Liberal vs Libertarian
If one looks at the political spectrum in US on a continuum from left to right, he comes across many political ideologies with communism at the far left and fascism at the extreme right. Liberal and libertarian are political ideologies that are similar to each other and lie somewhere in the middle of this political continuum. Because of these similarities, there are many who treat these ideologies as synonymous and interchangeable. However, despite similarities and overlap, there are differences that cannot be overlooked and will be highlighted in this article.
Liberal
Liberals are people who believe that people should be as free as possible with as little government intervention as possible. They are opposite to conservatives who believe the status quo and stick to old traditions and policies. Liberals are advocates of changes in policies that are meant for the betterment of people. At one point of time, liberals stood for personal liberty more than anything else. Liberalism in politics means standing for the rights and freedom of the individual. Liberals are believed to be standing to the left of the centrist position. If you are a liberal, you can be criticized for being socialistic in leanings.
Libertarian
Libertarian is a political ideology that believes in Live and let live. These people want very little intervention from the state in the affairs of the citizens; so much so that, at times, they are referred to as supporters of anarchism. The word is derived from liberty, and a libertarian is an individual who believes in liberty. Personal freedom is what libertarians believe in though they also believe in social responsibility. A libertarian is dead against any governmental interference in personal or business decisions of citizens. This in turns translates into smaller governments, taxes, and bureaucracy while at the same time signifying greater personal freedom.
What is the difference Between Liberal and Libertarian?
• During 1800’s liberals and libertarians stood for same ideals and values. Over time, however, differences between the two ideologies have cropped up.
• Both stand for personal freedom but liberals want to secure this freedom through government while libertarians want this freedom without any government intervention.
• Marxism led liberals to believe that social justice could be achieved with the help of government and they got seduced forgetting all about personal freedom.
• Today liberals are seen justifying bigger governments, higher taxes, and stringent regulation.
• On the other hand, libertarians are even today distrustful of government and want minimal intervention from it to ensure personal freedom.
• Libertarians want private initiative to solve social problems.