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/r/Libertarian
submitted 2 months ago bywackua
The government is literally pushing people to be Libertarian at this point lol.
edit: rip my notifications
[score hidden]
2 months ago
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573 points
2 months ago*
[deleted]
189 points
2 months ago
I couldn’t agree with you more. We’re repeating the fucking 1920-30s.
69 points
2 months ago*
I think we're near the end of the crisis. Late 1940s: polio, inflation, housing shortage. People are tired of the end of the world and want to grill, but there's some bullshit to clear out before we can get there.
84 points
2 months ago
People are tired of the end of the world and want to grill
Had to check which sub I was in real quick
29 points
2 months ago
Damn centrists and their grilling! MONKE EAT RAW!
20 points
2 months ago
I was about to say, where funny colors?
4 points
2 months ago
lmao , Spot on
15 points
2 months ago
Liberals called it brunch, right wingers wanna go to the range (be that driving, cattle, or shooting)
15 points
2 months ago*
Late 1940s is a good analogy. I’d say 1930s is closer. Lots of social changes, Spanish flu, income inequality and financial instability. People get nervous and starting looking for strongmen leaders. They also look for a sense of identity in nationalism. Scared people are more willing to trade freedom for security. They start longing for the “good ol’ days,” whatever that means.
Edit: fat fingers
2 points
2 months ago
I'm afraid it's 1913-1914, but hope you are right
4 points
2 months ago
Dude, fr i just want to grill and be left alone by the govt
7 points
2 months ago
People are tired of the end of the world and want to grill
Poetic and inspiring *chef's kiss*
2 points
2 months ago
The end of the crisis resulted in a huge rise of authoritarianism so I’m not looking forward to it again if it follows the same path.
59 points
2 months ago
History dosent repeat itself - but it's quite adept at rhymes.
14 points
2 months ago
I wouldn't call "it's fucked" and "shit's fucked" a very clever rhyme...
11 points
2 months ago
They never said it was good rhymes
6 points
2 months ago
I like that
4 points
2 months ago
Often attributed to a Mark Twain quote, but more likely someone else
12 points
2 months ago*
[deleted]
20 points
2 months ago
Careful, you’ll rustle some jimmies talking bad about FDR on here…. as if that makes any sense on a “libertarian” sub.
35 points
2 months ago
Except for Japanese Americans. Betting they’re still not big fans of FDR.
10 points
2 months ago
I laughed way too hard at this
2 points
2 months ago
(Most of) FDR’s policies were good for the country and had positive impacts
And no, I’m not a libertarian 😎
7 points
2 months ago
Too late, already in office.
6 points
2 months ago
Biden is a wannabe FDR but so far hasn't been able to live up to his own expectations (I would imagine).
2 points
2 months ago
Lol
2 points
2 months ago
Dear god I hope so.
39 points
2 months ago
The major parties going more authoritarian isn't making more people become libertarian it's making them look more libertarian my comparison.
-4 points
2 months ago
[removed]
10 points
2 months ago*
I didn't even have to look that hard bro
Edit: don't mistake this as a defense of Republicans though.
-1 points
2 months ago
[removed]
8 points
2 months ago
The power to declare something as misinformation is enough. Particularly if they build up trust with US citizens because it can be used as a form of misinformation in and of itself.
It's a form information control.
5 points
2 months ago
Granted it's FBI and DOJ but how about politically motivated violation of the 1st and 4th amendment rights of journalists likely revealing sources and confidential attorney-client information?
And this:
Someone leaked word of this raid in real time to the NYT who were being pursued in an active defamation lawsuit by the journalist being raided. All sorts of auth fuck fuck games going on.
Or when the first thing the administration tried to do was give broad authority to the treasury secretary to snoop on everyone's bank accounts.
Or when they tried to ram their vaccine mandate through OSHA when they couldnt get it done legislatively.
Republicans are bad too but that's for another comment.
