Welcome back! Today we are continuing with our analysis/response to the comic I posted on Friday, July 8 2011. Here’s part 1 and part 2 if you missed it.

4×1 Libertarians are rich

This is one of my favorite thoughts about libertarians. There are, of course, people who don’t get success via hard work, sacrifice, or talent. Most of us have bosses like that. However, this claim is not central to libertarian thought nor is it exclusive to libertarians.

Almost every single member of Congress is there via some sort of nepotism, and they will often be the first to tell you that success is created by  merit. Guess what? None of those people are libertarians (with two or three exceptions).

4×2 — Libertarians are blind to the market flaws

This one I will freely admit is a problem. Many libertarians who haven’t done much economic study will claim this. It’s a pretty simple argument, but it’s only wrong in its simplicity. This goes back to the naive claim in part 1.

The free market fixes more problems than does government intervention. It is also better at correcting and mitigating its own failures than is government. So, while the market is not magic, it is certainly not a tool we should cast aside.

4×3 — Self-important bloggers

This is another panel that I thought was hilarious. It obviously pokes fun at what I do (blogging), and there are people out there who get WAY into their blogs. They have an inflated sense of self-importance and think that what they do is more important than it actually is. I can laugh at that, and I can laugh at what element there is of that in what I do.

But again, this is not something central or exclusive to libertarians! Progressives and Conservatives, Greens, and Communists ALL have bloggers like this. And you know what? Even if the economy doesn’t collapse, we’re better off for having them writing.

4×4 — Libertarians are consistent to a fault

This is another one I thought was hilarious — it seemed to be playing the absurd card for those of us libertarians who seem to focus on one issue and don’t depart from that.

I still think it’s silly, but the truth of the matter is this: libertarians are consistent because our philosophy and empirical research shows us time and time again that what we advocate is both the right thing to do and what is going to end up with everyone being happier. Yes, cutting taxes (along with other things) will do that too.

5×1 — Libertarians are founder-worshippers

Let’s get something straight here: the founding fathers are essentially mythological figures in American culture. So revered are they that one can win a certain amount of people over to a cause by simply stating that the founding fathers wanted it. Conservatives, progressives, and libertarians all use this tactic.

The founding fathers and people in 1776 disagreed on the best way to form a government as much as or moreso than we do today. People on all sides of the chart can find founding fathers with whom they agree. Even within libertarians, you’re going to find people who align closely with different types of people. Essentially, the founding fathers claim is one that everyone makes.

5×2 — Libertarians love their guns (too much)

Oh, goodness. I love gun-owner-haters. They usually show that they don’t really know very many people with guns. There are, of course, people like this. I actually know someone who has a serious gun fetish. But I’ll tell you right now, most people own guns for self-defense or for hunting. Libertarians more than any other population, I think, would own guns for defense against tyranny.

Also, shooting is a sport! There’s nothing wrong with liking guns or liking to shoot things (other than people). How can you make fun of shooting as a sport, as it would be a necessary survival skill, and not make fun of a guy who wants to run a little brown oblong down a field and get beat up by 300-lb men?

There is one last set of these to go! Be sure to check back to catch the finale!

This is part 3 of a 4-part rebuttal to this comic.

Go to part 2

Go to part 4