If you knew what a Libertarian was you would be one too.

This is hilarious!

The Problem with You Conservatives
An enlightened leftist reaches across the aisle
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-problem-with-you-conservatives/
...
Somebody needs to speak up. Because you conservatives certainly never hear the truth on the news, where Fox News spreads its propaganda while good-hearted but misguided journalists like Chris Matthews and Katie Couric spend most of their time echoing right-wing talking points on behalf of their corporate masters. The corporate masters who make sure that goons like Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity stay on the air and have huge audiences, despite the fact that no one wants to hear them — while popular liberal hosts are usually kept off the air and aren’t allowed to draw an audience when they do get on.

You certainly aren’t getting the truth from newspapers, where journalists treat every argument you make like it deserves coverage. Why do these astroturfed “teabagger” parties deserve even the small story on page A-18 that they’re getting? It’s not like the unions, A.N.S.W.E.R., Code Pink, or any other real grassroots organizations are busing people in for the events.

Let me give you the message that you never hear — and need to: You conservatives are wrong about pretty much everything.
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[More at the link...]

Actually it was kind of sad. Think about it. Roughly 1/3 of the country is retarded and fighting the help they need.

Libertarianism may have some appeal, but it is an essentially selfish philosophy of politics; which although it is indeed about power, can also be about offering opportunity and access. Those without power will gain nothing from adopting such a nihilistic approach; while communitarianism, which does have its flaws (and is not communism! look up Etzioni if curious) is aimed at empowering through voluntary organisation.

@42 @C2R while I sympathise with your exasperation at the large number of people who espouse a conservative ideology which is of no help to them, calling people names will hardly endear or convince. Indeed, the very fact that so many favor what is - objectively, perhaps, or perhaps only to those sharing our enlightened views - against their interests may point to some truth behind the propaganda they appear to have swallowed. These are at least people who do have hope and energy to engage, how can we get them to see what seems to us obviously better for them, and for all?

Now, if you knew what a Muslim was - would you be one too? (In place of Muslim, you could put Communist, Democrat, Republican, Liberal, Covenanter, Royalist, etc. etc.) - Well in all cases there is some ideal - of how to behave and what to seek to achieve, which is of course attractive, and then there are real Muslims, Communists, etc. some of whom will be good folks and others who will be struggling, and even some who are just plain evil and using the ideal to cover up their crimes, often crimes directly opposite the key points of the ideal. Thus you get rich Communists, terrorist Muslims, child abusing Catholics, embezzling Jews, adulterous Republicans, etc. (I'm not really sure what an evil Liberal would do, which may be because I see myself as one...) It may be that it is the peculiar hypocrisy of going against the ideal which attracts the media interest - there are probably child abusing Communists, but that doesn't get you attention.

One argument for Libertarianism then - how can your ideal, selfish, Libertarian be really evil - by becoming a philanthropist?

@bookie:

From the administrative point of view, it is the liberal who is selfish, wanting to spend everybody else's money. The libertarian lets people become philanthropists, should that be their goal, by allowing them to have more money left with which they can be philanthropic.

Forcefully separating people from their money is no substitute for generosity.

Here is an interesting read:

5 Myths of Modern Liberals (and Why I’ll Never Become One)
http://www.edgeblog.net/2009/5-myths-of-modern-liberals/

The modern Liberal believes fervently in the rightness of his cause, regardless of the objective evidence that they are wrong. Facts rarely enter the equation. Liberals are more concerned with feelings. Liberals *feel* that the world is unfair, and they intend to use the power of government to right wrongs. To justify these feelings, the Liberal has built an array of myths that constitute their belief system. These myths have become a surrogate religion for the Liberals
[More at the link...]