Quote:Shocker:  The unindustrialized world has a low quality of life!  Apparently its because those countries are too free.  We all need to be more like Greece.

 

Yes, I would pull *most* of the supports out from under the nation... and replace them with crutches.  The government's role isn't to make everyone meet some arbitrary quality of life.  "What did he just say?  He must hate poor people!!!"  No, that's called socialism.  

 

It's embarrassing that socialists don't have the intestinal fortitude to even label themselves as such.  Instead, they are capitalists who just want everyone to have equality.

 

Agreed on all of the above. 

 

I do disagree that Libertarianism is a leftist ideology.  It's all about getting government out of our lives.  In that respect, it's more in tune with what true conservatives hold at their core, particularly when it comes to individual liberty.  Libertarianism rebuffs government intervention in the free markets beyond creating a framework for legally trading, and in handling disputes.  That certainly isn't a leftist view.  They don't think it's the government's place to dictate how we conserve the environment.  They want to repeal the tax code and abolish the IRS.  They think it's unacceptable for government to incur debt, and feel the Constitution should be amended to require a balanced budget. 

 

Stop me when I get to the leftist stuff. 

 

They believe financial markets should be free from government intervention in any ways other than to handle illegal activity.  They're not pro labor union.  They believe education and healthcare are better served by the free market and not by the government.  They think social security should be phased out and replaced by private, voluntary systems.  They feel that charity is best handled by the private sector, and not by government. 

 

Go read the Libertarian party platform.  I just rattled off a few of their positions, but it sure doesn't sound leftist to me in the big areas that matter most.  On social issues?  Yeah, they do skew left of center.  But, on almost every issue that matters with regard to individual liberty or economic liberty, they're pretty darn conservative. 

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