Penn Jillette: Reconciling Atheism with Libertarianism

Penn Jillette answers Big Thinker Adam Lee's question about how he reconciles two world views: his atheism with his libertarianism.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Libertarianism
• Atheism
• Penn Jillette

[MrElutherian]

@pumarunner88

I agree. I think libertarians like Ron Paul who constantly bring up the Constitution are approaching it from the perspective of making the government follow the rules... not in the sense that everyone in America should base their political philosophy entirely off of what's written within.

[kamspioneerclass]

@freeofavia Here's the response I have right now. I can't say I won't have a different opinion in a day or two, but here goes: if we keep the government small and decentralized (like any good minarchist would want), then the incentive for powerful people to corrupt the government it significantly lessened. If we stop the government from using too much power, we keep the rich and powerful from even wanting any control of it in the first place (at least not as much). I dunno, though.

[Radioswim]

@freeofavia your latter 2 statements are only made possible when a government is able to influence wealth in the first place.

[0sael0]

A libertarian with proprieties... I like it



[annebeck58]

Uhm, Penn. I really don't think Bush (either one) ever even HAD a libertarian thought, nevermind would he have acted in libertarian manner.

I think everyone had more problems in BOTH Bush eras.. moreso than any I can recall in my adult life. I am an atheist, and I consider my actions libertarian, and I see no problem with it.

I do see the net as educating our kids a lot more than anything else. Heck, I've learned a lot from the net, myself, and I;m in my fifties..

[skullenbonez]

I foresee with the retarded shit and politics and retarded dumb shits here in the U.S. i see another revolution coming before any of this can be fixed

[Dutchguy74]

of course, the people with the money will always try to protect themselves and their money making schemes and the easiest way is to just buy the people that control the people with the guns.

[Seaworldexists]

@Maytag99 I agree it is folly to judge a poltical system by some abstract universal qualification but not to judge it by its own standards. Internal contradictions can be judged as failures on the part of political systems. This is why it is safe to say that fascism, socialism or even so called democracies that dont have actual elections are bad systems.

[sendtoanthony]

But how will we brainwash children to be obedient supporters of the State without Public Schools?

[Maytag99]

@Seaworldexists In any case, that's your opinion. I don't agree.

[Seaworldexists]

@Maytag99 Im not taking an ideological position. If a government gets re-elected it would tend to have been successful either in achieving its objectives (election platform), moving towards that platform, or addressing a new issue. Bush didnt run on the war on terror in 2000 but he made it his major issue and won re-election on that basis in 2004. Obama will have to prove either he's addressed his platform or is addressing it.