Can someone explain libertarianism to me?
I think i get it, but no online source is really explaining it to me. Even wikipedia. Can someone out there give me a rundown on what libertarians shoot for?
Okay here goes. Libertarians follow the NAP (non aggression principle), and recognize self-ownership. They also recognize that an individual has a right to own what he can bring to himself through voluntary means such as trade. They want a very small government. Some want no government, some want little and some one only enough to prevent violence. The general idea though is that Libertarians want to prevent coercion. Too big of a state causes coercion and (some believe) too little allows coercion. The existence of a state however is coercive( because it must forcefully take money through taxation.) So some advocate no state.
Either way Libertarians want to stay out of your wallet and out of your personal life. They want you to live freely as an individual. I am a libertarian because I believe each person should live for themselves and no one should be able to tell them what to do, how to live. The best person to run your life is you. I hope that’s clear enough. Feel free to ask questions!
The above is a pretty good intro. Another fun, simple way to figure it out is to start with some “political compass” tests. I have about 3 or 4 linked in my “libertarian?” page, just click on my results to get there. Your answers might evolve in time, but the questions might get you thinking in the right direction. Being a libertarian involves a healthy dose of DIY research and there are very few easy answers. Most of the knowledge you will gain may seem counterintuitive.
Libertarians want to maximize both personal and economic freedoms, but vary in the extent they are willing to go in demolishing the state. Left libertarians tend to care less about economic freedoms, while right libertarians see those as more important as they ultimately determine and guarantee personal freedoms.
LLs identify themselves usually as anarchists and may even hold Marx, Trotsky or Chomsky in high regard while right libertarians might call themselves anarcho-capitalists and have a fetish for Hayek, Rothbard, Ron Paul, Milton Friedman and generally the Austrian school of economics.
(Source: previewofthoughts, via classical-liberal)
