The dumbest thing I've heard from a Libertarian.

[wrongfrog]

So I found a "progressive libertarianism" page on facebook, and I looked through the pictures & comments to be entertained, and then I found this gem:

you could move. States competing with each other is good for you just like corporations competing for your dollars is good for you. If one state allows same sex marriage and another doesn't all the gay people can move, they can take their labor and their tax money with them, they can vote with their feet. I agree rights should not be up for a vote but there is some reason to the process of state competition.

this is in response to someone claiming that social issues such as LGBT rights should not be left to the states.

Do people not realize how you can't just fucking move if you don't like your state? More often than not, you're fucking stuck where you live if you don't have have an enormous amount of money. And that if you're, say, a teenager, that option is not even on the fucking table? I'm usually OK with Libertarians, but sometimes they say the most delusional bullshit like this. Why do Libertarians seem to think that competition is the one-stop solution to literally any problem? Does this bother anyone else?

[Fpqxz]

There is nothing wrong with states having differing policies on particular issues; in fact, that's kind of the whole point of having a federal system.

But expecting this sort of competition to be a pill to cure all ills is pretty ridiculous, especially when dealing with large-scale systemic problems such as human rights abuses, pollution, etc.

[wrongfrog]

Yeah, I'm all for some states' rights, but the assertion that states should "compete" with each other with HUMAN FUCKING RIGHTS and that'll somehow fix all our problems is ridiculous and downright delusional.

[armandtanzarian]

I have no issues with your rebuttal, just your title.

The dumbest thing I've heard from a Libertarian

After reading about the Ron Paul campaigns I can say you've got a long way to learn.

[Material Defender]

Libertarians are supposed to be sticklers about personal liberties when it doesn't harm others. I might be able to make a true No True Scotsman argument about him and Ron Paul.

[Her3tiK]

Really? This is the craziest thing you've heard a Libertarian say? Compared to half the shit they say during elections, this seems downright rational. Hell, the way they worship their presidential candidates reeks of cultism.

[ScrappyB]

Not  the dumbest thing I've heard come from libertarians, but I do have issues with applying this rationale to civil rights issues. You end up with a few states that treat certain groups like human beings, some that treat them like second class citizens, and the rest with lots of rabid fundie grandstanding.

Personally, I wish the Supreme Court would get involved and finally settle the matter. They're supposed to be discussing whether to hear a few cases on same sex marriage on the 20th.

Really? This is the craziest thing you've heard a Libertarian say? Compared to half the shit they say during elections, this seems downright rational. Hell, the way they worship their presidential candidates reeks of cultism.

Not only that, then they turn around and accuse liberals of thinking Obama is the messiah. Must be one of those DARVO deals.

[armandtanzarian]

Not only that, then they turn around and accuse liberals of thinking Obama is the messiah. Must be one of those DARVO deals.

Libertarians (Ron Paul fanboys in particular) pioneered the information bubble. The conservatives only stole it and perfected it.

[Smurfette Principle]

Even if that line of reasoning worked, that still wouldn't guarantee anything. The existence of poor people on welfare who vote Republican proves that people don't always act logically within their own self-interest. Even if the state suffered a massive loss of jobs from all the gays moving, that wouldn't guarantee that anything would actually change.

[RinellaWasHere]

Man, and here I thought we were talking about Librarians.

[Lt. Fred]

Maybe we could use this thread to each post the stupidest bit of libertarian cant we've ever heard?

I'll start:

I once read a libertarian seriously argue that the government should deregulate petrol prices in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy so  the people who needed it could get it. Can't find a cite, sadly.

[armandtanzarian]

I once read a libertarian seriously argue that the government should deregulate petrol prices in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy so  the people who needed it could get it. Can't find a cite, sadly.

That would probably be Ron Paul.
http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2012/11/12/ron-paul-says-post-sandy-%E2%80%9Cprice-gouging%E2%80%9D-would%E2%80%99ve-helped-solve-the-gas-shortage/
(I'll quote directly from his House page)

Had gas stations been allowed to raise their prices to reflect the increased demand for gasoline, only those most in need of gasoline would have purchased gas, while everyone would have economized on their existing supply. But because prices remained lower than they should have been, no one sought to conserve gas.  Low prices signaled that gas was in abundant supply, while reality was exactly the opposite, and only those fortunate enough to be at the front of gas lines were able to purchase gas before it sold out.  Not surprisingly, a thriving black market developed, with gas offered for up to $20 per gallon.

With price controls in effect, supply shortages were exacerbated.  If prices had been allowed to increase to market levels, the profit opportunity would have brought in new supplies from outside the region.  As supplies increased, prices gradually would have decreased as supply and demand returned to equilibrium. But with price controls in effect, what company would want to deal with the hassle of shipping gas to a disaster-stricken area with downed power lines and flooded highways when the same profit could be made elsewhere?  So instead of gas shipments flooding into the disaster zones, what little gas supply is left is rapidly sold and consumed.

[wrongfrog]

Oh, don't get me wrong; I've heard plenty of things from Libertarians, and I'm sure this isn't the worst. I just purposely don't read up on them that often because they frustrate me. But feel free to turn this into a "Libertarians say the darndest things" kind of thread; that's what I predicted would happen anyways.

[Material Defender]

Had gas stations been allowed to raise their prices to reflect the increased demand for gasoline, only those most in need of gasoline would have purchased gas, while everyone would have economized on their existing supply. But because prices remained lower than they should have been, no one sought to conserve gas.  Low prices signaled that gas was in abundant supply, while reality was exactly the opposite, and only those fortunate enough to be at the front of gas lines were able to purchase gas before it sold out.  Not surprisingly, a thriving black market developed, with gas offered for up to $20 per gallon.

With price controls in effect, supply shortages were exacerbated.  If prices had been allowed to increase to market levels, the profit opportunity would have brought in new supplies from outside the region.  As supplies increased, prices gradually would have decreased as supply and demand returned to equilibrium. But with price controls in effect, what company would want to deal with the hassle of shipping gas to a disaster-stricken area with downed power lines and flooded highways when the same profit could be made elsewhere?  So instead of gas shipments flooding into the disaster zones, what little gas supply is left is rapidly sold and consumed.

IF roads are blocked, dumbass, you can't get supplies in there. It's not like more money solves everything. But that's the exactly the sort of non-sense I'd hear from them.

There's also the FDR was a terrible president for introducing social security and unemployment benefits non-sense from Libertarians. Yeah, if you get fired for shitty reasons or because your old, you TOTALLY shouldn't get money. Speaking of which...

We deplore government-fostered forced retirement, which robs the elderly of the right to work

That's not how social security works, Libertarian Party. My Grandfather is almost 80 but he's still at his teaching Job. He's quite young and Spry for his age, since he's also a field biologist for Kansas State University.

[Osama bin Bambi]

Maybe we could use this thread to each post the stupidest bit of libertarian cant we've ever heard?

I'll start:

I once read a libertarian seriously argue that the government should deregulate petrol prices in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy so  the people who needed it could get it. Can't find a cite, sadly.

I have read a libertarian who argued that the police forces, firefighters, courts, and laws should all be privatized.