Random Thought
It has been said (by mostly liberals, and, often enough, conservatives) that libertarians offer no solutions to problems. I think this is true.
It has been said (mostly by libertarians) that libertarians accurately predict how government solutions will fail. I know this is true.
So, it’s likely there are no solutions to some problems.
But we must do something. For the children. Or something.
February 19th, 2013 at 11:52 pm
We can give the children an ice cream cone. Its a win-win.
February 20th, 2013 at 12:19 am
wait if there aren’t solutions, what will we spend new tax dollars on?
February 20th, 2013 at 12:27 am
not trying to solve every damn problem on earth with government intervention seems like a pretty good solution to me….
February 20th, 2013 at 12:54 am
The fallacy is the belief that there is a one size fits all solution to the problem. My take on libertarians is that they believe in individuals finding individual solutions to problems.There is also the issue of the belief that everyone or thing can and/or should be saved.Bad things sometimes happen to good people and good things sometimes happen to bad people.
February 20th, 2013 at 1:57 am
If only we could have the courage to do nothing. For the children.
February 20th, 2013 at 2:04 am
“Stop doing that” is a valid solution to many so-called “problems”.
February 20th, 2013 at 2:04 am
The problem is the government. Lets solve the greatest impediment to human advancement, the greatest cause of unnatural death, and the biggest waste ever witnessed.
February 20th, 2013 at 3:37 am
When someone demands your solutions, they are demanding that you solve their problems – that you do their thinking for them. Because that’s what politics is about, and what government is for.
They are counting on the implicit threat of labelling you “heartless” if you deploy what is the proper answer: “solve your own damn problems”.
Of course, that threat only works on those who accept the premise of unchosen moral obligations to others…
February 20th, 2013 at 10:06 am
“My take on libertarians is that they believe in individuals finding individual solutions to problems.”
Except we don’t, not entirely. We don’t believe in violent coercion. However, we have nothing against groups of individuals joining to get to get group solutions to problems.
“There is also the issue of the belief that everyone or thing can and/or should be saved.”
Not sure if you think we believe that, but that’s not a libertarian belief at all. Definitely a leftist belief though.
I think a lot of people think that libertarians believe that we think our system is a panacea, that it will be a utopia, that there aren’t other higher goals.
We believe libertarian is the highest *political* goal, not the highest *moral* goal. That’s an important distinction. It is not a perfect system, because humans are imperfect. There is not a good solution to every problem. Some people will still suffer, some people will be poor, some people will be injured or killed. However, all of those will be greatly reduced under a libertarian system.
I suppose its sort of correct to say we offer no solutions to problems, except to implement our system. Maybe its better to say we offer no political solutions, except following libertarianism. Because we believe giving the opportunity- individuals, and individuals organization as groups, will find the best solution on their own without violent coercion.
February 20th, 2013 at 10:10 am
To paraphrase Thomas Sowell, there ARE no “solutions” to problems – only tradeoffs. Only the Left believes in “solutions,” and when they implement one and get “unintended consequences” as a result, the reaction is “But they MEANT well!”
Let’s look at the War on (some) Drugs™ for example. If we were to end it today, would that “solve” the problems it has created? Hell no. We’d have a whole NEW set of problems. Does that mean it shouldn’t be ended? That depends on the cost-benefit analysis doesn’t it? But for the Left, most problems (poverty, injustice, inequality, gun violence, etc.) are “INTOLERABLE” – i.e., no cost-benefit analysis need be applied. If something – by definition – cannot be tolerated, then DOING SOMETHING! is the only way to go.
And when that “something” ends up making the situation worse, well, it was the intention that counted.
February 20th, 2013 at 10:45 am
Both groups have the same problem, they want to fix everything by cutting spending – on the other side’s people. To me, that means you’re missing the first point of fiscal responsibility – don’t spend more than you have. And if you can’t cut spending raise enough taxes to balance the budget. Maybe after a year or two people (including politicians) get the message and decide maybe they can cut spending on everybody, including their own clientele. But it’s so much easier to borrow it from our kids. By the time they realize how screwed they are the politicians are out of office and living of a guaranteed pension.
February 20th, 2013 at 10:59 am
The beauty of Federalism is that we /could/ be running 50 different solutions at the same time, converging on the ones that work. Instead we go the One Nation route …
February 20th, 2013 at 11:53 am
Why should the libertarians offer any solutions other than the one that they already give? I mean…most of the problems today have been caused by an incompetent overreaching government.
