Something Awful makes fun of libertarians

[Finnegan]

So free will and individual liberty mean nothing to you?

What's your definition of libertarianism?

 

[JEROME DA GNOME]

So free will and individual liberty mean nothing to you?

What's your definition of libertarianism?

You seem to be ignoring that compromises were needed to create the USA.

You seem to be ignoring that nothing in political philosophy is absolute.

 

[Finnegan]

"You seem to be ignoring that nothing in political philosophy is absolute."

In that case, I'd like to praise the libertarian leadership of George W Bush. Yes, the encroachment upon civil liberties is a pain, but compromises must be made and nothing in political philosophy is absolute.

 

[ravdin]

Jerome is right. The US Founding Fathers were libertarians.

What you also may not know about them is that they were breakdancing robots. All of them except for Elbridge Gerry. His downrock subroutine was damaged during time travel and he couldn't do the moves.

They were programmed with the seminal works of Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek, and took the unique opportunity to implement their ideas centuries ahead of their time. They couldn't get rid of slavery for some reason, though. Nobody's perfect.

 

[JEROME DA GNOME]

"You seem to be ignoring that nothing in political philosophy is absolute."

In that case, I'd like to praise the libertarian leadership of George W Bush. Yes, the encroachment upon civil liberties is a pain, but compromises must be made and nothing in political philosophy is absolute.

George Bush is not a Libertarian and has never presented himself as anything of the like.



Do you follow American politics?

 

[JEROME DA GNOME]

What you also may not know about them is that they were breakdancing robots. All of them except for Elbridge Gerry. His downrock subroutine was damaged during time travel and he couldn't do the moves.

They were programmed with the seminal works of Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek, and took the unique opportunity to implement their ideas centuries ahead of their time. They couldn't get rid of slavery for some reason, though. Nobody's perfect.

Quite the unintelligible response. Does this take practice or does it come naturally?

 

[Finnegan]

"George Bush is not a Libertarian and has never presented himself as anything of the like."

The founding fathers did not act against enforced slavery. Regardless of circumstances, this directly contradicts the entire Libertarian philosophy of free will and individual liberty.

The founding fathers were not Libertarians.

 

[UserGoogol]

The founding fathers were Classical Liberals, which is similar but distinct from modern libertarianism. Broadly speaking, libertarians and classical liberals have a similar concept of liberty as "freedom from coercion," but the two philosophies are distinct. After all, economics plays an important role in libertarianism, but Adam Smith and the founding fathers were contemporaries, so they clearly could not have taken in that knowledge. Additionally, the Federalist party (home of such people as Alexander Hamilton and John Adams) was even less libertarian, favoring a national bank, protectionist tarriffs, and economic subsidies to grow industry.

 

[JEROME DA GNOME]

"George Bush is not a Libertarian and has never presented himself as anything of the like."

The founding fathers did not act against enforced slavery. Regardless of circumstances, this directly contradicts the entire Libertarian philosophy of free will and individual liberty.

The founding fathers were not Libertarians.

Here you are ignoring the same two exact thoughts which I have previously presented to you.

You seem to be ignoring that compromises were needed to create the USA.

You seem to be ignoring that nothing in political philosophy is absolute.

FYI: On each post there is a

button on the bottom right hand corner so you can quote much more efficiently. I hope this helps.

 

[shep]

You seem to be ignoring that compromises were needed to create the USA.

You seem to be ignoring that nothing in political philosophy is absolute.

Well, libertarian philosophy is very 'absolute' though, going by the encounters I've had in New Zealand here, anyway. Compromise is for lefties. Moderation is for pussies. Et cetera. Every possibly issue can be broken down to a few basic rules of individual freedom and property ownership, and there's no "grey area" at all.

I have mostly dealt with Objectivist-inspired libertarians (in fact, I thought I was one, once), so perhaps the kind you're talking about are different.

