# Are there any "left wing" libertarians?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-left-wing-libertarians/655816>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 16, 2013, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-left-wing-libertarians/655816 "2013-04-16T04:29:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-left-wing-libertarians/655816/21 "2013-04-16T22:31:36Z")

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> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> In the current climate, libertarianism is a pseudo-intellectual veneer that people who are clearly and firmly right wing wrap themselves in to separate themselves from the failed neocon policy of the Bush years and also as a way to try to gain undue credibility by pretending not to be partisan. The modern tea party movement is clearly right wing and controlled by right wing interests, but the republican brand name is currently tainted, so it allows them a way to express their right wing views without being tied down to the negatives of the republican party, and they can pat themselves on the back about how they’re not republicans or democrats, they hate both parties blah blah and all that bullshit.
> 
> Which isn’t to say that there aren’t genuine libertarians, but the public face of libertarianism is clearly under the firm manipulation of the republican party.
> 
> Furthermore, a whole lot of libertarians - even genuine ones - seem far more concerned about empowering the powerful than any stance on personal freedoms and all that. Their interests line up with the plutocrats that run the republican party.

This - 100% this.

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**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-left-wing-libertarians/655816/22 "2013-04-16T23:25:15Z")

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> [@listedmia](#):
>
> None of us are pundits or anything, but I’d say that me and a large number of my friends and acquaintances fall into this category. If I took a poll, I’d mostly hear:  
> Gun control is bad.  
> Abortion is ok.  
> Gay rights are ok.  
> Drugs should be legalized or decriminalized.  
> Small businesses should be regulated less (Unless, of course, you are talking about your boss)  
> Fiscal conservatism is good, including cuts to military spending as well as some welfare programs. This varies a lot in importance between different people, though. If you happen to be in the military or on welfare, all bets are off.  
> “Corporate welfare” is also bad.  
> “Nanny state” type stuff like regulating soda sizes or cigarette smoking is universally bad.
> 
> This is mostly urban, blue-collar people, early 20s-early 40s who are not particularly religious. There’s a widespread frustration with politicians because it’s hard to find someone who is for both gun rights AND reproductive rights, for instance. Because of this, a lot of people with these viewpoints don’t bother to vote, and we aren’t quite as vocal on the internet as the more “right-wing” libertarians.

To a large extent I agree. Except that I want to regulate cig smoking as SHS can kill ME. So, it’s not “nanny state” it’s public safety. It should be as illegal to smoke in public as firing a gun off in the air is.

OTOH, I vote.

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