Gotta love Google:
from http://www.chaospark.com/politics/reid12.htm
Libertarian or Anarchist?
Libertarians are often accused of being anarchists or asked what the
difference is between a libertarian and an anarchist. The popular
image of anarchy is unrestrained violence and looting. Libertarians
take a stronger stand against violence and looting than any other
political group including republicans and democrats. The early
history of the United States with its severely limited government was
strongly libertarian and completely different from this image of
anarchy.
The misunderstanding on this issue comes from the ideal state of
peace and productivity with no government interference imagined by
many libertarians who forget that we are the only ones who can
imagine it. In a libertarian society the evolution of voluntary
institutions providing the few remaining government services might
lead to the gradual elimination of government but this scenario is
completely beyond the imagination of the general public and it harms
our cause to confront them with such a startling vision.
Here is a menu of answers to the question:
What's the difference between libertarians and anarchists?
The traditional answer
Libertarians want severely limited government and anarchists want none.
The humanist answer
Libertarians are nonviolent; some anarchists are violent.
The funny answer
Libertarians are to anarchists as nudists are to naked people.They're
just middle class & organized so they appear less crazy.
The Party answer (from Andre Marrou)
An anarchist is an extreme libertarian, like a socialist is an
extreme democrat, and a fascist is an extreme republican.
The graphic answer
It's like the difference between a lover and a rapist.They're both in
the same place but one uses violence to get there.
The straight answer
Libertarians believe in free markets, private property, and
capitalism. Anarchists who believe in these things usually call
themselves libertarians.
On Jun 22, 2008, at 12:01 PM, Thaths wrote:
On Sun, Jun 22, 2008 at 10:58 AM, Gautam John <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
I suppose the question then is, what metric does one use to
measure progress?
Correct. Also, I prefer separating a happy/peaceful life (a goal) from
definitions of progress (a process).
I was pointing out that the argument that conflict leads to progress
is only a few steps away from the invisible hand argument of the
Libertarianism. I jokingly (see the smiley?) characterized
Bear with my ignorance, how is Libertarianism different from
Anarchism?
I have heard it said that Anarchism is the ideal of the Left and
Libertarianism of the Right. :-)
I personally do not know where the boundary lies.
Thaths
--
Bart: We were just planning the father-son river rafting trip.
Homer: Hehe. You don't have a son.
Sudhakar Chandra Slacker Without Borders
