Which US President since World War 2 was the most libertarian?

[Phony Moderate]

Discuss.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Jimmy E. Carter

[k-onmmunist]

Carter easily.

[Vepres]

Ford. He ended Vietnam, did what was best for the country despite what the polls said. Of course, I'd call him a libertarian-leaning moderate.

Probably Clinton post-94 would be the second most.

[Mint]

I'd say Carter. He wanted to lower taxes and cut pork, scale back the highway system, decriminalize certain drugs, cut the military, etc. Still sort of a laughable question though.

[Mint]

Probably Clinton post-94 would be the second most.

What?

[k-onmmunist]

Probably Clinton post-94 would be the second most.

What?

I've never thought of bombing Iraqi and Kosovan children as very libertarian.

[Mint]

I was thinking more his domestic policy. A lot of the Patriot Act owes its beginnings to the Clinton administration's proposals, and certainly his stance on drugs, guns, etc. was anything but 'Libertarian.' I could see people making an argument for his administration ultimately governing in a way that was more 'free market' than the Reagan administration or either Bush though.

[k-onmmunist]

I was thinking more his domestic policy. A lot of the Patriot Act owes its beginnings to the Clinton administration's proposals, and certainly his stance on drugs, guns, etc. was anything but 'Libertarian.' I could see people making an argument for his administration ultimately governing in a way that was more 'free market' than the Reagan administration or either Bush though.

+DADT.

[James L. Buckley]

Ford. He ended Vietnam, did what was best for the country despite what the polls said. Of course, I'd call him a libertarian-leaning moderate.

Probably Clinton post-94 would be the second most.

Actually, Ford was about to escalate the conflict in Vietnam. But Congress wouldn't allow him to do so. Ford was anything but a "Libertarian-leaning Moderate."

[RIP Robert H Bork]

None of them.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Ford. He ended Vietnam, did what was best for the country despite what the polls said. Of course, I'd call him a libertarian-leaning moderate.

Probably Clinton post-94 would be the second most.

Neither of them were anything approaching "libertarian."

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

None of them.

[Torie]

None of them.

[Bo]

Probably Carter, since the Fed under him was really inactive and he didn't really do much, either domestically or in foreign policy (other than cutting off aid to regimes with poor human rights records). Runner-up is Ford.

[Bo]

Reagan.  (I don't consider being weak on foreign policy or the Einzige definition of libertarian, which is "liberal Democrat" to be libertarian)

He wanted to butt into the private lives of most Americans with his opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

[Mint]

Probably Carter, since the Fed under him was really inactive and he didn't really do much, either domestically or in foreign policy (other than cutting off aid to regimes with poor human rights records). Runner-up is Ford.

Actually that's another point, people tend to forget that Carter appointed Volcker.

[Bo]

Reagan.  (I don't consider being weak on foreign policy or the Einzige definition of libertarian, which is "liberal Democrat" to be libertarian)

He wanted to butt into the private lives of most Americans with his opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

For one thing, having an abortion is not a "private matter" ... not when the unborn child doesn't get its say.  Gay marriage wasn't even an issue then.

Well, Reagan was against gay rights. As for abortion, even though I agree with you that murdering innocent babies is NOT a private matter, libertarians think that it is, and thus I proved my point that Reagan was not a libertarian (or even came close to one). Also, the Fed was very active under Reagan's watch, and libertarians oppose the Fed.

[Bo]

Probably Carter, since the Fed under him was really inactive and he didn't really do much, either domestically or in foreign policy (other than cutting off aid to regimes with poor human rights records). Runner-up is Ford.

Actually that's another point, people tend to forget that Carter appointed Volcker.

Yes, but Volcker was not that active in fighting inflation until 1981. It was only in 1981 that the inflation rate began to significantly decrease.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Reagan.  (I don't consider being weak on foreign policy or the Einzige definition of libertarian, which is "liberal Democrat" to be libertarian)

He wanted to butt into the private lives of most Americans with his opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

For one thing, having an abortion is not a "private matter" ... not when the unborn child doesn't get its say.  Gay marriage wasn't even an issue then.

Well, Reagan was against gay rights. As for abortion, even though I agree with you that murdering innocent babies is NOT a private matter, libertarians think that it is, and thus I proved my point that Reagan was not a libertarian (or even came close to one). Also, the Fed was very active under Reagan's watch, and libertarians oppose the Fed.

Libertarians don't consider murder a "private matter". Abortion is a violation of individual rights and very anti-libertarian.

