Have you ever met someone who went from being a Libertarian to a Leftist?

[RP Supporter]

Just something I'm curious about. I've known a few people who have made this change, and have never really understood it. It just seems bewitching to me that someone could go from believing in individual freedoms to believing that the government should run your life in all sorts of way. I've seen a few lefty blogs where people claimed to be former Libertarians, but now believe a Libertarian society would only benefit the super rich. Because a society with a strong and powerful government has done such wonders at taking care of the poor and middle class.

On a similar note, have you known any people who became Conservatives from Libertarian? The only ones I've known there have been the types that "9/11 changed everything" for. And they were arguably not Libertarians to begin with.

 

[The Goat]

Some people just want to be on the winning team. fan boy bandwagon mentality. lot more followers than leaders.

 

[thequietkid10]

I think your missing something. For most Americans it's not about freedom it's about creating a better life

Most leftist (at least outside the beltway) don't wake every morning and say "I wonder how I can increase the size of government and decrease my freedoms today" They think "they're is this "problem" how can I fix it." And the answer is usually more government. Big government is the means to the end and if they have gone from "libertarian" to leftist (assuming of course they aren't just someone who rages against the machine) it's because they've lost faith that the market can solve their problem.

 

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

Just something I'm curious about. I've known a few people who have made this change, and have never really understood it. It just seems bewitching to me that someone could go from believing in individual freedoms to believing that the government should run your life in all sorts of way. I've seen a few lefty blogs where people claimed to be former Libertarians, but now believe a Libertarian society would only benefit the super rich.

I'll take a quick shot at why... which is often how people become marxists, etc. They realize there is a problem (which seems to be a mental feat in itself these days) and then wrongly decide on a solution. They partially misidentify the problem, then provide an inadequate solution. They misidentify the problem because they equate wealth with power. Then they wrongly decide on a solution because they have been told that government is by "the people" and "the people" should be reigning in "the super rich." It seems they fail to look at the history of governmental abuse.... by the rich, or people who become "the rich" through abuse of government power.

Marxists are idealists, usually well intentioned. It works well on a family level, which is what they may have personal experience with.

As far as "I used to be... but now I'm..." A lot of those are possibly fake testimonials aimed at a target audience.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

Yes, people can be bought. Government dole changes people. Greed is good.

 

[tttppp]

My guess is that the majority of people who make that switch didn't really understand free markets in the first place. Obama and his supporters always point to the Bush era as an excuse for more regulations and justify it by saying less regulation didn't work for Bush. Obviously they are wrong because the problem with the Bush era was that we were already overregulated, not underregulated.

 

[Indy Vidual]

If you are a real Libertarian (understanding the NAP, etc), then it's hard to ever change, IMO.*
*Ironically, you are asking the question in a venue where a significant number of real Libertarians are getting down and dirty with impure, evil Republicans. :o

 

[Indy Vidual]

...
On a similar note, have you known any people who became Conservatives from Libertarian?...

Based on some detailed reports, young Michelle Malkin used to be a genuine large-L libertarian, in Seattle WA.

 

[specsaregood]

Some people just want to be on the winning team. fan boy bandwagon mentality. lot more followers than leaders.

At the same time, some people just want to be on the underdog losing team.

 

[Indy Vidual]

At the same time, some people just want to be on the underdog losing team.

The underdog does not always lose.

 

[Carson]

How to trap a wild pig.

 

[heavenlyboy34]

Just something I'm curious about. I've known a few people who have made this change, and have never really understood it. It just seems bewitching to me that someone could go from believing in individual freedoms to believing that the government should run your life in all sorts of way. I've seen a few lefty blogs where people claimed to be former Libertarians, but now believe a Libertarian society would only benefit the super rich. Because a society with a strong and powerful government has done such wonders at taking care of the poor and middle class.

On a similar note, have you known any people who became Conservatives from Libertarian? The only ones I've known there have been the types that "9/11 changed everything" for. And they were arguably not Libertarians to begin with.

