We've got plenty of statism on both sides. That's essentially what each of the big two parties represent. The only difference is in what things they choose to be statist about, And as time goes by, there seem to be more and more things they agree on being statist about -- particularly when it comes to the surveillance state and interventionism.
The homunculus theory - "Poof! Instant, microscopic person at conception!" - has long been supplanted by an understanding of the gestative process during which a person develops. I can respect folks advocating on behalf of any sentient being, but a mindless amalgam of cells is not a person. Any government forcing females to behave as if it is is pernicious to both liberty and intelligence. At what stage of gestation a fetus becomes a viable person is debatable, but it certainly isn't at the moment a sperm penetrates a cell wall, and the obstructionist contrivances of politicians designed to frustrate an American exercising her rights over her own body are especially repugnant
all good things must end. every empire falls from it's own weight. the US Federal Government isn't immune from this fact of life. the sad thing is all the people that will be crushed under it when it falls from too few taxpayers supporting too many leeches.
Well said bud. Personally, I think we should take the statist parts of both ideologies, and create a Frankinstatist so they can both fawn over it and find common ground.
The TEA Party is specifically Anti Obama. Libertarians are not Anti Obama as a default position. For example Libertarians were outraged at the costs of the Iraq War, the TEA party didn't exist because the people who that movement appeals to were to busy saying that if you didn't support the war you were Un-American while they chowed down on Freedom Fries.
The only difference is the *********s are fighting against most of that crap. As far as social issues goes everyone has an agenda. Pretending they don't is absurd.
I agree. But I do have some sympathy for those who think otherwise. They are wrong IMO, but they are not way out in left field.
There is no statist right. Put it this way prior to Roe v. Wade abortion was already legal in 38 states in the case of Rape incest, and the mother's health and in all cases when the mother's health was a stake. I'd e more than happy to see the federal governmentcompletely out of the Abortion Issue and late the states decide that one for themselves. For every federal law anyone on the right wants there are three dozen on the left. There simply aren't enough libertarian, there never have been and there probably never will be.
I have no problem with their entertaining such a notion or preaching it. I do not sympathize with their attempting to force others to submit to it via state coercion.
I think you're right, maybe more than you even know. I know that social conservative platforms steer me away from pretty much every candidate that isn't on the left to some degree, because all the right-leaning candidates always tend to have that social conservative badge on their jackets. Just once, I'd like a candidate that leans right on fiscal issues and leans left on social issues. Basically, good common sense fiscal policy without the holier-than-though morally superior bull(*)(*)(*)(*) that comes with social conservatism. A man like Rick Santorum could come along and make a lot of fiscal sense but once he opens his mouth about his social views, that's all she wrote. No thank you. I'd rather vomit into my own oxygen tank(if I had one). If the right really wants to hook in the most votes, and especially branch out into voter demographics simply unavailable to them at the moment, drop the social conservatism. Doubt that will happen, at least not in the shorter term, but a man can dream. I hate having to always vote left to head off hateful social conservative policies.
I would think a TEA Party'er might be inclined to surrender those freedoms to ensure stability and amicablity in society... 'A well armed society is a polite society.' But not to 'control' that society. Where as the libertarian isn't interested in surrendering anything to government interference, they just expect civility in society... while still being armed.
Whether they are Tea Partiers, Libertarians, or Republicans, it's all the same: these fools don't know their s..t from shinola.
Sure they do. Shinola is spiffy looking shoe polish on the one hand and the Democratic Party leadership is that smelly spot on the political yard. See? No problem.
The TP social agenda has included abortion restrictions, prayer in schools, and other attempts to exploit the coercive power of the state to impose their personal notions on others, a proclivity antithetical to libertarian philosophy. I do see a shift to a more libertarian concern for fiscal responsibility as of late, just as the TPs no longer push the wacky stuff about the President like birtherism, covert Islamic faith, and communist agendas.
I started as a Tea Partier because they seemed like they were going to be the Libertarian party. Then they dropped the social conservatives in the mix and it got all crapped up. I suppose the OP is correct in a way, most the social conservatives were older people coming into the meetings if I remember correctly. Many MANY young (26-35) people my age fit this bill to a tee.
To be honest this is why most of us who are social liberals and fiscal conservatives dislike Democrats more than Republicans. (Although we don't like either really) While both sides can argue their points to us, only the lefties seem to add attacks without any proof. This genius is a perfect example.
This new research reveals a libertarian constituency in America that is distinct both from the Tea Party and from the Christian right... BREAKING NEWS! STOP THE PRESSES! LANDMARK STUDY FINDS THAT LIBERTARIANS AND CONSERVATIVES ARE IDEOLOGICALLY DISTINCT FROM ONE ANOTHER!