Yahoo Answers is shutting down on 4 May 2021 (Eastern Time) and the Yahoo Answers website is now in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Our founding fathers were libertarians, do you think they were radical?
Barney B - nope, not all of them. Thomas Paine was very against slavery and for womens rights. He helped start the revolution. He was not a politician though, he was a poor struggling man who had a big impact.
Jeff B - Liberals of that time are now considered "classic liberals" and are similar to libertarians.
also Jeff, I think Lincoln was a war monger, he let 700 thousand people die instead of freeing the slaves peacefully. Kinda like what we are doing in Iraq...force first talk later.
11 Answers
- E. F. HuttonLv 71 decade agoFavourite answer
Yes they were radical. It's important to note that "radical" isn't always a bad thing. If you're one of the few taking a stand against oppression, willing to fight and die for liberty, you are radical, and commendable.
- martinx07Lv 61 decade ago
Actually, some were liberals, and federalists. But, IF the Founders were still alive, they'd favor the Libertarians instead of the modern day Republicans/Democrats. Both parties remain loyal to the special interests, and betrayed the American people. Libertarians share our Founders' ideals, and uphold the Constitution, like every politician should be doing. Yes, they were radical, in a good way. Great question.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
i think they were more radical then we are lead to believe for example the quotes below
"It is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad."
- James Madison
"The way to see by Faith is to shut the Eye of Reason" -Benjamin Franklin
- Anonymous1 decade ago
For their day, very much so. Very few times and places had democracy as we understand it today. None had a codified set of rights. They were Libertarian and radical, and they were visionary.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
actually almost all of our founding fathers were actually liberals. Even Abraham Lincoln the one that some idiots believed that was hard core for his party even though he had a democratic vice president.
- Shadow KnightLv 71 decade ago
Was the libertarian party around then?
They were patriots who despite the great things they did, were also the product of their time.
Notice no black people or women running things throughout the early years of this country.
- Mogollon DudeLv 71 decade ago
When people are oppressed it is their duty to revolt . This is what our founding fathers did . If that is radical then they were .
- ElminsterLv 61 decade ago
I think they were also aristocratic and afraid of the masses. Their views aren't totally irrelevant, but they need to be brought into the realities of the 21st century to be coherent.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Weren't they a bunch of old, rich, whited landowners with slaves?
.