Why Do Libertarians Lose?

[helmuth_hubener]

One practical problem it seems like we run into:

 

[William Tell]

One practical problem it seems like we run into:

Open Borders? Voting? All of it?

 

[helmuth_hubener]

All of it?

Strength does seem like a prerequisite for victory. And weakness to rule it out. So the applicability is pretty broad.

It's a bit of a dilemma.

 

[jmdrake]

One practical problem it seems like we run into:

Funny. But here's another reason why libertarians loose. We fight other people's battles for them. Trump this, Trump that. A libertarian just lost a special congressional election and there's not been a single story about him period. I know. I just checked.

 

[Natural Citizen]

Not a lot of libertarians in libertarianism these days.

 

[Ender]

Why Do Libertarians Lose?

Because people haven't got a clue what real Liberty means any more.

 

[Natural Citizen]

Ender. HellOoooOooo. I just said that.

Ya copycat.

 

[Natural Citizen]

Okay wait, hode up, hode up, hode up. Let's figure on a good meaning of libertarian while we're here. A good simple, universal, one. And then we can see amongst ourselves if we all on the same page. Ready?

Here's what I think it means in its most simple and functional of meaning. And, of course, we're talking about it from the perspective of the traditional philosophy of governance in America only. We're not talking about Plato here.

To be libertarian means...oh..I say that it fundamentally means to be against government-over-man. Naw?

So, then, say for instance a guy actually does believe in government-over-man. For instance he wants the guy in charge to be the one who wants to send men with guns from the government to force Individuals and groups of Individuals to relinquish their property to other Individuals or other groups of Individuals at the ends of their barrels. Now, that guy wouldn't be a libertartian. Right? Because everyone knows that property rights are the principal support for the bery rights to life and liberty themselves. In fact, the latter is aggressive toward the very foundation of Individual Liberty. This person would be its most dangerous aggressor.

So, yeah. I say libertarianism aligns with the former. To be against government-over-man. Not the latter. Which is patenetly pro- government-over-man.

 

[euphemia]

Why Do Libertarians Lose?

Because people haven't got a clue what real Liberty means any more.

And they don't know how to distill the message down to logical talking points. Plus, they can't get along. If they could be a little more unified on core principles, they would accomplish much more. Playing to the fringes isn't helping.

 

[Ender]

And they don't know how to distill the message down to logical talking points. Plus, they can't get along. If they could be a little more unified on core principles, they would accomplish much more. Playing to the fringes isn't helping.

Liberty should not be a "fringe" subject. Everyone in this country should have a clear idea what that means.

Unfortunately, few do.

 

[undergroundrr]

Meh. We win some, we lose some.

We tend to be male, self-absorbed and weird and proud of it. As a result, we don't attract the pretty people needed to fuel a sustained social trend upward. Libertarianism would have to take on a whole new MBTI if it wanted to be a big tent movement.

On the day that libertarianism becomes extroverted, inclusive, compassionate and sexy it will gain currency at an alarming rate.

 

[Anti Federalist]

Why Do Libertarians Lose?

Because freedom is not popular.

Never has been.

 

[euphemia]

Liberty should not be a "fringe" subject. Everyone in this country should have a clear idea what that means.

Unfortunately, few do.

Re-read. I didn't say liberty was a fringe subject. I said if libertarians could agree on the core issues and talk about them logically, they would make more progress. People think libertarians are all about cannabis for a reason. The discussion needs to elevate quite bit for libertarians to get people thinking about how little liberty they have.

 

[Ender]

Re-read. I didn't say liberty was a fringe subject. I said if libertarians could agree on the core issues and talk about them logically, they would make more progress. People think libertarians are all about cannabis for a reason. The discussion needs to elevate quite bit for libertarians to get people thinking about how little liberty they have.

Who is this "they" you speak of?

 

[fedupinmo]

Because it can't promise free shit to the weak and the useless.

 

[euphemia]

Who is this "they" you speak of?

Non-libertarians.

This, right here, is exactly what I'm talking about. Every discussion does not have to be an argument.

 

[shakey1]

Meh. We win some, we lose some.

We tend to be male, self-absorbed and weird and proud of it. As a result, we don't attract the pretty people needed to fuel a sustained social trend upward. Libertarianism would have to take on a whole new MBTI if it wanted to be a big tent movement.

On the day that libertarianism becomes extroverted, inclusive, compassionate and sexy it will gain currency at an alarming rate.

... on the other hand... https://steemit.com/anarchism/@capopalinuro/the-top-16-most-beautiful-libertarian-women-of-2016

 

[Feeding the Abscess]

Not a lot of libertarians in libertarianism these days.

This is true, but even including those who claim to be libertarians but jump off board on the first exit (whether conservative or liberal in slant), there aren't more than a million of them.

The first step in diagnosing political success, or the lack thereof as it pertains to libertarianism, is to understand and accept this.

 

[undergroundrr]

This is true, but even including those who claim to be libertarians but jump off board on the first exit (whether conservative or liberal in slant), there aren't more than a million of them.

The first step in diagnosing political success, or the lack thereof as it pertains to libertarianism, is to understand and accept this.

As of Reuters polling April 2015:

One in five Americans consider themselves libertarian, with younger adults being the most likely to adopt the label. Among adults aged 18 to 29, 32 percent consider themselves libertarian. Just 12 percent of Americans age 60 or older consider themselves libertarian.

http://reason.com/blog/2015/04/30/19-of-americans-self-identify-as-liberta

 

[Brian4Liberty]

Funny. But here's another reason why libertarians loose. We fight other people's battles for them. Trump this, Trump that. A libertarian just lost a special congressional election and there's not been a single story about him period. I know. I just checked.

Is that the one that CPUd posted about?

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?509667-KS-04-special-election-results