It’s not that libertarians offer no solutions. Its that people don’t agree with the solutions..for a variety of reasons.
So, the country will continue to prove that the definition insanity is a truism.
February 20th, 2013 at 1:04 pm
The reality is there ARE problems with no solutions.
February 20th, 2013 at 2:09 pm
““There is also the issue of the belief that everyone or thing can and/or should be saved.”
Not sure if you think we believe that, but that’s not a libertarian belief at all. Definitely a leftist belief though.”
Patrick,
Ben was offering that as a contrasting belief, thus an issue that has to be dealt with in the public mind before libertarian solutions can be tried.
February 20th, 2013 at 2:39 pm
There are some libertarian solutions to problems, mostly boiling down to “if Government didn’t have power over this, it wouldn’t be bribed or able to screw it up”.
But that’s a “non-solution” to people who can’t conceive of a less-than-plenary State.
(And yes, some “problems” there really are no just “solutions” for that can simply be imposed.)
February 20th, 2013 at 3:00 pm
Libertarianism is basically a form of Anarchism, so yea, it is no surprise that they feel that government never solves anything.
February 20th, 2013 at 3:35 pm
I am beyond tired of the Internet meme “Libertarianism is a form of Anarchism” IT’S NOT! It is the belief that a government should act within it’s constituted limits, that if that ceases to work it should be changed by it’s constituted methods and it shouldn’t grow haphazardly, even if it’s “for the children”
February 20th, 2013 at 3:35 pm
I’m a libertarian, and I give a lot of damn solutions to problems. Why? Because I’m realistic to know that we’re not going to instantly move to a non-governed system. But we can greatly improve and fix what we’ve got.
Revise the tax code.
10% General Tax (roads, defense, government, etc)
10% Social Tax (Social Security, medicare, welfare, etc)
10% Wealth Tax (5% Deficit Tax, 5% Debt tax)
One deduction per person, based on the minimum wage * 40 hours * 52 weeks. That’s your one deduction. No one pays taxes on the “minimum wage annum”. Note the minimum wage would be revised down to reflect it’s tax free adjusted value.
The wealth tax is paid by those who earn 100x the minimum wage annum. Approximately $1.5 million. They only pay it when there is a national debt or deficit or in times of war.
If there is no deficit, the wealthy don’t pay 5%. And when the debt is eliminated, the wealth tax is inactive.
All congressional, executive and judicial pay is tied directly to the minimum wage. So it’d only go up in accordance with the minimum wage going up.
***
There, just one of my many solutions.
February 20th, 2013 at 7:17 pm
It’s more correct to say that anarchists are a subset of libertarians. Libertarians as a whole distrust government and believe that it should be as small as possible. Some believe that “small as possible” is “non-existent”.
February 20th, 2013 at 10:29 pm
Seems there are a lot of different ideas what constitutes “libertarianism”. I consider myself libertarian, in the sense of liberty, like leave me alone and let me do what I think makes sense for me. But I don’t think we should have no government.
Division of labor, you know, just like at a factory there are executives, secretaries, managers, line workers, shippers, etc. I want roads, power lines, mail, defense to protect our borders, people to do the foreign relations thing. I don’t want to have to have my own foreign policy or string my own telephone lines.
I’m willing to pay a fair tax in exchange for schools that I can accept as propagating useful knowledge and reasonable philosophy, to provide us drinkable water, check the property lines so if I buy some land I know where it ends, that kind of thing.
I don’t want to have to do it all myself, reinvent every wheel. I don’t want to provide a safety net that winds up being used as a hammock, or put an entire valley of farmers on unemployment because of baitfish. I don’t want whatever .gov we have to become our enemy.
We’re a society, a civilization, not a bunch of cave dwelling hermits.
February 21st, 2013 at 10:52 pm
Jim: Actually, it is anarchism.
Please explain how voting is NOT an initiation of the use of force?
If you vote for a candidate, you give that person the power, as a legislator, to pass laws that may include initiation of force against non-violent individuals.
This includes laws against pot smoking, as well as laws allowing the IRS to rob people at gun point to pay for government projects.
Libertarians that do more than vote against new tax measures and such are being very hypocritical.
February 21st, 2013 at 10:53 pm
Rob: then you are a minarchist, which is not the same.
You cannot be a minarchist, and pledge to never initiate the use of force. Ultimately, ALL voting is an initiation of force.