Libertarian Bashing

[Joe Republic]

Oh dear.  If discussions are always about 'winning' and never acknowledging what other people have even said, then it seems you still have a very long way to go before you outgrow libertarianism.  Good luck to you, I suppose.

[dialectical fetishist]

Oh dear.  If discussions are always about 'winning' and never acknowledging what other people have even said, then it seems you still have a very long way to go before you outgrow libertarianism.  Good luck to you, I suppose.

You didn't acknowledge what I said, so I decided to treat you with the same condescending, annoying manner you treat me and other people with.

[Joe Republic]

How have I not acknowledged what you said here?

[Iosif]

How have I not acknowledged what you said here?

You do realise you're spending your Saturday arguing on the internet with a 17 year old?

[dialectical fetishist]

I'm sorry, but you're using the age excuse AGAIN. There are young Democrats, Republicans, socialists etc.... why is it that it's only immature when libertarians are young?

Seriously, stop trying to use my age as an excuse and do some growing up yourself.

[dialectical fetishist]

How have I not acknowledged what you said here?

You've said it's immature because I happen to have been born in a time period that is more recent than your own.

[Senator Libertas]

Libertarianism is fundamentally a flawed concept and I find it interesting that the majority of libertarians on this board have yet to complete secondary school.

They'll grow up one day.

Hmm, I've completed secondary school.

Have you conducted a study of the libertarians on this board to prove this conclusion of yours to be the case?

(Not that it's really relevant since your whole premise is just ageist bunkum, of course.)

[Iosif]

And how old are you, Libertas?

[Senator Libertas]

And how old are you, Libertas?

I've never hidden my age, though its irrelevant to any sort of rational argument you could make.

Of greater concern is how old are you, Iosif?

[Sewer]

Well, what is your ideology, Iosif?

[Joe Republic]

How have I not acknowledged what you said here?

You do realise you're spending your Saturday arguing on the internet with a 17 year old?

Ha ha, I know.  In most cases I wouldn't mind so much because I'd at least get the sense that I'm making some progress.  But this current crowd are rather... bull-headed, to say the least.

I'm sorry, but you're using the age excuse AGAIN. There are young Democrats, Republicans, socialists etc.... why is it that it's only immature when libertarians are young?

Seriously, stop trying to use my age as an excuse and do some growing up yourself.

Actually, in just the same way, many young Democrats/Republicans are often just as immature, in that they claim to support that party or ideology without really understanding what it actually means.  However, young libertarians (and young communists, incidentally) are likelier to grow out of it, mainly because any ideology that sits outside the mainstream is virtually guaranteed to be completely impractical in the real (adult) world.  Otherwise it would be mainstream, obviously.

How have I not acknowledged what you said here?

You've said it's immature because I happen to have been born in a time period that is more recent than your own.

But as I also said, it's not necessarily when you were born, but rather how connected you are to the real world.  There are plenty of teenagers out there who for one reason or another are forced into adulthood far sooner than expected, while there are also plenty of 30 year-olds who still live at home and rely on Mom and Dad to support them.

It's easier to say that it's simply a matter of age, but realistically it is more to do with maturity.

[dialectical fetishist]

How do you know they're more likely? You don't have access to everyone's brains to see what their political views are.

[Joe Republic]

No, but it's easily observable.  For example, as I asked at the very start of this morning's discussion, how many of the vast multitude of libertarians on this forum could accurately be described as adults?  No more than a half-dozen, surely?

[Iosif]

I'm a Libertarian, Sewer. Ban the government! Legalise everything! End regulation! Destroy the fed! Privatise education! Privatise health care! Disband the military! No more taxes! The private sector will take care of everything! Gary Johnson is going to landslide Obama, that socialist scum!

Now if you excuse me, my mother wants me to do my homework.

[dialectical fetishist]

No, but it's easily observable.  For example, as I asked at the very start of this morning's discussion, how many of the vast multitude of libertarians on this forum could accurately be described as adults?  No more than a half-dozen, surely?

Most of the forum is relatively young. It should be of no surprise that as a result, most libertarians on here are quite young.

[dialectical fetishist]

I'm a Libertarian, Sewer. Ban the government! Legalise everything! End regulation! Destroy the fed! Privatise education! Privatise health care! Disband the military! No more taxes! The private sector will take care of everything! Gary Johnson is going to landslide Obama, that socialist scum!

Now if you excuse, my mother wants me to do my homework.

Ha, and you think I'm supposed to be childish.

Welcome to my ignore list.

[Sewer]

because any ideology that sits outside the mainstream is virtually guaranteed to be completely impractical in the real (adult) world.  Otherwise it would be mainstream, obviously.

The mainstream is not always correct.

[Joe Republic]

No, but it's easily observable.  For example, as I asked at the very start of this morning's discussion, how many of the vast multitude of libertarians on this forum could accurately be described as adults?  No more than a half-dozen, surely?

Most of the forum is relatively young. It should be of no surprise that as a result, most libertarians on here are quite young.

That's a rather odd way of distorting perception.  But yes, the forum's libertarian contingent is disproportionately younger than the mainstream ideologies.

[dialectical fetishist]

No, but it's easily observable.  For example, as I asked at the very start of this morning's discussion, how many of the vast multitude of libertarians on this forum could accurately be described as adults?  No more than a half-dozen, surely?

Most of the forum is relatively young. It should be of no surprise that as a result, most libertarians on here are quite young.

That's a rather odd way of distorting perception.  But yes, the forum's libertarian contingent is disproportionately younger than the mainstream ideologies.

Umm... no. There are many young Republicans (NiK, tmthforu94 etc.) and many young Democrats (benconstine, Xahar) and independents (Sewer)... your point is invalid.

[Joe Republic]

You missed the key word:

But yes, the forum's libertarian contingent is disproportionately younger than the mainstream ideologies.

... relative to the overall bias towards young'uns, of course.

[dialectical fetishist]

Not really, it's about the same as other ideologies. And even so, if you're trying to make out libertarianism is immature because it attracts younger people, that's simple ageism.

[Joe Republic]

Anybody can see for themselves that people who claim to be libertarians generally grow out of it by the time they've already flown the nest.  Those who don't are generally a bit... odd... in some way, with personalities that are in tune with their ideologies in terms of their place well outside the mainstream.  Hence why the Libertarian Party has never produced any viable candidates for any office, like, ever.

So if pointing out something that anybody can observe for themselves is ageist, then I guess you'll have to call me an ageist. 

[Senator Libertas]

Anybody can see for themselves that people who claim to be libertarians generally grow out of it by the time they've already flown the nest.  Those who don't are generally a bit... odd... in some way, with personalities that are in tune with their ideologies in terms of their place well outside the mainstream.  Hence why the Libertarian Party has never produced any viable candidates for any office, like, ever.

So if pointing out something that anybody can observe for themselves is ageist, then I guess you'll have to call me an ageist. 

The plural of anecdote is not data.

[Joe Republic]

Oh whoopee, another single sentence response. 

This discussion is rather pointless at this particular stage, because neither of you will fully comprehend what I'm talking about until what I'm talking about actually occurs.  It should only be a matter of time though, you'll be pleased to know.

[dialectical fetishist]

Oh whoopee, another single sentence response. 

This discussion is rather pointless at this particular stage, because neither of you will fully comprehend what I'm talking about until what I'm talking about actually occurs.  It should only be a matter of time though, you'll be pleased to know.

it became pointless the minute you decided there was nothing better to do on your Saturday then to insult people who don't agree with you.