The Divine Tiberius Will Hate This....

[Tiberius]

but Bill Maher blasted the shit out of Libertarians in New Rules.

I didn't hate it, mainly because he didn't blast the shit out of Libertarians.

Firstly, his opening graphic was Rand Paul, Paul Ryan, and Ron Paul. Only one of whom can accurately be called a Libertarian (hint: it's the third one...the one he never mentions in his speech).

Secondly, he seems to think that Libertarianism has only ever dealt with social issues, which is simply wrong. Libertarianism (and it's predecessor classical liberalism) have always held up the free market as the best economic system. If Bill Maher didn't want big government in his bedroom or medicine chest, but wanted government to have some control over the markets, he wasn't a Libertarian...he was a liberal, plain and simple.

Thirdly, whilst Ayn Rand has influenced Libertarians, her book was not some kind of catalyst for support of the free market in Libertarian ideology, which I said previously, already existed. Indeed, some of her social views are entirely incompatible with Libertarianism, such as her view of ethics, which states that an individual should "exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself". This goes against the Libertarian ideal of charity existing to help the unfortunate, rather than depending on government.

I've posted recently about libertarian "pretenders" in America. Looks like Bill Maher should also be added to that list. If you want to argue against Libertarianism, argue against Libertarianism. Don't argue against Rand Paulism or Paul Ryanism and call it Libertarianism. You'll end up arguing a strawman.

You know who most actual Libertarians voted for in the presidential election, of which Paul Ryan was a candidate for Vice President? Gary Johnson, of the Libertarian Party.