Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Ian David

(69,059 posts)
Fri Jun 14, 2013, 09:00 PM Jun 2013

Watch Sam Seder Stomp Silly Libertarian!

Watch Sam Seder Stomp Silly Libertarian!

I don’t want to ruin this video by explaining too much about it–you just have to hear how deranged and delusional this libertarian caller is for yourself. These people truly live in some sort of fantasy land!

Watch:

&feature=share&list=PL8485D8B1CC2E0995

Via: http://atlasleft.org/watch-sam-seder-stomp-silly-libertarian-video/
21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Watch Sam Seder Stomp Silly Libertarian! (Original Post) Ian David Jun 2013 OP
That was pure comedy! Quixote1818 Jun 2013 #1
loved it..ty ElsewheresDaughter Jun 2013 #2
I just love Sam! choie Jun 2013 #3
DURec for Sam Seder. bvar22 Jun 2013 #4
Great video. Ben seems to be working at reinventing the wheel without knowing how. Link great. Thnx. freshwest Jun 2013 #5
Libertarians always dig themselves into very deep holes when discussing their general philosophy cpwm17 Jun 2013 #6
Mental masturbation. Classic. railsback Jun 2013 #7
I've yet to meet a really intelligent Libertarian dorkzilla Jun 2013 #8
There is this old joke Half-Century Man Jun 2013 #9
I've come very close to having that type of ridiculous conversation Marie Marie Jun 2013 #10
Thanks! ScottLand Jun 2013 #11
Sam mud stomped his ass... jjewell Jun 2013 #12
I don't know about you... bpollen Jun 2013 #13
Ignorance of history, politics, economics and the real world is necessary to be a libertarian Fortinbras Armstrong Jun 2013 #14
In my previous post, I said that ignorance of history and politics were necessary for libertarians. Fortinbras Armstrong Jun 2013 #15
My selfish next-door neighbor seems to have become a libertarian due to zoning laws cpwm17 Jun 2013 #18
worth watching, absolutely suzanner Jun 2013 #16
"The perfect liberty they seek is the liberty of making slaves of other people." -- Abraham Lincoln Galraedia Jun 2013 #17
Libertarians... Repbulican Stoners. stlsaxman Jun 2013 #19
If it's mental masturbation, the caller is not very well endowed! ScottLand Jun 2013 #20
I get a similar vibe from religious people trying to convert me booley Jun 2013 #21
 

cpwm17

(3,829 posts)
6. Libertarians always dig themselves into very deep holes when discussing their general philosophy
Fri Jun 14, 2013, 10:10 PM
Jun 2013

It's entertaining to watch.

In individual issues they can be right, of course.

 

railsback

(1,881 posts)
7. Mental masturbation. Classic.
Fri Jun 14, 2013, 10:38 PM
Jun 2013

Yet the mental capacity of a libertarian living in a fantasy world, such as Snowden, is off limits.

dorkzilla

(5,141 posts)
8. I've yet to meet a really intelligent Libertarian
Fri Jun 14, 2013, 11:01 PM
Jun 2013

Their main tool seems to be that they're louder than everyone else. And since they have no sense they just keep spewing out nonsense until they wear you down, so you stop pushing back--in their minds that's a win. BOTH my siblings are PaulBots. Since I'm regarded as the "liberal snob" of the family they love to proselytize their new religion, which they imagine makes them sound enlightened. They pretty much sound like the caller here.

Half-Century Man

(5,279 posts)
9. There is this old joke
Fri Jun 14, 2013, 11:03 PM
Jun 2013

One guy tells another the second most painful thing I ever felt was when I tried to crap in the woods and accidentally got my scrotum caught in a bear trap.
The second guy says "Oh my G*d, that was the second? What was the first?"
The first guy replies "when I hit the end of the chain holding the trap in one place"

The second most painful question to Ben was "Do you have Diarrhea?" The sound the chain snapping taunt made kinda sounded like Haiti.

Marie Marie

(9,999 posts)
10. I've come very close to having that type of ridiculous conversation
Fri Jun 14, 2013, 11:24 PM
Jun 2013

with a Libertarian. When I kept pressing him on specifics on how his philosophy would actually work in the real world. he got more and more frustrated until he blurted out in anger: "Well, I didn't think I was going to "interviewed" on Libertarianism tonight." And then he didn't seem to want to talk to me anymore - hmmmm.

jjewell

(618 posts)
12. Sam mud stomped his ass...
Sat Jun 15, 2013, 05:08 AM
Jun 2013

but it was not impressive. Beating down a dumb-fuck is easy. I can do that. I would love to see him take on, and beat down a "Libertarian" that had an IQ higher than room temperature, and could actually attempt to defend his position.

This caller was a weak joke. What I'd really love to see is Sam shit-kick an "intellectual" Libertarian's ass, like he mud stomped this inarticulate idiot's ass...

bpollen

(110 posts)
13. I don't know about you...
Sat Jun 15, 2013, 05:54 AM
Jun 2013

(and I don't really know where the bar is set on Libertarian intelligence) but our caller sounded to me like he was a pothead. Like at any second he's going to blurt out "Dude, where's my car?"

