The Divine Tiberius Will Hate This....

[Minimalist]

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

[Foxaèr]

I saw this and I thought of the conversation the two of you had going on over Libertarianism.

[Darth]

It's /aɪn rænd/! RWAR!!!

Blasting? Meh.

[Something completely different]

That is just an american phenomenon.

Those in Europe atualy make sence.

with the exception of those in the UK, who see themselves as the 51st state of the US or believe that the Empire still exists.

[CapnAwesome]

Ron Paul (right or wrong) has said the same shit for most of Bill Maher's life. Its pretty far fetched to say that he's changed libertarianism. Bill Maher just clung to the libertarian label because he didn't want to call himself a liberal. Bill Maher is so politically uninformed and smug at the same time. Somewhere along the way it morphed? I don't think he really knows the history of libertarianism. It's just some shiny label he heard and decided to call himself that without really knowing anything about it.

The only thing that's accurate in his whole dialog is that Atlas Shrugged is mind numbingly boring. Only the bible rivals Atlas Shrugged in terms of pure boringness.

[catfish]

Ron Paul (right or wrong) has said the same shit for most of Bill Maher's life. Its pretty far fetched to say that he's changed libertarianism. Bill Maher just clung to the libertarian label because he didn't want to call himself a liberal. Bill Maher is so politically uninformed and smug at the same time. Somewhere along the way it morphed? I don't think he really knows the history of libertarianism. It's just some shiny label he heard and decided to call himself that without really knowing anything about it.

The only thing that's accurate in his whole dialog is that Atlas Shrugged is mind numbingly boring. Only the bible rivals Atlas Shrugged in terms of pure boringness.

Bill Maher is a comedian, I've never seen him as anything more than that. Except now he says some pretty stupid things with all seriousness...
.

[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.

[Minimalist]

Which is why Johnson performed dismally. There are few actual libertarians. Which is why the rich ones bought the republican party.

Maher is inherently correct though. Years ago the libertarians were merely harmless crackpots. Now, with the Koch Brothers' money behind them and the religious right following orders, they have gotten dangerous.

[DeistPaladin]

with the exception of those in the UK, who see themselves as the 51st state of the US...

Given the way we treated them under the W Bush administration, I'm surprised they didn't dump Coca-Cola into the Themes.