Ask a Libertarian with Nick Gillespie, Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward

Ask us ANYTHING about Reason, libertarianism, Donald Trump, the future, the past, and why you should support our journalism with a tax-deductible donation.

Reason Media Awards

Starting at 12 Noon Eastern Time and continuing for as long as we can muster (we'll play all night if you want us to!), Katherine Mangu-Ward, Matt Welch, I will be entertaining your questions, queries, and comments in our first-ever Facebook Live edition of Ask a Libertarian (for past versions, go here).

Get the ball rolling by starting asking your questions in the comments section below. We'll be piping the stream (?) both at Reason.com and at Facebook, so stay glued to your seats! And get those questions started!

What do you think of the magazine's redesign (if you subscribed, you'd have already read the first issue under it already)? What worries you most about a Trump presidency? What excites you the most? Are you excited by Joe Biden's 2020 bid for the presidency? What's the real future of freedom look like? Are millennials precious little shits or the glorious avatars of a truly libertarian moment?

Let. The. Questions. Rip. And see you at noon!

Reason

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

What has the jacket become?

[Citizen X]

Sometimes The Jacket just wants to feel fancy, Eugene.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I guess what they say is true. "If you're not leather before you're twenty-five, you have no heart; if you aren't velvet after twenty-five, you have no brain."

[Brett L]

Three editors in a picture and they fumble the alt-text. Why have the cobbler's children no shoes?

[Groovus Maximus]

All your shoes are belong to us.

[Nick Gillespie]

My fault. And fixed.

[Brett L]

As you can see below, I have already been laid low by the laws of the interwebz.

[chemjeff]

I know, right?

Should have referenced this song instead

http://tinyurl.com/zckvg9t

We're coming to your town

Through the chaos we shall pillage

We shall smash up every city, town or village

And we're coming to your town

We're coming to your town

Those who run shall live

Those who choose to stay shall die when we're around

When the darkness falls these marching boots

Will crush your precious ground

We are going to set the night alight

When we're coming to your town tonight

We are going to destroy your town tonight If you're staying in the city

We won't have any remorse or fucking pity

When we're coming to your town

[AddictionMyth]

Is Donald Trump better than Obama on any issue left or right?

[DBNull]

Hello everyone. This is my very first comment after following the site for a year. I just subscribed and made a donation to the website because this is information I need to hear; information everyone needs to hear whether they agree with it or not.

[Brett L]

Hello, little Johnny' drop tables;

[Playa Manhattan.]

That's how I got an A in Stat 21.

[Brett L]

Except is should be Johnny'; drop tables. I do this for a living and fuck up the joke. Truly karma is instant today.

[Playa Manhattan.]

I knew what you meant. I was assuming they sanitized it.

[OneOut]

Sucker.

[Fist of Etiquette]

You know who else got his start making comments on ideology?

[AlmightyJB]

Socrates?

[Scarecrow & WoodChipper Repair]

He certainly got his end that way!

[Dr. Fronkensteen]

Lenin?

[Number.6]

Tony?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Kid Jesus?

[bacon-magic]

Jon Stewart?

[Tonio]

Welcome aboard. Remember that vomiting is normal, even if you don't read Sugar's fevered scribblings. Don't feed the trolls.

[Citizen X]

In addition, do not ask jesse.in.mb about lube deals, do not disparage cats in front of Warty, and never, ever go to a second location with STEVE SMITH.

[Number.6]

.. or even a first location, really.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

You never have to ask Jesse about lube deals. You are going to told about lube deals.

Also, never go to a 2nd location with Warty or disparage pussy in front of STEVE SMITH.

[Krabappel]

It's been a while since I've read a good SF story excerpt.

[SugarFree]

http://hrsugarfree.blogspot.com/

All past work.

[Number.6]

NSFW, of course.

Well, NSFA really.

[Krabappel]

I'm too afraid to open that at work but will email myself the link for later viewing.

Your reason comment story excerpts always bring joy to my otherwise sql and spreadsheet filled days.

[SugarFree]

High praise indeed. Thank you, Krabappel.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Krabappel said something about 'good'?

