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Libertarian Stance on Issues: Difference between revisions
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Libertarians generally define liberty as the freedom to do whatever one wishes as long as one does not initiate force for fraud against others; proportionate defense against aggression is acceptable. Behavior that interferes with or endanger another's person or property may or may not be considered acceptable, depending on circumstances. | Libertarians generally define liberty as the freedom to do whatever one wishes as long as one does not initiate force for fraud against others; proportionate defense against aggression is acceptable. Behavior that interferes with or endanger another's person or property may or may not be considered acceptable, depending on circumstances. | ||
Libertarians generally view constraints imposed by the state on persons or their property, beyond providing basic police and judicial services, as a violation of liberty. | Libertarians generally view constraints imposed by the state on persons or their property, beyond providing basic police and judicial services, as a violation of liberty. Libertarian anarchists favor no governmental constraints at all, believing that without the rule of government - and its "monopoly on violence" - individuals will naturally form self-governing social bonds and rules. Libertarian minarchists believe that individuals will continue to need some minimal level of government services, at least at the local, state or regional level. This includes protecting people and their property from crime and military defense. | ||
Below is a brief summary of how these principles are applied to three primary areas: individual liberty, economics, and defense and foreign policy. | Below is a brief summary of how these principles are applied to three primary areas: individual liberty, economics, and defense and foreign policy. | ||
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'''Crime and Justice''' | '''Crime and Justice''' | ||
Criminal laws should be limited in their application to violations of the rights of others through force or fraud, or to deliberate actions that place others involuntarily at significant risk of harm. Many libertarians emphasize mediation and arbitration of disputes and compensation to the victim more than punishment or retribution. Most libertarians allow that such sanctions are properly imposed by the state in the form of criminal or civil penalties. | |||
Criminal laws should be limited in their application to violations of the rights of others through force or fraud, or to deliberate actions that place others involuntarily at significant risk of harm. Many libertarians emphasize mediation and arbitration of disputes and compensation to the victim more than punishment or retribution. Most libertarians allow that such sanctions are properly imposed by the state in the form of criminal or civil penalties. Manys believe voluntary or "[[anarchist]]" solutions are preferable to state interference. | |||
'''Victimless Crimes''' | '''Victimless Crimes''' | ||
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'''Privacy''' | '''Privacy''' | ||
Libertarians want to end government practices of spying on citizens and support the rights recognized by the Fourth Amendment to be secure in our persons, homes, property, and communications and to be protected against unreasonable search and seizure. | Libertarians want to end government practices of spying on citizens and support the rights recognized by the Fourth Amendment to be secure in our persons, homes, property, and communications and to be protected against unreasonable search and seizure. | ||
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'''Welfare, Social Security, and Healthcare''' | '''Welfare, Social Security, and Healthcare''' | ||
Social welfare programs are the majority of national and many state budgets because politicians effectively have bribed voters. These programs often redistribute wealth from low income workers to high income retirees and bureaucrats. In the early 1900s the federal and state governments began to create such programs to shut down the thousands of popularly voluntary associations which provided such services to the truly needy, without massive bureaucratic overhead and fraud. Without having so much of their income siphoned off for poorly administered programs, taxpayers could contribute to truly effective social welfare programs. Libertarians propose selling off most federal assets to create accounts to help truly disabled elderly and other individuals and to create educational and job opportunities for others. | Social welfare programs are the majority of national and many state budgets because politicians effectively have bribed voters. These programs often redistribute wealth from low income workers to high income retirees and bureaucrats. In the early 1900s the federal and state governments began to create such programs to shut down the thousands of popularly voluntary associations which provided such services to the truly needy, without massive bureaucratic overhead and fraud. Without having so much of their income siphoned off for poorly administered programs, taxpayers could contribute to truly effective social welfare programs. Libertarians propose selling off most federal assets to create accounts to help truly disabled elderly and other individuals and to create educational and job opportunities for others. | ||
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Libertarians support military non-interventionism in the world as our current interventionist policies have spent trillions of dollars in unnecessary wars and supports a military establishment of 100s of military bases in a majority of the world's nations. Libertarians are opposed to foreign aid to other countries as an extension of an interventionist policy that has angered billions of people worldwide. | Libertarians support military non-interventionism in the world as our current interventionist policies have spent trillions of dollars in unnecessary wars and supports a military establishment of 100s of military bases in a majority of the world's nations. Libertarians are opposed to foreign aid to other countries as an extension of an interventionist policy that has angered billions of people worldwide. | ||
== | == Links == | ||
[http://www.lp.org/issues/introduction.shtml Hot Issues]<br /> | [http://www.lp.org/issues/introduction.shtml Hot Issues]<br /> | ||
[http://www.lp.org/issues/current.shtml Hot Issues]<br /> | [http://www.lp.org/issues/current.shtml Hot Issues]<br /> | ||