FerrisBueller86
jhsu
Jr. Member
Posts: 507
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« on: November 30, 2005, 10:55:15 PM » |
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Abortion and gay marriage are the two most polarizing liberal vs. conservative issues.
What are the libertarian vs. populist issues? I suppose the fact that I have to ask means that these issues aren't the hot-button issues of the liberal vs. conservative social issues.
Is legalized gambling an example of a libertarian vs. populist issue? Libertarians are for fewer laws and restrictions, so that goes with legalized gambling. Populists would be against legalized gambling since it's regressive (against economic left), hurts the poor (against the economic left), and leads to more crime and disorder (against the social right). I'm on the populist side of this particular issue. Of course, political expediency trumps ideology, as even the ultra-populst West Virginia has rampant gambling. (The politicians just can't resist the extra tax revenue that doesn't anger the taxpayers like an increase in income or property taxes.)
Is price controls on fuel another example of a libertarian vs. populist issue? Libertarians would support the free market and oppose price controls. Populists don't like greedy oil companies or the negative effect of high energy prices on the poor. I'm on the libertarian side of this issue, as price controls take away the incentive to produce more and have a history of promoting the very shortages that cause the price increases that price controls are supposed to stop. (I think price controls are fake populism. Their results are NOT consistent with the ideals of the economic left.)
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