“Q: @curtdoolittle: What’s your take on the Libertarianism vs Paternalism debate

–“Q: @curtdoolittle: What’s your take on the Libertarianism vs Paternalism debate going on regarding the legalization of drugs, online betting, etc?”–

Great question.

While I am, myself, naturally libertarian, that is in part because I am not susceptible to baitings into hazard, and I, like all of us, attribute my psychological traits to others (projection) – which given my traits are but a fraction of one percent of the population is rather illogical. We could legalize drugs, gambling, prostitution, pyramid schemes, cults, and government redistributions, and I would never participate in them, nor would anyone like me.

However, despite my instincts, intuitions, feelings, I have come to understand that (a) many people, if not most people, are easily susceptible to baitings into hazard – if only as a means of self-sedation, or a means of basal stimulation (entertainment), or both. (b) The enemy (the left) has used baitings into hazard at grand scale (sedition, religion, ideology, pseudohistory, pseudoscience) to foment discord – generating demand for authority enabling them to obtain power by destructive means.

So the evidence is that if we wish to maintain our long history of maximization of individual responsibility and the benefits vs the rest that are the legacy of the west, then paternalism appears necessary – at least in the commons if not at home and in private. Otherwise all the baitings into hazard are in effect, baitings into irresponsibility – and hostile to the benefits of our civilization vs the rest. Which is playing out as expected, and as our ancestors warned. But on a delay as it requires generations to override previous traditions morals and norms.

Ergo my understanding has evolved to ‘liberty in anything not bad’ and ‘paternalism in anything bad’ where ‘bad’ refers to ‘baitings into hazard’.

I think your question, while simple on face value, is quite important, as is the answer.

Cheers
CD

Reply addressees: @Josh_Ebner @Devon_Eriksen_