Libertarian Purity Test

[Nailhead]

that was more anarchist than libertarian...as i see it n e ways

 

[IDefendThePlatform]

IDefendThePlatform, are there more anarcho-capitalist books you recommend? I'm a hardcore Libertarian (I scored around 120-130ish), but I definitely do not condemn anarcho-capitalism...there's just a few things I don't fully understand about it yet, that I want clarified before I "take the plunge".

That said, I think we need to "buckle down" on a few things first....like, I don't think we should have 100% open borders..._right now_ as we lack the industry and facilities for them (if there were NO entitlements and industry, I'd say go for it).

Agreed on the borders. I'm for totally dropping all immigration restrictions, but of course we should simultaneously end income redistribution and government services, or else we are in trouble.

I've read a number of good libertarian books, but "The Machinery of Freedom" is really the only true anarcho-capitalist book I've read. Just reading it, plus taking the next logical (to me logical) step with libertarianism is what made me into an anarcho-capitalist. I think Mary J. Ruwart is also a good writer in this regard, she has a number of shorter essays on a range of subjects ("Short Answers to Tough Questions" and "Healing our World in an Age of Aggression", neither of which I've actually read cover to cover).

I was in a very similar place as you just a couple of years ago. I think the bottom line for me was that taxation is immoral, and that in the long run, the only successful, effective actions are moral actions. That's kind of philosophical, but if you read "The Machinery of Freedom" you can get some concrete examples of how society would work in the absence of government. Happy Reading!

 

[berrybunches]

Do you really think a private police force (and justice system) would be anything more than a) some rich bastard trying to soak every last penny out of you or b) a system that allows vigilantes to have a badge instead of a prison uniform

This is what I think also. Just a few elites would end up owning everything and we would go straight back into the tyrannical system that we are trying to get away from except it will be much much worse because we will have no vote.

 

[braeden0613]

89

51-90 points: You are a medium-core libertarian, probably self-consciously so. Your friends probably encourage you to quit talking about your views so much.

 

[IDefendThePlatform]

I agree 100% on the tax issue.

What I disagree on is immigration, privatizing of the law, and the local government structure being totally dismantled. Do you really think a private police force (and justice system) would be anything more than a) some rich bastard trying to soak every last penny out of you or b) a system that allows vigilantes to have a badge instead of a prison uniform. Volunteer fire departments are fine, but it is also fine to have a regular fire department in cities where you need people that are trained to put out fires before the entire city has gone up in flames.

Hi Nate. I'm glad we agree on taxes. But if you are truly agreeing with me on that, then that would mean there wouldn't be any tax money for governement fire departments. At least that's my position and the way I meant it when I made the original statement.

I think its tough to picture what society would look like without government, mostly because our government is so large and pervasive. To get an idea of how anarcho-capitalism might work, I can't recommend "The Machinery of Freedom" highly enough. Seriously, PM with your address and I'll mail you my copy. I think someone who has put thought into this issue like you have would enjoy it.

 

[nate895]

I get around personal taxes through two ways
1) Low tariffs and excise taxes
2) Small sales tax

I think you could run a government off of a small 5-10% sales tax, it just needs be done right, we need not spend needless funds fighting foreign wars and and on "welfare," as well as other ridiculous public works projects (the state recently spent 12.5M on a walking trail across a freeway).

The Feds would get their cash off of a small tariff which they could use to do two things:
1) Secure the border
2) Provide for an Army and Navy.

 

[expatriot]

safeguards

90.
... The design of the US Republic was almost perfect.

Jesse (says almost because there obviously weren't enough safeguards to stop the US from devolving into what it is today)

Just curious - I believe this very strongly to be true.
You are the only person I have ever observed making this observation.

What would you do?
(This is an important point - we lost the nation - but how do we prevent that again?)

 

[GregVernon]

72

 

[expatriot]

In Denial of Fanaticism

There is a minor problem with such tests and that is in order to achieve
something like a '160' existence you would need to be in a place
where everyone agreed that this was the way to live.

In the U.S. the problem is there are too many people who lack
the fundamental self-discipline to live that way.

We are probably lucky if we get an '80' culture.

 

[IDefendThePlatform]

Just curious - I believe this very strongly to be true.
You are the only person I have ever observed making this observation.

What would you do?
(This is an important point - we lost the nation - but how do we prevent that again?)

One solution to prevent this again would be to eliminate government entirely. Otherwise, we'll wind up right back where we are now. Dr. P gets elected, makes every single governmental change he has proposed, and then 20 years later politicians have slowly and insidiously usurped all that power back and more. Thomas Jefferson was right, "The natural progression of things is for government to grow and liberty to shrink" or something like that. Constitutional limits have failed. Its a pretty radical idea, and totally unlikely in my lifetime, but I think it will happen eventually where we have a totally free society centered around property rights. I'll plug it again, "The Machinery of Freedom" is a great book on this issue.

 

[snpage]

74

51-90 points: You are a medium-core libertarian, probably self-consciously so. Your friends probably encourage you to quit talking about your views so much.

 

[TheEngineer]

Test is flawed. It is not a Libertarian purity test. Its an Anarchist purity test.

True, especially the end.

My score: 70

51-90 points: You are a medium-core libertarian, probably self-consciously so. Your friends probably encourage you to quit talking about your views so much.

 

[SteveB-NY]

77

And I agree with the comments that this is a badly flawed survey - both in the wording of the questions and the lack of differentiation between Liberterian and anarchist.

 

[Broadlighter]

I'm a soft-core 90. The test doesn't make distinctions between local, state and national level government. There are some things I believe local and state governments should do like schools and public roads that the national government shouldn't do.

 

[apc3161]

104

 

[apc3161]

I'm a soft-core 90. The test doesn't make distinctions between local, state and national level government. There are some things I believe local and state governments should do like schools and public roads that the national government shouldn't do.

Agreed. I thought that was annoying as well. There is definitely a role for government, just at the local level, instead of the federal level.

 

[hillertexas]

112
91-130 points: You have entered the heady realm of hard-core libertarianism. Now doesn't that make you feel worse that you didn't get a perfect score?

 

[mport1]

160

 

[warispeace]

80

51-90 points: You are a medium-core libertarian, probably self-consciously so. Your friends probably encourage you to quit talking about your views so much.

 

[malkusm]

67

51-90 points: You are a medium-core libertarian, probably self-consciously so. Your friends probably encourage you to quit talking about your views so much.

Yeah my friends get really upset that I talk about Ron Paul so much....I guess that qualifies?