When I was in college I described myself as “socially liberal and fiscally conservative.”  At some point I figured out that was a fair description of a small-l libertarian.  Does that philosophy make me a Republican?  A Democrat?  A big-L Libertarian?  I still haven’t figured it out, and I’m not alone in asking.

Third-Party Watch pointed me to this interesting article. Excerpt, trimmed for brevity:

More plausible . . . is a gradual reconfiguration of conservatism, liberalism, and libertarianism alike under the pressures of the War on Terror.  It may already be anachronistic to talk about libertarians aligning with the Left or the Right, when different factions of Left and Right are even beginning to align with one another, not in some grand theoretical project but in support of or opposition to the extreme measures that have so far characterized the War on Terror.

The highly unusual mixture of support for Sen. Jim Webb found among antiwar conservatives, conventional liberals, economic populists, and libertarians suggests what may be in the offing. If Left and Right really are outmoded terms, libertarians—and others who are beginning to peel away from the conservative establishment—should not wonder which side to choose. They should simply stay true to their philosophy and oppose government aggrandizement as effectively as they can.

If this post is interesting, you might peruse my take on Markos Moulitsas.