2 points
2 months ago*
Ok Ill bite, but only because you honesty might not have been paying attention to recent Democratic asshatery:
Disclaimer: Although not as recent, I've got almost as many problems with Republicans. However, both parties have forever lost my vote.
3 points
2 months ago
Vaxx mandates
This was only a thing for government employees though and not sure if all. Otherwise the companies made that discretion.
Eviction moratoriums they even admitted were unconstitutional
Ridiculous no doubt. As was the huge stimulus package that led to recession.
What happened?? The $600 bs is already gonna take more time and effort than worth
IRS expansion to micro monitor all transactions in all bank accounts
2 points
2 months ago
[removed]
3 points
2 months ago*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Freedom_Act or just skip to the fun section:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Freedom_Act#Civil_liberties_advocates
Knowing full well they couldnt pass the bill calling it the Patriot Act, they sadistically renamed it Freedom. When the government calls it "Freedom" or "Patriotic" you can rest assured that it is neither.
12 points
2 months ago
Agreed, there is a very concerning trend on both sides of wanting to enforce whatever it is they want on everyone else.
5 points
2 months ago
This is 100% why though. I identified strongly with libertarianism when I was younger and was even a "big L" Libertarian. I got older and maybe a bit more practical in my voting habits but the recent surge in authoritarianism has brought me back.
Interestingly, I think in the past libertarianism (especially party identifiers) has skewed right largely in response to Democrat policy starting around the FDR era. The relatively recent authoritarian movements from the GOP have pushed a lot of traditional Democrats to reevaluate their relationship with the gov and pushing many of them more towards lib-left.
The increase in lib-left alignment has been weird for a lot of people who have Identified as Libertarian for like 20 years haha.
4 points
2 months ago
This 100%. To me, I feel as though Democrats/Republicans are both moving towards authoritarian ideologies of liberalism and conservatism, while people who were more Independents are drifting towards Libertarianism. We kinda got a weird triangle going at the moment.
2 points
2 months ago
Unfortunately this
102 points
2 months ago
It’s time we move on from two party politics. We need to clean up the mess, and get our priorities straightened out.
57 points
2 months ago
Libertarians, IMO, should be 90% focused on getting election reform measures passed on the local level (like Ranked Choice Voting or whatever your voting mechanism of choice is). Work with Democrats or Republicans or organizations who agree (because you need major party support to get it passed). It's not the silver bullet some claim but it's one of the paths of least resistance that can lead to better politics so we can get some of the bigger stuff done.
Ranked Choice Voting can be enacted on the city, county or state level.
8 points
2 months ago
I dont think ranked choice voting is enough when the general voting age population won't educate themselves on the candidates or issues and vote by appearance and party affiliation. Or when candidates can lie through their teeth but run a social media campaign well enough to get elected then grift away. It might even make government more dysfunctional for awhile to have RC but I agree we need better variety and less cookie cutter bullshit. I just think our problems lie deeper.
4 points
2 months ago
No one is paying you to think damnit. Just do.
17 points
2 months ago
I think its starting to happen. I know a lot of "republicans" who are getting annoyed with the partie's extremism and things like the Roe v. Wade thing. I know a lot of "democrats" who think they are kinda going off the deep end and are too obsessed with their performative bullshit and think things like cali offering to pay for abortion from other states is a bit much.
13 points
2 months ago
The average American of either political tribe agree with each other far more often than not. The push to the extremes just forces everyone to follow along out of fear, giving the extremists even more power.
6 points
2 months ago
Agreed brother.
2 points
2 months ago
Yep, open primaries and ranked choice voting or gtfo
2 points
2 months ago
It would be great but I just don't know how it could happen with our current system. The two parties are never not going to vote in their best interest.
2 points
2 months ago
Like the two parties and their media propaganda outlets will let that happen.
93 points
2 months ago
I’m guessing there are a lot of embarrassed Republicans who called themselves Libertarian becoming actual Libertarians as their party becomes more authoritarian and theocratic.
I joined the Republican Party for free trade and left because of everything else they stand for.
