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Thread: Libertarian Philosophies vs Human Nature/Human Rights

  1. #1

    Libertarian Philosophies vs Human Nature/Human Rights

    I see it right now where there the rule of law in the US is a laughable total joke when certain people can buy of politicians and police agencies at the federal, state, county, local level.

    I have found that most people will do anything to anyone when enticed with large sums of money. How is the power of sycophant billionaires dealt with or limited in any libertarian philosophy?



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  3. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by kahless View Post
    I see it right now where there the rule of law in the US is a laughable total joke when certain people can buy of politicians and police agencies at the federal, state, county, local level.

    I have found that most people will do anything to anyone when enticed with large sums of money. How is the power of sycophant billionaires dealt with or limited in any libertarian philosophy?
    As PJ O'Rourke said, "When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators."

    In other words, if your society allows politicians to have power over commerce, the money will flow. You need a populace that understands the danger of this. That's the ONLY thing that can limit the problems you've identified. You'd still have the problem with crafty billionaires using their wealth to make their lives easier, but at least the market has a recourse to deal with them.
    "And now that the legislators and do-gooders have so futilely inflicted so many systems upon society, may they finally end where they should have begun: May they reject all systems, and try liberty; for liberty is an acknowledgment of faith in God and His works." - Bastiat

    "It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere." - Voltaire

  4. #3
    Billionaires wouldn't be. They have free speech rights like everyone else. The reality is billionaires have very little power in politics. Bloomberg and Tom Steyer got nowhere. Dems spent a fortune is a number of Senate races and lost. The dollar amounts spent on politics is actually pretty inconsequential. And there is only a small correlation between fundraising and winning political campaigns once you get over a minimal threshold.

    The bigger problem is politicians bribing voters with free stuff. Free college, free health care, reparations, not cutting social security and medicare when they need are all ways politicians bribe people for votes. That should limited.

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Krugminator2 View Post
    Billionaires wouldn't be. They have free speech rights like everyone else. The reality is billionaires have very little power in politics. Bloomberg and Tom Steyer got nowhere. Dems spent a fortune is a number of Senate races and lost. The dollar amounts spent on politics is actually pretty inconsequential. And there is only a small correlation between fundraising and winning political campaigns once you get over a minimal threshold.

    The bigger problem is politicians bribing voters with free stuff. Free college, free health care, reparations, not cutting social security and medicare when they need are all ways politicians bribe people for votes. That should limited.
    If we were only talking about campaigns and elections, you might be right. Unfortunately, the power to affect commerce drives all sorts of political motivations. Legislation is supported and crafted by money. The voters play very little role in the actual crafting of laws that benefit one segment over another. The reality is that once the political seats are filled, the real devastation begins. All of those things you mentioned (except maybe reparations) have billionaires lined up to collect. They write the laws and the justification on how politicians can sell it to their constituents.
    "And now that the legislators and do-gooders have so futilely inflicted so many systems upon society, may they finally end where they should have begun: May they reject all systems, and try liberty; for liberty is an acknowledgment of faith in God and His works." - Bastiat

    "It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere." - Voltaire

  6. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Krugminator2 View Post
    Billionaires wouldn't be. They have free speech rights like everyone else. The reality is billionaires have very little power in politics. Bloomberg and Tom Steyer got nowhere. Dems spent a fortune is a number of Senate races and lost. The dollar amounts spent on politics is actually pretty inconsequential. And there is only a small correlation between fundraising and winning political campaigns once you get over a minimal threshold.

    The bigger problem is politicians bribing voters with free stuff. Free college, free health care, reparations, not cutting social security and medicare when they need are all ways politicians bribe people for votes. That should limited.
    I was coming at this from a more sinister position when I say, "buy of politicians and police agencies at the federal, state, county, local level". Like buying people to do nefarious things to keep people quiet or punish them outside the system including violence.

    As a libertarian I have totally underestimated peoples willingness to compromise their values and oath to the extreme when large sums of money are thrown at them. I have seen this time and time again, to my mind blowing amazement. Since the news media is controlled by these same people doling out the cash there seems to be no recourse against the billionaire elites.

    Paying loads of people off without giving it a second thought at every level is a drop in the bucket for them. Where as someone of lesser means would think twice about doing so. Not sure there is actually a solution to this other than massive taxation so that billionaires would not exist and thus removed from power.
    Last edited by kahless; 11-21-2020 at 09:08 AM.

  7. #6
    This is certainly a big reason why the Libertarian Party doesn't get anywhere.
    It's not ... repeat... NOT -- the little guy's party.
    Just look into who has funded the nominees in recent elections.

    Liberal philosophy IS liberal economics. Classical liberalism IS an oligarch's game.

  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by kahless View Post
    I was coming at this from a more sinister position when I say, "buy of politicians and police agencies at the federal, state, county, local level". Like buying people to do nefarious things to keep people quiet or punish them outside the system including violence.

    As a libertarian I have totally underestimated peoples willingness to compromise their values and oath to the extreme when large sums of money are thrown at them. I have seen this time and time again, to my mind blowing amazement. Since the news media is controlled by these same people doling out the cash there seems to be no recourse against the billionaire elites.

    Paying loads of people off without giving it a second thought at every level is a drop in the bucket for them. Where as someone of lesser means would think twice about doing so. Not sure there is actually a solution to this other than massive taxation so that billionaires would not exist and thus removed from power.
    Why does the market economy, sans state interference, work the way it does?

    Is it necessary that businessmen be good and moral for the market economy to function?

    No, it is only necessary that they be self-interested.

    That's a neat solution, isn't it?

    Now think about politics.

    If your political theory relies on politicians being moral, you're going to be terribly disappointment, aren't you?

    That's going to fail as badly as the market economy would if it relied on businessmen being good and moral.

    The only solution to the problem of ubiquitous greed is to design a system which harnesses that greed for the common good.

    So, in terms of political organization, what does that entail?

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by r3volution 3.0 View Post
    Why does the market economy, sans state interference, work the way it does?

    Is it necessary that businessmen be good and moral for the market economy to function?

    No, it is only necessary that they be self-interested.

    That's a neat solution, isn't it?

    Now think about politics.

    If your political theory relies on politicians being moral, you're going to be terribly disappointment, aren't you?

    That's going to fail as badly as the market economy would if it relied on businessmen being good and moral.

    The only solution to the problem of ubiquitous greed is to design a system which harnesses that greed for the common good.

    So, in terms of political organization, what does that entail?
    IDK. I am not sure where you are going but sounds like you are on to something?



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