Thursday 2 June 2016

Libertarianism

How do I differ from a hardcore libertarian?

1) I don't care about money.
As opposed to "I have the right to keep my money", I don't actually think this is a "right" to have. The financial system exists to serve the people, it's not part of an essential liberty. So, "I have the right to have the financial system serve to my benefit".

2) I don't care about collectives.
That includes corporations. Corporations don't have personal liberties, as they are not persons. The free market is also just a system to serve the individuals, not an essential right to be had. Of course, I'd disagree with a far-left radical nine out of ten times whether a given regulation helps or hurts the individuals. We've seen that a planned economy just doesn't work. Why the fuck are some people still trying it?

3) I think people are stupid.
Not always, mind you. But everybody has moments of stupidity every now and then. In this category fall state police, licenses to drive vehicles, gun regulations, and so on.

4) I think corporations are at least as evil as the government, if not more.
Ergo, we need a balance.

5) I think a corporation with the size of a government will be as effective as a government.
Ergo, stop thinking corporations are a panacea to bureaucracy.

6) I have the right to survive.
This ties in to health care, state monopoly on violence, and... generally everything I mentioned in "people are stupid" too.

7) I think the government can generally be tricked into increasing our quality of life.
And should be.
Considering the financial system and the market, there isn't a given set of regulations that will always increase our quality of life. It's the opposite: these regulations should be introduced and dropped in a cyclical manner as to "mind the TPO", if you excuse my engrish. As they say, the only thing that separates the medicines and the poisons is the dosage.
Of course, the government itself won't generally desire to actually increase the quality of life of its citizens, generally speaking its desire would be to increase its own control over the situation. However, we've made our society such that we've rudimentary instruments of control over them, from voting to opinion pieces on the Internet. It may not always work, but given that you're smart enough, you'll figure out how to squeeze out an increase in the quality of life.

So, stop whining and use both the government and the corporations as a tool to better your life to the best of your abilities. You're a smart independent person, right?

over 9000) In the end, it's a question of balance.
The desired path will always swerve between the left and the right. However, as both the government and the corporations will surely be pulling towards a totalitarian dystopia, the citizenry has a duty to balance them out by pulling towards liberalism/libertarianism/anti-authoritarianism/however you want to call it.
Have fun.

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