Anonymous asked: Do Libertarians annoy you? They seem so fervently committed to their ideology that they are a little blinded to reality?

I have met people from all political ideologies who rabidly support their own ideological worldview while completely ignoring facts, evidence, and the experience of other countries. It frustrates me to no end. Speaking specifically to libertarianism, it does frustrate me greatly that the entire premise of the ideology seems to be rooted in selfishness. Getting the government out of our lives is a great slogan; and it has appeal to many, but when it means cutting social programs to those who need them the most, denying healthcare to the poor, having dirtier air and water, watering down food safety, and privatising everything from public transport to schools, I think we need to step back and consider what kind of community we want to live in.

It isn’t “big government” to acknowledge that government has a role in helping people. It is fair government. It is fair to have a world-class education system that is publicly funded so that the cycle of poverty can be broken, and it is right to have a safety net for students from poor backgrounds who want to create a better life for themselves, as just one example. I don’t think libertarians quite get that idea; in their rabid attempt to make government smaller, they are hurting people and making communities less healthy, less prosperous, less generous, and worst of all their policies reduce vertical mobility.

So yes it irritates me that libertarians are often driven by an ideology that is fundamentally dangerous for the community.