Definitions, Gentlemen, please:
What is libertarianism?
Libertarianism is, as the name implies, the belief in liberty.
Libertarians strive for a free, peaceful, abundant world where each
individual has the maximum opportunity to pursue his or her dreams and
to realize his full potential.
The core idea is simply stated, but profound and far-reaching in its
implications. Libertarians believe that each person owns his own life
and property, and has the right to make his own choices as to how he
lives his life – as long as he simply respects the same right of others
to do the same.
Another way of saying this is that libertarians believe you should be
free to do as you choose with your own life and property, as long as you
don't harm the person and property of others.
What is liberalism?
Basically liberalism is a willful failure to mature beyond adolescence
that can have catastrophic consequences for society. With luck, the
official diagnosis of this disease by a mental health professional will
facilitate the search for a cure.
Let us be precise or the story passed around the campfire becomes
convoluted into unacceptable distortions.
Warm Regards,
Reliable
Eric Walker wrote:
On Fri, Jun 1, 2012 at 11:54 AM, Daniel Rocha <danieldi...@gmail.com
<mailto:danieldi...@gmail.com>> wrote:
Liberalism is supporting government? Shouldn't it be the opposite?
I mean, liberalism is a typical conservative stance, for example,
the more conservative the republican, the more liberal it is.
Liberal as meaning interference of the government with the
economy. The most liberal of the republican nowadays are Ron Paul
supporters, after him comes neo cons and Reagan fans...
We've been using the term "liberal" in a way that is specific to the
US political context. The meaning of the word has changed over time.
It used to mean "free markets, minimal regulation," and in economics
it still does. But now, in general American usage, it means something
closer to social democracy without the socialism (or with it, some
would argue!).
Even in the US, there is no clear-cut definition for "conservative" or
"liberal." People who call themselves liberal and conservative have a
wide range of beliefs, often overlapping. In the US these two camps
fight one another tooth and nail for political supremacy. Things have
gotten worse over the last several decades, and now effective decision
making has largely ground to a halt in preference to political
posturing and a perpetual election cycle.
Eric