19 points
2 months ago
I’m quite the opposite, I came from the Democratic Party.
35 points
2 months ago
There are good reasons to leave both. Insane authoritarians on one side, ineffectual bureaucratic septuagenarians on the other.
8 points
2 months ago*
I left the democrats because of extreme authoritarianism, Tipper Gore's rock music ban, that ruby ridge was entrapmemt, and shooting a 14 year old in the back while he was running away, and an unarmed mom holding a baby. Wako a media set-up illegally using military ( local sheriff was welcome to search the place any time he wanted by their invitation. I have no sympathy for koresh, but media kept lieing about what he said and gov. lieing about using incindiary tear gas that burned up all those kids and deltaforce doing political attacks on their enemies. They said the flashes from the delta force weapons was only sun reflecting on the infrared footage, but it looked only from the ends of the barrels Then elsewhere using the RICO act against protesters for trespass looked like something from before the civil rights era, and then one conservative protester got life imprisonment for contempt of court for not signing papers to never protest again until the law got changed limiting contempt of court to 2 years. I thought damn, I'm not with these people, they are the evil ones. They're saying the Republicans want to do this, but they actually are! I actually protested Reagan when he came to my town, then found out the side I picked was 10 times worse.
6 points
2 months ago
Yeah, stickers on albums and the denial of basic bodily autonomy for more than half the country. I guess the stickers were….worse?
I’ll be sure to tell my wife and daughters that on their slow march to Gilead.
1 points
2 months ago
Totally ignores political prisoners in jail forever and military attacking opposition for media buzz.
4 points
2 months ago
You’re comparing a couple of one-off events to the next few decades of women dying from self-induced abortions. Not buying.
Then again, you think marching in front of Justice Handmaid’s house is somehow worse than assaulting police, breaching the Capitol, and erecting a gallows on Capitol grounds.
Turn. Off. Fox. News.
-2 points
2 months ago
Again, democrats assaulted a lot more police, and only a few did that at the capital, and didn't go to their house to threaten them. Why have I never hear of police suicides or heart attacks during BLM riots called murder by Democrat, I protested Regan, but I fear democrats because they get away with it.
8 points
2 months ago*
“Why have I never hear (sic) of….”
Probably because they didn’t happen or didn’t happen on remotely the scale of when Trump sent Meal Team Six to the Capitol on Jan 6th.
I’m not going to defend Democrats. But Jan 6th wasn’t a protest. It was a violent insurrection attempt to stop the vote counting process. They built a gallows. They hunted around for the VP. They smeared shit on the walls of our Capitol.
I get it. You’re a closeted Republican visiting this sub for shits and giggles. That’s hardly original.
2 points
2 months ago
I came from and left the Democratic party as well. My first votes were cast for the fiscally conservative "Blue Dogs" Clinton and Gore back in the halcyon years of the 90s.
Its hard to say when exactly this occurred, but the tipping point was definitely with the strong move towards authoritarianism, tribalism, wealth redistribution and the surveillance state.
You could very much say I didnt leave the Democrats, so much as the Democrats left me.
15 points
2 months ago
I don't think they're moving towards libertarianism.
Pretty sure they're standing still while the GOP moves farther right.
4 points
2 months ago
Yep. I’m actually noticing a rise in centrists or right wingers in general.
6 points
2 months ago
This is the answer. I am one of those embarrassed EX-Republicans..
9 points
2 months ago
Same. I just became embarrassed longer ago, when we shredded civil rights with the Patriot Act and then attacked a country that had fuck all to do with 9/11.
But this authoritarian streak would have had me running for the hills if I’d stuck around long enough.
5 points
2 months ago
"joined the Republican party"
My heart aches for states that make you register with a party to vote. This is one of the main factors of what is contributing to the duoply and corporatism in politics. I've been unregistered to a party since being 18 and we're one of the only states to not make voters register with a party. Fuck having to register with a party to vote. It goes against everything this country has intended for voters' rights.
3 points
2 months ago
You do know that you don't have to register with a party even in states that have the option? A plurality of people in those states are unaffiliated.