Libertarianism comes to us from the classical left liberal tradition, so your premise is rather flawed. I don't know any "conservative-turned libertarian" folks except myself. I had to abandon conservatism because it's so full of poor logic and immorality. The saving grace of the conservative movement is the "Old Right". Otherwise, it would have no significant utility in the push for greater liberty.

 

[Sola_Fide]

Just something I'm curious about. I've known a few people who have made this change, and have never really understood it. It just seems bewitching to me that someone could go from believing in individual freedoms to believing that the government should run your life in all sorts of way. I've seen a few lefty blogs where people claimed to be former Libertarians, but now believe a Libertarian society would only benefit the super rich. Because a society with a strong and powerful government has done such wonders at taking care of the poor and middle class.

On a similar note, have you known any people who became Conservatives from Libertarian? The only ones I've known there have been the types that "9/11 changed everything" for. And they were arguably not Libertarians to begin with.

Sadly, I think many people today who call themselves libertarians are leftists on a wide range of issues.

 

[LibForestPaul]

If you are a real Libertarian (understanding the NAP, etc), then it's hard to ever change, IMO.*
*Ironically, you are asking the question in a venue where a significant number of real Libertarians are getting down and dirty with impure, evil Republicans. :o

bingo.

read the comments from tech site(above avg intelligence) about ron paul
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/07/ron-paul-group-launches-campaign-against-internet-regulation/?comments=1#comments-bar

bricewgilbert wrote:
When your view is that the government can do no good ever it's tough to come to some common ground on issues such as this.


Agreed, to put a different point on it I believe that a government should serve its people. If it doesn't then the answer is to fix it so that it does, not do away with it as a concept.

 

[LibForestPaul]

NAP and then Voluntarism should be espoused by every libertarian whom wants others educated.
Forget labels to divide. Ideas win wars.

 

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Just something I'm curious about. I've known a few people who have made this change, and have never really understood it. It just seems bewitching to me that someone could go from believing in individual freedoms to believing that the government should run your life in all sorts of way. I've seen a few lefty blogs where people claimed to be former Libertarians, but now believe a Libertarian society would only benefit the super rich. Because a society with a strong and powerful government has done such wonders at taking care of the poor and middle class.

On a similar note, have you known any people who became Conservatives from Libertarian? The only ones I've known there have been the types that "9/11 changed everything" for. And they were arguably not Libertarians to begin with.

Sounds like a Bill Maher type:

He used to think Libertarian meant "legalizing weed and stuff".

I doub't they understood the libertarian philosophies.

 

[DerailingDaTrain]

The underdog does not always lose.

Rocky 1

 

[LibertyEagle]

Libertarianism comes to us from the classical left liberal tradition,

Uh... NO. Classical liberalism was not leftist. Not even in the tiniest little bit.

so your premise is rather flawed. I don't know any "conservative-turned libertarian" folks except myself. I had to abandon conservatism because it's so full of poor logic and immorality. The saving grace of the conservative movement is the "Old Right". Otherwise, it would have no significant utility in the push for greater liberty.

 

[asurfaholic]

How to trap a wild pig.

Good read, thanks for posting. Very relevant.

 

[MelissaWV]

Being aware and active is difficult, and frustrating. There are people out there who simply have lives clogged with other interests, and politics is the everlasting decision of which leg to have amputated with a rusty steak knife. People ignore it because it's a terrible choice. You may say that you don't want either leg cut off, that you disagree, but ultimately the sawing is going to begin, because your fellows have said "LEFT" or "RIGHT" with great enthusiasm, and you are carried along for the pain.

I find most people really aren't in agreement with either extreme, but that's the easiest way to discuss politics, and after all they're all corrupt and no one worth a damn will ever win the presidency and very few wind up in Congress. I find it more and more difficult to dig up counterexamples for them.