Category Archives: Libertarianism

Ron Manners on his unusual path to libertarianism, writing publications, fighting bureaucracy
after school "When I was I think about sixteen, after high-school, I was working in my father #39;s engineering business and I was unpacking some big crates tha...

By: Joyce Green

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Ron Manners on his unusual path to libertarianism, writing publications, & fighting bureaucracy - Video

What Is Libertarianism?

There are many ways of saying the same thing, and libertarians often have unique ways of answering the question What is libertarianism? Weve asked many libertarians that question, and below are some of our favorite definitions.

Libertarianism is, as the name implies, the belief in liberty. Libertarians believe that each person owns his own life and property and has the right to make his own choices as to how he lives his life and uses his property as long as he simply respects the equal right of others to do the same. Sharon Harris, President, Advocates for Self-Government

The CATO Insistutes David Boaz

Libertarianism is the view that each person has the right to live his life in any way he chooses so long as he respects the equal rights of others. Libertarians defend each persons right to life, liberty, and property rights that people possess naturally, before governments are created. In the libertarian view, all human relationships should voluntary; the only actions that should be forbidden by law are those that involve the initiation of force against those who have themselves used force actions like murder, rape, robbery, kidnapping, and fraud. David Boaz, Executive Vice President, Cato Institute

Libertarianism is a philosophy. The basic premise of libertarianism is that each individual should be free to do as he or she pleases so long as he or she does not harm others. In the libertarian view, societies and governments infringe on individual liberties whenever they tax wealth, create penalties for victimless crimes, or otherwise attempt to control or regulate individual conduct which harms or benefits no one except the individual who engages in it. definition written by theU.S. Internal Revenue Service, during the process of granting theAdvocates for Self-Governmentstatus as a nonprofit educational organization

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Definitions of Libertarianism - The Advocates for Self ...

The New York Times Magazine recentlywondered at lengthif the long-prophecied Libertarian Moment had finally arrived. Why, just look at the prevailing attitudes in America: openness to same-sex marriage and liberalization of drug laws, aversion to long-term overseas military deployments (wars), and um Obama is unpopular so people hate government regulation now, maybe? Sure. Well, no. As we wrote, libertarianism as a package is going to be a hard sell to the public as long as it dismisses concerns over economic insecurity and insists upon dismantling the regulatory state and large social insurance programs. But hey, its great that libertarians and liberals have common ground on and are making headway in social and criminal justice policy.

Who would be the foot soldiers in this Libertarian Moment thats not really arriving? The usual, well-funded thinkers that have given the movement a disproportionately large voice within debates in Washington, D.C., for decades Reason magazine, the Cato Institute along with a few MTV VJs from the 90s. Also: Rand Paul! Rand Paul is the son of a libertarian and is sort of a libertarian himself and is going to be the next president, after all. And then America will finally be the sexy free-market rock n roll paradise of libertarians imagination. There is a plan, folks.

But any political movement is going to need more than just a few magazines and think tanks and a scion whose political future depends on the extent to which hes willing to water down his libertarianism. Meaning: Libertarianism needs a lot more libertarians. If libertarianism is going to be the wave of the future, a significant portion of the American populace should a) know what libertarianism is and then b) subscribe to it.

Right now that portion is 11 percent not nothing, but also 11 percent. Thats the figure according to Pew of Americans who both say they are libertarian and know the definition of the term.

Youd expect, then, that those who know what libertarianism is and call themselves libertarians would be broadly in favor of the whole ideological package: social liberalism, for lack of a better term, anti-police state, anti-interventionist, and hella anti-economic regulation and so forth small government, all around.

Thats not necessarily the case among those 11 percent, Pew finds. The 11 percent are, indeed, more likely than the public overall to say government aid to the poor does more harm than good by making people too dependent on government assistance, and somewhat more likely than the public overall to say government regulation of business does more harm than good.Theyre also more likely than the public overall to support legalizing marijuana.

But on cops and foreign policy? Self-identified libertarians-who-generally-know-what-libertarianism-is are a little more supportive than the public overall of letting police do whatever the hell they want and bombing everyone all the time (although the foreign policy question is spectacularly vague):

And they are about as likely as others to favor allowing the police to stop and search anyone who fits the general description of a crime suspect (42% of libertarians, 41% of the public).

Similarly, self-described libertarians do not differ a great deal from the public in opinions about foreign policy. Libertarianism is generally associated with a less activist foreign policy, yet a greater share of self-described libertarians (43%) than the public (35%) think it is best for the future of our country to be active in world affairs.

Pew ran another math-y thing to figure out which cluster, or political type, these self-identified libertarians are most closely aligned with. Youll never guess which cluster came out on top! It rhymes with Schmusiness Schmonservatives.