[Bo]

Reagan.  (I don't consider being weak on foreign policy or the Einzige definition of libertarian, which is "liberal Democrat" to be libertarian)

He wanted to butt into the private lives of most Americans with his opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

For one thing, having an abortion is not a "private matter" ... not when the unborn child doesn't get its say.  Gay marriage wasn't even an issue then.

Well, Reagan was against gay rights. As for abortion, even though I agree with you that murdering innocent babies is NOT a private matter, libertarians think that it is, and thus I proved my point that Reagan was not a libertarian (or even came close to one). Also, the Fed was very active under Reagan's watch, and libertarians oppose the Fed.

Libertarians don't consider murder a "private matter". Abortion is a violation of individual rights and very anti-libertarian.

Not all libertarians are against abortion, though. Many of them support abortions.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Reagan.  (I don't consider being weak on foreign policy or the Einzige definition of libertarian, which is "liberal Democrat" to be libertarian)

He wanted to butt into the private lives of most Americans with his opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

For one thing, having an abortion is not a "private matter" ... not when the unborn child doesn't get its say.  Gay marriage wasn't even an issue then.

Well, Reagan was against gay rights. As for abortion, even though I agree with you that murdering innocent babies is NOT a private matter, libertarians think that it is, and thus I proved my point that Reagan was not a libertarian (or even came close to one). Also, the Fed was very active under Reagan's watch, and libertarians oppose the Fed.

Libertarians don't consider murder a "private matter". Abortion is a violation of individual rights and very anti-libertarian.

Not all libertarians are against abortion, though. Many of them support abortions.

No.

People who support abortion are not libertarians.

[Bo]

Reagan.  (I don't consider being weak on foreign policy or the Einzige definition of libertarian, which is "liberal Democrat" to be libertarian)

He wanted to butt into the private lives of most Americans with his opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

For one thing, having an abortion is not a "private matter" ... not when the unborn child doesn't get its say.  Gay marriage wasn't even an issue then.

Well, Reagan was against gay rights. As for abortion, even though I agree with you that murdering innocent babies is NOT a private matter, libertarians think that it is, and thus I proved my point that Reagan was not a libertarian (or even came close to one). Also, the Fed was very active under Reagan's watch, and libertarians oppose the Fed.

Libertarians don't consider murder a "private matter". Abortion is a violation of individual rights and very anti-libertarian.

Not all libertarians are against abortion, though. Many of them support abortions.

No.

People who support abortion are not libertarians.

A lot of them say they are, though. BTW, are Ron Paul and Rand Paul pro-abortion?

[Phony Moderate]

Reagan.  (I don't consider being weak on foreign policy or the Einzige definition of libertarian, which is "liberal Democrat" to be libertarian)

He wanted to butt into the private lives of most Americans with his opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

For one thing, having an abortion is not a "private matter" ... not when the unborn child doesn't get its say.  Gay marriage wasn't even an issue then.

Well, Reagan was against gay rights. As for abortion, even though I agree with you that murdering innocent babies is NOT a private matter, libertarians think that it is, and thus I proved my point that Reagan was not a libertarian (or even came close to one). Also, the Fed was very active under Reagan's watch, and libertarians oppose the Fed.

Libertarians don't consider murder a "private matter". Abortion is a violation of individual rights and very anti-libertarian.

A fetus is not an individual. And if you don't agree then you are a hypocrite because you agreed in a previous thread about school uniforms that most kids aren't individuals.

Let's get real here. Most kids aren't individuals. Most kids are enormous conformists, look at all the cliques with their own unofficial dress codes there are (or gangs..). In any case if your ability to be an individual is seriously effected by not being able to wear certain clothes you're pretty boring anyway.

Agreed.  This was one of my arguments when we discussed this about 4 years ago.


Most jobs require a "uniform" of some sort-  so you'll better get used to sublimating that individuality.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Reagan.  (I don't consider being weak on foreign policy or the Einzige definition of libertarian, which is "liberal Democrat" to be libertarian)

He wanted to butt into the private lives of most Americans with his opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

For one thing, having an abortion is not a "private matter" ... not when the unborn child doesn't get its say.  Gay marriage wasn't even an issue then.

Well, Reagan was against gay rights. As for abortion, even though I agree with you that murdering innocent babies is NOT a private matter, libertarians think that it is, and thus I proved my point that Reagan was not a libertarian (or even came close to one). Also, the Fed was very active under Reagan's watch, and libertarians oppose the Fed.

Libertarians don't consider murder a "private matter". Abortion is a violation of individual rights and very anti-libertarian.

Not all libertarians are against abortion, though. Many of them support abortions.

No.

People who support abortion are not libertarians.

A lot of them say they are, though. BTW, are Ron Paul and Rand Paul pro-abortion?

They aren't, and no.