The Next Right and the New Left: Dialectics for the free man

[Vepres]

I like your analysis.

[Vepres]

I think the reason libertarians by-and-large side with conservatives over leftists is that the country has been moving to the left in both economic and social issues since the new deal. Thus, the force of history and society is generally behind moving to the left socially, but moving to the right economically is much more difficult from a political standpoint. Conservatives claim to be pro-life, yet there has not been any real effort to end Roe v. Wade. They claim to oppose gay marriage, but once it is legalized in a state, they largely ignore the issue. So, libertarians tend to not worry about social conservatism.

Just my 2 cents.

Edit: That said, I agree that social issues are more important. That is why I do not support Republicans in state elections because the Colorado GOP is very socially conservative, and the state governments have much more immediate influence on social issues.

[Vepres]

I think the reason libertarians by-and-large side with conservatives over leftists is that the country has been moving to the left in both economic and social issues since the new deal. Thus, the force of history and society is generally behind moving to the left socially, but moving to the right economically is much more difficult from a political standpoint.

Except it hasn't. The New Deal was dead by 1938; had the threat of global war never reared its head, Roosevelt would have been defeated in 1940. Every President after Roosevelt began to gradually dismantle the social welfare system he implemented, starting with Truman's threat to nationalize the steel industry to break the steelworker's strike.

Bear in mind that I'm not advocating left-wing statism; that has been proven to not work. But I certainly find laissez-faire über alles libertarians intellectually shallow.

Perhaps, except maybe the great society.

[Vepres]

I think the reason libertarians by-and-large side with conservatives over leftists is that the country has been moving to the left in both economic and social issues since the new deal.

..What?

How can you say any differently? Except for a brief reversal during the Reagan and Clinton administrations, the government has grown (though overall it grew even under Reagan and Clinton too)

[Vepres]

I think the reason libertarians by-and-large side with conservatives over leftists is that the country has been moving to the left in both economic and social issues since the new deal.

..What?

How can you say any differently? Except for a brief reversal during the Reagan and Clinton administrations, the government has grown (though overall it grew even under Reagan and Clinton too)

"Government size" is not a measure of anything.

True. Though its growth is anti-libertarian, which is what Einzige was addressing.