Liberaltarianism

[Cain]

Apparently there has been something of a mini-insurgency within American libertarianism of late to try and align with the political left, rather than right.

Haven't found too much on it yet, but some interesting links and commentary can be found here, for those who want to know more http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2010/08/rumors-of-left-libertarianisms-death-are-greatly-exaggerated/

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Very interesting.

ETA: A couple links through picks up this Reason Mag discussion:
http://reason.com/archives/2010/07/12/where-do-libertarians-belong

Also very good

[Doktor Howl]

Apparently there has been something of a mini-insurgency within American libertarianism of late to try and align with the political left, rather than right.

Good luck with that.  Last I heard, leftists aren't into allowing people to starve to death, which is part of the core beliefs of Libertarianism.

[Cain]

These guys seem to be mostly small l-libertarians, or ex-Cato Institute guys, who aren't usually too insane.  I know ED Kain, who I linked to above, actually thinks you need a robust welfare state for the free market to work and is in favour of the kind of fiscal responsibility which means cutting the Pentagon budget and maybe raising some taxes.

I think these are basically the people who looked at the Tea Party crowd and said "you know what, fuck this shit." 

[Jenne]

These guys seem to be mostly small l-libertarians, or ex-Cato Institute guys, who aren't usually too insane.  I know ED Kain, who I linked to above, actually thinks you need a robust welfare state for the free market to work and is in favour of the kind of fiscal responsibility which means cutting the Pentagon budget and maybe raising some taxes.

I think these are basically the people who looked at the Tea Party crowd and said "you know what, fuck this shit." 

Those people need to multiply, and fast.  The Tea Party's going to fuck some serious shit up, and those of us who USED to care, now no longer do and are looking waaaay too forward to this eventual outcome with all much glee.  My only problem with that really being those I love are gonna be the ones fucked with in the end.

[Doktor Howl]

I think these are basically the people who looked at the Tea Party crowd and said "you know what, fuck this shit." 

I'm kind of thinking this may be the funniest time to be alive in American history.

The left doesn't really exist, and the right is imploding because a BLACK DUDE got elected.

[Cain]

Also, the liberaltarians got kicked out of the Cato Institute, as the Koch family (who bankroll said institute) are trying to reform all their various organizations to throw their full weight behind the Teabaggers and their allies in the GOP.  So they're really kinda pissed at the right as a whole, currently.

[Cramulus]

this is very interesting! I would like to learn more.

[Doktor Howl]

Also, the liberaltarians got kicked out of the Cato Institute, as the Koch family (who bankroll said institute) are trying to reform all their various organizations to throw their full weight behind the Teabaggers and their allies in the GOP.  So they're really kinda pissed at the right as a whole, currently.

There has to be some way to have fun with this.

[Cain]

More fun than watching the Koch's blow their fortune on idiots with misspelt signs?  Its not like the Teabaggers are going to exist long past when the GOP get back into power anyway, except as some sad fringe movement with no influence, so watching them burn the green on a flash-in-the-pan political movement is entertaining enough for me.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Apparently there has been something of a mini-insurgency within American libertarianism of late to try and align with the political left, rather than right.

Good luck with that.  Last I heard, leftists aren't into allowing people to starve to death, which is part of the core beliefs of Libertarianism.

In the linked articles... these guys are basically calling that out as bullshit. Here's a quote from E.D. Kain:

Countries like Denmark and Switzerland have very redistributive economies in spite of their extraordinarily free economies and hands-off approach to economic matters. In spite of may be the wrong way to phrase this. I believe that for a truly free market society to flourish, a redistributive state must exist alongside it.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/08/26/markets-safety-nets-and-failure/

[Doktor Howl]

Apparently there has been something of a mini-insurgency within American libertarianism of late to try and align with the political left, rather than right.

Good luck with that.  Last I heard, leftists aren't into allowing people to starve to death, which is part of the core beliefs of Libertarianism.

In the linked articles... these guys are basically calling that out as bullshit. Here's a quote from E.D. Kain:

Countries like Denmark and Switzerland have very redistributive economies in spite of their extraordinarily free economies and hands-off approach to economic matters. In spite of may be the wrong way to phrase this. I believe that for a truly free market society to flourish, a redistributive state must exist alongside it.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/08/26/markets-safety-nets-and-failure/

So, one guy?  Because the last time I looked at the lp site - admittedly, that was some time ago - they were still all about handing the entire infrastructure over to corporations, ending all regulation, and letting the bottom rung go underwater.

[Doktor Howl]

More fun than watching the Koch's blow their fortune on idiots with misspelt signs?  Its not like the Teabaggers are going to exist long past when the GOP get back into power anyway, except as some sad fringe movement with no influence, so watching them burn the green on a flash-in-the-pan political movement is entertaining enough for me.

Oh, yeah, the moment the GOP gets back in, the teabaggers will have all the influence of, say, the Reform Party.

[Cain]

So, one guy?  Because the last time I looked at the lp site - admittedly, that was some time ago - they were still all about handing the entire infrastructure over to corporations, ending all regulation, and letting the bottom rung go underwater.

There are quite a few others, the problem is you have to follow online blogging and libertarian debates to know the names.  Most of them don't associate with the Libertarian Party though (in fact, very few online libertarians do, it seems.  But then, most are Republicans being crazier than normal, so this is to be expected).

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Apparently there has been something of a mini-insurgency within American libertarianism of late to try and align with the political left, rather than right.

Good luck with that.  Last I heard, leftists aren't into allowing people to starve to death, which is part of the core beliefs of Libertarianism.

In the linked articles... these guys are basically calling that out as bullshit. Here's a quote from E.D. Kain:

Countries like Denmark and Switzerland have very redistributive economies in spite of their extraordinarily free economies and hands-off approach to economic matters. In spite of may be the wrong way to phrase this. I believe that for a truly free market society to flourish, a redistributive state must exist alongside it.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/08/26/markets-safety-nets-and-failure/

So, one guy?  Because the last time I looked at the lp site - admittedly, that was some time ago - they were still all about handing the entire infrastructure over to corporations, ending all regulation, and letting the bottom rung go underwater.

Not just one guy, here's a quote from Kevin Drum as well:

It's useful to know where you can find political allies. If you can find liberals who favor charter schools, less regulation of small businesses, and an end to Fannie Mae, that's well and good. But that's 10% or less of my worldview. I also favor high marginal tax rates on the rich, national healthcare, full funding for Social Security, more spending on early childhood education, stiff regulations on the financial industry, robust environmental rules, a strong labor movement, a cap-and-trade regime to reduce carbon emissions, a major assault on income inequality, more and better public transit, and plenty of other lefty ambitions that I won't bother to list. If we could do all that without a bigger state, that would be fine. But we can't. When it's all said and done, if we lived in Drum World I figure combined government expenditures would be 40-45% of GDP and the funding source for all that would be strongly progressive.

This subset "liberaltarian" seems to be focusing on a streamlined government that acts as a safety net. Their focus seems to be on 'freedom' for the individual to invest and do what they want with their money... for business to compete without government tipping the scales (like with ag subsidies) and overall a focus on the individual. Much more like Locke's liberalism than Rand's psycho views.