Libertarian World

Not too long ago, the streets seemed full of Ron Paul supporters--especially at busy intersections like NC 105 and 321 in Boone. Lots of signs, lots of enthusiasm. We thought it was great to see so many people engaged in the political process, even if we did not exactly agree with the libertarian philosophy.

Despite our efforts to find a picture of Paul supporters doing their thing here in Boone, our searches of the internets proved fruitless. So, we'll use this guy's picture to make a few points--points that make us wonder if our local libertarians have really thought about what a true, libertarian world would look like. The blockquotes below are taken directly from the Libertarian Party Platform:

1) This Paul supporter is standing at a busy interstate highway overpass. If libertarians were in power, the interstate highway system as we know it would not exist:

The only proper role of government in the economic realm is to protect property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal framework in which voluntary trade is protected. All efforts by government to redistribute wealth, or to control or manage trade, are improper in a free society.

2) This Paul supporter is standing on a sidewalk, most likely constructed or required by the local government. Yet libertarians say that:

People should not be forced to sacrifice their lives and property for the benefit of others.

3) There are directional signs and traffic signals at the intersection. In a libertarian world, there probably wouldn't be any of these things--see, they're not profitable enough:

We seek to divest government of all functions that can be provided by non-governmental organizations or private individuals.

4) This Ron Paul supporter can breathe.

Pollution and misuse of resources cause damage to our ecosystem. Governments, unlike private businesses, are unaccountable for such damage done to our environment and have a terrible track record when it comes to environmental protection...environmental advocates and social pressure are the most effective means of changing public behavior.

Looks like this Ron Paul supporter has taken a few things for granted. How well would he do without them?