For those who aren’t already registered at our forums, please go ahead and do so. It’s probably the liveliest, open-access libertarian message board in the UK. With the 3000 post mark just passed I’ll recap a few of the best threads of the past few months:

Why are most libertarians so obsessed with morality?

I can’t figure out why it’s so important to the ideology. I’d define as a moral nihilist as I think it’s rationally the next step once you understand libertarianism. I guess the main thing I don’t understand is why you need morality. I advocate the free market not because it’s humane or fair, but because it’s the most free, and that’s all that matters. Once people have freedom they act in the most rational way they possibly can. When you argue against the state because it’s ‘morally repugnant’ or something to that effect, aren’t you merely pushing one set of subjective morals above another? It doesn’t make any sense to me.

Conflict of rights

What struck me most during the debate was the way the idea of rights was used to justify anything the state wanted to do by means of introducing competing rights. For example when the right of the parent to decide on a course of action for their own child was raised by the interviewer, someone countered that the right of the child not to be placed in danger was more important and that the state (as the ultimate protector and judge) was correct to intervene….

Libertarian Movement and Women

Just a query based on recent observations, but why is that the majority of libertarians (apologies if I’ve overlooked a big female movement) seem to be male?

Government more accountable than charity?

On top of this, charities in the real world are actually probably less accountable then governments. Charities very rarely have formal complaints procedures and donaters have no control over how money is spent. Just look at the charity that operates the London marathon (and the various scandals surrounding it) for an example of a bad charity that nevertheless continues to receive lots of donations.

And a whole lot more besides…

As an aside, if you’re not a libertarian I’d especially like to see you come and join in. Having some dissenting voices makes the discussion all the more fertile.