3 ms·

Glenn Beck is puzzled by how Silicon Valley entrepreneurs can be pro-business but suppor many progressive causes. That is because they are not standard liberals

Glenn Beck is puzzled by how Silicon Valley entrepreneurs can be pro-business but suppor many progressive causes. That is because they are not standard liberals, they are libertarians.

CPLX 10y ago
> That is because they are not standard liberals, they are libertarians. No, they are not. I am pretty sure they don't believe in abolishing all forms of government excepting national defence and contract enforcement. What they actually want is for the government to support their priorities. Like preserving open space and parks and zoning against development, environmental regulation, support of infrastructure and transportation improvements, education and science research etc. But they don't like paying taxes much, they aren't interested in the government regulating their reproductive choices or recreational drug habits, etc. Those positions are far from libertarianism. The accurate political term to describe this general world view is "elitism".
- Diederich 10y ago
  People can be libertarian and still believe that the government should do more than national defense and contract enforcement. One example: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/zq0ow/i_am_gov_gary_johnson_the_libertarian_candidate/c66qg6j https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/zq0ow/i_am_gov_gary_j...
  - CPLX 10y ago
    Libertarians believe in selling off the National Parks and abolishing the EPA. Just ask them: https://www.lp.org/issues/environment https://www.lp.org/issues/environment Silicon Valley types as described above are just pro-business types that fetishize technology and are socially liberal. Or what used to be coastal Republicans before that party was overrun. Libertarians they certainly are not.
    - Diederich 10y ago
      I hear you, largely agree with you. My point is that people can correctly call themselves 'libertarian' without subscribing to ALL of the tenets, even some of the core ones. In the same way, there are people who correctly call themselves 'democrats' that don't believe in the kind of gun control that is part of the official party dialog.

Glenn Beck is puzzled by how Silicon Valley entrepreneurs can be pro-business but suppor many progressive causes. That is because they are not standard liberals, they are libertarians.

CPLX 10y ago

> That is because they are not standard liberals, they are libertarians. No, they are not. I am pretty sure they don't believe in abolishing all forms of government excepting national defence and contract enforcement. What they actually want is for the government to support their priorities. Like preserving open space and parks and zoning against development, environmental regulation, support of infrastructure and transportation improvements, education and science research etc. But they don't like paying taxes much, they aren't interested in the government regulating their reproductive choices or recreational drug habits, etc. Those positions are far from libertarianism. The accurate political term to describe this general world view is "elitism".

Diederich 10y ago
People can be libertarian and still believe that the government should do more than national defense and contract enforcement. One example: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/zq0ow/i_am_gov_gary_johnson_the_libertarian_candidate/c66qg6j https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/zq0ow/i_am_gov_gary_j...
- CPLX 10y ago
  Libertarians believe in selling off the National Parks and abolishing the EPA. Just ask them: https://www.lp.org/issues/environment https://www.lp.org/issues/environment Silicon Valley types as described above are just pro-business types that fetishize technology and are socially liberal. Or what used to be coastal Republicans before that party was overrun. Libertarians they certainly are not.
  - Diederich 10y ago
    I hear you, largely agree with you. My point is that people can correctly call themselves 'libertarian' without subscribing to ALL of the tenets, even some of the core ones. In the same way, there are people who correctly call themselves 'democrats' that don't believe in the kind of gun control that is part of the official party dialog.