Why Does Atheism and Left-Wing Politics Usually Go Together?

[popeyespappy]

On a other note.
Am I wrong with my assumtion that libertarians propose the abolishment of all social services and security nets provided by a goverment?

On security nets and social services:
You're right in that there is opposition to most of what government does including welfare, but the proposed solutions for welfare and social services are often more sophisticated than simply 'abolish all of it'. After all, what is to be done with people who have paid into it their whole lives and are now dependant on it? What about children? Those who enter adulthood with severe illnesses? I believe Ron Paul was talking about wanting to allow people to opt out of social security, rather than simply 'abolishing all of it'.

Certainly, the more extreme you get, the more of government you would want to cut, I understand 'Minarchy' to be pretty much just national defence as well as law and order. It's pretty much as far as you can go (except for anarcho-capitalism, they are the ones who want rid of all government), so yes, the minarchists would want to abolish it (perhaps not immediately though). But yeah, it would be a mistake to lump all the libertarians into one group and say they all want absolutely none of something. I'd say that all would want reductions (perhaps drastic reductions, depends on your point of view), and some would want to abolish (and of those, many would want a phasing out).

(Damn spell check keeps turning minarchist into monarchist =P)

No TGAC, you are not wrong in your assumption. At least as far as the US libertarian party is concerned. Their official party platform includes the following statement. "All persons are entitled to keep the fruits of their labor. We call for the repeal of the income tax, the abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service and all federal programs and services not required under the U.S. Constitution." I don’t know how familiar you are with the US Constitution, but there are not a lot of programs or services required by it. No social services and safety nets, no roads, no education, no NASA, no FAA, no FDA not a lot of anything is required by the constitution.

Interestingly enough though Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution gives congress the power to tax specifically to provide for the general welfare. (Read social programs and safety nets) The 16th amendment also specifically gives the federal government the authority to impose an income tax. As such I find the official US libertarian party platform contradictory in that it wants to use the Constitution to take away powers the same constitution grants to government.