Is working for the government contradictory to a libertarian's goals or values, and what type of government job would it have to be if not all? Is there any defense for at all?
Edit: What about working in the field of international politics?
Freedom has always been the only route to progress.
Since a libertarian must think they're getting paid with stolen money, I can't imagine how they'd rationalize this one.
I'm to go change the original post.
bloomj31: Since a libertarian must think they're getting paid with stolen money, I can't imagine how they'd rationalize this one.
Easy, one foot outside your house and you've already stepped on stolen property.
DD5: Easy, one foot outside your house and you've already stepped on stolen property.
So basically it's not a big deal all things considered?
"Just follow your heart, that's what I always do" - Napoleon Dynamite
Libertyandlife:Is working for the government contradictory to a libertarian's goals
I don't think so, you could use the money to fund libertarian projects as well as keeping yourself alive.
Libertyandlife:or values
Probably.
At most, I think only 5% of the adult population would need to stop cooperating to have real change.
Libertyandlife: Working for the government?
Working for the government?
You mean income tax? Ya, I hate it too.
It's certainly a good way to get an insight as to just how pervasive government can be in terms of its backwardness. I volunteer at a public library every week, and the building I go to is a complete mess. Half the collection is crumbling to dust on the shelves, even as our management puts out brand new books as discard to be had by the first comer. The collections themselves are also in miserable shape. I work primarily in the young adult department, which we might as well rename the teenage girl department because there's pretty much no material I would expect any boy in the age group to consider worth reading. If that wasn't bad enough, our large print collection consists 99.9% of wild west set pieces simply because one of the library directors likes westerns and can't be bothered to pay for his own collection.
I have a friend who works as a park ranger. Every few months his employers waste time and resources double and triple checking his qualifications because they set the quota for how much retraining their employees need at their own whims. Even he knows its a massive waste of time, but its the only way he'll keep his job. All this diversion of course, must necessarily equate to less overall resources to put towards the actual job of tending to the parks.
If you ever need a good story to explain just how bad government is at anything, all you have to do is get a job with them. The shortcomings are instantly apparent.
There is also the argument that gaining influence within the government, you can combat waste and such, although it's going to be quite an uphill battle.