Barney Frank & the Health Care Idiots

[Tiberius]

I see no reason why Libertarianism is "doomed to fail" as you make out. All we want is a government that doesn't invade your private life, and sticks to looking after people in society.

[Minimalist]

Name me one "ism" that ever worked in its pure form?

[Tiberius]

That is irrelevant; the failure if other "isms" to work says nothing about the ability of Libertarianism (oh which I'm unaware of any country to implement at all) to work.

[Eilonnwy]

Ha, my buddy Zach just called me because he saw the woman in the video at a table on the Boston University campus. XD

[Violet]

It could fail in some situations. No system is perfect, but libertarianism is certainly a good system when it is done right (As one might expect in a meritocracy, or to a somewhat lesser extent: a democracy or republic).

Just so long as you don't go overboard with it.

[Edwardo Piet]

And that applies with all things of course, to not go overboard, the 'too much' principle...by definition!

I love the whole 'don't go overboard' thing because it reminds me of a sketch from my favourite sketch show. When Hugh Laurie says that 'too much' cigarettes are 'bad for you' and Stephen Fry replies with, 'Of course too much is bad for you. That's what too much means you blitering twat! Too much water would be bad for you. 'Too much' means precisely a quantity which is excesive. Jesus.' - to paraphrase somewhat
EvF

[Violet]

When on a fast moving ship, i would recommend you not go overboard. But really... liberty is great, but just to an extent, kinda like non-censorship.

[Edwardo Piet]

Especially if it's a fast moving spaceship!

I don't think you can have too much liberty in and of itself, just too much when what some people would use their total freedom for - can be at least potentially quite damaging for at least one other person (or themselves I guess)!

EvF

[Violet]

That is where i am referring to it being bad. And the government needs to either be a meritocracy with its populace armed according to its physically and mentally stable population... or the government needs to be involved enough (police and in some cases military) with its people that it has the power it requires to neutralize threats.

[Tiberius]

That is where i am referring to it being bad. And the government needs to either be a meritocracy with its populace armed according to its physically and mentally stable population... or the government needs to be involved enough (police and in some cases military) with its people that it has the power it requires to neutralize threats.

Indeed, which is why I'm a libertarian and not an anarchist. I like to think of libertarianism as "organised anarchy" in a way. People need a government to support the police force and the healthcare, all the necessary things for a society to function properly. They should stop when they are preventing people from exercising their individual liberties, and preventing people from earning as much as they want to support their family.