re: #26 jamesfirecat

I can agree with the the first, and the the last without quibble.

As for cutting down wasteful federal spending… that makes a fine bumper sticker but I’d prefer to go line by line through issues because what one person might consider wasteful federal spending (volcano research) might prove to be anything but.

I can agree with you that starting wars is not what America should be all about, but on the other hand “nation building” may be the only reasonable choice we have.

For example if we’d bit our teeth and done it in Iraq after the first Gulf War we wouldn’t have “needed” to invade all over again.

Oh and I can also agree with protecting civil liberties.

I suppose my chief problem with libertarians frequently show up when we get down to the nitty gritty of what to do rather than their philosophy.

Well, going through an issue thoroughly is a good way to ensure that a program isn’t wasteful. For example, a program that ensures people living in poverty or who are disabled have a financial safety net is a good plan, provided there’s a way to identify those who are just trying to cheat the system for free money, and a way to help those people who are truly in need find jobs.

As for Iraq, well… we shouldn’t have gone in there in the first place. Afghanistan I’m okay with, but we had no business in Iraq, even if our intentions were good. Sorry.

I can see where you would have some problems with the party, but libertarianism is a spectrum; we have extremists just like every political party, but we have far more moderates.