What's with libertarians and objectivists?

[Mac_Guffin]

You'd think they would be licking each others assholes, but in my experience, they seem to fucking hate each other.
They both seem to want to distance themselves from one another, but I don't see much of a difference... kinda like Camus and the existentialists.

[Brian Peacock]

Libertarians object to objectivists because if, as objectivists hold, that all reality is objective and external to the mind and is only reliably based on observed objects and events then Libertarians cannot claim exceptions, rights, privileges or freedoms rooted in their personal subjective whimsies. Objectivism robs Libertarians of their self-satisfied specialness and turns them into mere cogs in a greater objective reality beyond their influence or control. For a Libertarian then, to allow an objectivist reading of reality is to allow a tyranny born out of the reality of others.

Of course this relies on a reading of pure Libertarianism which is merely a synonym for Solipsism, in a personal sense, just as pure Libertarianism is a synonym for Anarchy in a socio-political sense.

[Mac_Guffin]

I was talking more about the American Libertarian Party... maybe I should've clarified.

[Brian Peacock]

Perhaps I should have calcified also?

[laklak]

Some Libertarians came to their political philosophy via Rand and objectivism, others did not. According to the Atlas Society, objectivists believe government is necessary but Libertarians do not. That's horseshit, of course, particularly if you're talking about the American Libertarian Party, which believes in police forces, military forces, the FAA, etc. Libertarianism =/= Anarchism. It is a political philosophy that believes that government should be as unintrusive as possible but recognizes the necessity for some level of oversight as people do not always act from a perspective of enlightened self-interest and will violate the rights of others for their own gain.

http://www.atlassociety.org/libertarian ... compatible

The Libertarian Party platform is worth a read. It's not nearly as batshit as it's made out to be. It goes too far on the free market side for my tastes but it's about the closest expression of my political views out there, particularly with regards to individual freedom, the role of the military and (to a degree) economic policy.

http://www.lp.org/platform

Of course it's a party platform, and should be viewed as an expression of political principles rather than a legislative road map. No sane person would supprt the wholesale implementation of any party's platform, the realities of living in a pluralistic society would prevent that even if common sense did not. If you can overcome your anti-Libertarian sentiments for a few minutes you might actually find something in it you agree with.