Posted on 01/12/2003 9:15:48 PM PST by Sparta
I've been reading posts by people who use the term Conservative and others who use the term Libertarian. I have a question for all FReepers, is there a difference between the two?
Oh yea, You'll soon find out some Conservatives feel the same about you Libertarians.
That is their ugly naked obsession.
Fuzzy pleas for "liberty" and "personal responsibility" is the fig leaf that covers their ugly nakedness.
For about the 427th time, believing that an activity should not be a crime does not equate to approving of that activity.
At some point a Conservative will call for intervention by the state whereas a Libertarian will not.
Usually this is with regard to social issues, abortion, drugs, prostitution.. Typically some type of prohbition.
It is when it comes to social issues that the really significant differences emerge. Libertarians are rooted in a philosophy of maximal individual liberty of all types, and thus (at least speaking of the most ideological purists) tend to favor minimal governmental controls on any and all types of social behavior, regardless of the consequences that may have for society as a whole. Conservatives, on the other hand, tend to have an organic view of society rooted in the philosophy of Edmund Burke, and thus tend to be more concerned with conserving the health and well being of society as a whole, including all of its intermediating institutions like families and churches. Thus, conservatives are more open to some governmental regulation of society when there is a compelling reason to do so, and when it does not run too roughshod upon the rights of individuals. Thus, for example, most (but not all) conservatives tend to line up pretty strongly for the pro-life and anti-drug camp, whereas you will see many (but not all) libertarians take the opposite view.
L
Do you believe bigoted speech should be a crime? If not, does that make you a racist?
Libertarians do not vote in a matter that furthers the conservative cause.
For example in my state (Washington) we would have Slade Gorton (R) for a Senator if it were not for the Libertarian candidates being just successful enough to cause Maria Cantwell to win in 2000.
The Libertarians would argue that Gorton was not a conservative anyway and that there were other factors (and there were I am sure)but any way it lead to the jumping Jeffords incident and the rise of Tom Dashole to the Senate Majority position.
Most Libertarians here are pro-life(like yours truly)
by Sparta
I've never seen a libertarian actually say they were for drug use. I consider myself a libertarian and I don't use drugs(legal or illegal).
by Sparta
I'm a registered Republican. I would be a member of the RLC but Louisiana doesn't have a chapter. I would never register as Libertarian for many reasons.
Then I would say your answer is that Libertarians are a little confused.
This is exactly what happens in every conservative vs. Libertarian discussion. Whatever one Libertarian says they stand for, another finds a way to qualify it and say it doesn't really represent Libertarian beliefs. As the old joke goes, when two Libertarians actually agree on a position, they accuse each other of selling out.
The defining issue for me (although there are many others like drugs) is immigration. No matter how you slice it Libertarians favor open borders. I don't. I'm an American nationalist and Libertarians aren't. They're laissez-faire to the max, and national interests be damned. Unfortunately, a lot of politicians who call themselves "conservative" these days are sounding pretty Libertarian.
As to FR Libertarians, most, but not all of them tend to completely disagree with the vast majority of the LP's platform, candidate for president ( as well as some of those running for other elected offices ) , and stance on the war on terror. That makes little sense ! If a party doesn't speak for one, why call one's self / be affiliated with that party ?
Many libertarians and Libertarians would not want the government to change all the way to the positions their party advocates, but believe that something that was halfway between the liberals' position and that would be better than something that's halfway between the Democrats' and RINOs' positions.
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