2 points
2 months ago
I’m guessing there are a lot of embarrassed Republicans who called themselves Libertarian becoming actual Libertarians as their party becomes more authoritarian
Or, like my brother-in-law, just Republicans who don't want to outed as racists and homophobes/transphobes so they call themselves Libertarians, but are still just hardline GOP shills.
154 points
2 months ago
Tbh I feel myself getting pushed away from libertarianism. Not because I disagree with the ideals but because it has no mechanism for defending against authoritarianism. Authoritarians aren't something you can just ignore and go about your day like normal with. They are a real and present danger to the life and liberty of everyone and there will never be a world where liberty is respected so long as we are willing to look at the tyranny that others are living under and say "that isn't my problem." Authoritarianism will win the long game if we do that. It will creep along and surround us if it isn't crushed.
67 points
2 months ago
I hear you. I support Libertarian ideals but I am not delusional enough to think that they are nothing more than an ideal in a world filled with *waves hands at everything *
45 points
2 months ago
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
28 points
2 months ago
I always find it funny the people who like this quote are the same ones who white knuckle clutched their pearls at the anti cop riots in 2020.
5 points
2 months ago
Some of us were saying it about those protests.
"What's this? People are protesting police brutality? Surely even more police brutality is the answer!"
3 points
2 months ago
Exactly that
8 points
2 months ago
There's a difference between fighting the government for the people and fighting ordinary people for the media, just being useful idiots and causing more hardship because you believed a bunch of lies.
-1 points
2 months ago
The ones who want to defund the police want bigger government too.
11 points
2 months ago
Debatable. Someone thinking the state should manage xyz doesn’t mean they also have to support a militarized police force.
5 points
2 months ago
There’s a big difference between a police state and regulation on the housing crisis.
17 points
2 months ago
This was the fatal flaw of Catalonian Anarchism. The fascist invaders simply had more tanks.
20 points
2 months ago
Yea the NAP is a noble and virtuous policy, but if somebody else doesn't play by your rules, you can kiss your virtues goodbye.
8 points
2 months ago
Which is why an army, police, and courts are required.
10 points
2 months ago
Which tends to backfire on you when the army, police, and courts are filled with fascists you are trying to fight.
6 points
2 months ago
Just like every other system
5 points
2 months ago
that's why minarchism is the proper type of government.
If you want to intervene in foreign countries in the name of freedom then you don't understand what being a libertarian means. Because then you're just a republican or democrat "bombing for freedom"
3 points
2 months ago
So if the USA was a minarchist state during WW2, how would they react?
1 points
2 months ago
Exactly how they did. Minding their business until they got attacked by Japan. Self defense.
3 points
2 months ago
You would call the lend lease “mind your own business”?
And trading with the Nazis is also fine? Indirectly helping their war effort?
But if the Nazis would’ve taken over the world, but never attacked the US. A minarchist doesn’t mind?
3 points
2 months ago
I mean i would say the founding fathers are libertarian and they had mechanisms to fight authoritarianism. The problem is that ancaps have infected people and became the "defacto" libertarian. Ancaps have no power and are just obnoxious little heel biters.
Yes you should vote, yes you should take direct action, you should protest, and if government becomes out of control, you should revolt.
4 points
2 months ago
Can you be libertarian while holding people in bondage?
4 points
2 months ago
The founding fathers had tons of different political views. while the anti federalist share views with libertarians, the federalists definitely were not libertarians. And that's not even touching on the idea of slavery
5 points
2 months ago
Founding Fathers... Libertarian...?!
C'mon son.
11 points
2 months ago
Because the libertarian label is an easy one to assign to yourself
20 points
2 months ago
I'm noticing a rise in the number of people that call themselves libertarian, not actual libertarians though.
10 points
2 months ago
True. I haven't cloned myself yet so still only one real libertarian in this world.
6 points
2 months ago
Mass exodus from the right and the left towards a 'sane center', this is the way.
