The problem with libertarianism

From Powerline:

Rand Paul and the limits of Facebook Generation “conservatism”

But Paul has indulged in a fallacy. The Facebook Generation’s alleged “leave us alone” attitude towards government can explain why its members did not embrace (okay, let’s name names) John McCain. It can conceivably explain why they did not embrace Mitt Romney. But it cannot explain the enthusiasm of the Face Generation for Barack Obama, particularly after Obama had spent four years demonstrating that he has no intention of letting anyone alone.

Portions of the Facebook Generation may talk a good self-reliance game. But the voting pattern of this cohort as a whole isn’t promising. Instead, it suggests that they like “free stuff” at least as much as their parents do.

For me, the idea that a Paulist Republican Party could attract enough young voters to offset the destruction of its traditional stool is laughable. Paul’s blue print would make for a great Third Party, but comes nowhere close to charting the course for a Republican resurgence

From the Telegraph

Margaret Thatcher took on the unions. The next Thatcher will need to take on the establishment itself

Libertarians think they can get a Victorian-sized state without Victorian attitudes, but they’re deluded. If you really want a small state that doesn’t tell you what to do and gobble up half your income then start going to church, get involved in voluntary activities, tell the vicar or priest to stop droning on about the cuts and climate change and tell him to start shouting about sin and fornication. Repress yourself, you’ll find it’s good for your wallet.

Were that to happen, then the need for an enormous state apparatus managing vast areas of our life would be reduced.