Libertarian Purity Test

[voodoo]

There already are private firefighters.

...and private roads and private arbitration.

[Taors]

There already are private firefighters.

...and private roads and private arbitration.

Yeah, but nobody really cares about that.

[voodoo]

There already are private firefighters.

...and private roads and private arbitration.

Yeah, but nobody really cares about that.

Because it's just moonbat crazy!

[Taors]

There already are private firefighters.

...and private roads and private arbitration.

Yeah, but nobody really cares about that.

Because it's just moonbat crazy!

[freeAgent]

51 - medium core libertarian.

Yeah, so sue me.

I see some limited government as a necessary evil, but want them to just butt out my, yours, and everybody else's busines while reducing taxes as much as possible, and cutting spending to only the bare necessities.   A goverment that doesnt' feel the need to spy on it's citizens or maintain a global military empire far beyond what is strategically necessary to maintain peace. 

Legalized drugs, prostitution, gambling, and guns?  Have at it!  Just don't put anybody else in danger.

Private roads, private courts, private military, private police & fire fighters?  Now that's just moonbat crazy.

I don't fully agree with the absolute, dogmatic, anarchic Libertarians.  But I still appreciate them as a balance of ideas, because there's a lot of Socialists, Communists, and Facists tugging on the rope at the other side.

Join the medium-core libertarian club.  75 here.  All you people are crazy

[Beef Supreme]

Private roads, private courts, private military, private police & fire fighters?  Now that's just moonbat crazy.

Why?  What can government, a group of people, voted for by people, do for people what other people cannot do for people?

Because when you make crime & war a private, for-profit, industry, you tend to see a lot more of it.   See Eisenhower's "Military-Industrial-Complex" for details.  The military is privatized enough as it is already, with huge money being made by defense contractors who hold a lot of sway over what the military does.  We wouldn't have anywhere near the Empire or wars we do now if there wasn't so much money to be made in it. 

And when you privatize police, they'll be even more incentivized to find crimes to punish than now, and an erosion of your liberties far beyond what we have now.  You want legalized drugs?  It'll never happen, ever, with a privatized police force when there's money to be made kicking in your doors to steal your plants and put your ass in prison.

Private courts?  How does that work? The guy with the deepest pockets wins? This one seems awfully susceptible to corruption.  Like what we see in these third-world nations where there is little, if any, government to speak of, only bribery.
This is one area I don't want to mess with.  A jury of your peers should decide the law.  Not $$$.

Other than the odd on-ramp or bridge, private roads, by and large, are an impossible dream anyway.   I think the best way to deal with that issue is to pay for the roads ONLY with fees collected from car owners when you register a car, or buy gas.  Non-car owners shouldn't be expected to pay for the roads, just like I don't want my tax dollars going to fund a public rail system I would
never use.

A lot of hard-core libertarians spout off against One-Size-Fits-All solutions, and Zero-Tolerance policies. 
But isn't a complete, anti-government mindset on every issue just another One-Size-Fits-All solution?

[wtfk]

All that, and you didn't answer the question.  A service doesn't suddenly become magic just because it has the force of government behind it.  In fact, it tends to turn to shit.

[Beef Supreme]

I absolutley answered your question.

You just didn't accept the answer.

And yes, I know there's private arbitration, private firefighters, private roads, and private security.   And that's fine.

But across all of society, it's a terrible idea.   

[wtfk]

I absolutley answered your question.

You just didn't accept the answer.

And yes, I know there's private arbitration, private firefighters, private roads, and private security.   And that's fine.

But across all of society, it's a terrible idea.   

No you didn't.  You prattled on with the typical collectivist bullshit.

What can government, a group of people, voted for by people, do for people what other people cannot do for people?

[Andy]

Goddamn it, Beef Supreme, Free Agent, you've stolen my position as the most unprincipled person here.

[wtfk]

...and I'll add, that you (Beef Supreme) made a splendid argument against fascism.  (FAIL)

[voodoo]

I absolutley answered your question.

You just didn't accept the answer.

And yes, I know there's private arbitration, private firefighters, private roads, and private security.   And that's fine.

But across all of society, it's a terrible idea.   

No you didn't.  You prattled on with the typical collectivist bullshit.

What can government, a group of people, voted for by people, do for people what other people cannot do for people?

I know!  I know!

They can do it really shitty with no repercussions!

[Beef Supreme]

All that, and you didn't answer the question.  A service doesn't suddenly become magic just because it has the force of government behind it.  In fact, it tends to turn to shit.

I understand that, and largely agree with you.

I would love to have the government out of business, the economy, and education.

But where things like Law & Order are involved, turning over the keys to a system where the main incentive is profit is a recipe for more violations of your rights than you can ever dream of.  You'd be opening up one helluva pandoras box. Unless of course, you have enough money to own the system. 

You'll be trading Government Tyranny for Corporate Tyranny, where only money matters.

[wtfk]

Okay, so you can't answer the question.  No shame in that.  No one can.  The shame is in attempting to justify the government anyway.

This is the question that always exposes the lie:

What can government, a group of people, voted for by people, do for people what other people cannot do for people?

Commit it to memory.

[Beef Supreme]

Sounds like Dogma to me.

Put down the kool-aid.