[Charles Easterly]

Yes, Bobarian, yet we must remain cognizant of the fact that this was used in reference to a Sugarfree story.

This puts things in the proper perspective, I think.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Just a really bad descriptor , like, "that is a really good car wreck!"

What is a good one word descriptor for horrifying and compelling?

[Number.6]

"Awesome"

[Crusty Juggler]

'Sup. Pics?

[Citizen X]

Oh yeah, thanks for chiming in. Another tip for newbies: do not touch Crusty Juggler, or allow him to touch you.

[Crusty Juggler]

Another tip to newbies: Citizen X is a big, mean man.

[Number.6]

Please don't point to where he touched you, Crusty.

[Crusty Juggler]

Apparently I am the only gentleman about.

[Charles Easterly]

Welcome DBNull.

After a year of viewing the comments you must be aware of what you've gotten yourself into.

I hope you enjoy the added benefits (?) of participation.

You may already know more than this yet I'll offer it regardless.

[bacon-magic]

Thanks Charles, this is useful.

[Tonio]

^This

[R C Dean]

Welcome aboard, DB. Just remember:

Hit & Run is not a toy. Do not drop, bend, crinkle, fold, or fondle Hit & Run. Do not allow children or immune-compromised individuals to handle Hit & Run. Keep Hit & Run away from electrical outlets, open flames, and domestic animals. Do not expose Hit & Run to direct sunlight. Keep Hit & Run between 64 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. If Hit & Run begins to emit smoke, locusts, or speak in dead languages, immediately evacuate the premises and alert the Vatican. Do not taunt Hit & Run.

[Fist of Etiquette]

If the Libertarian Party was able to nominate for president a charismatic candidate capable of articulating to the voter accurately and in a down to earth manner the party's platform and libertarianism in general, what negative percent of the vote do you think he would garner? #askalibertarian

[Dr. Fronkensteen]

Depending on the opposing candidates? About 1%

[Mainer2]

Support would be suppressed by "what-about-ism". What about the poor ? What about the environment ? What about the schools ? What about the ROADZ ?!

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Apparently, the proper technique would be for the Libertarian Candidate to mercilessly mock anyone who asked such questions on the twatter and the Spacebook.

[Mainer2]

Hey, it's worth a shot.

Progressive candidate proposed free college for all.

Libertarian candidate tweets, "Dorm room philosopher doesn't understand how the world works. Hey Copernicus, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Thinks government can give everyone a pony. Sad."

[DesigNate]

Mainer2 for President 2020!!!

[Mr. Paulbotto]

You know who else was a charismatic candidate?

[Brett L]

Okay, okay, my serious question. Do you think there can ever be freedom in a world so connected as we live in now where government and force can be so readily deployed anywhere, quickly and relatively inexpensively?

[Vernon Depner]

Yes. That same technology and connectivity can be used to defend against that force.

[Number.6]

It can certainly be freer than it is at the moment, if the public are prepared to make a little effort.

The problem is that the default setting for an individual is on a steep trajectory to 'full panopticon' at the moment, and many people are quite contented with that.

[Brett L]

Thanks, guys! I appreciate the time and thought and novel recommendations.

[Vernon Depner]

This is a comments section, not a fucking symposium.

[chemjeff]

That jacket seems... off.

[AlmightyJB]

He's supposed to be Jerry Lewis. Jerry Lee Lewis would be more fun though.

[Citizen X]

+1 marriage to his 13-year-old cousin

[chemjeff]

Okay serious question...

How much do you think Gary Johnson's relative success in this election compared to 2012 and before, is from his deliberate attempt to woo socially liberal voters, and how much is due to the genuine awfulness of the two major party candidates?

[Mithrandir]

I would guess almost 100% of his gains were due to the sheer awfulness of Trump and Clinton. No scientific basis for that, just my opinion.

[Number.6]

The surprise for me is that *despite* the awfulness of the alternatives, that he didn't get more.

The electorate were offered cancer, typhoid or a mild case of jock itch, and jock itch lost.

Sad!

[Mithrandir]

I could not agree more.

