First off, this post is directed at the Big “L” Libertarian, not the small “l” variety. For that matter, the small “l” crowd is probably the closest to where I reside politically, if not completely. So hold your fire, Rand Paul fans – this post isn’t aimed at you. It’s your Big L cousins that need to face reality. One thing I sometimes miss about Facebook is getting into political arguments with the rare Lefties who could actually articulate more than straw man arguments or regurgitation of whatever talking points were issued to the late night NPCs. They were useful to help me understand the opposing arguments and help me know how to counter their dishonest or flat out ignorant statements. Nowadays I sometimes get engaged via the posts I drop on my various social media feeds (which you can find at the end of this post). Generally when I get some ignorant remark I either block without hesitation (antisemites or racists) or in the case of most Lefties, I just go straight to a one liner countering their talking point with the helpful suggestion that they stay in their lane and go back to focusing on normalizing pedophilia and pushing child mutilation.
But sometimes if I get some ignoramus who is semi articulate that I’ll engage. I had some back and forth with an antisemite not too long ago, not trying to change minds or win the argument, but wanted to understand his arguments. In response to my posts about antisemitism today I pointed out that there has never been a culture where Jews had to fear for their safety that has not gone downhill quickly. If I remember correctly, he suggested that all of those places were fine before the Jews arrived and he got quiet when I asked if he had dates to back up these claims. It was actually a surprisingly civil discussion given the topic, but at some point when the facts aren’t on your side bowing out is your best option. I can’t say I had the same experience when recently engaging a Big “L” Libertarian.
This guy had issues with my post on protecting kids from child groomers. One point I’ll credit to the Big L Libertarians, they are mostly well informed and can usually make a good argument for their point, even if sometimes misguided. In this case, Big L was nowhere on that map – he kept dropping incoherent statements to the point where I had to flat out tell him that I wasn’t messing with him when I said that I had no idea what he was trying to argue and asked what his point was. The best I could get out of him was telling me I needed to go wear a dress. Not very helpful in advancing the cause.
I bring this up in light of President Trump’s recent foray to the Libertarian convention, where he got some boos and jeers for what was some tough love for them, but also genuine outreach on Trump’s part. Was it the nicest thing to say when he pointed out that on their current course they’ll never get more than 3 percent of the Presidential vote? No it wasn’t, but he also offered a path forward to push their causes. For that matter, he was offering to put a Libertarian in his cabinet. Unfortunately, that wasn’t good enough.
Two Libertarians who I follow are Styxenhammer666 and Karlyn Borsenko. Both are New Englanders, and although Styx likes to push the GOP toward drug legalization1, his response to Trump’s appearance was pretty levelheaded. Borsenko is a red pilled Democrat who makes some good videos on the topic of Education. Unfortunately, she’s also convinced that the GOP has no chance with young voters unless they decide to legalize abortion. She also did not react well to Trump’s appearance at the Convention. She chided him for his choice of words, saying that he blew any chance of support by his remarks, and correctly pointed out that many Libertarians are more interested in their ideological purity even if it means never winning. Sorry, but that’s a sad excuse.
Did the political witch hunt against President Trump teach you nothing, Big Ls? Sitting on the sideline or throwing away your votes to make a statement is no longer an option – one party had gone full authoritarian and needs to be not only stopped, but sent the way of the Whig Party. Somehow being able to get an abortion on demand after an unplanned pregnancy after some activities while high is kind of trivial when one party wants you silenced, unarmed, not free to practice your faith, and finding many creative ways to restrict your life, whether it be what car you drive, what kind of stove you use, or if you’re even allowed to travel from your home. Drugs and abortion seem less important when you put them in perspective, now don’t they?
Then again, given who the Libertarians chose as their nominee, I’m not holding my breath. Blaze up Libertarians, if the Democrats keep power in November you’re going to need it.
