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Libertarians seem to have a problem right now

Posted on 1/8/26 at 7:48 am
Posted by theunknownknight
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2005
60422 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 7:48 am
And I say this as someone who leans libertarian.

1. There is no such thing as a "free economy" in the real world:

In the real world - regulations have to kick in at some point, or the "winners" of the system can snowball their resources and gain complete control of the system.

There is no such thing as a "free economy"

Communism proves it on one extreme
Private Equity, crony capitalism, and Monopolies prove it on the other

As long as human nature is involved, something will go out of balance eventually.

2. We have a right to protect ourselves and solidify our defenses in our own hemisphere

The Monroe Doctrine isn't some imperialist idea. If a hostile foreign power starts building a military base in the Caribbean or South America, that’s basically in the U.S.’s front yard. It makes the country a lot more vulnerable to things like invasion pressure or blockades.

We need to make sure no major rival can set up shop close enough to become an immediate threat. We have every right to put countries next door to us in their place. You'd think the Cuban Missile Crisis would be enough evidence for this.

Basically, the hardcore libertarians who are crying right now are either retarded, ignorant, or aren't really libertarian at all, but democrats in disguise.
This post was edited on 1/8/26 at 4:19 pm
Posted by BCvol
Member since Jan 2022
279 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 7:52 am to
quote:

As long as human nature is involved,


This is what trips up the idealogues
Posted by sta4ever
Member since Aug 2014
17497 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 7:53 am to
That’s always been the problem with Libertarians. The things Libertarians want are too unrealistic for a nation that has to be a force in the world. And tbh, the strongest force that’s ever existed.
Posted by AllbyMyRelf
Virginia
Member since Nov 2014
4064 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 7:53 am to
Maybe not most, but a lot of libertarians will accept market regulation as long as it’s done honestly and with open eyes. As long as politicians say things like “minimum wage will help the low income earner”, then libertarians will rightly call foul since minimum wage hurts the low income earner. This is just an example, but applies to all interventions (price floors, price ceilings, etc).

If the government, for example, said “we’re banning usury. We know it will reduce credit availability for some high risk borrowers at the margin, but we think usury is bad enough to justify that cost” then a lot of libertarians might say fair enough.
Posted by the808bass
The Lou
Member since Oct 2012
126700 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 7:54 am to
y=Ao * e^kt

Where Ao = libertarian and y=squish.
Posted by SlowFlowPro
With populists, expect populism
Member since Jan 2004
469722 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 7:56 am to
quote:

2. We have a right to protect ourselves and solidify or defenses in our own hemisphere

Only us, or do other countries also have this right?

Also, while libertarians aren't necessarily opposed to this, the anti-neocon sentiment was a part of a much larger population than just libertarians. It was, at least professed, as a MAGA policy plank.
This post was edited on 1/8/26 at 7:58 am
Posted by TrueTiger
Chicken's most valuable
Member since Sep 2004
80817 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 7:57 am to
Neither extreme individualism nor extreme collectivism last long in the wild

All things must be in balance.

Aristotle and the Golden Mean is the classic standard that still applies.
Posted by SlowFlowPro
With populists, expect populism
Member since Jan 2004
469722 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 7:59 am to
quote:

Neither extreme individualism nor extreme collectivism last long in the wild



I don't think this board has had a legit big-L libertarian since GMorgan

joshnorris is now a hyper religious/MAGA guy
Posted by dgnx6
Member since Feb 2006
87027 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 7:59 am to
They think the US should have open borders but forgets the rest of the world doesn’t play by the same rules.


Same goes for your Rand Paul’s on free trade. Rand wants us to be completely open but forgets the rest of the world doesn’t play by your rules.
Posted by SlowFlowPro
With populists, expect populism
Member since Jan 2004
469722 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 8:02 am to
The rest of the world doesn't really matter with immigration as much as domestic policy, specifically welfare

These recent scandals in MN should have taught that lesson to many
Posted by TrueTiger
Chicken's most valuable
Member since Sep 2004
80817 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:01 am to
quote:

libertarian since GMorgan


That's a blast from the past.

What happened to him and Bluevelvet?
Posted by BuckeyeGoon
Member since Jan 2025
1046 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:11 am to
If libertarians ever got their dream free market and small government utopia, it would last for about two weeks before a leftist regime took over.

Libertarians are just as dumb as communists when it comes to ignoring reality. They think we can just create a permanent power vacuum and no one would ever try to take control.
Posted by Lsupimp
Ersatz Amerika-97.6% phony & fake
Member since Nov 2003
85723 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:14 am to
The word Libertarians never come to terms with is PRAGMATISM. It's what defeats their arguments because it takes them away from philosophy and into reality where it is actually required. Philosophy requires only belief, living in the real world requires adaptability, compromise and therefore pragmatism.
Posted by Jugbow
Member since Nov 2025
2893 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:14 am to
quote:

That’s always been the problem with Libertarians. The things Libertarians want are too unrealistic for a nation that has to be a force in the world. And tbh, the strongest force that’s ever existed.


They’re the biggest group of do nothings there is with zero representation while they say the ones in power do nothing. The views aren’t the problem it’s the outspoken libertarians who are the issue.
Posted by Powerman
Member since Jan 2004
171411 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:15 am to
quote:

Also, while libertarians aren't necessarily opposed to this, the anti-neocon sentiment was a part of a much larger population than just libertarians. It was, at least professed, as a MAGA policy plank.


The means of extracting Maduro were much more acceptable than the regime change war in Iraq though

It was a quick precise operation with minimal collateral damage and it's actually something in our regional sphere of influence

As long as we don't turn South America into another Middle East I have no problem with what we did. And I don't believe we have any intention of doing so because it's not in our interests.

Posted by VOR
New Orleans
Member since Apr 2009
67974 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:24 am to
What happens in the coming weeks and months is critical. If chaos reigns in Venezuela, will we put boots on the ground?

We do know that de-baathification went to crap in Iraq, and the plan became untenable…
Posted by Lsupimp
Ersatz Amerika-97.6% phony & fake
Member since Nov 2003
85723 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:26 am to
Yep. And its quite a shock to the system to see an administration do something that is baldly and unapologetically in our own self-interest. Rubio expressed it best.
Posted by Sam Quint
Member since Sep 2022
8209 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:27 am to
i myself dabbled in libertarianism. not in Nam of course.
Posted by AUCom96
Alabama
Member since May 2020
6679 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:38 am to
quote:

2. We have a right to protect ourselves and solidify or defenses in our own hemisphere

The Monroe Doctrine isn't some imperialist idea. If a hostile foreign power starts building a military base in the Caribbean or South America, that’s basically in the U.S.’s front yard. It makes the country a lot more vulnerable to things like invasion pressure or blockades.


Just remember, though, that the sliding scale of executive enthusiasm over what constitutes a MILITARY threat or not also applies to Americans and the same tactics will be employed. We have too much of a degree of that as it is and the champions of things like limiting free speech, assembly, ramrodding over privacy rights... they'll do it under this new banner of global stratego just as readily as they did when it was Bush and with us or against us terrorism.
Posted by LittleJerrySeinfield
350,000 Post Karma
Member since Aug 2013
10543 posts
Posted on 1/8/26 at 9:40 am to
Libertarianism really only works within a nationalist framework.

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