Thomas Burridge - UK Libertarian Party (LPUK) : part 2

[elwellt1]

If you were a true libertarian, then you would advocate abolishing the NHS! You are not as libertarian as Daniel Hannan!!

[fatto77]

its not a vote winner. and also as a libertarian i dont agree with getting rid of it either!

[zola253109]

Daniel Hannan is as much in favour of the class war as an average Marxist. Getting rid of the NHS would be disasterous on so many levels.

As for education, the Libertarians are very close to what the Conservatives have unveiled. I myself find this unworkable, backward and totally unfair.

[TheRealBladeRunner]

Wait, so the Libertarians are Pro-taxes? Just not income tax?

Aren't some forms of Libertarians 100% against all taxes?

[thirteenfingers]

LPUK are opposed to takes directly against the person. They acknowledge that government, defence, police and so on do cost money - it's the way that tax is collected that would be different.

Importantly they are absolutely opposed to government debt, big government and unnecessary government interference and departments. That all reduces the cost of government allowing the abolition of taxes against a person's income, savings and estate.

[TheRealBladeRunner]

Thanks for the response.

[thirteenfingers]

No worries. Truth is, "libertarians" come in all sorts of flavours from complete anarchists (who I disagree with for a number of reasons, all of which have been debated at length, fruitlessly, for a long time) to "minarchists" or "small state advocates" who acknowledge the need for some centralisation, with or without taxation, to cover certain areas.

It certainly is a varied bunch so it can be hard to pin down what "they" believe. Less government, taxation and interference is for sure.

[TheRealBladeRunner]

Anarchists scare me. No police??? Wouldn't that lead to a lot more mafia types?

[thirteenfingers]

Anarchy is a fantastic idea... if people are generally good and alturistic.

The rality is that people are generally greedy and self serving.

A complete lack of "authority" (not quite the word I'm looking for) leaves the door wide open for serious totalitarianism instigated by thugs and called for by the masses when times get hard.

Some sort of minimal state - if held very closely in check by a public armed to the teeth - is by far the best of all the alternatives for enduring freeodom.

[thirteenfingers]

Actually - Gangsters only have power because of state prohibitions.

Were it not for prohibition you wouldn't know who Al Capone was. They get money, power and prestige selling people the things they want but aren't allowed by the state. (Alcohol, drugs, prostitution, guns, whatever is illegal - for the record I find 1 of the 4 abhorrent and 1 undesirable - the others, no bother).

I still prefer minimal state to anarchy though.

Anarchists: I don't want debate, issue too complex for here.

[TheRealBladeRunner]

Yes I agree gangsters parlty have power because drugs are illegal.

[N330AA]

@thirteenfingers I would prefer a flat tax to eliminating income tax. I think it would be better to eliminate VAT.

[fdantheman]

That would be me.

[TheRealBladeRunner]

Legalize drugs: they should stop the drug war. The Libertarians want to stop the drug wars by legalizing drugs.