I wondered, since most ancaps who’s stories I’ve read seem to be recovering conservatives, including me, has anyone here been distinctly leftist before moving to a libertarian/voluntarist position? Ideologically libertarianism is ‘above’ the left-right paradigm, and should therefore be appealing to both sides. But in practice it seems most libertarians are coming from the right and there is no comparable conversion from left to libertarian. So are there people here who were on the left before becoming libertarians?
I’ve actually heard a lot of people here originally being liberals or even socialist, I dare say the ratio from left to right is two thirds right one third left
I was originally on the left before i knew anything about politics or economics. It was morally appealing on the surface. Plus i grew up in Washington state, a left hotspot. IT was like i was brainwashed because that’s just what we all thought. Until i heard about Austrian Economics and the legit case for Liberty, I had never found what i was looking for as far as politics and economics.
EWWW
I was a anarchosyndicalist for a while, then drifted towards sort of mutualism then libertarian socialism. It was only within the last 2 years that I have been a capitalist.
If it wasn’t for Ron Paul or John Stossel, I probably would still be left leaning. But his consistency and honesty drew me in.
I think there were a few a couple years ago who due to Ron Paul or something became libertarians, than they drifted way left the more they figured out the mechanics of things and where some of the conclusions lead.
“If it wasn’t for Ron Paul or John Stossel, I probably would still be left leaning. But his consistency and honesty drew me in.”
I would have to agree, I only recently had my attention drawn to stossel. I like his style. He claims he used to be a “cooky liberal” in college, but then got wise. Everyone always said that. I share this feeling.
i liked Democratic ideals when i was younger. It wasnt until I read Henry Hazlitt, where I started to get extremely interested in econ.
I still sort of identify with the left in a way. The fringe leftists are the only ones still protesting the war. They agree with us on a lot of issues. I’ve always though that maybe if they kept their other ideas at bay, an alliance on specific issues (legalizing drugs, prostitution, anti war, being against corporatism) might be beneficial.
Yeah… my mother actually likes to call me a “Republican Hippie” because, loosely speaking ofcourse, she considers me a lefty on social matters while a righty on economic ones.
Don’t they think anti-corporatism means more regulation and less free markets? So while they might have the same values, their opposite-world economics in effect turns them to the dark side.
@Isaac, for the longest time I used Ayn Rand’s words phrase “right wing hippie”.
@EmperorNero Yes, I realize they are too ignorant to realize that crony capitalism is not free market capitalism. But they still recognize corporate welfare (example Ralph Nader writes about this).. We don’t have to agree on everything 100 percent, but if we ally only on certain issues, we could have more influence together, and even pull some people to laissez faire side of things. If they realize that we aren’t about sucking off the “rich white protestant”, they may be more open to our ideas
Frankly I think the issue may be more on the left for this alliance.
I think we agree on the problems, but have drastically different solutions.
Socially, ancaps and the left can agree on a lot, but economically our answers are different and end up with the conclusion that even if everybody could get on board with the program, we would still have the ECP to deal with. Which is why a conservative approach to economics makes more sense if any, then a democratic approach.
So you guys wouldn’t say that people on the left are generally unlikely to convert towards libertarianism? It’s a matter of education, as with the right.
I think it’s a matter of education as well as the willingness to throw out parts of your world view that you’ve held for many years. I was once a leftist, and was raised to belive that capitalism was oppressive, etc. It was easy for me to accept the civil liberties part of libertarianism. In fact, Libertarians are much more consistent in their defense of civil liberties than most lefties are. Accepting the economic liberties came from actually educating myself about economic issues. I am one who is always looking for new knowledge and I have no problem admitting that I was mistaken about certain things. For some people though, it is too big a hurdle.
So you guys wouldn’t say that people on the left are generally unlikely to convert towards libertarianism? It’s a matter of education, as with the right
Off hand and being very general and generic, I would say it is a very different game and story. They are the language that is in power, and that the current relevant system of power is tailored by and for. It is the context and culture of where polite conversations, custom, and manners take place in the relevent world. Plus the language at least, is further from libertarianism than the right tends to be.
No, they don’t. They’re just angry because the money isn’t going their way. They love and support forcefully taking other people’s money and redistributing it among themselves.
I think we should understand that when there is some convergence among some points defended by the left and libertarians it doesn’t mean there’s some kind of agreement.
While a lefty say that you should be free to take drugs he’s more than willing to beat living crap out of you if you dare to eat some non-government regulated food.
A libertarian looks around and thinks a lot of things should be legalized because he’s not willing to initiate force against other person, a lefty looks around and thinks if legalizing something might benefit him, if it does, he supports it, if it doesn’t, he’ll threat you with violence.
Make no mistake, they’re violent and authoritarian.
I used to be an anti-capitalist environmentalist pro-government christian. Whether that is left or right you can decide. I always thought that left was what i found out is actually right. Then i found out that what i thought was right is actually wrong, that is actually left and right is what i actually am.
“I used to be an anti-capitalist environmentalist pro-government christian.”
Thank GOD you are here!
Then i found out that what i thought was right is actually wrong, that is actually left and right is what i actually am.
So which is it? sry right/wrong, right/left. LOL
“I always thought that left was what i found out is actually right. Then i found out that what i thought was right is actually wrong, that is actually left and right is what i actually am.”
I grew up very conservative, and fundamentalist Christian. I took the world’s smallest political quiz, and it told me that I was riding the line between Conservative and libertarian. I kinda moved “upward” after that and here I am.
Unfortunately, people seem to equate libertarians with conservatives. I’ve even been asked, “aren’t Libertarians those super-militant right wingers?” Needless to say, it was painful to hear. It seems that people ignore libertarian concern with civil liberties, and jump to point out economic issues (which they rarely if ever understand).