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Libertarians true identity revealed: Rich conservatives OK with gay people, basically

The "Thin vs. Thick Libertarianism" Edition - School of Anarchy Podcast
On this edition Andy and Aaron discuss the ongoing thin vs. thick libertarianism debate.

By: curmudgeonsnet

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The "Thin vs. Thick Libertarianism" Edition - School of Anarchy Podcast - Video

Just what is Libertarianism?

By: Zach Parks

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Just what is Libertarianism? - Video

Michael Huemer - Defending Libertarianism: The Common Sense Approach - PorcFest X
Etiquette Panel: Common Sense, NAP Group Dynamics - PorcFest X We volunteered our time to produce this video. If you find it valuable, please donate Bi...

By: Etiquette Lesson

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Michael Huemer - Defending Libertarianism: The Common Sense Approach - PorcFest X - Video

Rick Santorum Shows Ignorance Towards Libertarianism
Rick Santorum represents a declining breed of politicians on the religious right who want to regulate morality based on their religious teachings from their ...

By: LibertarianUniverse

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Rick Santorum Shows Ignorance Towards Libertarianism - Video

Jan Lester "A Critical Commentary on the Zwolinski 2013 "Libertarianism and Liberty""
On Tuesday 20th May 2014, Jan Lester gave a talk on "A Critical Commentary on the Zwolinski 2013 "Libertarianism and Liberty" Essays on libertarianism.org" t...

By: LibertarianAlliance

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Jan Lester "A Critical Commentary on the Zwolinski 2013 "Libertarianism and Liberty"" - Video

My name is Keen Umbehr and I am the Libertarian Candidate for Governor in 2014. Presumably, my opponents will be Governor Sam Brownback and House minority leader Paul Davis.

In this post, I will explain what Libertarians believe and then what kind of Libertarian I am.

The short answer for what a libertarian believes is this: Dont hit people and dont take their stuff. It kind of sounds like the golden rule, but there it is.

The long answer of what Libertarians support includes the following:

1. Personal and economic freedom for all citizens; 2. Respect for the property rights of others; 3. Equal treatment for all citizens regardless of race, creed, etc.; 4. Private giving to help those in need; 5. Robust national defense and non-interventionist foreign policy; 6. Privacy and civil liberties are a natural right; 7. Individual freedom and personal responsibility; 8. Support for choice in a market-based educational system; 9. Trusting free citizens to manage their own life and maximize happiness.

These Libertarian views, as well as the Republican and Democratic principles, can be expanded beyond their reasonable limits. However, the purpose of all political viewpoints must be understood in the context of running a government.

As for my personal Libertarian ethos:

1. I am a fiscally conservative therefore I believe that State government has grown too large, has assumed too large of role in our daily lives; and with few exceptions, every new law passed by the Kansas Legislature degrades more of our freedom and liberty. 2. I am a strict constitutionalist therefore I am committed to protecting the civil liberties of every Kansas citizens. (See Board of County Commissioners, Wabaunsee County v. Umbehr, 518 U.S. 668.) 3. I believe that the current income tax plan that grants 191,000 business owners a zero income tax rate while at the same time forcing 1,320,920 W-2 wage earners to pay all the income tax is unfair, inequitable and discriminatory. I advocate granting all Kansas citizens a zero income tax rate. This legislation must be passed in the 2015 Kansas legislative secession. 4. In regards to education, I believe every Kansas student deserves the best education we can provide them; therefore I support legislation wherein the $12,500 in state and federal education funds apportioned to each student should follow the student not the building. I support home schools, private schoosl, church run schools, military schools and functioning public schools. I oppose Common Core and I would have vetoed the education bill signed by the Governor. 5. I believe in Government accountability and transparency. The KOMA and KORA statutes need to be amended so that if a Plaintiff wins a case against a government agency, the defending agency must be ordered to pay the Plaintiffs attorney fees. 6. I believe in free market principles and therefore believe in direct primary health care.

I have been married to Eileen Umbehr for 36 years, have four grown sons; was a trashman for 17 years; at the age of 40, went to college (KSU) with my son, Josh, and received a Political Science degree; graduated from Washburn Law School in 2005 and have been a practicing lawyer for 8 years in Alma, Kansas.

My Lt. Governor is my son, Dr. Josh Umbehr. Check out his website at http://www.atlas.md/wichita and you will see why I chose him.

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Letter: Give Libertarians a look

Walter Block: Rand, Rothbard, and Thick Libertarianism
This is Kyle Platt with Liberty.me, and I don #39;t know that I have ever been as excited to bring you a video. In this session, I spoke with Professor Walter Block about the time he spent with...

By: Liberty.me

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Walter Block: Rand, Rothbard, and Thick Libertarianism - Video