In a 1975 interview with Reason magazine, Ronald Reagan said, "I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism." Do you agree with President Reagan or not?

Quote from: ConservativeGirl on April 02, 2014, 10:10:11 AM
In a 1975 interview with Reason magazine, Ronald Reagan said, "I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism." Do you agree with President Reagan or not?

It depends on your definition of "heart and soul". There is no question that conservatism and libertarianism have some similarities.

Quote from: supsalemgr on April 02, 2014, 10:44:40 AM


It depends on your definition of "heart and soul". There is no question that conservatism and libertarianism have some similarities.

I understand "heart and soul" to mean that libertarianism is the fundamental essence - the core - of conservatism itself.

Quote from: ConservativeGirl on April 02, 2014, 10:47:34 AM
I understand "heart and soul" to mean that libertarianism is the fundamental essence - the core - of conservatism itself.

Your a true liberal in your way of thinking.  Remember this is not 1975.    Ronald Reagan has been turning over in his grave more then once, just like John F. Kennedy.

Yes.

He probably meant; " I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism, as practiced by libertarians who think like I do. "

He wasn't advocating that I cram my family into an RV and go squat on private-property or National Monumentlands, etc.

Libertarianism is liberal in their desire to have virtually no laws or overarching philosophies that require moral actions.......Libertarianism is conservative in their desire to have virtually no government or freebies except for the absolutely most lame and retarded.

It would be interesting to assess whether traditional conservatism or libertarianism is more closely representative of the constitution.

I think the most obvious schism is the introduction of religion and an overarching effort to act from that moral POV, which adds certain entanglements that conservatism desires, and libertarianism doesn't.

And the constitution does indeed lean toward freedom of religious expression, and various Judeo-Christian values.

Quote from: kit saginaw on April 02, 2014, 03:21:41 PM
He probably meant; " I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism, as practiced by libertarians who think like I do. "

He wasn't advocating that I cram my family into an RV and go squat on private-property or National Monumentlands, etc.

Reagan did try to squash the govt back down to a much thinner profile, which I think was his overriding belief among all others.  He did have that very moral and ethical streak though, which leads away from the classic, perfect libertarianism.

Libertarians may be moral and ethical among a very small private group.....but they certainly don't want the government weeping over the lazy bum starving, or the thief getting shot, or the lazy bum living on the street..

No....

Libertarians beleive in smaller Govt, less taxes, States rights, getting the Fed out of the monetary system, returning to the Gold standard, definitely conservative CORE values. ....but IMHO everything tends to end there, social libertarians are closer to liberals.

Quote from: ConservativeGirl on April 02, 2014, 10:10:11 AM
In a 1975 interview with Reason magazine, Ronald Reagan said, "I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism." Do you agree with President Reagan or not?

Awesome question. And a tough one. I think Libertarians are bit more rigid. Conservatives are more likely to see a role for government than Libertarians.

Quote from: AndyJackson on April 02, 2014, 03:24:30 PM
Libertarianism is liberal in their desire to have virtually no laws or overarching philosophies that require moral actions.......Libertarianism is conservative in their desire to have virtually no government or freebies except for the absolutely most lame and retarded.

It would be interesting to assess whether traditional conservatism or libertarianism is more closely representative of the constitution.

I think the most obvious schism is the introduction of religion and an overarching effort to act from that moral POV, which adds certain entanglements that conservatism desires, and libertarianism doesn't.

And the constitution does indeed lean toward freedom of religious expression, and various Judeo-Christian values.

I agree, most libertarians (probably 99% of them) are Libertines, which explain they're embrace of abortion and hatred against police and religion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertine

Quote from: ConservativeGirl on April 02, 2014, 10:10:11 AM
In a 1975 interview with Reason magazine, Ronald Reagan said, "I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism." Do you agree with President Reagan or not?

Keep in mind, 1975 was a different time, than the division in everything the left touches today, there were actually conservative Dims back then.
A liberal in the GOP is nothing like the socialists we are seeing in the RINO today, or rather, they kept it out of sight at the time, again, nothing like today.

But keep in mind, that is one line from a long caveat that followed, and I agree with Reagan as would most of the Founders when they attempted to put our govt in shackles, and rightly so, as history has proven, and most recently become our nemesis, and that is the Libertarianism he was referring to

Quote from: AndyJackson on April 02, 2014, 03:24:30 PM

I think the most obvious schism is the introduction of religion and an overarching effort to act from that moral POV, which adds certain entanglements that conservatism desires, and libertarianism doesn't.

Libertarians would rightly question the consistency of those who wish to marry force and morality. Just as wealth redistribution is not really charity, forcing people to "be moral" similarly gets us no closer to a moral society.

Absent the freedom of choice, there is no scope for morality or virtue.

Quote from: TowardLiberty on April 05, 2014, 09:23:40 AM
Libertarians would rightly question the consistency of those who wish to marry force and morality. Just as wealth redistribution is not really charity, forcing people to "be moral" similarly gets us no closer to a moral society.

Absent the freedom of choice, there is no scope for morality or virtue.

Is not agreed upon morality, the foundation of social structure?

Quote from: Solar on April 05, 2014, 10:23:48 AM
Is not agreed upon morality, the foundation of social structure?

Certainly- the morality inherent in respecting life.