What would our world look like, in your view...

I understand your theoretical arguments, but what about practicality? What would our world look like, in your view, if we did exactly what you think should happen?

This is a big question! I do not believe society could simply transition from what it is today to the Libertarian ideal over night. I believe it would take at least three full generations to work the acceptance of bondage out of our mindset. I'm also going to limit it to a Libertarian USA, and it's just too much to hope for the whole world to embrace Libertarianism (until we demonstrate its power, of course!)

Thus, to answer the question best I should start by explaining the basis from which all else will flow, then I apply it to various topics.

I start with what I will call the four points of Libertarianism
* The Libertarian ideal is focused on the freedom of the individual
* Your life belongs to you
* You property belongs to you
* Government exists to remove force and fraud from human relationships

From these points we can see immediately that personal responsibility is not just a good idea, it's required. Because no one owes you anything. You have to earn your way through life. This would eliminate all entitlement programs. Entitlement programs are contrary to the third and fourth points. I do not owe anyone else anything of mine which I have legally earned.

From these points we can see that by definition, property rights means the ability to dispose of property as you see fit. Affirmative action would vanish. The minimum wage would vanish. Unions would likely grow stronger in a Libertarian world. Collective bargaining is perfectly acceptable to the Libertarian world view.

From the four points we can see that the government would have to get out of our bedrooms and the marriage business. Issues like hospital visitation rights, inheritance rights, and adoption would be a thing of the past. However, part of the potentially ugly side of Libertarianism is that people would be free to discriminate against anyone they choose.

From the four points we can expect income taxes to be consigned to the dust bin of history. It is neither the governments place to try to enforce some Utopian ideal of equality, nor is the income tax compatible with true property rights. Of course, the government cannot operate without money. The income tax would be replaced with the fair tax. The required taxes would be tremendously less because of the discarded entitlement programs. The government would operate many more toll roads and charge many more use taxes than it does now.

The Libertarian world does not have drug laws, nor motorcycle helmet laws, nor seat belt laws. It does have baby seat laws. What you do with your own body is up to you, but a child is not ready to make those same decisions. It does have DUI laws. It does have drinking age limits and cigarette age limits as well as other drug age limits.

The government would not be able to spy on you, without a proper warrant. The government would not be able to strip you of your rights at the stroke of a pen.

Public education, like many public services, would be replaced by free market services. This does not mean the government would have no role. The government could reasonably make the case that all parents, who are responsible by virtue of choosing to become parents, owe their children an education up to and including high school. The government would be responsible to administer standardized tests to make sure the children are keeping pace. The parents would have their choice of whatever schools, including home school, that they wish. The pledge of allegiance would be a non-issue. Prayer in school would become a non-issue. Condoms in school would become a non-isse. Those that wanted such things would have them, those that did not would not. There would be other issues of course, but I think you can see the ideal.

The military would always be an all volunteer force. The military would be a strictly defensive weapon. It would only initiate force if attack was imminant. (Iraq was not a credible threat to the US.) The USA would stop seeing itself as the world cops! Everyone, not convicted of a violent crime, etc, would have the right to own and carry a weapon, open or concealed, without a permit.

Businesses would still have to meet work place safety guidelines. Businesses would not be able to dump pollution into a river and walk away. Business would, however, never pay another dime in income taxes. Businesses could not make political contributions. Individual people could make as many and as large a contribution as they wished.

Things like NAFTA would exist, but they would require that imports be essentially manufactured to the same standards, by people with the same labor conditions. Trade barriers would exist, but they would not be tarrifs. Tarrifs are an incentive to cheat. It would be all or nothing. If the products are up to standards, it can pass without anything more than a standard port usage fee. If it is not up to standard, it cannot enter the country. No middle ground.

Banks would not report deposits. Loans, insurance policies and all other complex financial instruments would continue to be regulated, but perhaps a bit differently. The emphasis would always be on openness and accountability.

Health care would be provided by doctors, and not insurance companies. Insurance companies would not be allowed to second guess or refuse to pay for covered care items. Only doctors can practice medicine! This extends to pharmacy companies as well. They cannot give free samples or kickbacks of any kind to doctors, clinics or hospitals. Only doctors can practice medicine!

Many, most, perhaps even all, of the licesnesd professions would remain so. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, airline pilots and so on would all be required to pass reasonable training and compentency tests.

Tort reform would be a must. Reasonable, or even unreasonable but not the current unlimited, caps on damages for negligence and product failure would have to be established.

The government would NEVER EVER bail out a company in distress. We would all stand around and watch it die, or live. Sell the corporate jet!

Illegal immigration would be a thing of the past. The boarder would be patrolled, and people could enter the country provided they could reasonably document they are not a known criminal, they have a place to stay and a job, and are not infected with a communicable disease. You would not be required to speak English. The path to citizenship would begin when you enter the country. Being caught in the country without proper documentation would be an instant ticket out of the country. Immigrants who want to come here and build a better life for themselves and their families are welcome with open arms.

Lastly, and far and away most importantly, the national anthem would be replaced by the Star Wars movie theme... OK, I made that last one up!