Human Nature

[AFTT47]

I was a capital L Libertarian for 20 years, but it requires a faith in human nature that I just don't have anymore.

I've never been able to understand Libertarianism. It goes way beyond the optimism of Secular Humanism. Secular Humanism assumes a general good nature which overshadows our bad. It assumes progress is possible, that future society should become more just. But it acknowledges limitations. The Libertarian ideal that everyone will do the right thing without oversight - even when there is great incentive to do the exact opposite - is just crazy unrealistic.

Maybe it would work in a world without scarcity. Afterall, it's easy to be a saint in paradise. It's quite a bit harder in the real world.