What exactly is a "conservative libertarian?"

[Pushkin]

I’m not really familiar with the term. When someone refers to themselves as such what does it mean with regards their politics?

[Whack-a-Mole]

Why not go right to the source:
Right on the Web - A Conservative Libertarian Forum

For a perhaps more thorough dealing with this:
Conservative and Libertarian Legal Scholarship: An Annotated Bibliography

Try a Google search…you’ll get a ton of hits.

[Undead_Dude]

Pretty common in this neck of the woods. As an overall liberal I do find them a lot easier to get a long with than a member of the religious right.

To vastly oversimplify, an American conservative libertarian gets very irritated about having to pay any taxes, thinks the NRA doesn’t do enough to protect gun control, and has no problem with smoking a joint here and there.

[Max_Harvey]

*Originally posted by Undead Dude *
**To vastly oversimplify, an American conservative libertarian gets very irritated about having to pay any taxes, thinks the NRA doesn’t do enough to protect gun control, and has no problem with smoking a joint here and there. **

Maybe if you rephrased it “but has no problem with smoking a joint”, since libertarians vehemently disagree with the Republican party about legalizing drugs.

I guess it’s a matter of whether “conservative” modifies “libertarian”, or vice versa.

[Kalashnikov]

a conservative who wants to sound “cool”
Seriously, “conservative libertarian” could cover a wide range of attitudes. I know some hard-core conservative religious right types who CALL themselves libertarian or conservative libertarian. Unfortunately, one has to judge people by their stands on issues, not by what they call themselves.

[Jabba]

While on the subject, if Libertarian, ivylass or any of our other resident experts are around: I gather that Noam Chomsky defines himself as a “socialist libertarian”. Whether this is true or not, what would such a being be. It strikes me as a paradigmatic oxymoron.

[kanicbird]

Possibly to prevent any confusion between the like terms libertarian and liberal

[Derleth]

Max Harvey: The Libertarian Party is pro-legalization. http://www.lp.org/issues/relegalize.html

Libertarians, like most Americans, demand to be safe at home and on the streets. Libertarians would like all Americans to be healthy and free of drug dependence. But drug laws don’t help, they make things worse.

The professional politicians scramble to make names for themselves as tough anti-drug warriors, while the experts agree that the “war on drugs” has been lost, and could never be won. The tragic victims of that war are your personal liberty and its companion, responsibility. It’s time to consider the re-legalization of drugs.

(My emphasis.)

Drug legalization is in full philosophical compliance with the core Libertarian philosophy: Minimal governmental intrusion.

[Derleth]

Uh, I guess I misread you, Max. Sorry.

(Gotta remember: No mainstream pols are pro-legalization.)

[Crafter_Man]

According to most conservatives, “liberals want to use the power & force of government to impose their will on the people.” That much is true, but a lot of conservatives are guilty of this also; many conservatives want to use the force of government to ban certain books & music, impose religious curriculums in public schools, etc.

This is where “conservative libertarian” comes in. We’re basically conservative, with the exception that we do not want to use the coercive power of the government to force others to our way of thinking. Above all, we believe in a federal government that strictly adheres to the duties enumerated in the Constitution, in addition to more individual freedom and more individual accountability.

[Shagnasty]

*Originally posted by Crafter_Man *
**According to most conservatives, “liberals want to use the power & force of government to impose their will on the people.” That much is true, but a lot of conservatives are guilty of this also; many conservatives want to use the force of government to ban certain books & music, impose religious curriculums in public schools, etc.

This is where “conservative libertarian” comes in. We’re basically conservative, with the exception that we do not want to use the coercive power of the government to force others to our way of thinking. Above all, we believe in a federal government that strictly adheres to the duties enumerated in the Constitution, in addition to more individual freedom and more individual accountability. **

I consider myself a libertarian. I might even join the party next month even though a lot of their leadership are crackpots. However, I do not understand this “conservative” libertarian. It sounds like what you describe as a conservative libertarian is just a plain old libertarian. I don’t get the distinction. I find myself on the conservative side of many if not most issues just by virtue of following the libertarian philosophy. Is there something that I am missing?

[Crafter_Man]

*Originally posted by Shagnasty *
**I do not understand this “conservative” libertarian. It sounds like what you describe as a conservative libertarian is just a plain old libertarian. I don’t get the distinction. Is there something that I am missing? **

One major issue is abortion. I believe abortion is murder. Murder is illegal, alas I believe abortion should be illegal. I also believe hard drugs (heroin, cocaine, etc.) should be illegal. Same goes for euthanasia.