Dexter Morgan

Ignoring the comparison to feudalism (people were actually more tied to each other in that system than they are currently, and I don't propose paltry land "gifts" in return for military service), I'd be happy to:

Things would be about how they are now (minus bans on drugs, guns, gay marriage/adoption, and other civil liberties that have no business in the hands of anyone other than the American people). Only . . . you know that chunk that goes missing out of your paycheck every month? It'll be there. People would not be taxed when they save, spend, buy a house, on capital gains, on interest, over and over again. All money would be taxed once (say, a sales tax - no, I don't mean FairTax), and negligibly - so as to cover a scaled-back military meant for home defense only and infrastructure costs for things such as roads, a police force, etc. Everything else - home ownership, business start-up, health insurance - is privatized.

Libertarianism certainly isn't all "me, me, me": it's also "you, you, you." The same things that would benefit me would benefit you, and your neighbours, and your family. If you'd feel a tug at the old heartstrings enough to go feed a family of eight that should rightfully never have gotten up to eight people, you go right on ahead; no one is stopping you, and in fact, that's encouraged. What you're proposing in supporting the current system isn't people helping other people - it's channeling money through an intermediary and expecting them to do it for you (while skimming quite a hefty amount off the top themselves, or for "special projects" - such as the war on drugs, brilliantly directing cops towards the real dangerous element in society: the petty pot smokers carrying a dimebag of weed, the self-abusing methheads who buy hookers. Child molesters? Rapists? Murderers? What are they?). If you care so goddamn much, go give your time to helping the needy. Donate directly out of your pocket and decide how much you want to give and where you want it to go. Just stop expecting me and others to happily do the same with absolutely no say in our money's use.

I don't not care about the needy, nor do most Libertarians; we simply don't usher all the needy under such a broad umbrella, and we observe a very striking difference between truly helping people and keeping them dependent by never requiring them to learn anything. Sometimes, the kind of "help" others think is so important is exactly what keeps people weak, dependent and entitled.