Mitch, that post underscores one problem afflicting libertarians ? which is reflective of the greater problem that socialists arrogated their label to wage war on individuals under the time-honored mantra of liberalism. They have thoroughly bastardized the term, leaving advocates of true liberalism at a loss as to how to describe themselves. The uneasy compromise of “libertarian” won out over “classical liberal” (which, you must admit, sounds like a granola-cruncher listening to NPR).
“Libertarian,” unfortunately, connotes different things to different people, and the vagueness of the term makes it alternatively confusing and exotic-sounding. Thus it is that the label, but not the principles, of libertarianism attracts anarchists against private property, hippie dopeheads who favor intrusive government in social policies, even apparently Democrat enviros wanting punitive governmental solutions whenever they suffer nightmares over potential negative externalities (and a government nurse on call to rock them back to sleep).
