I stopped checking this site b/c like any libertarian group it has more than its share of jerks. Add on top of that the Internet Jerkwad effect, and you get some real jerks.

When I came back it didn't seem quite as bad. There are jerks in any group, only slightly more among libertarians.

Also, if forced to chose to choose between Democrats and Republicans, most people have a favorite even if they do not approve of the two-party duopoly. That means they're reading some "OMG, [politician's name] is the problem!!" I'm sure it isn't. We have a systemic problem of too much gov't, and the two-party blame game is part of the problem.

I sometimes wonder if we create a Gulch, Seastead, space colony, etc founded on libertarian principles, if we'll find ourselves back in the same place. Some people will think it's okay to expand if the policy really does punish evil-doers or help people. For now, though, I'll blame the two-party system for that.

Now I'm reading this site again, so I signed back up for a "producer" account.

I still have hopes that people reject the duopoly because neither one works. The trouble is I sense the economy is on fire again, doing really well. Maybe people will wrongly think President Obama is the reason. That's fine b/c I'd like to see someone like him elected next time, but I'd much much rather see some step toward questioning the size and power of gov't. Maybe the economy isn't as good as I think it is, and someone like Ron Paul but slightly more moderate and slightly more telegenic will appear. If Ron Paul had been nominated, he would have been my first Republican vote, even though I disagree with him on abortion and monetary policy. We desperately need a dose of libertarianism and some public discussion of the bi-partisan consensus that gov't should be a big chunk of GDP.