RE: Libertarian atheists: part of the problem
December 8, 2013 at 12:15 pm
Oh look, another writer who has no idea what Libertarianism is.
Quote:The aphorism that libertarians are Republicans with bongs is just about spot-on.
Bullshit. What about gay rights, military spending, immigration, abortion, gambling, prostitution, corporatism, etc.?
Quote:Atheists who embrace libertarianism often do so because they believe a governing body represents the same kind of constructed authority they’ve escaped from in regards to religion. This makes sense if one is talking about a totalitarian regime, but our Jeffersonian democracy, despite its quirky flaws, is government by the people for the people, and it was the federal government that essentially built the great American middle-class, the envy of the world.
The point that Libertarians raise again and again is that the current "Jeffersonian democracy" is not a government by the people, for the people anymore, and it is the federal government who is destroying the middle class today through corporatism (where large corporations control those in government). It's not a totalitarian regime, but it is an authoritarian government.
Quote:Libertarianism will serve only to replace government with a feudal serf model, which is what corporations are pushing so hard to achieve.
The bullshit is strong with this one. This is what the Republicans want, not what the Libertarians want, but I suppose if you start out with the presumption that both are the same thing, your conclusion is going to be faulty.
Quote:With libertarianism, property is sacred; all governments are bad; capitalists are noble heroes; unions are evil; and the poor are pampered good-for-nothings.
Oh dear. Let's break this down:
"property is sacred" - No, property is property. It's important, it's owned by an individual (or individuals) and shouldn't be forcibly taken from someone, but it's not something that is worshiped in any way.
"all governments are bad" - No, and this should be mindbogglingly obvious seeing as there is a Libertarian party and Libertarian candidates who are elected to positions in government. What Libertarians believe is that authoritarian governments are bad. In the same way that a Republican believes that a non-Republican government is bad, or a Democrat believes that a non-Democrat government is bad, a Libertarian believes that a non-Libertarian government is bad. It's that simple.
"capitalists are noble heroes" - No, because with all economic systems capitalism can be (and is) abused. However capitalism is seen by Libertarians as the best choice for an economic system that is fair and allows anyone to become prosperous if they work hard. We've seen the dangers of overbearing government-controlled economic systems before. They invariably lead to oppression.
"unions are evil" - Again, some of the behaviour of some unions is downright nasty, especially their treatment of workers who refuse to strike. Unions are a good thing generally, but they should not have ridiculous amounts of power.
"the poor are pampered good-for-nothings" - The poor are certainly not pampered, nor are they "good for nothings". The existence (and need for) unskilled labour demonstrates there is a definite need for them. Welfare itself is not a bad thing, but too much welfare has the danger of creating an environment where people prefer to live off welfare than seek prosperity through actual work. Lowering the level of regulation on small business would help in this regard, as currently it is far too hard for people with nothing (or almost nothing) to start a business themselves.
