I think I'm getting delusional...

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Over the past day or so, I have become f*****g obsessed with reading libertarian stuff online. Normally, since I'm somewhat of an MSNBC-watching left-winger, I would've just ignored this, but I've read so much stuff, I think it's starting to seep into my brain. I've read so much stuff from crazies like BlameThe1st, I'm now fearing that practically nearly everything I've liked has a libertarian bent to them. (Now that's what I call a conspiracy theory.)

And to be frank, I don't want this to happen to me.

So, what I'm asking is, what is your brutally honest opinion of libertarianism and/or Ron Paul (because hey, he's the most popular of them)?

Be glad that you're freeing your mind from the BS the MSM calls "news."

Any ideology can be dangerous when taken to an extreme, but when one side keeps promoting lies which are later exposed as lies, you shouldn't take anything they say seriously. When any ideology has to make distorted or patently false attacks against another ideology in an attempt to make themselves look credible, they should be looked upon with suspicion.

The truth tends to stand out if you can tolerate wading through all the BS that's out there. Most people don't have the energy or time to do this...and that's why lies tend to win over the majority of people.

To put it in probably overly simplistic terms, libertarian conservatives see the troubles of others but could care less if it isn't them, while liberals tend to care that such troubles shouldn't happen to anyone.
Rand Paul, I personally think, is way too cozy with white supremacists, has been hostile to civil rights, and is entangled in unprovable conspiracy theories.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_ ... h_brothers

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwQEgOKEEXI[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB9rp_SAp2U[/youtube]

You can't look at "libertarianism" in a vacuum without comparing it to the alternatives, you can't say "X politician believes this therefor it's all bad" you have to look at the bigger picture. Why would anybody trust "mainstream" of the Republican or Democratic parties? They're two sides of the same coin, at least that's how I see it. Do you trust government? One has to realize that there is no "good" government, it doesn't matter who is in power since there will be always corrupting influences and it will be under siege by their special interests that aren't your own. How can your voice compete with the elites? It's ludicrous to think that any amount of rules and regulations could change that. The problem is government power itself, no matter what structural changes it make it all leads back to the same place. I suppose you can say government a necessary evil but one forget that is still evil, you have to be constantly on guard for it to overstep its boundaries. There scrutiny on every little thing that government does.

The problem with politics in America is that we're divided in team red and team blue, people think they're divided on ideology but reality is most people are just ignorant frontrunners being manipulated by those seeking power. How can all these Obama supporters defend him when supposedly the core of his election campaign were anti-war and pro-civil liberties? How can any supposed fiscal conservative support someone like George Bush who spent than any president before him and created a massive increase in government bureaucracy? They defend them because that's their team, they just think can't think critically. Now I suppose these people could say that they're not looking it in a vacuum either, they've gotten so fearful of the other side that they have to tolerate all the BS their own side perpetrates even if it is almost exactly the same. What's wrong is wrong and what's right is right, it doesn't change by who is office to me. I wouldn't excuse or ignore evilness coming from someone I support because what is even the point then of supporting anyone? Obviously we all have to pick our hill to die on, what really matters? Personally I believe in the the protection of our natural rights and the maximum amount of freedom.

People nit pick certain issues, the biggest with libertarianism is the welfare state and I think it is an understandable worry and that's a societal discussion that should be had but I don't think the disagreement there should mean you throw the baby out with the bathwater, why does supporting welfare on some levels mean you wholly throw your support behind the police state? I guess that's what dependence does to you.

My suggestion is to stop watching MSNBC or any cable news network, they're all opinion dominated propaganda outlets. Looks at the facts and think for yourself. I think that's the problem you're having, you're stuck in this partisan mindset where one can't support the good the other side has to offer and tolerate the crap your team gives you.

^^^
As far as protection of natural rights is concerned - the founders realized that anarchy would protect nothing, and so devised a system of centralized government where those very natural rights you cherish only could be protected. Without said government, it wouldn't be long till the majority took away the rights from unpopular minorities, and the corporate elites, who would be holding all of the power, would be the only ones calling the shots. By the way, without government, property rights would mean absolutely nothing. Who but the government allows for you to peaceably keep your property? Otherwise, you would be guarding your house or car 24/7 with gun in hand for fear of someone stronger coming to take them.

The only natural right is the right to live or die according to the law of the jungle. Of course anarchy protects it

Libertarians= Liberty. Liberty is hard glass to swallow for those who are use to a nanny state. As Mr. Chomsky notes in the video, "it is savagery" for people to have the liberty to die. People like Mr. Chomsky tend to believe a nanny state must exist that cares for people because people are "sheeple" (sheep people).

I argue that the nanny state is a fallacy. The people assuming power over you don't care anymore about you than the "evil corporations" that he talks about.