Why are libertarians associated with the right?

[100% pro-life no matter what]

David Azzerad and other conservative thinkers have made the argument that, while it can be beneficial to team up with them to accomplish economic goals and win elections, their ideology actually has more in common with the left.  Basically, they support the same sort of culture that the left supports, with the only difference being who will pay for it.  For example, neither group would say that transgenderism harms society, but they would only disagree on whether their sex change should be funded.  So, at the core, their values and principles have far more in common with the left.  He could articulate this far better than I, I'm sure, but I consider libertarianism an ideology of the left.

[SATW]

Lol stop. plz stop. libertarians are not left nor right. thats why they are libertarians.

[SteveRogers]

Because while it might be true that on paper libertarianism is neither defined by the left or the right, in American politics libertarianism has almost always gone hand in hand with the politics of the right. In your various European liberal parties, you see sort of see two strains of libertarianism: one that's more like our American Libertarian Party and another that lives up to the "socially liberal" part and espouses social justice, etc. But here in America the Libertarian Party proper has always focused almost exclusively fiscal conservatism in its platform and been indifferent at best with regards to social issues. The same with the most prominent of the libertarian-ish Republican politicians. Prior to this year if you asked the average American what person they most associated with libertarianism, the most common answer would have been Ron Paul, a social conservative. Gary Johnson's triangulation and attempt to appeal to voters on the left has been the exception, not the rule.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     One party is interested in appealing to libertarians and one party is not. It doesn't take a genius to figure out which is which.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Libertarians (of most stripes) are content, de jure or de facto, to let control of the means of production remain in a small number of self-interested hands, and thus belong on the right.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Contemporary libertarians are allied with the right as an accident of New Deal-era politics. In a sane system, they'd be loosely affiliated with the left, where they originated. They support dissolution of culture and "values" and deny the government the right to assert itself abroad to protect its interests. Even on economics, where there are some similarities, libertarians have little attachment to nation or state, and their libertine brand of regulation will only result in the economic contractions necessary to elevate social democrats or worse to office. They are a no-win proposition for the right.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I can understand thinking that libertarians have more in common with American liberals than conservatives, but "the left" is several bridges too far.

If it's in response to any language I used, you're right, and I should clarify my thoughts. Culturally, they're an ally to any group of people looking to gain from the gradual dissolution of "traditional" social barriers and structures. To "the left" understood as an activist, egalitarian force, they constitute an ally in the long-run, where their policies naturally result in some sort of situation requiring "radical action" of a collective or authoritarian nature (this could backfire in favor of the right as well, though not of the type I'd likely favor). Obviously, in the immediate, where a community action organization is hampered by half of the said community choosing to shutter itself in their homes, libertarianism is a detriment to the left.

[ElectionsGuy]

Economic issues along with issues that pertain to power and size of government (except when it comes to the military, hypocrites) are just too much for the left to disagree with. It's too big of a contingent of our modern politics to be totally disconnected from the right. I'm not going to lie though, when it comes to lifestyles, personality, and culture, I would much rather associate with liberalism than conservatism. That's pretty significant, its just that the realm of policy positions on political issues is much different than simply the way we think or live our lives. Although I'll certainly pair up with the right to speak out against free speech hating SJWs.

I'm increasingly not liking the right in the United States and where its going. Even on the issues I think they're correct on they're correct for the wrong reasons imo. Ex: They're 'concerned' about the national debt, but largely because they think a large portion of the population takes welfare unfairly and doesn't work, only mooches off the government (an existing problem, but WAY overblown, not as significant as they claim).

And if ExtremeRepublican, Trump, and co. want to complete push any appeal to libertarianism away with the direction their movement is going, then they can do that. We can be independent loners forever, not associated with the right or left, since neither will want us with them.