 

[JEROME DA GNOME]

The founding fathers were Classical Liberals, which is similar but distinct from modern libertarianism. Broadly speaking, libertarians and classical liberals have a similar concept of liberty as "freedom from coercion," but the two philosophies are distinct. After all, economics plays an important role in libertarianism, but Adam Smith and the founding fathers were contemporaries, so they clearly could not have taken in that knowledge. Additionally, the Federalist party (home of such people as Alexander Hamilton and John Adams) was even less libertarian, favoring a national bank, protectionist tarriffs, and economic subsidies to grow industry.

Of course you are correct. I was answering the question: "Tell me, what have the libertarians actually accomplished? Anything, anything at all?". Libertarian ideas; or rather at that time liberal ideas, were instrumental in the creation of the United States of America.

 

[JEROME DA GNOME]

Well, libertarian philosophy is very 'absolute' though, going by the encounters I've had in New Zealand here, anyway. Compromise is for lefties. Moderation is for pussies. Et cetera. Every possibly issue can be broken down to a few basic rules of individual freedom and property ownership, and there's no "grey area" at all.

I have mostly dealt with Objectivist-inspired libertarians (in fact, I thought I was one, once), so perhaps the kind you're talking about are different.

Shall I paint all American Democrats based upon my immediate neighbors?

 

[shep]

Shall I paint all American Democrats based upon my immediate neighbors?

If you like. Not lead-based though, that's dangerous.

I was simply speaking from experience, and said as much. I was referring to the idealogy/philosophy, and not people or personalities.

 

[RandFan]

Meh. I was hoping for something funny. Fair to middling.

As to Rand, it's damn funny how she riles people up so much. OMG. She's been dead these many years and people pop veins just thinking about her.

FTR, no, I'm not an objectivist. I'm as much of a fan of Orwell and Dostoevsky and while not as much of a fan I'm interested in Marx for some of the same reasons.

 

[Gurdur]

.... As to Rand, it's damn funny how she riles people up so much. OMG. She's been dead these many years and people pop veins just thinking about her.

Meh, OMG, people get far more riled about Galileo, Christ and Muhammed, and they've been dead far, far longer than Rand. They also appear far better in writing than she does.

 

[Gurdur]

.... Libertarian ideas; or rather at that time liberal ideas, were instrumental in the creation of the United States of America.

This is pure rubbish; "liberal" does not equal "libertarian".

Jerome's efforts here remind me of when the Russian Soviets tried repeatedly claiming that all major technological inventions had been first invented by the Soviets, or at least by Russians, way before anyone else.

Jerome The Gnome, the Founding Fathers were not libertarians. Get over it, and get on with life.

 

[thesyntaxera]

Meh. I was hoping for something funny. Fair to middling.

Agreed. This was way below par for SA.

 

[Richard Masters]

This is pure rubbish; "liberal" does not equal "libertarian".

Jerome's efforts here remind me of when the Russian Soviets tried repeatedly claiming that all major technological inventions had been first invented by the Soviets, or at least by Russians, way before anyone else.

Jerome The Gnome, the Founding Fathers were not libertarians. Get over it, and get on with life.

Look at the etymology of the word, and its use elsewhere in the world.

 

[Richard Masters]

"George Bush is not a Libertarian and has never presented himself as anything of the like."

The founding fathers did not act against enforced slavery. Regardless of circumstances, this directly contradicts the entire Libertarian philosophy of free will and individual liberty.

The founding fathers were not Libertarians.

No, there wasn't a Libertarian Party, then. But they were libertarians.

 

[Gurdur]

Look at the etymology of the word, and its use elsewhere in the world.

Oh bwa-ha-ha-ha, argument from etymology.

Look at the etymology of the word "villain". Now try telling me that therefore nowadays it means "peasant" and not "miscreant".

What utterly impoverished bollocks of a pseudo-argument is this? Argument from etymology is a no-go from the very start, since hundreds of words in English now have meanings at odds with their etymology.

No, there wasn't a Libertarian Party, then. But they were libertarians.

Bollocks.