So... how libertarian are you... really? Libertarian Purity Test! ***

[Professor8000]

160 points: Perfect! The world needs more like you.

 

[ClydeCoulter]

To be honest, a few questions I answered differently than honest, because I don't want my real answer to be "public" as far as the NSA or other associated forces are concerned

 

[heavenlyboy34]

That one looks kind of like that World's Smallest Test, but a little different. That one "End Taxes" question is out of place, there's not a single similarly radical question on the personal liberty sided. That as a minarchist I only score 80 on economics where its perfectly possible for basically any constitutional conservative can get the same economics score is just... weird... I answered every question "Yes" except the end taxes question. I want them like 90% lower than right now, but not abolished entirely. I just don't think that's practical.

Why not? Taxes are just enough to pay the interest on the national debt. It's throwing good money after bad. Starving DC can only be good.

 

[Christian Liberty]

Yet you admitted to this here. So does it matter?

 

[Christian Liberty]

Why not? Taxes are just enough to pay the interest on the national debt. It's throwing good money after bad. Starving DC can only be good.

I support a debt default. It might surprise you that a minarchist would take that position. My position is a little unusual in that I think government for the core three functions are justified, both Biblically and to a lesser extent, logically and pragmatically. But I consider any government action beyond that to be a lesser or greater degree of "Evil." So I'm that rare "radical" minarchist.

I also don't necessarily think we should have a Federal government. Government =/= Federal government. I support radically decentralizing, but not totally eliminating, government.

As for why not? Well, defense is the biggest reason. Honestly, if the USA stops being an empire, someone will take our place, and we need to be able to defend ourselves against them. I'm very pro-gun, but I don't think a bunch of people with machine guns alone will be able to effectively defend the country. I don't really support a standing army per say, but I support a government who can quickly organize one when needed. (Not with the draft, for the record.) Courts and police is another reason. I don't think a free market in justice is a great idea. There are some cases where I'm fine with free market justice competing with the government. In a discussion in school today about some states fighting against Sharia Law, I suggested that if two Muslims or whoever want to solve their disputes through Sharia Law, its illegitimate to stop them from doing so. However, in the vast majority of cases, where the two people are not going to agree on some such thing, I think we need a court that respects the non-aggression principle, not one that simply sides with the wealthy and powerful. Which may be a pipe dream, but what isn't in politics? Anarcho-capitalism is just as unlikely.

That said, the theoretical stuff isn't really what gives me a passion for politics. I'm passionate about politics because American wars kill hundreds of thousands of innocents. I'm passionate about politics because the drug war has given us the largest prison population in the world. I'm passionate about politcs because they think they can watch me whenever they want. I'm passionate about politics because government bureacrats are trying to destroy our second amendment rights. I'm passionate about politcs because the unborn are being slaughtered and nine men on a Supreme Court are preventing our state governments from doing anything about it. I'm passionate about politics because we have more laws than any other country. I'm passionate about politcs because the entitlements programs are destroying the wealth of our country and robbing my generation to support a ponzi scheme that we can never benefit from. I'm passionate about politics because government takes half of what we own, and claims they have a right to do it. I'm passionate about politics because they think they can control what I can say and where I can say it. I'm passionate about politcs because they can take our property, any amount they like, and the burden is on us to prove our own innocence. Exc.

The philosophical debate between minarchists and anarchists is not what makes me passionate about politcs. Heck, little issues like roads and the like don't make me passionate about politics. I do care, a lot, about privatizing the schools, but that's more because of the indoctrination aspect than the money. If we decided everyone should have a primary education, I honestly wouldn't have a huge issue with it. I wouldn't agree, but that would be a minor issue that isn't really that big a concern for me.

Walter Block breaks libertarians down into anarchists, minarchists, and classical liberals. I'm technically in the minarchist camp, but its not really the slight differences between the different grades of medium-core to ultra-hardcore libertarianism that really get me passionate about politics, its the real, concrete issues that I described above. I think anarchism is a little too idealistic and classical libertalism is a little too pragmatic, but I'd vote for either of them into political office.

