What's the difference between socially liberal conservatives and real libertarians?

Welcome to Ask a Libertarian 2012 with Reason's Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch. They are the authors of the book, The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America, coming out in paperback later this month. Pre-order:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Declaration......

On June 12, 2012 Gillespie and Welch used short, rapid-fire videos to answer dozens of reader questions submitted via email, Twitter, Facebook, and Reason.com.

In this episode, they answer the question:

"What's the difference between socially liberal conservatives and real libertarians?" - Dana Perino

Produced by Meredith Bragg, Jim Epstein, Josh Swain, and Tracy Oppenheimer with help from Katie Hooks.

To watch answers from 2011's Ask a Libertarian series, go here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=...

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  News & Politics

[Brujo Asesino]

If a certain act does not violate someones natural rights then it should not be a crime. Get the government out of everything, including marriage! Marriage was supposed to be and has always been a religious practice.

[NeonShadowsx]

Pretty much everyone has used marijuana after a certain age? Nope.

[dragknuckle]

Legal marriage must be defined by the government because of the legal ramifications of it: duty of care, child custody and support, spousal support, division of property, property held in common, etc.

While these things could theoretically be worked out by civil contract (and are in some cases), many people cannot afford the legal expenses or lack the requisite understanding to protect themselves. If government does not recognize marriage then it cannot offer the legal protection it affords.

[Personmr]

why should marrage be defined by the government? (im talking to jesushatesyoutoo too)

[dragknuckle]

I do not believe in discriminating against gays. I simply believe that the union of a man and woman is unique. As such, it should be treated differently than a union of two men or two women. I do not wish to ban same sex unions, I just don't think they constitute a marriage at all, by definition.

Yes, a few ancient cultures did accept gay marriage shortly before their total collapse. The culture that gave us science and the printing press was heterosexual and monogamous.

[dragknuckle]

You are making several logical errors. You are assuming that because some people who oppose gay marriage are hateful bigots, all people who oppose gay marriage are hateful bigots. You are engaging in ad homenim attacks. And you are using straw man arguments, attributing statements to me that I did not make and then attacking them instead of discussing my actual points.

[jesushatesyoutoo]

"I've typed" What a ass hole! You have demeaned every homosexual on the planet! Your history only goes back 2000 years, the Greek the Romans, the Egyptians, the several nations within the American Indian have all excepted same sex partnerships if not marriages. The assumption is yours and mark my words in five to ten years, at the rate things are going, same sex marriage will be recognized throughout every state in the Union. Now kindly FUCK YOURSELF!