
Libertarians Are Politically Homeless in the Trump Era - devy
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/04/defused/556934/?single_page=true
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TheCoelacanth
Libertarians (except for the lower taxes über alles variety, who aren't real
libertarians) have been politically homeless since the 60s or 70s. The war on
drugs and the rise to power of the "Moral Majority" are completely
antithetical to the idea of liberty.

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pc2g4d
The two parties are striving to use the power of the state to ram their
ideologies down the throats of their fellow Americans.

So no, there's not a lot of room for libertarians right now.

On the other hand, the heavy-handedness may cause a backlash hunger for some
individual freedoms.

In the meantime, there's EconTalk :-P

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squozzer
I doubt many libertarians harbored illusions that things would get better
after 2016, no matter who won. Too many negative things for libertarians going
on, both politically and socially.

But, I prefer to look at the bright side (feel free to whistle the tune.)

So here goes -

Trump's election in itself proved the shabbiness of the "(S)he'll never win"
argument. Now, Trump broke a lot of political rules, and ran as a Republican,
so it's not likely that a libertarian could achieve the same success acting
like Trump. BUT, at least the "can't win" argument - more psychological
manipulation than argument - can be shelved for the next 20 years.

AG Sessions somewhat weasely stance on pot stores - given how Trump acts, the
AG could have gone full stormtrooper on pot and probably succeeded at some
political cost.

The recent six-month budget that provided zero funds for prosecuting pot
stores.

So, admittedly three political crumbs washed down with a shot of wishful
thinking, but we can at least say that the Trump administration does not have
carte blanche to enforce a narrow political viewpoint.

~~~
drak0n1c
President Trump is cutting regulations and despite all the hysteria to the
contrary he is actually reducing the administrative powers of the executive
branch and shrinking the size of many agencies. All of this makes libertarians
happy - at least for those who care about bite over bark.

In spoiling the veneration many people hold for the imperial office, and
reminding them to be wary of its powers, you could interpret the bark as also
good for libertarianism.

~~~
Accipitriform
"President Trump is cutting regulations and despite all the hysteria to the
contrary he is actually reducing the administrative powers of the executive
branch and shrinking the size of many agencies."

Indeed. President Trump's judicial appointments are also great compared to
what we would have had with a HRC victory. Leftists are all about curtailing
personal freedom and eroding the Bill of Rights.

I have mostly libertarian positions on things, but I'm pro-military and want
border enforcement. I'm generally happy with Trump's policies (note: not so
much his behavior).

If Republicans can gain seats in the midterms, and personally I think there's
a high probability they will, there's a good chance some real reform will
occur in Washington - which is of course the real reason for most of the
hysteria regarding President Trump.

By the way, did you happen to see that his overall approval rating hit 50%
today...? ;-)

~~~
mullingitover
> If Republicans can gain seats in the midterms, and personally I think
> there's a high probability they will

Bless your heart. Election history, with regard to the party holding the White
House, strongly predicts the Republicans will have a bad time.

> By the way, did you happen to see that his overall approval rating hit 50%
> today...? ;-)

Yes, with the hilariously biased Rasmussen polls. Who the hell uses landlines
in 2018? Not the average voter.

~~~
Accipitriform
"Bless your heart. Election history, with regard to the party holding the
White House, strongly predicts the Republicans will have a bad time."

'Past performance doesn't guarantee future results...'

Trump has confounded observers quite a few times now, just sit back, relax,
and enjoy... ;-)

"Yes, with the hilariously biased Rasmussen polls. Who the hell uses landlines
in 2018? Not the average voter."

Rasmussen also polls those without landlines. One difference from other polls
is that Rasmussen polls "likely voters" instead of "adults" like Gallup...

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cko
Question about libertarianism: what is the view on taxes and the large part of
society that’s been dealt shitty cards? Is there a common solution that
addresses this?

The impression I get when I think libertarian is “every man for himself” and
“survival of the fittest.” Now, I hate paying taxes but I acknowledge that
I’ve been dealt a good hand (a quicker mind). Am I getting the wrong
impression?

~~~
philihp
WRT Taxes, they’re seen as a necessary evil. They are necessary for a
government to function, and that function should be to protect an individual’s
rights (among those property rights).

WRT helping the poor, and those down on their luck; this is out of scope. It
is of course our moral responsibility to help those less fortunate, as humans.
You can and should give to the needy. However, being coerced into donating to
a homeless shelter is not donating at all.

Libertarians take the optimistic and perhaps misguided view that humans are
inherently good people. Crazy, I know.