Even people like Rand Paul and Gary Johnson, who clearly fall outside the category of "libertarian" as Block draws them, are still mostly our allies against a Leviathan state, and they give a LOT more concessions than any real libertarian would. You've got to realize the big fight here is between limited government advocates (The "No government" advocates are a very small force, but I would consider them to fit under this group) and unlimited government advocates. If we make it about anarchists vs minarchists, or even libertarians vs constitutionalists, I think we're screwed.

TLDR: Because I think its a necessary evil, but more importantly, because total abolition of government is not what makes me passionate about political issues.

I will note that the issues I listed above are not deliberately in any particular order, and may be incomplete. Do not necessarily take silence on a particular issue to be equivalent to being OK with it. If its not clear, please ask first.

 

[Christian Liberty]

Yet you admitted to this here. So does it matter?

I was X-posted, but this question was intended for ClydeCoulter, just so we're clear.

 

[JCDenton0451]

That's a fun test. I scored 79. There is one glaring omission though: just a single question dedicated to social issues, and that refers to sex between consenting adults. I would imagine that if the questionnaire included questions on abortion and other divisive social issues, most people on this board would see thier scores tumble.

 

[I<3Liberty]

I side with is a better quiz. Maybe someone should start a thread for that? I'm assuming there's already been threads for I side with since it's pretty popular.

 

[Christian Liberty]

That's a fun test. I scored 79. There is one glaring omission though: just a single question dedicated to social issues, and that refers to sex between consenting adults. I would imagine that if the questionnaire included questions on abortion and other divisive social issues, most people on this board would see thier scores tumble.

Abortion isn't really an issue that has a "libertarian" position though. Ron Paul, Laurence Vance, and Tom Woods would surely be able to tell you that.

I side with is a better quiz. Maybe someone should start a thread for that? I'm assuming there's already been threads for I side with since it's pretty popular.

ISideWith doesn't really record anyone who goes further than GJ though. Ron Paul doesn't even appear on the candidates list anymore.

 

[JCDenton0451]

Abortion isn't really an issue that has a "libertarian" position though. Ron Paul, Laurence Vance, and Tom Woods would surely be able to tell you that.

Whoever published this test included pictures of Ayn Rand and Murray Rothbard, both strong proponents of abortion as far as I know. Not sure about Milton Friedman.

 

[kcchiefs6465]

98.

Test is a little flawed though.

Mainly the simply 'yes or no' answers.

And a peculiar question.

 

[Christian Liberty]

I don't actually consider Rand or certainly Friedman to be libertarians, but nothing to do with that particular issue. Rothbard was of course one of the most prominent libertarians ever but that hardly means he got every single issue right. Personally, I think Ron Paul should be in the minarchist slot instead of Rand but that's just me

 

[gwax23]

I don't actually consider Rand or certainly Friedman to be libertarians, but nothing to do with that particular issue. Rothbard was of course one of the most prominent libertarians ever but that hardly means he got every single issue right. Personally, I think Ron Paul should be in the minarchist slot instead of Rand but that's just me

Friedman and Rand are libertarians. Perfect? No but certainly libertarians.

 

[gwax23]

Im a 109 according to this test. i answered yes till the anarcho capitalist questions. Guess you have to be an anarchist to be a true libertarian.

 

[JCDenton0451]

Friedman and Rand are libertarians. Perfect? No but certainly libertarians.

Friedman and especially Ayn Rand were Zionists. That's the big problem with them. You can be a Zionist or a libertarian, but you can't be both.

 

[IDefendThePlatform]

157 this time. The bombing of civilians being morally equivalent to murder was my only no. But I think it would depend on the circumstances.

 

[Nobexliberty]

83 i think, i am not supportive of abolising public roads and some otehrs thing that results in my low score

 

[Weston White]

I scored “medium-core libertarian” (58), which sounds about right I suppose—especially considering that test seems to greatly confuse anarchism for libertarianism.

 

[ifthenwouldi]

^^^What we need to keep in mind about this test is that even a medium-core result means the test-taker is in a very small minority of people worldwide. Having spent the past six months in Australia has been eye-opening for me in regard to the prevalence of pro-state euphoria...

 

[DamianTV]

108

I still believe that a Govt is a Necessary Evil, not an Unnecessary Evil. There will always exist those who willfully do others harm, and said actions can only be brought to true Justice by a Court of Law. Murderers, Thieves, and Scoundrels.

For everyone else, leave us the fuck alone.