Key Concepts of Libertarianism

Since @Salty's thread on libertarianism has some content issues in the video, I thought I would help him out and post an article on the subject.

Key Concepts of Libertarianism | Cato Institute

 

That is incorrect. Minimal government is a key concept of libertarianism based on the fallen nature of man.

 

I noticed that @Salty replaced the video in his thread with a different one without the content issues. Not a totally accurate description of libertarianism but at least it doesn't have bad graphics in it.

 

No, that is incorrect.

 

We'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

This is another way to explain the principles of minarchist libertarianism:

"The state therefore has two natural functions, functions essential to the existence of any peaceful, ordered society: to protect the rights of citizens against violent or fraudulent assault, and to judge in conflicts of right with right. It has a further third function, which is another aspect of the first, that is, to protect its citizens from assault by foreign powers. These three functions are expressed by three powers: the police power, which protects the citizen against domestic violence; the military power, which protects the citizen against violence from abroad; and the courts of law, which judge between rights and rights, as well as sharing with the police power the protection of the citizen against domestic violence.
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But since this institution must possess a monopoly of legal physical force, to give to it in addition any further power is fraught with danger; that monopoly gives to the state so much power that its natural functions should be its maximum functions."

- Frank S. Meyer, In Defense of Freedom: A Conservative Credo, published in 1962

 

Some libertarians consider conservatives in the United States(to use a bit of hyperbole, but just a bit) to be flaming liberals on the issue of gun ownership.

 

An example of libertarianism by President Grover Cleveland from his veto message of the Texas Seed Bill in 1887.

“I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution, and I do not believe that the power and duty of the general government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the public service or benefit. A prevalent tendency to disregard the limited mission of this power and duty should, I think, be steadfastly resisted, to the end that the lesson should be constantly enforced that, though the people support the government, the government should not support the people.”

Furthermore, Cleveland said, it would weaken the “bonds of a common brotherhood” for the government to provide assistance to individuals where individuals, families, communities and private charities otherwise would.

Finally, the veto message suggested that if Congress wanted to relieve the suffering of Texas farmers, Senators and Representatives from each state could voluntarily give up the share of grain distributed by the Department of Agriculture each year. “The constituents, for whom in theory this grain is intended, could well bear the temporary deprivation, and the donors would experience the satisfaction attending deeds of charity.”

 

I should have noted that the above quote came from this link: Cleveland and the Texas Seed Bill - Bill of Rights Institute

 

Thank you for your post. It is a good example of why the Fusionism between libertarians and conservatives, promoted by folks such as Frank S. Meyer, began to break down after the demise of the Soviet Union, as much of conservativism in the United States eventually became enveloped by the big government conservatism of the New Right in the 2010s up to the present day.