libertarian is basically anarchy (no government) a opposed to totalitarian government.
Minor quibble–the AUTHOR of the Pournelle chart characterized himself on the Irrational end of the spectrum. It’s shorthand for “believes societal problems can be solved rationally/deterministically” vs. “believes societal problems can only be solved on a trial-and-error basis”. Put another way, that axis measures how much you believe that social cohesion and a sense of community purpose can be rationally created.
His definition of “irrational” is “problems can be solved rationally”?
Libertarians aren’t anarchists, and they believe in government.
No, let me try to rephrase:
If you’re on the “Rational” side of the Pournelle chart, you believe that society can be managed using generally scientific/deterministic techniques–any policy you care to name will have an obvious, predictable result, and all you have to do is show that your idea works and people will happily vote for you and follow your lead. Classic Marxism, Technocracy, Objectivism, etc. The modern Democrats are on this side, barely.
If you’re on the “Irrational” side of the Pournelle chart, you believe that society has to be managed with trial-and-error, emotion, and non-rational techniques–you can’t predict the outcome of any given policy because people are not typically rational, and you can’t lead the people with cause and effect proof, but must use nationalism, party loyalty, fear of other, and appeals to emotional thinking to rally the people to act as one. Nazism rallies, North Korea’s We Love the Leader stuff, Tea Party fear-mongering, etc. The modern Republicans are on this side, somewhat.
Both sides have historically had idiots on them. Pournelle characterized himself as “Irrational”–it’s not intended as pejorative.
Old PoliSci joke:
In a democracy, what is not prohibited is permitted.
In a dictatorship, what is not prohibited is compulsory.
How about “statist”?