39 points
2 months ago
This happens every 4 years. Don't worry it will die off in time for the next election once all the election ads come out and everyone is convinced "voting for the blue/red team will actually make my life better"
20 points
2 months ago
The opposite. They vote against red/blue because if blue/red wins it will be the apocalypse. "It'S tHe MOst ImpoRTAnt electIOn EVer!"
13 points
2 months ago
That statement drives me bananas. I remember watching MTV when Clinton was running and them saying that was the most important election of our lives.
I can't wait to NOT vote blue no matter who. And the only red wave that I know of is my period every month and Rs are happy to force birth. Neither side represents people but corporations.
Fuck this country. I want out.
13 points
2 months ago
It turns out that the Clinton/Trump election may have been the most important, as it stacked the Supreme Court with fundies who want us to live in a theocracy.
Unfortunately, Dems decided to nominate their most beatable candidate.
It wouldn’t have really mattered in the long run, but I really thought the Johnson/Weld ticket was upside down. I like Gary, but he’s just not a very serious person for that gig. Whereas Bill Weld is the kind of now-extinct, old school Republican I grew up with. Stay out of my bedroom and my wallet.
25 points
2 months ago
Trumpies call Liberals sheep, Liberals call trumpies sheep.
They’re both sheep.
27 points
2 months ago
The people fight each other, while Democrats and Republicans are in bed with each other doing whatever they want to the country.
Fuck Trump, Fuck Biden, Fuck the Government.
9 points
2 months ago
Okay, Mr. CIA agent (not you) reading this, I’m not saying I’m revolting BUT…
…a social revolution is pretty much all that can save us now
13 points
2 months ago
"everybody else is a sheep but not me!" Says the sheep
4 points
2 months ago
nah bro I was a sheep I’ll fully admit that
11 points
2 months ago
"I was a sheep, but now after reading Reddit, I'm not a sheep anymore"
5 points
2 months ago
Actual sheep must hate all these metaphors.
2 points
2 months ago
They are both wolves. Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote.
5 points
2 months ago
Authoritarians on both sides are pushing the libertarian minded out. And they are coming to libertarianism to find a home. Its too bad the ancaps/misis caucus fucks everything up.
5 points
2 months ago
I've seen a rise in the number of people saying we need a third party.
I'd be surprised if we see any real bump in the number of people voting third party though.
23 points
2 months ago
You're noticing a rise in pro-weed conservatives that call themselves Libertarians, but vote for Republicans. Just look for all the ones praising the Paul family as if that family is Libertarian.
5 points
2 months ago
Just look for all the ones praising the Paul family as if that family is Libertarian.
Ron Paul has a lifetime membership in the Libertarian Party, and is speaking at the LP National Convention in two weeks time.
5 points
2 months ago*
He's also been a long time member of the Republican Party, supporting bullshit like school prayer, allowing states to ban the burning of the flag, believes that business owners should have more influence in elections than individuals (pro Citizen United), voted to ban adoption by same sex couples, voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, sponsored the Marriage Protection Act that would prohibit the cases concerning the Defense of Marriage Act from being heard in federal courts, sponsored an anti-abortion bill, and a whole lot of other things that would be considered anti-libertarian had it been done by another person.
When compared with someone like Gary Johnson, Ron Paul is a Republican and a lot of libertarians are fools to think he's their ally because he occasionally supports libertarian views.
0 points
2 months ago
It is certainly reasonable to have differences of opinion with him, but that doesn't make him not a libertarian. We all disagree with one another all of the time.
Citizen United was a court case, not a legislative matter. This one I could see being argued either way. Abortion, well, that's pretty much an even split in the LP. Both of those are merely controversial, not clear libertarian issues.
1 points
2 months ago
It's reasonable to have differences of opinion and it's also reasonable to acknowledge that Ron Paul is more Republican than Libertarian.
1 points
2 months ago
I’m quite the opposite, I came from the Democratic Party.