[Beet]

I think the bigger question is, "why is the right moving away from economic libertarianism?" Because it's being discredited. The tea party was the last gasp. It's a losing ideology and they know it. So they've latched onto purely cultural warriorism now, hoping to replicate the social wedges between the races that have worked well for the far right in Europe, here in America. If they can turn American politics into whites vs. minorities (and other marginalized), it gives them an advantage for at least another generation (at which point they can morph again). Democracy ensures that creating a cleavage where the majority are, by definition, on your side, provides a structural advantage. The right wing is morphing for the sake of its own survival.

[Blue3]

Libertarians fit in better with whoever the opposition party is of the time.

In the Bush years, Libertarians were more associated with the left & Democrats.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Isn't left-libertarianism basically just social democracy with an adamant rejection of Bloomberg-style nanny statist policies, legal drugs and prostitution, hating the NSA and private citizens still being allowed to own most guns? I mean that's not exactly divergent enough to constitute a separate ideology.

Especially when over half of liberals probably agree with at least some aspect of that.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Libertarianism shouldn't be associated with the right if one is thinking of libertarianism as a proper mode of ideological thought with a coherent political and moral philosophy that underpins it. It's hard to argue that Anarchy, State and Utopia isn't a work that contains egalitarian, radical and, in general, left-oriented points of view. It's certainly nothing that's reconcilable with any party of the right. I can respect this form of libertarianism, even if I abhor it, because it's a kind of extension of of the Enlightenment tradition and, perhaps, of liberalism as well. When libertarianism is well-thought out, and not part of some strange cult of Rothbard or von Mises or whatever, it's interesting. It's garbage sure, but it's interesting and, frankly, it bears a certain resemblance to Marxism. The state will wither away and heaven on earth will be established when the consent of the market governs all, etc.

However, this is not what libertarians care about. Their brand of libertarianism is no different than movement conservatism except it tends to be decoupled from the religious right and is more coherent insofar as it relates to economic policy.  The aim of popular libertarianism, if such an ideology exists, is to allow successful people to make more money. It's an egotistical ideology founded upon Ayn Rand and infantile mythology. It's not an ideology.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Libertarians believe in smaller government

[dead0man]

    One party is interested in appealing to libertarians and one party is not. It doesn't take a genius to figure out which is which.

That's a much nicer version of what I was going to say.  One side ignores them and uses them from time to time.  The other side (generally) hates them.  But they hate everybody that doesn't think like them.

[Murica!]

How do literally none of you know where the word comes from?

[Higgs]

How do literally none of you know where the word comes from?

Here we go again...

[RINO Tom]

Because the people who fund the American right don't actually care about cultural issues that much.

[LLR]

Because both libertarians and people on the right are insane.

[All Along The Watchtower]

The people who founded the American libertarian "ideology" (if it rises to that level - a dubious assumption at best) thought that Communism, Fascism, and New Deal liberalism all amounted to the same thing - tyrannical left-wing "collectivism."  They loathed any state-based attempts (or any attempts, period) to address economic and social inequality. Unsurprisingly, the intellectual heroes of modern American conservatives overlap greatly with those of libertarians - especially in terms of economics, where the two are basically indistinguishable (at least in relation to right-wing business interests e.g. the Kochs).

Of course, libertarianism may be part of the American Right, but it's by no means the only or even most significant part - especially considering who the 2016 Republican presidential nominee is...

[RINO Tom]

Because both libertarians and people on the right are insane.

I'm fascinated by people who think those with differing political views are insane.  Seems kind of an insane assertion, really.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Because, just like Republicans, their main goal is the preservation of American plutocracy.

[Slander and/or Libel]

Because American libertarianism is a marketing strategy by the right to try to appeal to people who are putatively social issues, but also won't be affected at all by any particular resolution of social issues. Straight people in favor of gay marriage, but with no stake in whether gay marriage remains legal, that kind of thing.

[dead0man]

The answer to the OP lies in (most) answers given by red avatars in this thread.  The ignorance and anger is a bit off putting.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

>2016
>still think libertarians exist

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Because individual liberty is a right-wing concept?