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| Source:Reason Magazine- Penn Jillette, does a great, spot on impression of a zen-hipster, spiritualist, guru. |
Penn Jillette is the larger, louder half of Penn & Teller. For the magical duo's official website, go here:Penn & Teller."
From Reason Magazine
Penn Jillette has a great take on libertarianism when he says, he's a Libertarian because he doesn't know what's better for everyone else. That sums up what libertarianism is, that people should live their own lives and see how well they manage that. And not try to live how other people live their own lives and government especially shouldn't try to control people either. Because government especially in a country the size of America, doesn't know all of its people. How could they, we are just too damn big for anyone in a country this big, for anyone to know everybody.
So that people should live their own lives making their own decisions for themselves. As long as they are not hurting any innocent people with their freedom. (Which is what libertarianism is supposed to be, anyway) And when they do hurt innocent people with their actions, that they pay consequences for their harmful actions. I'm a Liberal because I believe in this, which is what liberalism is actually about, its not about collectivism.
Now I don't agree with Libertarians on everything, that its America's fault for 9/11 which some Libertarians do believe in. I'm not for legalizing all narcotics but I do support decriminalization of marijuana as well as prostitution and gambling. Regulate them instead of prohibiting them, because either way these actions are still going to happen. So knowing this fundamental fact, you might as well make these things as safe as possible. But the overall message of libertarianism of individual freedom, regulation over prohibition etc. Is sound as far as I'm concern and fits in pretty well with liberalism as well as conservatism.
Here are some quotes that all Liberals, Conservatives and Libertarians should all love.
John Kennedy- "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.
Milton Friedman- "Maximize freedom is the freedom for people to live their own lives as they see fit. As long as they are not hurting anyone else with their freedom."
Pretty basic I believe but something very important and worth remembering. And of course the famous New Hampshire saying of give me liberty, or give me death.
I would add another and one of my favorites from a political hero of mine.
Bill Clinton- "There's nothing wrong with America, that can't be fixed with what is right with America."
And almost twenty years later I still feel the same way about America, if anything I feel stronger about that today. This is what liberal democracy and America is about and to a certain extent we've gotten away from it. Which is one reason for all the issues we face as a country.
If you believe in limited government, individual freedom and the U.S. Constitution, you believe that there's a limit in what government can do well and that there isn't government programs that can solve all our problems, that it should only be doing what only government can do well: protect, defend, regulate the market not try to control the market and that the people should have the individual freedom to live their own lives and not be harassed by government, this is what libertarianism, liberalism and conservatism are actually about. And anyone who says they are not and that these ideology's are about "corporate greed" doesn't know what they are talking about.
Penn Jillette has a great take on libertarianism when he says, he's a Libertarian because he doesn't know what's better for everyone else. That sums up what libertarianism is, that people should live their own lives and see how well they manage that. And not try to live how other people live their own lives and government especially shouldn't try to control people either. Because government especially in a country the size of America, doesn't know all of its people. How could they, we are just too damn big for anyone in a country this big, for anyone to know everybody.
So that people should live their own lives making their own decisions for themselves. As long as they are not hurting any innocent people with their freedom. (Which is what libertarianism is supposed to be, anyway) And when they do hurt innocent people with their actions, that they pay consequences for their harmful actions. I'm a Liberal because I believe in this, which is what liberalism is actually about, its not about collectivism.
Now I don't agree with Libertarians on everything, that its America's fault for 9/11 which some Libertarians do believe in. I'm not for legalizing all narcotics but I do support decriminalization of marijuana as well as prostitution and gambling. Regulate them instead of prohibiting them, because either way these actions are still going to happen. So knowing this fundamental fact, you might as well make these things as safe as possible. But the overall message of libertarianism of individual freedom, regulation over prohibition etc. Is sound as far as I'm concern and fits in pretty well with liberalism as well as conservatism.
Here are some quotes that all Liberals, Conservatives and Libertarians should all love.
John Kennedy- "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.
Milton Friedman- "Maximize freedom is the freedom for people to live their own lives as they see fit. As long as they are not hurting anyone else with their freedom."
Pretty basic I believe but something very important and worth remembering. And of course the famous New Hampshire saying of give me liberty, or give me death.
I would add another and one of my favorites from a political hero of mine.
Bill Clinton- "There's nothing wrong with America, that can't be fixed with what is right with America."
And almost twenty years later I still feel the same way about America, if anything I feel stronger about that today. This is what liberal democracy and America is about and to a certain extent we've gotten away from it. Which is one reason for all the issues we face as a country.
If you believe in limited government, individual freedom and the U.S. Constitution, you believe that there's a limit in what government can do well and that there isn't government programs that can solve all our problems, that it should only be doing what only government can do well: protect, defend, regulate the market not try to control the market and that the people should have the individual freedom to live their own lives and not be harassed by government, this is what libertarianism, liberalism and conservatism are actually about. And anyone who says they are not and that these ideology's are about "corporate greed" doesn't know what they are talking about.
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