c-change

Name:
Location: Columbus, Ohio, United States

Friday, August 15, 2008

Liberatarianism

I've got lots of friends who are getting high for liberatarianism.
It's stupid. Great lines to knit on a pillow, fine for discussions over coffee, and unsustainable for governance.
Rather than a line-by-line critique, here's why:
1. Externalities are real and cannot be accounted for merely as a contractual arrangement among individual property holders.
2. There are very few victimless crimes.
3. Global trade is going to happen and requires strength. Being anti interventionist, or more broadly anti global is simply not realistic.
4. Isolated parts of the world breed resentment and let bad guys control stuff.
I think it's good to have a healthy discussion, and I think that different ideological perspectives are a prism to cast different colors on the debate over sound governance. That said any political "platform" that doesn't lead to actual policy is just some people talking.
Don't come to the world with half a thing. Come up with a real alternative that can actually be implemented in real life and then we'll talk.