Libertarian Plan to Take Over State Government

[JPhillips]

Interesting plan to take over a state government and repeal drug, prostitution, gun laws ect. and privatize almost everything. I'm not sure 20,000 is enough and definately not sure you can find 20,000 that will actually move, but it would be very interesting to see happen.

Free State Project

[Fritz]

20,000 people would show up and decide there are republican libertarians and democrat libertarians

[clintl]

A few years ago, at a science fiction convention, a well-known science fiction writer told me that we are all libertarians, but some people are happy libertarians and some are unhappy libertarians.

[tucker342]

Originally posted by Fritz
20,000 people would show up and decide there are republican libertarians and democrat libertarians

haha, that's funny

[tucker342]

dola-

and the democrat ones would be better

[AgPete]

If it's anything like the Libertarian meetings I used to attend, a state legislature run by Libertarians would make for great conversations about political theories but in the end, nothing practical would ever come out of it.

[astralhaze]

Libertarian philosophy in practice is as much of a pipe dream as anarchism in practice. Both would be complete disasters.

[sabotai]

"Libertarian philosophy in practice is as much of a pipe dream as anarchism in practice. Both would be complete disasters."

Funny, I think the same way about republican and democratic 'philosophies'.

*looks around*

Look at that, I was right.

[Fritz]

Originally posted by AgPete
If it's anything like the Libertarian meetings I used to attend, a state legislature run by Libertarians would make for great conversations about political theories but in the end, nothing practical would ever come out of it.

much like socialism

[sabotai]

In no way can a discussion on socialism ever be considered a 'great conversation about political theories'. The closest way to discribe a discussion on socialism would probably be 'waste of time' or better yet, 'less productive than shoving spoons in our asses.'

[Ryche]

Not going to happen. Wyoming, the smallest state, had 210,000 people vote in the presidential election. 20,000 people added to that might be able to tilt an election, but they definitely couldn't get a third party candidate elected. Maybe they could get a few legislators elected if they all move to the same place, but where will 20,000 people find jobs in such small states, especially when you are going to slash government and eliminate numerous jobs that way?

Okay, I put way more thought into this than was warrented.

[sabotai]

Ryche, you are thinking on a national level. What they are talking about is local, regional and state level. Voting in mayors, state senators, etc. Not presidents and congressman.

[astralhaze]

Honestly, I kind of hope that it works. Libertarianism in action. It would be such a complete and utter failure that I doubt anyone could ever take it serious again. Of course, there are still Leninists running around so maybe not.

[sabotai]

"It would be such a complete and utter failure that I doubt anyone could ever take it serious again."

You'd think that, but after seeing how screwed up the liberals have made this nation, people still support them...

[astralhaze]

Originally posted by sabotai
"It would be such a complete and utter failure that I doubt anyone could ever take it serious again."

You'd think that, but after seeing how screwed up the liberals have made this nation, people still support them...

LOL

Yup, the republicans have absolutely nothing to do with any of it. Come on.

[sabotai]

Liberals and conservatives screw things up in their own special ways. It's like Lewis Black says.

"How do you tell the difference between a republican and democrat? A republican sucks, a democrat blows!"

[Tekneek]

Originally posted by astralhaze
Honestly, I kind of hope that it works. Libertarianism in action. It would be such a complete and utter failure that I doubt anyone could ever take it serious again. Of course, there are still Leninists running around so maybe not.

Can you elaborate, with detail, how and why it would be a complete failure?

[astralhaze]

Originally posted by Tekneek
Can you elaborate, with detail, how and why it would be a complete failure?

Well, I can give it a shot.

The libertarian philosophy espouses that the government should do absolutely nothing that is not explicitly provided for in the constitution. Ok, so goodbye to roads, public education, public subsidy of business interests (which is the only thing that keeps out economy afloat), unemployment pay, welfare, and countless other things we rely on for a functioning society. What you would have would be a society built on complete selfishness. If you don't have a job, you are just screwed. Need food? Tough. Can't make rent? Tough. Want to send your kids to school? Tough. I can't even believe it is taken seriously.

While the standard story is that America is succesful because of our commitment to free market capitalism, this is simply not true. It was true up until the great depression which pretty much proved once and for all that pure capitalism just doesn't work. Every nation in the world had to come up with some way to get out of it. Our country came up with the Pentagon system of state subsidised industry. If libertarian philosophy were put in to action, this would end. The economy would become pure capitalist and would collapse. History has proven this. Every succesful economy in the world has state subsidy of industry in one form or another.