libertarians: should us senators be elected by the people?

[Bono]

No, Senate representation was originally conceived to represent the interests of the states in the federal government, and it is no coincidence that the scope of federal government increased since US Senators started being elected directly. I don't see what is so outrageous about this either.

[Bono]

I'm not a Libertarian, but I'd like to comment that you guys dont know how luck you are to have an elected Senate. Such things do not exist in Canada; they are appointed. The Canadian Senate is a garbage institution and is so illegitimate it's not even funny.

The problem is not that it is appointed, but that it is appointed by the federal government. Austria's High Chamber is appointed by state parliaments, and things work pretty well.

[Bono]

The people should not directly elect their senators.  They should elect people on the STATE level to appoint people to go on to the federal government.  This makes state elections more meaningful and their power more important, therefore, increasing the power of the states.  Direct election of senators is another attack on state's rights.

How is this an attack on states' rights?

I believe the direct election of U.S. senators by all the people of a state promotes democracy and freedom

It promotes democracy, but it certainly doesn't promote freedom. Between the two, I'd rather take freedom.

[Bono]

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So James Madison and Alexander Hamilton are statists now?

Are you saying Hamilton was not a statist? He was a proto-fascist.

[Bono]

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After the Civil War, the Senate, even though chosen by the state legislatures, was very far from a guardian of states' "rights."

Well the problem was that immediately after the Civil War the Southtern States were denied representation in that horrendous travesty known as reconstruction.