The idea of "Libertopia" that you're giving off there sounds a lot like complete anarchy, which I do not advocate. Many anarchists may consider themselves Libertarians, but not all Libertarians are anarchists.
I think the objectivist libertarians are so overboard that their "plan" to privatize
everything is basically anarchy.
I do understand that many self proclaimed libertarians are basically sane, Kevin.
But anyone who thinks Ayn Rand was a scocial visionary, standing for something new is a damned fool. That woman was a feudalist,
an ANTI-democrat.
The core of my beliefs are that the federal government must begin to work within it's Constitutional restraints, which are, as you know, a matter of debate themselves.
You mean like the supreme court ruling calling capital free-speech?
How about the supreme court ruling granting corporations the same rights as citizens?
Both interpretations are actually SO ANTI-DEMOCRATIC (and anit free market, too) that they are destroying this nation, in my
never humble opinion
Agreed. I don't share your reverence for the Constitution. I think the basic structure of the government is sound.
In my opinion, this means that the Constitution must be taken as it is. Absolutely no trying to squeeze out what meanings may be found to fit any politician's needs, but exactly what was meant by the founders when it was written.
The constitution was vaguely written in many cases ON PURPOSE. Good luck with that so long as people keep electing
either republican or democrats elites.
I agree with Ron Paul when he says that the Constitution is not perfect, but it's still very good. If we find that the Constitution is lacking in a certain area, then we are always free to amend it.
No argument with me on that score.
Here are a few other ideas that I agree with.
Non-Interventionism:
Many on this board have followed John McCain's lead, and called this philosophy "isolationism." This is ridiculous. Non-Interventionism promotes free trade with all, and diplomacy with all. George W. Bush ran on this policy in 2000, but foolishly abandoned it after 9/11. He criticized the Clinton administration for nation building and policing the world, and he now does it on a much larger scale. We have to immediately end the "War on Terror." It's an endless and un-winnable war against ill defined enemies. This war is bankrupting our nation, and we're losing our soldiers. It's time to pull out of Iraq, pull out of Afghanistan, and bring our troops home from the rest of the world as well. It's also time to stop our hostility towards Iran, stop our economic and military aid towards Israel, and begin to foster diplomacy between the two of them.
America has become an imperialist power. I think we ought to get out of the impearialism business, but we don't because the CORPORATIONS (which basically own congress_ benefit from these imperialistic wars, while the CITIZENS pay for them in blood and gold.
Economics:
You know where I stand on sound money and abolishing the Fed, and I doubt we'll come to an agreement on that anytime soon.
Odd that you say that given that I have been suggesting that we completely change the way we issue currency just as Ron Paul has.
Where Ron and I disagree is that we cannot go on a gold standard. that dog won't hunt in a modern society.
But for starters, the Fed must stop inflating our money and they need to realize that the free market is better suited to handle our economic woes than they are.
The FED is an animal of the free market, Kevin.
It is not entity controlled by our GOVERNMENT. It is the entity which controls our goverment Don't you understand that, yet?
The FED is OWNED by PRIVATE banks (the so called free market) and it serves to protect that banking elite as you have
just witnessed with this so call "bail out".
Civil Liberties:
Repeal the Patriot Act and FISA Amendments immediately.
Grand idea. But the laws that actually take away our constitutional rights are in the
anti-drug and RICO laws.
I suspect you and I are closer
in spirit than you think.
Its merely the details were we disagree...for example what is the FED, and who runs it?
What is the "free market" and can it
really exist in the way you seem to think it can?
But what we BOTH want from any government is essantially the same thing, I think
I often find this similarity in philosophies with libertarians once I can get past the "you're a socialist and I love freedom and you don't" kneejerking madness that plagues these boards.
But I'll tell you one thing, Kevin.
What's wrong with this nation cannot be fixed with mere changes in the tax codes and a strict interpretation of the constitution either.
And the FREE market cannot fix it because there is not now nor can there ever really be a FREE market as long as the superwealthy can essantially OWN the government that makes the rules of the market and makes those rules to benefit CAPITAL at the expense of the CITIZENS.
There is no form of government less likely to grant you or I freedom that what is currently passing as the FREE MARKET (which I insist is really a SLAVE MARKET)
It's FREE MARKET forces (the SLAVE MARKET) which are making us an imperialistic power in foreign policies and a POLICE STATE in domestic policies, amigo.
They lie and lie and lies and they call what they do by very noble sounding words but when you look at the outcomes they all lead to imperialism, and oilgarchies controlled by BANKERS.
They just ripped us off for over a TRILLION dollars, amigo.
Who is they?
Those FREE MARKETEERS which are
privately owned banks.
