Richardcyoung.com

  • Home
  • Debbie Young
  • Jimmy Buffett
  • Key West
  • Your Survival Guy
  • How We Are Different
  • Paris
  • About Us
    • Foundation Principles
    • Contributors
  • Investing
    • You’ve Read The Last Issue of Intelligence Report, Now What?
  • The Swiss Way
  • My Rifles
  • Dividends and Compounding
  • Your Security
  • Dick Young
  • Dick’s R&B Top 100
  • Liberty & Freedom Map
  • Bank Credit & Money
  • Your Survival Guy’s Super States
  • NNT & Cholesterol
  • Your Health
  • Ron Paul
  • US Treasury Yield Curve: My Favorite Investor Tool
  • Anti-Gun Control
  • Anti-Digital Currency
  • Joel Salatin & Alfie Oakes
  • World Gold Mine Production
  • Fidelity & Wellington Since 1971
  • Hillsdale College
  • Babson College
  • Contact Us

Libertarianism vs. Government Intrusion

April 3, 2014 By Richard C. Young

Libertarian politics in the United States is highlighted here in Al Jazeera America. For refinement, I asked Cato Institute chairman Bob Levy for direction. Here are Bob’s comments on the piece, and the definition of libertarianism laid out by Immanuel Wallerstein in the article.

Not a bad piece … but like many others in the media, it offers a warped view of libertarianism that tends to marginalize us.  For example:

“Libertarianism is most simply defined as a basic hostility to the government and its institutions. A full-fledged libertarian wants few (if any) state-owned enterprises, no constraints on private enterprises by government regulations, extremely low taxes, total individual freedom in the social realm, primacy of privacy rights over governmental intrusion, and the reduction of armed forces and police to a minimum.”

1.  Libertarians favor a constitutionally limited government that has strictly enumerated powers.  Within that framework, we do not have a “basic hostility to the government.”  Indeed, we have great respect for the legitimate functions of government in securing individual liberty.

2.  Libertarians do not argue for “no constraints on private enterprises by government regulations.”  We recognize that government has an important role to play in preventing and punishing force and fraud — whether perpetrated by individuals or by enterprises.  For example, we support properly-structured restrictions on pollution, penalties for securities fraud, and legal remedies for defective products.

3.  Libertarians don’t demand “total individual freedom in the social realm.”  We acknowledge that responsibility goes hand-in-hand with freedom and we do not condone behavior that infringes on the rights of non-consenting bystanders.

4.  Libertarians would not reduce “armed forces and police to a minimum.”  The proper size of the armed forces and the police is the size necessary to undertake the activities duly assigned to those agencies by our Constitution and laws arising thereunder.  The first task is to identify the appropriate functions of the police and military, and then to authorize those entities to perform those functions only — and no others.

If you’re willing to fight for Main Street America, click here to sign up for my free weekly email.

Related Posts

  • Get Government Out of Government
  • The Private Sector vs. the Lethargic Federal Government
  • Government Maleficence
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Richard C. Young
Richard C. Young
Richard C. Young is the editor of Young's World Money Forecast, and a contributing editor to both Richardcyoung.com and Youngresearch.com.
Richard C. Young
Latest posts by Richard C. Young (see all)
  • Would the Pat Buchanan Plan Work Today? - July 9, 2025
  • Trump Admin Announces Farm Security Plan - July 9, 2025
  • Compound Interest: Harnessing the Awesome Power While Slashing Risk and Opening Vast New Horizons - July 9, 2025

Dick Young’s Must Reads

  • If You’re a Highly Effective Person, We Should Talk
  • What Do You Know About Rho-Kinase?
  • Are You Prepared to Run Out of Water?
  • The Fed – “Independent” and “Non Political” – Joins The Resistance
  • Paris, The Palace Hotels: Part I
  • The Worst President in American History
  • Tom Brady Is Proof You Shouldn’t Retire if You Still Love Your Work
  • How about Hiring Erik Prince to Crush the Drug Cartels?
  • Stunned Democrats Against “Defund Police”
  • BEYOND RUSSIA: America Strengthens India Ties to Counter China

Compensation was paid to utilize rankings. Click here to read full disclosure.

RSS Youngresearch.com

  • Your Survival Guy’s Boat-Shoes-on-the-Docks View
  • Would the Pat Buchanan Plan Work Today?
  • U.S. and Israel Partner on AI and Energy Innovation
  • California Faces Fuel Price Volatility Amid Refinery Closures
  • New Tariff Rates Announced as U.S. Tackles Trade Deficit
  • Your Survival Guy: “You Wouldn’t Have Liked It”
  • DOE Unveils Plan to Quadruple U.S. Nuclear Power by 2050
  • How China Weaponized Rare Earths to Shift U.S. Trade Policy
  • Trump Administration Moves to Curb Foreign Ownership of U.S. Farmland
  • We Finally Got on the Boat

RSS Yoursurvivalguy.com

  • Your Survival Guy’s Boat-Shoes-on-the-Docks View
  • Are Private Equity’s Excess Returns Disappearing?
  • What Can Tariffs Do for America?
  • Your Survival Guy: “You Wouldn’t Have Liked It”
  • ESG Doesn’t Stand Up to Scrutiny
  • How to Dock a Boat with Helm Master EX
  • We Finally Got on the Boat
  • The Big Beautiful Bill: Good, Bad, and Ugly
  • WARNING: Your Survival Guy and Gal in the Fog
  • Happy Independence Day!

US Treasury Yield Curve: My Favorite Investor Tool

My Key West Garden Office

Your Retirement Life: Traveling the Efficient Frontier

Live a Long Life

Your Survival Guy’s Mt. Rushmore of Investing Legends

“Then One Day the Grandfather was Gone”

Copyright © 2025 | Terms & Conditions | About Us | Dick Young | Archives