Libertarians Need To Divorce Themselves from The Conservative Movement

[Yavin4]

Sure, I disagree with Libertarians on a number of issues. However, I do agree with them on some of the biggest and politically difficult ones: the drug wars, expansion of the military industrial complex, illegal spying, choice, civil liberties, and GBLT citizenship rights.

Yes, Liberals will battle with Libertarians on some issues like regulation, the environment, healthcare, and taxes, but at least the battles will be honest and open debates. And, on the things we agree with, we'd have greater numbers.

Libertarians need to shed their idiot conservative cousins.

[Towlie]

1. You want them in our party? I don't!

[Yavin4]

3. No, I Don't Want Them In Our Party

I want them to be our main opposition party because on some crucial issues, we would agree which could help us make progress on issues like civil liberties, expansion of the MIC, and the idiotic drug wars.

True, we'd have to battle them on other issues, but at least on some major ones, we'd see progress.

[DJ13]

5. Sounds more like the OP wants them to form a 3rd party

One than we can work with in overcoming the conservative Republicans on several important issues.

[Yavin4]

6. Exactly

When one party is completely unreasonable, unruly, and ignorant, it makes it incredibly difficult for anything of substance to get done.

If Libertarians were the opposition, some major, important things would get done.

[swt_nd_smpl]

8. Why would you want us to have two enemies to handle with?

Just my opinion. Think about it if they divide some people might join there cost, since there hard core party of noers then no one would associate with them.

[KamaAina]

2. Especially since there are left-libertarians out there

true, the real estate in the lower left quadrant of the Political Compass:

http://www.politicalcompass.com

is relatively uncrowded; however, some of my more illustrious neighbors down there include Gandhi and MLK.

[doctor jazz]

4. A genuine liberal is -far- closer to libertarian than a contemporary conservative is.

I still think of conservatives as reactionaries just as I did 40 years ago. The irony is that half of the issues you mentioned in the first paragraph used to be and should be embraced by conservatives...or at least what that philosophy entailed back when Eisenhower was one.

[BigBluenoser]

7. I'd like to see a pragmatic libertarian opposition...

Libertarianism is an important American political philosophy and it seems to be able to squawk loudly when liberty is trod upon too heavily. That said, I like it as a directional force, as an end point it is a horror show (talking economic libertarianism here) that no sane person would like to see in the modern age. I could make an argument for Libertarianism in a non-urban, small community where there actually is a community (big city libertarians would let a homeless person die, small town libertarians would get together and loan Joe money until he got back on his feet, or at least help Joe as they could). Mind you I would also be able to make an argument for anarcho-socialism in the same venue (small commune or soviet).

But yeah, it would be nice to have a crazy governor who wants low taxes, smaller government, more civil rights, more freedom, slash the military instead of my current biblical literalist, big wasteful gubmint, teach creationism in schools, bigoted wannabe secessionist. Thank Jevus that my dem congressman is Ciro. Pro-RKBA and has a hell of a good staff that is very responsive.

P.S. Fuck Perry!

[Hanse]

9. That's like saying the Fascists should divorce themselves of the Nazis.

Despite minor differences, they're the same people.