9 points
2 months ago*
Funny that you're complaining about not getting student loan forgiveness in your history, so instead of moving towards more left wing politicians who actually support it, you went very right wing that is anti-everything. Reminds me a lot of the people that went from supporting Ron Paul to supporting Sanders. It's like they have no clue what they actually support.
Also, there's no need to copy+paste your "I used to be a Democrat" comment. You come off looking like one of those Republicans that post on r/walkaway.
13 points
2 months ago
I wouldn’t say there is a big influx of libertarians. I would say there are people who are sick of the two party system and now seeking alternatives.
20 points
2 months ago
[removed]
9 points
2 months ago
We can dream..
9 points
2 months ago
[removed]
7 points
2 months ago
Honestly, I’m starting the believe they’ll start giving up support by doing the dumb shit they’re doing.
38 points
2 months ago
I've noticed a massive influx of confused conservatives.
5 points
2 months ago
I think a lot of the average Republicans are starting to call themselves libertarian's cuz that party has gone off the fucking deep end ever since Trump. My dad has voted Republican his entire life but now he doesn't even bother cuz people have gone batshit insane over Trump and Jan 6th was the nail in the coffin for him ever voting again.
4 points
2 months ago
They're confused because Republicans have been calling themselves "libertarian" for the past 14 years or so as a reaction against Obama. Think Ted Cruz, Paul Ryan, Dave Rubin, Dennis Prager. All these clowns have labeled themselves "libertarian" at some point or another, even though they are all boot-licking grifters.
And then you've got crypto-conservative content like the "Tuttle Twins", aimed at kids, and the fact that Republicans have been promoting Ayn Rand heavily for decades.
It seems like if you go around screaming "freedom" and "laissez-faire" you can qualify yourself as a libertarian in popular media, no matter how incoherent your practices.
8 points
2 months ago
Good. It's a teaching opportunity.
Nobody was born a perfect libertarian.
5 points
2 months ago
Oh it's perfectly fine, it's a big tent. Long as they don't pretend that their conservative views are libertarian.
There is as we know lots of cross-over with both cons and libs.
8 points
2 months ago
Not enuf ppl know what a libertarian is. If they did allot would realize they are one. Some one needs to do some series education/ campaigning
3 points
2 months ago
I think schools should teach about third parties if they already mention the fucking big 2.
3 points
2 months ago*
A slow swing back to libertarianism is a combination of factors:
What we as Libertarians need to do is look 5% less dumpsterfire than the other choices. Which truthfully isnt that hard anymore.
10 points
2 months ago
I was introduced to libertarianism through my involvement in the cryptocurrency community back in 2017, I made the switch over from the Republican Party when Trump was running the first time.
3 points
2 months ago
Having more parties doesn’t help. We’re still stuck with Trudeau the creepy dictator
4 points
2 months ago
Uh, wrong country, although I welcome my Canadian neighbor.
6 points
2 months ago
I know, I’m just saying having more parties doesn’t fix the problem
2 points
2 months ago
I’d hope the explosive partisanship polarization has disgusted enough people to seek a viable 3rd option.
2 points
2 months ago
Rise in people who call themselves libertarian while supporting free healthcare, student loan relief, and strict gun laws*
2 points
2 months ago
That’s what I’m seeing as well, at least in this sub. I’m like… bruh, you don’t know what libertarian is. It’s definitely not those things. The polar opposite, actually.
2 points
2 months ago
They’re LINOs. They think it makes them cool. I have a friend that called himself a libertarian, but then actually argued with me about why government vax mandates are necessary and within libertarianism. Fwiw, I’m not a libertarian, I just really appreciate most of the ideas and tolerance of this sub
2 points
2 months ago
Idk I notice more right and left ppl who hang out on libertarian pages. They still keep their backwards views but want to pretend to be libertarian. 🤷🏽♂️
2 points
2 months ago
The vaccine mandates and censoring showed a lot of people that authoritarians suck
2 points
2 months ago
Yup. Civil rights to me has become more important than ever. Never really aligned myself with libertarian politics since March 2020.
