[oceanghost]

Hi, I'm likely the only person here who has read the 1200 page book "Human Action" by Ludwig Von Mises on which libertarianism is based.

The book was published in 1949, and the premise which is exhaustively laid out is, if you CAN work, you should, and the government should interfere with its citizens the least amount possible.

These are reasonable principles, but two things happened.

One, the Republicans captured the Ron Paul/Tea Pary (Libertarian) movement of the early 2000s and tried to fold it into their party. Many of us left (including me), but it effectively dismantled the movement.

Second, it was less evident in the early 2000s, but, the premise of libertarianism becomes less and less valid every day. When Human Action was written, the need for physical labor was high, it was probably true that anyone who was able to work, could have found some job doing physical labor or menial jobs.

That's simply not true anymore. Physical labor is largely done by machines and SV is actively eating low skill jobs, such that the invariant of libertarinism--that there is always work-- is broken.

[oceanghost]

It's too late to edit; I'd like to add that another fundamental flaw of libertarianism is it always blames the job seeker. Despite macro-economic conditions, despite corruption, despite oppression, it always places the burden of economic problems on the lowest person with the least power. Your job was outsourced? It's your fault for not providing more value. The system is corrupt? Let's just ignore that; it's your fault for not providing more value.

In this way, Libertarians (of which I once was) are "useful idiots" for the ruling class-- it's always your fault for not serving the upper classes well enough.