I recommend that article to everyone reading this thread. I am definitely of the “lower-left” persuasion, but I agree with the author that American Libertarians are more likely to find succor from the Democrats than the Republicans in the USA of 2010, and I can see that common-ground could be found between liberals and libertarians. However, some of the “ground” that is *not *seen as very “common” would be fought over quite briskly, and it would take quite an effort to work out the more contentious points.
But the most important prize would also be among the first, and easiest, things to win: a united front against the religious traditionalist “conservatives” who want Big Government to remove our social freedoms (e.g. reproductive rights, the right for adults to choose whatever recreational drugging they prefer, gun rights, etc.).
It seems to me that the vast majority of intelligent, free-thinking Americans–whether they are fiscally to the left or to the right–can agree on stamping out the undue influence of backward-looking troglodytes on public policy as a necessary first step. That in and of itself would be so very positive for American politics.
Then, with the children spanked, shushed, and put safely to bed, the grownups can take up the much more difficult topic of business/economic/spending policy in post-Great Recession America.
The author of the article linked to has some sound ideas of where and how headway could be made in that contentious arena.
Reading some of the comments in this and other threads here has startled me! (Not this one particularly, I picked one arbitrarily to inject this note.) Many of the posters are obviously very intelligent good-spirited “conservative” thinkers whose philosophy may have much merit when viewed abstractly. But I think I speak for some other centrists and liberals when I say that some of you conservatives seem to live in a parallel universe, and are unaware of the real behavior and agenda of the real present-day Republican Party.
Rather than debating the ideal policies of a Platonic Ideal of America, I think some might find it more instructive to review the real world. I’ve started another thread What do you think of 8-7 decision in House v. Bell ? and hope for replies there from conservatives.
As seems somewhat usual with these threads, there’s a lot of dancing around the fact that there’s a seriously significant difference (as most eloquently pointed out by Sam Stone) between “conservatives and liberals” and “Republicans and Democrats”. Y’know, speaking as one of the Lockean conservatives who votes more often Democrat. Even after it’s been pretty clearly articulated we still seem to have some significant confusion here–primarily because the major US parties prefer to align themselves with the words “liberal” and “conservative” without necessarily strictly sticking to those positions in all instances.