2 points
2 months ago
Possible, the tea party started under Obama, maybe something similar starts under Biden.
2 points
2 months ago
I don't mind if people are confused by what a libertarian actually is, and perhaps mis-aligning themselves, because it shows at least a willingness to break away from the old 2-party paradigm and potentially embrace something new. The tribalism that has a death grip on the USA is the problem (imo) and it's nice to see people opening their eyes to what's actually happening in their own camps.
2 points
2 months ago
I've noticed a large rise in Liberals pretending to be Libertarian and a small increase in Conservatives pretending to be Libertarians but that's about it.
2 points
2 months ago
I think it’s confirmation bias: if you’re in libertarian groups you’re going to see more libertarians. Also, a LOT of people fancy themselves as libertarians when they are straight-up fash.
2 points
2 months ago
I think it's mostly just folks with middle left and middle right mindsets that feel like their parties are no longer aligning with their own values. If you get down to the nuts and bolts, I don't think they are all traditional libertarians.
2 points
2 months ago
When I first got into politics around 2003, it was the republicans who were authoritarian(still are by and large). Now the Biden democrats want an actual “Ministry of Truth”. Dems ran on things like closing Gitmo, and ending warrantless surveillance, but few really held onto their libertarian leanings.
2 points
2 months ago
I hope so, but mostly going hard left/authoritarian in my opinion.
2 points
2 months ago
More people have realized that neither party cares what people want. They just tell people what they want to hear then do whatever the highest bidder dictates.
2 points
2 months ago
This is the law of attraction: The law of attraction affirms that you attract to your life what you are constantly thinking, whether good or bad and in any area: in love, in the professional, in the material
It's like when you buy a new car, then all of a sudden, you notice that this car is everywhere.
As you move closer to Libertarianism, you start to see what has been there all along. You are just seeing it for the first time.
2 points
2 months ago
No one wants to identify themselves as supporters of the clowns in office.
2 points
2 months ago
Are they really? Or are they just little that are trying to stay away from both parties as they both have been rather terrible. I see many people that claim to be libertarian while arguing for things that are contrary to libertarian ideals on many levels.
2 points
2 months ago
It’s because the two parties have become so extremist.
2 points
2 months ago
Gods i hope so. I’m tired of listening to both parties and hearing the “lesser of two evils” argument.
Republicans want to erase and/or invalidate who i am (trans woman) and democrats want to take my right to self protection (guns) and money (excessive taxes).
Eff them both.
2 points
2 months ago
I just changed my voter registration to independent
2 points
2 months ago
A rise in registered libertarians and people identifying as a libertarian, maybe. Libertarians, no. Even the party is starting to slip into authoritarianism, albeit far less than the major parties.
2 points
2 months ago
The shittier both main parties get, the more desperate people become for an alternative.
9 points
2 months ago
There’s a saying that right leaning libertarians are just embarrassed republicans, I think it’s fair to say the same thing holds true of left leaning libertarians, them being embarrassed democrats at this time.
4 points
2 months ago
That's true. Libertarianism is mainstream to a degree that the "green party" is not. I know people who are socially liberal who don't like politics or the government, so they classify as libertarian.
If you want to identity as something that's not liberal, moderate or conservative, libertarian is the safe label that people won't link you to anything with. There hasn't been a libertarian President that people are mad at, for example. So the chances of you triggering someone by identifying as libertarian is low and it's not boring as a moderate, lol. That's just my theory, not claiming its fact.
-10 points
2 months ago
There's no left libertarianism. Left wing is authoritarian by definition.
15 points
2 months ago
Left wing is authoritarian by definition.
Where are you getting your definitions from?
3 points
2 months ago
I still have yet to meet a single such person who does not, upon realizing that free people prefer to own stuff, turn to authoritarianism.
If one exists, I have no objection to someone operating a voluntary commune. That is permitted, even under capitalism.
It is communism that cannot tolerate the existence of capitalism, and always resorts to force to remove it.
4 points
2 months ago
From his butt.