[Bronson, Missouri]

Especially because his resume, measured by traditional standards, is actually far superior to the other candidates. It's not like the L's pulled the joker or the Hoyle's Rules of the Game. Governor of a purple state is legit for the way we usually measure candidates on paper.

[The Libertarian Laird]

^this

[The Last American Hero]

They'd better hope The Judge doesn't get in on this Q&A, or it's going to be a very long day.

[Dr. Fronkensteen]

You mean Q & Q. Can you answer any question with a question?

[Mithrandir]

Can you?

[Dr. Fronkensteen]

Was that a real question?

[Citizen X]

Does it matter?

[Charles Easterly]

Nothing matters, and so what if it did?

[Nephilium]

Rhetoric! Point!

[chemjeff]

Do you have a question?

What would it mean if I did have a question?

I don't know, do you have a question?

What would be the significance of the question if I asked it?

That depends, what's your question?

If I did have a question, how would life be better if I asked it?

[Tonio]

THIS Judge?

[Number.6]

More like this Judge

[Col. Chestbridge]

The only good witness is a hostile witness.

[Fist of Etiquette]

12:00PM Libertarian People's Time.

[Tonio]

Robby Time.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Collaborate and listen?

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Yeah, wake me up when THAT libertarian moment happens.

[Episteme]

5:00PM Somewhere Time.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

What worries you most about a Trump presidency?

The voice-quavering at NPR.

[Mainer2]

That's just how Diane Rehms talks.

[Crusty Juggler]

Did Nick just feed gum to the jacket? Donate so Reason can afford wastepaper baskets!

[You ARE a Prog (MJG)]

The Jacket survives on a diet of gum and used tissues.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

And the corpses of used up interns.

[$park? is totally a Swifty]

Serious question: does Katherine know what people really think of women with hyphenated names?

[Brett L]

That they are of Latin origin?

[Citizen X]

European and/or "artistic"?

[Crusty Juggler]

They are both intimidating and intriguing?

[Playa Manhattan.]

How is Donald Trump going to be the most libertarian president ever?

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Because so far, none of them have been libertarian in any way?

[Spartacus]

Just wanted to say that I like the magazine's new design. I haven't finished reading the issue yet, but I like the look.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

There's a magazine?

[l0b0t]

Initially the feed had no audio. Now the feed will not load at all. Way to go DerpBook. Hey! What do millennials think about this? Better do another poll.

[Crusty Juggler]

Did Gary Johnson help or harm the libertarian cause, and if he hurt the libertarian cause, which percentage of the harm can be attributed to the tongue wagging interview?

[You ARE a Prog (MJG)]

Also, why you so cuck?

[Bronson, Missouri]

Could Jesus microwave a burrito so hot that he himself could not eat it?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Yes, but he could also still eat it -- *mind explodes*

If god is bound by logic, or rather if god cannot do something than he is not omnipotent; if he (it) is not omnipotent than we are not discussing god (as the entity has been defined).

^My actual answer to the 'can god make a mountain so heavy' stuff... Maybe there is a true answer, but I reckon one's face would melt off if they perceived it.

[Mainer2]

Ponder that on the Tree of Whoa !

[Number.6]

The obvious point to consider is whether he's a 'watchmaker', where the rules are whatever he set up in the past, which became immutable, or whether he's like a 3rd rate Dungeon Master whose 'rules' include the right to pull a 'Deus in machina', so he can put his thumb on the scale.

The more pertinent issue is, could Jesus go back and shoot Pilate's before he was made Governor of Judea.

[SugarFree]

Deist!

[Number.6]

I did have to span the agnostic-catholic gulf when my wife wanted to get 'church married'. Turned out all I had to do was promise to sacrifice my children to the Vatican and the diocese would have accepted me if I had been wearing a pentagram.

But that (^) idea is not so much a religious thing, it's more an idea for a comic series.

The Life of Superhero Jesus.

I'm sure someone will have already done it though, but you have it all. Molecular-level manipulation, necromancy, etc. I can imagine it with a Frank Miller look.

[SugarFree]

Is Jesus Stronger Than Your Superhero?

[Number.6]

I'm gonna regret clicking on this ...