Fortinbras Armstrong

(4,473 posts)
14. Ignorance of history, politics, economics and the real world is necessary to be a libertarian
Sat Jun 15, 2013, 01:30 PM
Jun 2013

For example, when the discussion turned to fire departments, my thought turned to the least well known member of the First Roman Trumvirate circa 50 BCE, Marcus Licinius Crassus (the other two were Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompey). Crassus made money by operating a fire brigade in Rome that would rush to the scene of a fire and buy the property at a bargain price before agreeing to put the fire out. Crassus became the richest man in Rome, in large part because of his fire brigade. He dealt with any competing fire brigades by the same method used by the 1920s Chicago Mob ("nice fire house you have here, it’d be too bad if something happened to it&quot .

It should also be pointed out that one reason why Crassus went to Syria to fight the Parthians was to escape criminal and civil trials for arson. Lawsuits against Romans performing military duties outside Italy were held in abeyance. Crassus was killed (the Parthians forced him to drink a cup of molten gold, symbolizing his greed) so the trials became moot.

It was because of Crassus that the Senate established a public fire brigade.

That is a perfect example of a significant reason for government to become involved: Real world problems needing practical solutions. In the US, that was the reason for such things as the EPA, the FDA, the SEC, Social Security and so on -- all set up to deal with real problems. Are they perfect? Of course not, this is the real world, after all.

Libertarianism is superficially appealing, but it does not stand up to even the slightest scrutiny. Here are some quotations from the platform of the New Jersey Libertarian Party

Individuals who are unable to fully support themselves and their families through the job market must learn to rely on supportive family, religious institution, community, or private charity to bridge the gap.


Whoever wrote this does not know why government got into social welfare. It was because in too many cases, "family, religious institution, community, or private charity" was unable to do what was necessary.

When my 30 year old niece was laid off, she was given the option of staying in the company health insurance plan but paying for it herself. The cost was $1200 per month. A stripped down, catastrophic care, $5000 deductible plan was $600 per month. So how is an unemployed person is supposed to afford health insurance? I make considerably more than that and I’d be hard put to come up with $1200 per month.

We support repeal of minimum wage laws, mandatory state unemployment insurance and disability insurance, so-called “protective labor” legislation for women and children, and governmental restrictions on the operation of private day-care centers. We should eliminate the government’s role in the social-welfare system, including AFDC, DYFS, Food Stamps, and subsidized housing.


In other words, go back to the bad old days of the 12-hour work day, child labor, and Dotheboys Hall. The person who wrote this obviously does not give a damn about others. Obviously, the writer of this did not know why the laws he rails against were passed.

Rather than making taxpayers pay for toxic waste cleanups, the polluters should be held liable for material damage done by them. This includes, but is not limited to, any adverse health consequences as well as cleanup and remediation.


Sounds good in theory, but let me give a specific example. In the 1920s, on the boundary between Geneva and St Charles, Illinois, there was a factory which produced watches with radium dials. The company went out of business in the 1930s, and the factory was demolished. About 25 years ago, it was discovered that the soil around the old factory was polluted with radioactive compounds, which were leeching into the groundwater. Now, who is to clean up this pollution? The company which caused it no longer exists. The people who currently live near there simply can't afford it.

We oppose government control of resource use through eminent domain, zoning laws, building codes, rent control, regional planning, urban renewal, or purchase of development rights with tax money. Such regulations and programs violate property rights, discriminate against minorities, create housing shortages, and tend to cause higher rents.


So if I decide to put a hog farm on my suburban property -- currently forbidden by zoning laws -- there is no way to stop me. Once more, the person who wrote this is unable to think through what his idiotic declaration actually means.

We call for the dissolution of all government agencies concerned with transportation, including the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and the transfer of their legitimate functions to competitive private firms.


So the road passing in front of my house should become a toll road. Are libertarians able to think?

We call for an end to all forms of government intrusion into family life.


So if I beat my wife and children, the government cannot stop me. The next paragraph says "We call for the repeal of the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991"

We call for the abolition of the juvenile court system. Juveniles should be held fully responsible for their crimes but they should not be prosecuted for offenses that are only offenses by virtue of their youth.


So ten-year-olds should be treated as adults. Bring back the days of hanging children as pickpockets.

We advocate the complete separation of education and the state, and believe that government ownership, operation, regulation, and subsidy of schools should be ended.


A great example of libertarian ignorance of history. Public schools were started so that everyone could get an education. But the libertarian who wrote this thinks that is a bad idea.

We oppose government attempts to regulate private discrimination, including discrimination in employment, housing, and privately-owned so-called public accommodation. The right to trade includes the right not to trade — for any reasons whatsoever.


So if a privately owned hospital wants to deny you treatment because you're gay, that's fine with them. "No dogs or Jews allowed." "No n*ggers will be served." Libertarians claim they believe racism is bad, but also believe that having the government do something about it is worse. In other words, racism is not all that bad.

