Comments by "bj0rn" (@TheLivirus) on "How to have better political conversations | Robb Willer" video.

  1. I think you are right. Liberals and libertarians share a lot of values. I think the difference is what they believe the spontaneous trajectory of society is if people are left to organize themselves. Libertarians tend to be optimistic, trusting that the framework of capitalism is sufficient for society to self-organize and maintain a generally desirable equilibrium state. They tend to view the capitalistic system as inherently meritocratic, i.e. the system rewards good ideas, talent and effort. Liberals tend to be more pessimistic, viewing the capitalistic system as unstable. Society is not meritocratic, but unfair. The reward goes to those who are in position to claim it and not those who deserve it. They believe that politics should be used to level the playing field, such that everyone are given the same opportunity to fulfill their potential. This description may not fit everyone, but this is how I view it at the moment.
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  2. We need to take a step back and discuss values. When values are sorted out, we can talk about solutions. It is dishonest to start with a conclusion and try to connect unrelated values to it. By starting at conservative values, you will naturally arrive at a conservative conclusions and not liberal ones, and vice versa.
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