Three Things That Make Libertarian Heads Explode

by Lynn Stuart Parramore Sunday, Mar. 16, 2014 at 2:23 PM
marc1seed@yahoo.com

The inequality problem, the public goods problem and the regulation problem make libertarian heads explode.

to read the article by Lynn Stuart Parramore published on www.alternet.orgMarch 10, 2014. click on

http://www.alternet.org/print/economy/3-things-make-libertarian-heads-ex...

Libertarians are proponents of a philosophy that embraces free-market ideology, limited government, and a certain form of individual liberty. They would like to take the government and drown it in the proverbial bathtub. Unfortunately, libertarians tend to ride on theoretical unicorns that don’t take them too far in the real world.

Next time you find yourself in the company of one of these quizzical beings, try bringing up one of the following topics and watch them start galloping off in 10 directions at once.

1. The inequality problem: Why do some people end up with most of the toys? The fact that in a capitalist system, money seems to flow into the hands of the few is a source of big headaches for many libertarians, though not all—some seem to regard any market outcome as the hand of God herself.

Irrefutably, America’s income distribution has become ridiculous, ranked #4 in the world [3] out of 141 countries for inequality, behind Russia, Ukraine and Lebanon, and this rattles many libertarians.

Libertarians usually start by insisting that how much money you have boils down to the choices you make as an individual. Bad, stupid choices = poverty. Good, smart choices = wealth (those clever Russian oligarchs!)