Libertarians claim that the sort of discrimination would disappear when the people practicing the discrimination understood that it was not profitable, it would disappear. The appropriate term for this is "wishful thinking".

We support a clean and healthy environment and sensible use of our natural resources. Private landowners and conservation groups have a vested interest in maintaining natural resources. Pollution and misuse of resources cause damage to our ecosystem. Governments, unlike private businesses, are unaccountable for such damage done to our environment and have a terrible track record when it comes to environmental protection. Protecting the environment requires a clear definition and enforcement of individual rights in resources like land, water, air, and wildlife. Free markets and property rights stimulate the technological innovations and behavioral changes required to protect our environment and ecosystems. We realize that our planet's climate is constantly changing, but environmental advocates and social pressure are the most effective means of changing public behavior.


Before passage of the Clean Water Act and creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Cuyahoga River in Ohio used to catch on fire. That's right, the river would burn because of pollution. (Randy Newman singing "Burn On" is running through my mind.
) It wasn't corporations or the free market that cleaned up the Cuyahoga, it was the government. So their pretense that government "has a terrible track record when it comes to environmental protection" is a lie. Libertarians saying that corporations would act to clean up their own pollution is simply more evidence that libertarians prefer fantasy over reality.

Here is one of my favorite bits:

The individual's right to privacy, property, and right to speak or not to speak should not be infringed by the government. The government should not use electronic or other means of covert surveillance of an individual's actions or private property without the consent of the owner or occupant. Correspondence, bank and other financial transactions and records, doctors' and lawyers' communications, employment records, and the like should not be open to review by government without the consent of all parties involved in those actions.


If they really mean what this seems to say, then seeking documentary evidence of criminal acts would be impossible, since a suspect would have absolute veto power over any searches.

Why any rational human being over the age of twelve would support libertarianism is simply unfathomable.

Fortinbras Armstrong

(4,473 posts)
15. In my previous post, I said that ignorance of history and politics were necessary for libertarians.
Sat Jun 15, 2013, 02:44 PM
Jun 2013

I should have added literature.

I was just speaking with my wife, who has an MA in literature. She reminded me of Dickens, whose Oliver Twist was about the very serious limits of private charity in an apathetic government.

Dickens was an effective destroyer of libertarian "ideals". He made a career of skewering the arrogance and penury of private charity. He didn't let people feel comfortable about their motives for helping the poor, instead shining a light on how most of them were in it to make themselves look better at the expense of people who needed their help. Some of his self-proclaimed do-gooders are the most vicious characters in all of his books.

His real takedown of libertarianism came from putting a human face on the poor and ignored in society. He made the haves of society realize that private charity wasn’t enough to help the less fortunate, it never would be, and they started doing something about it. I don't think we can even begin to estimate his influence in making societies start looking for more realistic solutions to helping the poor.

Upton Sinclair should also be mentioned for making libertarianism look like a fraud by showing how a society with zero regulations on the "free market" was literally killing us and making us sick. Teddy Roosevelt read The Jungle and sent a couple of men to Chicago to see if Sinclair was exaggerating about conditions in the meat packing industry. They reported that, if anything, Sinclair understated things. The Pure Food and Drug Act followed shortly afterwards. (TR had no trouble believing it, since he knew from personal experience, that canned meat supplied to the army was sometimes rotten in the can!)

 

cpwm17

(3,829 posts)
18. My selfish next-door neighbor seems to have become a libertarian due to zoning laws
Thu Jun 20, 2013, 12:29 AM
Jun 2013

For a half year he drove a large diesel construction vehicle around his back yard, just feet from my house. Someone reported him and he was forced to quit. He became really hostile to me after that, though I've only talked to him one time when he first moved in. I hope the selfish prick dies.

In 2008 he had a McCain/ Palin sign in front of his house, in 2012 he had a Ron Paul sign.

suzanner

(590 posts)
16. worth watching, absolutely
Sat Jun 15, 2013, 08:19 PM
Jun 2013

even if I can hardly listen to these callers who sound like in their 20's and so ignorant it is unbelievable.

BTW, if anyone watches the captions version, it is almost exactly opposite of what's being said. I've noticed this frequently on all such as this or TYT. Anyone who relies on captions would think this is a very confusing place. I would suggest that no captions is better than misleading captions. Check it out.

booley

(3,855 posts)
21. I get a similar vibe from religious people trying to convert me
Fri Jun 21, 2013, 01:04 PM
Jun 2013

When I talk to anarcho capitalists ( I don't' like saying libertarians in respect for all the left wing libertarians) about economics it inevitably ends up sounding the same as proselytizers explaining why their particular religion is the only true and most awesome religion.

All beautiful philosophy and ideals.. and complete ignoring of real world examples for why it's utter BS. Facts only matetr a slong as they support the dogma.

Anarcho capitalism is fundamentalism that even atheists can enjoy.

Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»Video & Multimedia»Watch Sam Seder Stomp Sil...