Liberalism v Libertarianism
cobaltmale
Posts: 21,119 Forum Member
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I start this thread because the two can be confused but are hugely different,
Basicallly I think liberalism is letting people do what they want where doing what they want harms no-one
Libertarianism. to me, is just letting people do what they want (in their own state if necessary) .
Thoughts?
G
Basicallly I think liberalism is letting people do what they want where doing what they want harms no-one
Libertarianism. to me, is just letting people do what they want (in their own state if necessary) .
Thoughts?
G
0
Comments
That's Wicca.
Taken from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca
So I guess that Wiccans are mystical liberals
Mystical liberals...is that when you vote for them and they then turn into tories
You mean like kissing a toad and finding out that it was just a toad?
I guess it may well come from that tradition. Libertarianism certainly doesn't. It's almost a 'survival of the fittest" with guns.
G
What we know as 'Libertarianism' today used to be defined as 'classical liberalism'. The two are very distinct although both are motivated by a mutual ethic.
The most conspicuous differences are the levels of freedom both of the ideologies profess. Libertarianism believes in legalising all actions that do not directly infringe upon the liberties and Human Rights of another. The political ideology advocates freedoms to do pretty much whatever one wants to themselves (within the boundaries as I already have listed) without state intrusion.
Liberalism is considered to be a very mild and centrist form of Libertarianism which has gone through considerable changes over the last few centuries. Some political professors now deem the term 'liberalism' obsolete in Britain because of how distinct it now is from it's ideological foundation. Both 'Liberalism' and 'Libertarianism' have extremely dissimilar economic policies also. In liberalism. certain socialised programs are advocated such as universal healthcare, free education, libraries, museums etc funded by taxes. Libertarianism asserts a role back of Government which generally means the disbandment of socialised programs such as those listed.
It is suggested that America was initially founded on Libertarianism (or classic liberalism) but as anyone can see, the Country has alternated and instilled socialised programs, intrusive governmental conduct, rather steep taxes etc.
maybe I should have added v anarchism?
G
G
Libertarians are often accused of being anarchists or asked what the difference is between a libertarian and an anarchist. The popular image of anarchy is unrestrained violence and looting. Libertarians take a stronger stand against violence and looting than any other political group including republicans and democrats. The early history of the United States with its severely limited government was strongly libertarian and completely different from this image of anarchy.
The misunderstanding on this issue comes from the ideal state of peace and productivity with no government interference imagined by many libertarians who forget that we are the only ones who can imagine it. In a libertarian society the evolution of voluntary institutions providing the few remaining government services might lead to the gradual elimination of government but this scenario is completely beyond the imagination of the general public and it harms our cause to confront them with such a startling vision.
Here is a menu of answers to the question:
What's the difference between libertarians and anarchists?
The traditional answer
Libertarians want severely limited government and anarchists want none.
The humanist answer
Libertarians are nonviolent; some anarchists are violent.
The funny answer
Libertarians are to anarchists as nudists are to naked people.They're just middle class & organized so they appear less crazy.
The Party answer (from Andre Marrou)
An anarchist is an extreme libertarian, like a socialist is an extreme democrat, and a fascist is an extreme republican.
The graphic answer
It's like the difference between a lover and a rapist.They're both in the same place but one uses violence to get there.
The straight answer
Libertarians believe in free markets, private property, and capitalism. Anarchists who believe in these things usually call themselves libertarians.
Noam Chomsky's account on Libertarianism and Anarchism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDHBvQRyOr0
I'm a libertarian and I for one support universal healthcare, public education and the like, I just don't think government should be the one running them. I'm convinced I'm not a minority among libertarians in that view.
In fact, the most traditional form of Libertarianism can be defined as socialised anarchism. What we know as Libertarianism today is rather distinct from its founding meaning.