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Culture War Roundup for the week of February 14, 2024

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Is he talking about a "fully libertarian state"? He brought up redistribution. You could have a full-on command economy without redistribution.

That's what I took "libertarian state" to mean.

Well, can you step me through it? How is a command economy without redistribution a "libertarian state"?

What I was trying to say is in an ideal libertarian state, where the government is just law/contract enforcement and a military or whatever, and does not otherwise redistribute money or interfere in much else - de jure open borders would at least be a possibility. Having actual, de jure, open borders in 2024 America would collapse the government relatively quickly if millions and millions of immigrants showed up and were given welfare, healthcare and other entitlements.

W-what? He mentioned "redistribution schemes, birthright citizenship, various employment regulations etc.?" - but that's besides the point, ie. that there are numerous other libertarian policies that one could presumably oppose on the basis of them happening in a country with redistribution schemes ("Can't legalize drugs since that creates drug addicts who live on state teat!" and so on).

W-what? He mentioned "redistribution schemes, birthright citizenship, various employment regulations etc.?"

I may have misunderstood what the "That's" was referring to, lol.

but that's besides the point, ie. that there are numerous other libertarian policies that one could presumably oppose on the basis of them happening in a country with redistribution schemes ("Can't legalize drugs since that creates drug addicts who live on state teat!" and so on).

Right, but that's beside the point, i.e. are open borders combined with redistribution a good idea or not? If you want to agree with him re: open borders, and then pull the thread more to see if he's consistent, and/or show him other flaws with libertarianism, that's fair game. But not really saying anything, and just poking holes is pretty lame.