To close out, here is a screen shot of a comment that was posted over at Ace summing up what happened to the Libertarian movement. It’s too long to transcribe the image, so if the pic gets blown out for any reason here is the permalink where it resides:
1 Not that anyone was asking, but philosophically I’m with the Big Ls on legalizing all drugs, as I think it makes more sense to treat drug use as a public health issue and not a criminal one. Seeing weed’s legalization has turned me against it – if someone can show me an instance where legalization didn’t lead to areas that reek of week starting at 9:00 AM and only gets worse throughout the day. I don’t see how legalizing harder drugs works better in the real world.
I love old school libertarians pic.twitter.com/5xSnoJKDGG
— Libertarians: Diligently Plotting (@LibertariansDP) May 30, 2024
Democrats are campaigning to recruit libertarians to vote for Trump too https://t.co/l4vXwkRWPb
— Being Libertarian (@beinlibertarian) June 2, 2024
Brother Bob is no longer on Facebook (although you can see his archives there), and is back on Twitter again, but is ramping up on Minds and Gab, and has his biggest presence on MeWe.
Cross posted from Brother Bob’s Blog
Liberals want all those who uses a Gun in self defense and kills violent career criminals sent to Prison or Banished from Society since Liberals are small minded idiots
Not idiotic if you consider their end goals – you can’t eliminate the 1st Amendment without eliminating the 2nd.
Well, relax. Those people don’t exist anymore. What I see is that a person cannot respect truth and facts and still make an argument in favor of the left. Like abortion; I argue that abortion up to the moment of birth is barbaric and uncivilized. They argue that it never happens. I argue, well, then, outlaw it except in verified, valid medical emergencies. They say, shut the f**k up, MAGAt. I want the abortion issue over and I am willing to compromise (not that I’d ever need an abortion) with reasonable restrictions. They want NO restrictions, but kind of sorta promise not to abuse their unrestricted power of life or death.
The drug legalization issue should be resolved; legalization has been experimented with and has failed miserably. There is no up side, only more misery. Frankly, I don’t know how to reconcile personal freedoms with keeping dangerous and harmful drugs away from people, but the fact is, it must be done. Personally, we could have heroin on sale at Walmart and it’s still not going to get ahold of me, but everyone is not the same and all it takes is to “try” it once.
But, currently, the alternative to a few restrictions on personal freedoms is a total control of all human behavior. The gap between the two is growing wider and the middle ground is disappearing rapidly.
That sad part of when I left Facebook back in 2018 the dumbest, nastiest crud I’d get were from old friends. By the end the only two people I could still have an intelligent debate with were a far left gay activist from San Fran and a twentysomething Bernie Bro grad student who’d never had a real job. The libs with education, careers, and marriage were the worst
My wife’s relatives and one of my nephews… they post the stupidest shit and then if you comment, they don’t want to engage… they just exile you. Which is fine.
Yeah, for a while when I’d engage online I’d play like Dubya and just brush off their immature reactions and be above it. After the eight years of being called a racist during the Barry O era by the time they kicked up the nastiness under Trump I’d had enough. I’d still engage as normal, but as soon as they crossed the line I’d still use factual arguments, but would match their tone. And damn, Lefties do not appreciate it when you use their own snotty, condescending tone back at them. I recall getting blocked by two different guys in the span of a week.
They REALLY don’t like you to ask them questions where they have take a position. If they are force to veer off from the propaganda talking points, they shut down.
Yeah…. we’re right about everything. THEY confirm this, emphatically.
When the books on Libertarianism were written back in the ‘70s the explanation was that people looking out for their own self interest was a good idea because everyone doing so would be less inclined to stick their nose into other people’s business. The author who I will not name, did not mention the virtues of drug use or abortion. Had he done so I would have round filed the books without reading farther. The Libertarian Party, like many things in this country has been hijacked by the fascists.
I’m not sure I’d say Fascists. Like most movements that get hijacked by their most extreme adherents, I’d say the Ls got taken over by the most hardcore Hedonists