If by libertarian you mean liberal rather than anarchist, then yes - libertarian suits me much better than communitarian, and that provides one of the political rifts separating me from local greens and lib dems.
'Communitarian' is not a real thing
Communitarian describes an approach to public policy that concentrates on tending to the interests and rights of majority groups (or otherwise focusing on the "greater good") rather than to the interests and rights of individuals.
Example of communitarian policies would include:
- State atheism or religion
- Classroom indoctrination
- Uncompetitive elections
- State funds for temples
- Free speech restrictions
- Regulation of the "sinful" or "impure"
- Any form of conscription
- Programmes of workfare
- Conditional human rights
- Bans on particular parties
- Tougher punishments for "hate crimes"
- Use of torture or rendition
- Any execution of prisoners
- Expropriation of properties
- Majoritarian policy-making process
- State aid for "socially-responsible" firms
Characterizing these things as authoritarian instead would be misleading because any of the items on that list can - and in practice do - exist in countries widely viewed to be democratic, "free," and just in their treatment of citizens. Communitarian policies are what people are quite often talking about when they fret over "big government" intruding into their lives.
Though perhaps you disagree, I consider communitarianism to be the norm with humanity, with genuine liberalism and authoritarianism splitting off from it in opposite directions over questions such as who can be entrusted with power, how important is decisive leadership and state efficiency, and should power be more egalitarian or hierarchical in its distribution?
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