ANSWERS: 2
  • Libertarians aren't like Liberals or Conservatives. Libertarians believe in the power of free will but if one had to be chosen, Libertarians would be more like "classic Liberalism". The term Libertarian was used in pre Roman times. Libertarianism originated in the tradition of liberalism, and often the terms are used interchangeably by Libertarians. Advocacy of free markets, free trade, limited government, and a focus on personal liberty unite the two philosophies. Libertarianism is a modern political philosophy that supports individual rights, private property rights, and free market capitalism. Libertarians believe that as long as individuals do not initiate physical force, the threat of it, or fraud against another person or their property, they should be free to do with their own bodies and property as they see fit. Thus, libertarians oppose government intervention in private affairs to forcibly prevent victimless crimes; if participation in an activity is consensual (i.e. not prompted by initiatory coercion or fraud), libertarians allow it. As such, they support the legalization of drugs, gambling, and prostitution. Libertarians are also against censorship, prohibiting gang membership, mandating seatbelts, and taxing alcohol and tobacco. They believe government should not only refrain from imposing restraints on non-violent action, but also refrain imposing any supposed positive moral obligation individuals. For libertarians, government can legitimately intervene only to prevent coercion. Libertarians apply nonaggression and self-ownership to everyone, but accept material inequality as a natural result of liberty. Because libertarians support property rights, they oppose involuntary redistribution of wealth, which they call "theft." Some libertarians, including anarcho-capitalists, oppose all taxation for this reason, but most, including most minarchists support minimal taxation that is limited to funding legitimate institutions that protect individuals from coercion. Regardless, they generally oppose the tax-funded provision of public services such as universal health care, welfare programs, Social Security, and public education. They usually also argue that the private sector would produce more efficient and fair systems in a free market scenario than the government can. Libertarians oppose governmental regulation of business other than regulations against coercion and fraud. To the extent that libertarians advocate any government at all, its functions tend to be limited to protecting civil liberties and the free market through a police force, a military (with no conscription), and the courts. Libertarianism favors freedom and opposes government action to promote either equality or order. For example, conservatives are likely to support a ban on same-sex marriage, in the interests of preserving the traditional order, liberals are likely to favor allowing same-sex marriage, in the interest of guaranteeing equality under the law, and libertarians are likely to attack the notion of government-sanctioned marriage itself. In specific, they might deny that the government deserves any role in marriage other than enforcing whatever legal contract people choose to bind themselves to, and to oppose the various additional rights currently granted to married people. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism
  • I am a Libertarian, so it is not one or the other. For further information please listen in to this short video.

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