Libertarian Bashing

[Joe Republic]

It is generally a phase, though.  Of the seemingly limitless number of libertarians on this forum, how many do we actually have who have finished adolescence?  Four?  They apparently still understand how the philosophy is supposed to work in the real world, and I guess are still okay with that.

[Joe Republic]

So we're somehow mentally inferior because of our age?

Well, duh.  You consider yourself mentally superior to a 10-year-old, don't you?

And libertarianism isn't worth discussing because it happens to be younger people who may more often be associated with it?

Sure you can discuss it all you want.  It's the best way to explore one's own philosophical inconsistencies and illogicalities.  And then, once you have a full understanding of what libertarianism is all about, you'll then be able to see how it has virtually no compatibility with real adult life once you get to that stage.

[Joe Republic]

1. No. There are some 10 year olds that are smarter than me, most likely. And I am probably smarter than some 30 year olds. Age isn't always a good excuse.
2. Whatever.

Yes, I thought perhaps I was being a little too presumptious by suggesting that you're smarter than a 10-year-old.

But you're sort of missing the point.  It's not the number of years that always determines if a person should have outgrown libertarianism or not, but rather their connection to the real world.  The majority of adolescent 'libertarians' still live at home and are likely still financially dependent on their family.  Thus, although they may understand how the philosophy is supposed to work, they haven't yet seen how impractical and incompatible it is to the real world.

Much like communism, ironically enough.

[Joe Republic]

Explain all the libertarians out there who are not teenagers.

I already did. 

[Joe Republic]

1. No. There are some 10 year olds that are smarter than me, most likely. And I am probably smarter than some 30 year olds. Age isn't always a good excuse.
2. Whatever.

Yes, I thought perhaps I was being a little too presumptious by suggesting that you're smarter than a 10-year-old.

But you're sort of missing the point.  It's not the number of years that always determines if a person should have outgrown libertarianism or not, but rather their connection to the real world.  The majority of adolescent 'libertarians' still live at home and are likely still financially dependent on their family.  Thus, although they may understand how the philosophy is supposed to work, they haven't yet seen how impractical and incompatible it is to the real world.

Much like communism, ironically enough.

You must be the one who isn't as smart as 10 year old, given the fact you've resorted to personal attacks already.

At the very least, I'm glad that you've accepted the substance in the rest of my post.  You didn't address it in any way, which indicates that you have no problem with it.

[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.

[Joe Republic]

How have I not acknowledged what you said here?

[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.

[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?

[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.

[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.

[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. 

[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.

[Joe Republic]

There is such a thing called multi-tasking, you know. 

Anyway, hopefully I've managed to make some impact with you guys.  I don't expect you to fully grasp what I mean until you too have 'flown the nest' so to speak.  My reason for being in this thread up to now is to hopefully set some of your expectations for the future. 

[Joe Republic]

I know, but it's when Joe decides to act like a total ninnyhammer about our ideology and generally put us down that it annoys me.

A what?

[Joe Republic]

In fairness though, many of my older Republican extended family used to say that about my liberalism when I was a teenager too. Decades later I still hold the same fundamental core beliefs as I did then, and "the real world" only strengthened my conviction that my views are correct. On 20/20 hindsight, I view President Clinton's and Obama's economic policies to have been far more rational and pragmatic than anything the supposedly "realistic" conservatives like Reagan and the Bushes enacted.

I did say that young people who claim one of the mainstream ideologies are likelier to stick with it as they mature than those who claim one of the non-mainstream ones. 

[Joe Republic]

Does Joe even have an ideology?

Not really.  I think I mentioned somewhere else that I'm more of a political observer than an actual participant.  Politics is like a spectator sport, as far as I'm concerned.  It helps me to stay objective, for one thing.