age 11-12 somewhat vague political ideas, clinton democrat. 13-15 platonic/imperialist/fascist/philosopher king, 16-now laissez-faireist.
My first political thoughts emerged at about 12. Became a social democrat.
Made my way up to being a Leninist at about 16. Considered joining the socialist party, but hesitated.
Then, I discovered Alex Jones and “anti-NWO conservatism”. For some reason, that seemed more logical than socialism, so I became a conservative, and a Ron Paul libertarian at around 17.
Finally, I arrived at mises.org and through countless debates with patient members, became an anarchist.
It’s funny how we have so many former leftists here, but only rarely a fully educated libertarian turns to social democracy.
That’s the point, I think. Even if it’s impossible to draw conclusions based con correlation numbers in social studies, I know that many socialists turned into a laissez-faire approach. I don’t know many cases in which the opposite happened.
I tend to agree with him more than with most others I have read, all he really did was pretty much sum up the way I thought since I was about 17 anyway.
Do you mind if I ask you a question on him?
Start a new thread or have a private conversation through your control panels. Let’s not get this completely off track with sidebar conversations and random comments throughout. Thanks.
good idea, just add a comment on my page.
Apolitical (Teens) → Neo-Con (Sept 11 2001 - 2007) → Strict US Constituionalist mostly from Ron Paul. (2008-2009) → Minarchist and flirting with ancap, thanks to Mises.org (Present).
I still have a lot of reading to do but I’m becoming more and more convinced every day that the state is unnecessary, I just have yet to fully reconcile all issues with this assertion.
social democrat 20002-2007 ( I liked John Kerry)
paleo-conservative or constitutionalist 2007- early 2008 (because of Dr. Paul)
libertarian minarchist early 2008 - late 2008 (Cato institute)
radical minarchist (think Ayn Rand) late 2008 - early 2009 (Rothbard came along, and I flirted with an-cap without converting)
anarcho-capitalist or voluntaryist early 2009 - present
Most of my time as a self-styled ‘radical’ minarchist was spent knowing that anarcho-capitalist arguments were more logically and intellectually consistent, but I refused to accept this because it made me uncomfortable. It was earlier this year that I finally decided to solidify the change.
Communist, Democrat, Conservative, Fascist, Ron Paul, For a New Liberty Rothbardian
I do not think Anarchocapitalism will ever come around in our time or any time soon. But as an ideal I have found it the most inspiring to date. Somehow though I have a fear that as Rothbard put it, if there was a button, and I pressed it, we would get war of all against all and the rise of the state again. I know there has been a lot of work saying how this shouldn’t be. But its what happened, we have states even though civilization and man were born free.
When it comes to matters of practical politics I lean towards a friedmanite sort of libertarian. Get some taxes cut while I’m alive, get rid of some silly government programs and regulations here and there.
Drip away at the state with in reason. No hiccups. Just slowly wear away the rock sorta thing
Ya rarely. i think Hayek did turn more interventionist as he got older, so did Robert Nozick
Wow.