Something I have learned while working alongside fundamentalist libertarians is this: Libertarianism is a political philosophy that seems to provide a framework for the justification of isolationism and selfishness. It is an economic theory that conveniently validates the inherent stinginess of its adherents. It has an appealing and complex theoretical basis. But like all economic theories, is idealistic and requires universal alignment by the population.
That being said, I agree that the US could use a healthy dose of libertarian pragmatism these days. Government is far too big and too many resources are being channeled into foreign adventures while the national debt accrues. Our elected leaders resemble an angry mob with a credit card throwing debt bombs.
But when I hear libertarians talk about their resentment at sharing resources in the form of taxation (or, being forced to share their resources), I can’t help but wonder what is really behind this restrained anger. All of my libertarian friends have benefited enormously from the infrastructure provided by the pooling of resources. They drive to work on the interstate highways, fly safely in controlled airspace, benefit from the safety provided by the military, learned to read from public school teachers, use the system of currency for their wellbeing, flush their toilets thanks to public sanitary systems, eat safely thanks to the local health department (food safety is a big one), have drugs to treat their illnesses with the help of NIH, and on and on.
Of course there are problems with all of our public institutions, some of them quite serious. But the marketplace is just as prone to corruption as the government. I think that libertarians want to get off the merry-go-round and disconnect from the manditory and expensive socialization that keeps creeping into our lives. I do too sometimes. But it seems painfully obvious that our path to this point has not been all bad and our public institutions have contributed to our stability and well being.
All organizations work better under structural tension- the balance of forces. Libertarianism is a useful counterpoint to liberal socialization and conservative militarism. Like the three legs of a stool, these competing political influences can serve the betterment of our society and keep each other in check.
Lamentations on Chemistry 
Authority, responsibility, liability! A Parliament of Whores services a divine pig while senile magistrates overflow their drool cups and uniformed young are mutilated to enable cashflow for Official friends.
Uncle Al is a Fascist Libertarian – minimum government, then mercilessly hard. The US Constitution has gone through three phases:
1) Ethics to safeguard petty crooks, inception through the 1950s. Government was a tight dense ball that mostly didn’t bother anybody and effectively killed foreign enemies.
2) Hoberman sphere government expansion starting with President “Landslide Lyndon” Johnson’s Great Society grinding up the productive to feed the reproductive. Military impotence.
3) No Bill of Rights. Bush the Lesser brings 1984 into 2004. We have always been at war with WestAsia.
Libertarians- anarchists who know how to use a napkin.
Until you just used the word, I had no idea that the odd toy in our basement was a Hoberman Sphere. Cool.
Actually, I have a lot of interest and sympathy with libertarianism. Where we part ways is when folks dress up their misanthropy and trot it out as an economic principle.
The majority of arguments against a free society are based on the fantasy of the efficient use of force, as represented by governments. For some reason, people are willing to hand over half their income, their children to war, and their freedoms in perpetuity — all because they cannot imagine how roads might function in the absence of taxation. Eliminating the fantasy that the initiation of violence – i.e. taxation – can ever achieve any long-term good is essential to helping deconstruct the mythology of State virtue.
http://www.freedomainradio.com
Let us hope that one day a few states in the US do leave the union and form a libertarian state. This way, there is a place to go for those who have missed the point of civilization. They can replace corrupt government with other forms of corruption that more suit their tastes.
The citizens of Libertania can build a shrine to their Austrian Economists and rejoice in their tax free status at length. Of course, how you fund a shrine to Mises in a country run by a crowd of tight-asses is beyond me.
“mythology of State virtue.”
Virtue does not exist. Hence what’s the lesser evil? The fat ass civil servant who wants to keep his job for life or the near satanic business type who will slit your throat for a nickel? Business br
Hmmmm….. it almost seems like the business types have no real ideas, no sense of innovation (or pride) …nothing but a thirst for wealth at any cost. No doubt those who created both the housing bust and the dot com bust are wealthy and happy.
Yet they destroyed trillions to stuff mere billions in a few pockets.
America is in serious decline. The scum has all risen to the top and is now suffocating the masses. Scumbag business types (and we can throw in the scumbag academics as well) are running amuck.
Ouch!