I usually think of myself as a libertarian, but end up getting into arguments with other people who think they’re libertarians. My version of the libertarian government has a very powerful EPA, child protective services, and fda. Because the freedom to do what you want with the things you own does not extend to polluting. Children are their own humans and needs their freedom protected, you don’t own them and can’t abuse them just because they live in your house. Also you can make and eat whatever you want, but you’re not allowed to poison people.
It’s like the phrase, your right to wave your fists in the air ends at my nose. Do whatever the hell you want, as long as it’s not hurting anyone. But it’s not a trust based system.
I always identified as libertarian, then had surgery, lost my job, became homeless. I’ve seen firsthand how important things like Medicare, ssi, social services are. Yeah, a lot of people using these programs are lifers, don’t care about getting a job. But there are a lot of people who just need help, women fleeing domestic abuse, people with legitimate physical or mental disabilities that make it hard to hold jobs. Many see this help as essential, but temporary, they want to get back on their feet, start working.
Those “lifers” will quite often also just not be fit to work. Physically, sure, but they might be mentally fucked. I don’t mean full schizophrenia or something, just… broken people. Saw it all around me growing up, literally in my neighbors. People that were at some point just discarded. They can’t get a job and the longer they can’t get one, the less likely it is they’ll ever get one. They fall into alcoholism, health deteriorates… 20 years later the chances of them getting a job are slim to none because nobody would hire them. They just end up stuck, lost in a system that doesn’t care about them.
