Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Libertarianism

The linked article discusses the Libertarian party candidate. I'm mostly interested in whether Barr will draw votes from McCain. I'm also interested in the Libertarian party because a lot of people I know are Libertarians, and I have wondered why. It seems evident to me that the premise of the Party is, well, sorry, guys, but wrong. The free market does not regulate itself. Money and power corrupt it with the goal of concentrating more money and power.

I think it was John Adams who said something like if men were angels we wouldn't need government. But humans aren't angels and therefore we require that government regulate business to protect against the damage done by concentrated power seeking its own advancement.

Is government any better? No. The more I read the more I know how much damage government has done. But the Founders were right, in my opinion, with their view that government requires checks and balances. So the parts of government regulate each other when the system is working well, and government regulation is the check to the power of business.

Sources for my opinions include Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine, Paul Krugman's Conscience of a Liberal, and more.



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