes. Extreme being here used to describe ideas that do not have the support of the majority. I might point out that insanity is a minority of one, and perhaps extreme ideas are ones whose time has not yet come.

Answer 3

As you already know, all libertarians aren't insane, just like "all" of any political party or even independents aren't insane. One of my favorite libertarians was actually one of the more sane people I've ever met - yet he didn't fit truly with them either. He took the lesser of evil path in his mind, because he wanted to be politically active, run for office, and try to do something about the issues that mattered to him. It's the same in any political party - most people do not agree with every facet of the party they publicly support.

Take what you like from each party that appeals to you, and leave the rest. Or if you feel that strongly, organize your own political party. Then you have no excuses.

Answer 4

Thank you for posting your beliefs openly and as level-headedly as possible. I think it would be difficult for many thoughtful people to avoid calling that aspect of the libertarian political perspective "insane," though "delusional" might be technically more accurate.

Keep at it, and maybe the crazies will find another political philosophy to hang onto.

You're generally a pleasure to disagree with, so I'm a bit disappointed with this post. Can't you say something mean about us liberals, too? Looking at Congress, you must have concluded that we're gluttons for punishment.

Cheers.

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http://blog.360.yahoo.com/on_message

Answer 5

Conservatism by definition is:
right-wing political viewpoint: a right-of-center political philosophy based on a tendency to support gradual rather than abrupt change and to preserve the status quo
I’m sticking with it. I don’t want a bunch of nuts that either want to change the Constitution because is not convenient for them, or get stuck in the 18th Century

Answer 6

Libertarianism attracts anyone who thinks differently or "outside the box". Therefore, it attracts a lot of entrepreneurs, a lot of heterodox economists (hence the "gold" thing), and a lot of people whose social stands are not mainstream. That's all because a libertarian world would be more peaceful for those who are not mainstream.

Conspiracy freaks, for example, are easily attracted to an ideal that promotes less government power, because less government would lessen the influence of those who they believe are conspiring. (Just as an aside, conspiracy freaks are usually wrong, but not always. Watergate did happen. So did Iran-Contra, CIA Black Ops, etc., and there's no doubt in my mind that there are occasionally things that happen in government that should not.)

So, you're not the only non-insane libertarian. In fact, for you to ask such a question makes me question if you are truly libertarian at all, or merely trying to tarnish the name of a legitimate philosophy. In fact, your radical statements branding anyone who understands the economic importance of gold or other commodities as loonies makes you sound rather loony to this economist. Please, think through your knee-jerk reactions before running people through the mud.

Answer 7

My friend I think you have discovered the reason so many people avoid making the change that you have. Personally I think the liberals are right in some aspects, but some of the people that associate themselves with that manner of thinking are exactly what you describe and their even crazier ideas have infiltrated the system. Good luck

Answer 8

Lunatics, like contraceptives, come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.

While they don't literally relate to each other, their functions have a distinct parallel to creating a whole host of suitable solutions for those severely needing to protect or define their own personal identity.

lol

Answer 9

because.. if you want to... you can take the worst part from each party.... mix them together.... throw them back up.. and call it libertarianism.


granted there is more to libertarianism than that for many people.. but not the lunatics you are talking about.... and the worst part of each party is like a breeding ground for lunatics or something.

Answer 10

Not all libertarians are like that. There are lunatics in every political party.