Yes, the Libertarian Party stands for limited government and expanded civil liberties, but that has to be taken in context. Go to their website, www.lp.org, and you'll discover that:
The most important step is to end government control of education... to transfer control of education from bureaucrats to parents and teachers and encourage alternatives to the public school monopoly.
It is time to recognize that welfare cannot be reformed: it should be ended. This includes eliminating AFDC, food stamps, subsidized housing, and all the rest. Individuals who are unable to fully support themselves and their families through the job market must, once again, learn to rely on supportive family, church, community, or private charity to bridge the gap.
The Food and Drug Administration is clearly an unnecessary burden on the American health care system. There is no evidence that agency offers Americans any real protection, but there is massive evidence that it is causing great harm -- driving up health care costs and depriving millions of Americans of the medical care they need.
Wouldn't we be better served if naturalist organizations, such as the Audubon Society or Nature Conservancy, took over the management of our precious parks?
So in reality, even though the Libertarians may seem to be on the
crazy left when it comes to
civil liberties, they're on the
crazy right when it comes to economic issues, and essentially believe that everything the
government does can be done better by a
corporation or
NGO.
If you're a firm believer in the power of laissez-faire, then the Libertarians will definitely appeal to you. If you're deathly afraid of corporate kakistocracy, then you should probably look to another party come Election Day.