[Crusty Juggler]

How much of a diva is Welch that he cannot be bothered to show up on time?

[Number.6]

Has anyone ever actually seen Welch and Madonna on stage at the same time?

[Tonio]

Oh, snap.

[You ARE a Prog (MJG)]

He's learning from Hollywood.

[Playa Manhattan.]

Wanted: New IT guy at reason.

[Brett L]

Actually, the FB is crashing pretty hard. I think the bandwidth is just spotty.

[Tonio]

"Must have excellent SQRL skills..."

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Sorry, I'm busy.

[Overt]

Yeah, on the FB side it is constantly buffering. Ugh.

[Crusty Juggler]

Did Preet just unplug the feed?

Related: Can please give us your honest, open thoughts about Preet Bharara?

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

When will the magazine start running ads for one of these?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

OK here's my serious question:

Libertarians and other third parties -- are we natural allies against the duopoly or do we just weaken each other?

(Background thoughts: Some of my friends broke away from the duopoly but they swayed Jill Stein; I was proud of them for voting independent and took their Stein votes in stride without doing much of any preaching on the virtues of Team Freedom. But I wonder are all third party votes helpful to each other or is it only all-or-nothing for every party in the race?)

[Number.6]

I think it's important to be principled when you vote.

In a sane America, there might be considerable synergy between Libertarian Party and Constitution Party (for example), but it's awfully hard to understand why anyone who has an affinity for the Green Party could have much in common with libertarians. They're called 'Watermelons' for a reason.

Any alliance outside of a quite narrow band is going to be tactical at best, with warfare deferred until the main opponent is crushed. There is, however, a reasonable case to be made for killing the GOP and wearing it as a skin-suit.

Full disclosure - I'm not a citizen, so I don't get to vote.

Ideological disclaimer - I'm not sure the proper role for libertarians is government. I think the best we can hope for is to become powerful enough to hold kleptocrats' feet (talons? tentacles?) to the fire.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Full disclosure - I'm not a citizen, so I don't get to vote.

I'm sure a democratic operative could help you with that issue.

[Number.6]

On the upside, I've spawned at least one Gen-Y minarchist with a second one that might go full an-cap.

[Episteme]

Have you come to steal our women!?

[Crusty Juggler]

Full disclosure - I'm not a citizen

THEN YOU CAN JUST GIT OUT!

[Tonio]

are we natural allies against the duopoly

Yes, but only on the narrow issues of ballot access and inclusion in debates.

[You ARE a Prog (MJG)]

Video Unavailable
Sorry, this video could not be played.

Do I want to Learn More?

[Tonio]

+1 Federal Service Guarantees Citizenship

[Crusty Juggler]

Is Weigel your favorite commenter?

[Mainer2]

I still miss HERCULE TRIATHLON SAVINIEN

[Fist of Etiquette]

Welch is rushing through his answers like he's afraid KMW is going to interrupt him at any second.

[Mainer2]

Post-Kennedy-stress-syndrome

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

dammit!

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

PTSD.

[Number.6]

Thread has got boring.

Gun porn time.

My New Purchase

[GILMORE?]

Yankee Marshall "Ghosts" his Beretta 92

(basically, swaps all the controls for stainless)

With aluminum grips, it looks pretty pimp

[Number.6]

I intend to swap out the black controls for stainless too, but that gat only cost me 450 used. It needs the frame reanodized. The previous owner probably carried it and he had fluorosulfonic acid as sweat.

I need to shoot it a bit to see if I want to keep it, but I figured worst case, I'll be able to sell it close to what I bought it for.

Note - it's not a standard 92FS

[GILMORE?]

I know, it was just my only thought; berettas are inherently pretty, making em prettier seems to be a hobby for some.

[(((Renegade)))]

@KMW Are you wearing a bra in that pic?

[The Libertarian Laird]

What percentage of readers immediately scrolled back up to the photo?

[Number.6]

100%, mainly because 'libertarian woman' is a myth, apparently.

[Vernon Depner]

But "libertarian heterosexual" is probably greatly exaggerated, too.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

*looks down in shame*

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Male Gaze -- how does one stop?!

