4. govt. uses coercion (laws and police) to
enforce laws
a. no
individual initiative
or responsibility
b.
self-reliance, ability
to use "good judgment" diminished
c. govt. must
be rolled
back, to develop individual initiative
5. free market is best natural system for
determining outcomes
a. market
allows for
more creativity and uniqueness
b. govt
inefficient
because interferes w/ market mechanisms
1.
laws
apply to all situations and people
2.
don't
allow for differing situations, contexts
3.
often
have “unintended consequences”
6.
human nature: humans have potential for reason,
but are often imperfect
a. historical conservative
element
(Burke)
b. expansion of negative
liberty,
best hope for developing good judgment
c. ppl will act in own
self-interest
1. market will
allocate
results
2. those who
make wise
decisions, rewarded
3. poor
decisions will
be punished
a.
best
hope for developing personal judgment
b.
many
will continue to make bad decisions
d. most important to reward the
"excellent
individual" who makes good choices
7. Govt should not take over
Community functions
a. destroys market
incentives
b. too much govt control
over lives
c. no moral benefits
unless freely
chosen
1. obligations
are
freely chosen, not imposed by government
2. narrower
view of
community
d.
"marketplace of ideas" not censorship
1. ideas will sort
themselves out
2. good ideas rise to top,
bad
will self-destruct
3. censorship is lessening
of individual
freedom
E.
the focus is on excellent individual
(entrepreneur)
1. one who makes good
choices and
excels
a. human
beings are
fallible and unequal
b. best system
allows
the excellent to rise to top
2. worst injustice-hamper this person
because
of others' failures
a.
schools have
become mediocre
b. "dumb
down"
classes in order to teach low achievers
c.
better to
challenge high achievers
d. bring
up the
level of learning for everyone
3. entrepreneur (excellent individual)
should
be unregulated
a. creativity
ensures the
most innovative products
b. not bogged down
w/ bureaucracy
or taxes
c. Olympic Ideal
F.
laws can be replaced by workings of
market
1. affirmative action laws
unnecessary
a. prejudice
imposes
cost- creates competitive disadvantage
b. economic
pressure
(voluntary action) works better
c. boycotts,
ex. DENNY's
restaurants, "cruelty-free" products
2. worker safety laws unnecessary
a. inefficient
and
expensive to enforce
b. workers
have choice
to leave
c. high cost
to losing
good workers
3. environmental regulation unnecessary
a. community can
boycott
businesses
b. loss of value of
property
c. bad
decision-makers will
learn from consequences
1.
no "super-fund"
clean-up
2.
polluters
pay for damages
4.
No concern with monopolies
a. human innovation & organization can exploit
weaknesses
b. example: boycott of Sinclair advertisers
G. Ideal
situation
1. return to classical liberalism
a. limited
govt, maximum
individual negative liberty
2. Libertarian Party
Platform website
a. no military
draft (coercion)
b. abolishment
of IRS
1. limited taxation
(Flat tax, if any)
2. user fees instead
3. offers choice to consumers
a. national parks, hunting licenses, art museums
b. public radio and TV
1. better to finance through pledge drives
2. keeps it responsive to consumer demands
H. legalization
of marijuana and most other drugs
1. enforcement has led to
lessening
of freedom
2. 4th Amendment search
and seizure
laws expanded
3. instead, focus on
nurturing
personal judgment
- 'just say no"
example
of libertarian reasoning, "drugged driving" laws
4. some ppl will make bad choices, but not worth taking away from freedom of those who use good judgment
I.
Devolution of power from national government
1. national, too big and
far away,
unaccountable
2. preference is for
state, rather
than national
3. less powerful, less
bureaucratic,
more responsive
4. local control and
personal
control, ideal
J.only
legitimate function of government
1. protect private
property rights
2. national security
3. local security,too, but not
at expense
of freedom of movement
K. First
amendment rights are unlimited
1. Freedom of speech,
Press, Religion,
Assembly
2. Second Amendment--no
gun control
3. no govt. control of economy
a. distorts the free
market
1. no farm
subsidies
2. no
anti-trust legislation
b. open competition between all
c. no trade protectionism
1. free
markets
globally
2.
pro-NAFTA,
FTAA
3. open immigration policy
L. classical
liberalism (modern form)
1. same values given
priority
a. individual
negative
liberty highest priority
b. equal
opportunity
to compete, unequal outcomes
c. justice-is
getting
to keep what you produce
d. community
is private,
voluntary matter
2.
differences from classical liberalism
a. c.l.-assumption of abundance
1. everyone can
succeed
2. American Dream
idea
b.libertarianism-- limits
on resources
1. give to those who
are
most capable of succeeding, not based upon human need
2. recognition that
not everyone
will make it
c. c.l.- optimistic view of human
nature
1. humans capable of
reason,
so allow freedom
d. lib. humans are imperfect=only the
best
will use reason
1. development of
personal
judgment key
2. many will not do
so
3. negative
consequences
may teach ppl
3
.Historical conservative influences
a. theory of human nature
(imperfect)
b. natural aristocrats
(entrepreneurs)
c. too much focus on
equality will
suppress "excellent individual"; tyranny of mediocrity
Problems with libertarianism:
a. What if there is no choice?
Example:
can
workers always leave bad situation for better one?
b. how long before market costs kick
in?
Example:
Hustler
c. How can small operators compete with huge
operators? Don't monopolies end
competition?
d. What if what makes company competitive is
bad for general public?
EXAMPLE:
triple trailor truck-drivers
and industry after de-regulation
e. what about effects of bad decisions on
others who
are innocent?
Shouldn't government step in to provide "community?"