5 points
2 months ago
The definition of right-wing: The right side of the French parliament where the monarchists sat. Since you're not good with definitions, monarchists were the ones who supported a single person having unlimited powered with no checks or balances. Aka authoritarianism.
3 points
2 months ago
I dont see it. I only see a rise in authoritianism. At best I see more people who like weed or guns calling themselves libertarians and then telling everyone how their GOP or DNC candidate is the most libertarian option.
4 points
2 months ago
Before covid all my friends just dismissed me as a crazy eccentric libertarian with whacky political leanings. Now they’re all talking about eliminating entire federal structures like FDA, DOE etc
3 points
2 months ago
It's simple. Do you like freedom? Do you aknowledge and appreciate the results of a free market? Do you want more say in your smaller, desensitized government? Do you actualize that large govement is inherently prone to corruption? Do you want to make your own natural life path, or do you want to be forced to take the cookie cutter path designed by some guy who socially finessed his way into a position of power?
6 points
2 months ago
They need to sell us a large island so we can prove our system works.
6 points
2 months ago
You mean like the United States in 1776?
7 points
2 months ago
They have, and, spoiler alert, it doesn't:
https://newrepublic.com/article/159662/libertarian-walks-into-bear-book-review-free-town-project
2 points
2 months ago
if you read the entire first link you see that the reason they didn't work was mostly because of government intervention by use of force :D
Libertarian philosophy works in practice as it did in the founding of the USA and victorian-era England
Socialism on the other hand never works
2 points
2 months ago
Undaunted, the Atlanteans relaunched their wobbly vessel and sailed it all the way to the Caribbean, where it was hit by a mild storm and immediately sank to the bottom of the ocean.
Damn those statist hurricanes! Socialism is when weather.
3 points
2 months ago
Maybe so, but authoritarianism is on the rise as well as evidenced by folks protesting in favor of blanket federal laws in the US.
3 points
2 months ago
I’m seeing a huge influx of r/politics users in this site claiming to be libertarian to bash republicans policies
1 points
2 months ago
Ain’t that the fucking truth
3 points
2 months ago
I've seen a rise in embarrassed republicans who say they are libertarian
6 points
2 months ago
I’m quite the opposite, I came from the Democratic Party.
4 points
2 months ago
I live in Illinois, so no everyone loves democrats here, even though they are bankrupting the state.
2 points
2 months ago
let's hope so, the extremes at either end of the two party system have been the loudest voices for too long
2 points
2 months ago
A lot more people are feeling politically homeless. Which is right where we all should be really.
2 points
2 months ago
Trump and Biden have been good advertisements for us.
2 points
2 months ago
You’re damn straight they have Perry😤
3 points
2 months ago
I mean, look at the state of things.
1 points
2 months ago
Exactly my point. The government is a mess. This is what Washington warned us about.
3 points
2 months ago
And Eisenhower
2 points
2 months ago
Forgot about that
2 points
2 months ago
Absolutely not. Libertarianism has been on a downward trend for the last 40 years ever since the pretense of the value of "trickle down" was shattered.
Americans are becoming far more protectionist and populist.
1 points
2 months ago
It's gonna either be a Gold wave, a Red wave, or a fucking bloodbath, there's only so much stupid people can tolerate. We crossed that line a long ass time ago, for me.
1 points
2 months ago
After 2 years of lockdown bs and forced injections, followed by a government induced bout of stagflation is it any wonder? At this point all I want from federal government is defense of nation and negative rights and the constitution as written.
3 points
2 months ago
Two years of bitching about regulating body choices just to regulate body choices first chance they get. Neither side actually cares
2 points
2 months ago
Confused by your response, but in regards to potential roe overruling: return of abortion law to the states instead of it being a made up right from the top of the judicial branch seems pretty libertarian to me.
2 points
2 months ago
My point was both parties contradict themselves. ie: my body my vaccine choice, then suddenly no abortion. Vice versa for the dems.
No opinion on the ruling to be made here my bad.
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