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

The important question... What color bra was she wearing?

[jbe]

What do libertarians do about the mentally ill? Someone who is obviously unstable but does not or will not consent to help.

[(((Renegade)))]

What do we do about DHS people who are watching over us every minute of the working day (except when they're cranking down to some porn)?

[Francisco d'Anconia]

So, like 86% of the population?

[Number.6]

Hard to judge just how 'woke' you are to libertarianism, but a couple points.

There's no monolithic, unified answer to the question you pose, but in principle, a mentally ill person who (thru' their own actions) harms someone else, or puts someone else at risk, is himself at risk of being detained/treated because of the risk he poses to other (as well as to himself).

In libertopia, there *will* be circumstances where someone is hospitalized against his own will. Hard cases make bad law, and I'd want to see a nice high legal (and medical) hurdle to be in place before such a person would be incarcerated/treated.

[Tonio]

Do note that being a threat to oneself isn't a libertarian issue as long as you don't involve others.

[Number.6]

Well, that's the accusation that is levelled against libertarian ideas.

The individual is free to starve to death, in a society that has no 'moral responsibility' to save him.

I don't agree with the sentiment, but I understand the accusation.

[Tonio]

And the standard rebuttal is that libertarians draw a distinction between society and government. I am under no legal obligation to stop a punk from mugging an old lady, nor should I be. That does not absolve me and the other able-bodied members of society from the moral responsibility to do so.

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

We let them post here. Some of them write articles, too.

[Brett L]

I think HERCULE TRIANON SAVIGNON got the [BOOT]

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

I was never sure that HERC wasn't one of Mary's multiple personalities.

[Tonio]

First off, ignore him unless he is harming you or someone else; unlike progs, libertarians have no mandate to interfere in the lives of others. Second, if he is vomiting on your sidewalk and driving away your customers then libertarianism has this thing called private property rights. Libertarians realize that the easier it is to involuntarily commit the truly ill, the easier it is for the state, or bad actors, to abuse the IVC process.

This last part isn't canon, but I'm personally willing to look the other way if family members get that person into treatment as long as taxpayer resources and agents of the state aren't involved. But I'd also vote to convict on kidnapping charges as a juror if the person was discharged and could make a really good case he had been kidnapped.

[Crusty Juggler]

Nicely put, Tonio.

[Tonio]

Thanks, CJ.

[Number.6]

We let Tony comment here, should we do more?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

This was fun! But please spend all that donation money on an IT department.

[Crusty Juggler]

Which one of you is the serial killer Welch was talking about?

[Number.6]

Ah, that Spartacus Moment!

[Bobarian (Would Chip Her)]

Why does this make me think it's you, Crusty?

"A fox always smells his own hole first?"

[The Libertarian Laird]

What do you think are the chances that Trump will actually be a decent president, despite the hoopla?

[Number.6]

Poor, but I'm confident he won't be as bad as the alternative, if only for the fact that he'll have the media and congress opposing him.

[robc]

I think he has a decent chance to finish in the top 40.

[Number.6]

Soft bigotry something something expectations.

[Ayn Random Variation]

Why were there dozens of articles and references to trump inspired violence for the past year + on Reason (how many articles alone were written about the female reporter getting her arm tugged at a trump rally), yet there was a total blackout on Reason about the Foval Group provoking violence at trump rallies?

[J Ortega y Gasset]

1. Is the U.S. having an "authoritarian moment"?

2. What is the libertarian Mendoza line, i.e., percentage of libertarians that you think, "Yeah, I'd like to have a beer with him or her?"

3. Having had a declaration, where exactly did the independents go?

4. Are libertarians content to be the smartest kids in the room... where the room is a 6x12 cell?

5. Is Nick Gillespie really a lounge act?

[robc]

2. Most everyone here. Few trolls excluded and I would include a few non-libertarians, like Eddie and John.

[VG Zaytsev]

Why do Cosmos hate America?

[Doc Smith]

Do we need the Dakota Access pipeline? Even if we can satisfy the Indians, don't we have lots of pipes and railroads to transport oil now? And we're trying to get off fossil fuels.