Libertarians Freak Out

Apparently, Milton Friedman is now encouraging all good libertarians to go live on oil rig platforms so that they can be free of the democracy (yes, it’s democracy that’s the problem) that oppresses them. They don’t want to go too far however; they still want to take advantage of the benefits of democratic oppression, like physical security. Meanwhile, Paypal’s Peter Thiel concludes it was a mistake to let girls vote, because they don’t understand that no taxes is better than everything.

I’ve been hearing a lot about a resurgence of libertarianism in the face of the collapse of the Republican party. Is it getting to their heads?

Sorry, that’s not Milton Friedman. It’s his grandson, Patri.

I believe that would be

who is advocating that.

Facts are a useful thing.

ETA Doh! curse you acsenray!

Link to Thiel quote?

Well, Rand’s Objectivism is on the upswing and that is often closely tied to Libertarian ideals.

Truly scary IMO.

How can you be a “free market fundamentalist”? Live according to a strict, literal interpretation of The Wealth of Nations?

A Libertarian once told me Rand hated the Libertarian Party, but I’m not clear on why.

You do it by being the sort of person who thinks that the free market is the solution to everything, should never be interfered with under any circumstances, and takes these principles on faith.

Probably not. I’ve never read it, but I’ve read excerpts in which Adam Smith seems to be favorable to a welfare state.

Nevertheless, Der, Adam Smith was a great philsopher and would never have argued that the free market was the solution to everything.

It’s not necessarily the person who starts a philosophy/idea/movement/religion/whatever which makes someone a “fundamentalist”, but the nature of the follower in question. It IS in part their fault if the philosophy in question is an absolutist, irrational one ( which disqualifies Adam Smith personally, as far I know ).

The point is, Adam Smith is long past the point where he can have any personal influence in the attitudes of some guy whose beliefs are at best distantly descended from Smith’s.

Mr. Thiel is, one notes, gay. This may have some relation to his opinion of women.

Cite?

I tend to doubt it. Most gay men don’t exhibit the creepy dead gaze of a psycho killer.

I think that guy’s got something entirely different going on, and the rest of us will probably be a lot happier if we never find out what it is.

No, you do it by being the sort of person who thinks the free market should never be interfered with, as a matter of moral principle, regardless of whether it is the solution to anything or not.

Have you met any of them?

Many Libertarians; not sure if any of them were Randians.

No, I agree with Der Trihs. The free market is the solution, even if every single individual hates the result. It’s akin to an unpolular commandment from god.

They don’t?! :eek:

:smack: I knew something was wrong with my gaydar!