Steemit Libertarians, please evaluate this idea

in money •  7 years ago 


What if Libertarians changed their economic policies?

The caller featured in this video suggested libertarians change their economic policies to match those of the American left in order to gain broader political appeal. My reaction was that it would make them no longer libertarians.

What are your thoughts? I think there is an interesting discussion to be had here


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Good luck talking sense into an ancap.

Yeah basically an exercise in futility

Ironically, practically everyone who is an "ancap" today used to not be one and literally did change core beliefs because of what others taught them.

If you can't see eye to eye with someone, it can be worth it to consider whether the issue is on your end.

Why does everyone equate libertarianism with anarchocapitalism? They're completely different.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

"Libertarian" is an American word for minarchists and anarchocapitalists (contrasting with the international use of the word "libertarian," I have no idea why this happened, I assume "anarchocapitalism" sounded scary). The difference between minarchists and ancaps is oftentimes illusory once you press them for details.

Wrong. Libertarianism =/= Austrian economics. Libertarianism includes panarchists, georgists, mutualists, agorists, and municipalists.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-libertarianism

There is also what would be considered beltway libertarianism within the chicago school and monetarist school who take a more utilitarian approach to economics and don't believe in a nightwatchmen state or a completely privatized world.

I'm a libertarian anarchist/socialist myself but today in the American mainstream libertarian means minarchist or anarchocapitalist.

Ancaps and minarchists aren't mainstream. The only libertarianism that's even remotely mainstream is the Rand Paul and Gary Johnson types who consider themselves 'fiscally conservative'and 'socially liberal', which is pretty much beltway libertarianism. Everything else is fringe.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

haha yeah you are right, I meant that when you say "libertarian" in the American mainstream you are talking about all the "small government" people, AKA "fiscally conservative, socially liberal". Where I disagree with you is that the mainstream libertarians are simply beltway types. They are minarchists at best and ancaps at worst.

Can you name any mainstream ancaps or minarchists. Most politicians that call themselves libertarian are just republicans that act consistently with their small government rhetoric.

They should adopt a Georgist platform.

I like the idea of Social Libertarian. I think you are on to something. Fingers are crossed Blockchain changes the world in a merit based Social Libertarian Utopia. The problem I see with mainstream Socialism is the re-distribution of wealth is not fair and that kills off Entrepreneurs from bringing in efficient market solutions.

Republicans with bongs! Change your horrible economic ideas!

I am just tired of this political issues, where is the real democracy

Problem with political parties is the analogous to serving people at a dinner party. If the menu you offer has only 3 options everyone is forced to have chicken, steak, or fish, but people's taste are far more diverse. 2 or 3 political parties cannot accurately represent the will of 100's of millions of people who all have slightly differing positions when it comes to the issues. Yes the parties such as the libertarians need to evolve and change, but they will be pulled in so many directions most parties just stay put, so as not to alienate current supporters. In short, change is what the people want to see while those in charge don't want to change and alienate their base. Does the libertarian party have the balls to make a move? I doubt it.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

This is pretty much interesting. I would like to put it in a saying that is very popular where I grew up, "If a leopard manages to change it's spots, it stops being a leopard."

The world today is fighting economic rather than political
Economic wars have a greater impact on the world

libertarians are capitalist by definition

in particular, anarcho-capitalists

Bravo good jop

#Medicare4All is not part of the DNC's platform, so adopting this issue in the Libertarian Party's positions wouldn't make the party more like the Democratic Party on this one issue. It is popular with democratic voters, but what evidence is there that the DNC listens to it's base?
#Medicare4All lowers government costs in all countries that adopt it, so I'm not sure it is an automatic fail for libertarians, but probably wouldn't be popular to the funders of the Libertarian Party, the Koch's. Our current medical system uses the ever expanding government to favor the medical industries and give them handouts, which isn't conducive to free enterprise and competition.

Abosultely do not shift the economic policy to garner more votes. That shifts the political ideology too.

Decentralized / collaborative / democratic / freedom

People that don’t understand Libertarians would ask this question. True Libertarian adhere to something call the Non-Agression Principle “NAP”. This guiding principle is the basis for all policy decisions. I know in my state you are supposed to pledge loyalty to the “NAP”. To my knowledge it is the only part that pledges loyalty to a principle not a Party. This creates a moral consistency lacking in today’s political system. Once you start being morally inconsistent in your policy you basically become party loyalist, i.e. rank and file Democrats and Republicans.