A couple of notes for the Democrats

I am a Libertarian; therefore you should expect a set of principals to guide any policy I suggest. In this post I will be making a few suggestions to Democrats concerning their policy decisions in the future. This is not to be taken as an endorsement of anything the Democrats represent but only as suggestions to them concerning the detrimental effects of some of their policy decisions.
First, I would ask the Democrats to be careful about the size of the stick they give the government. In specific, they are boasting about socializing health care in this country. As a Libertarian I am completely opposed to this course of action but I know that I am only shouting at a wall when I try to talk to Democrats about the virtues of a market system providing superior health care. So I will take a different tack. Democrats, before you dance in the streets celebrating the triumph of the Everyman in gaining universal (socialized) health care I want you to think carefully about what the Republicans will do with your precious system when (and yes it will only be a matter of when) they regain power in DC. Don't worry about them dismantling it, they are not interested in smaller government anymore. In fact they will look forward to controlling a national single payer health care system, because it will do one very important thing for them, it will remove the need to make abortions illegal. Thats right, no more fighting over Roe vs Wade, or fighting against anti-protest laws at abortion clinics. You will have given them financial control of those clinics and they will simply stop funding abortions in the United States. Even if the Doctors tried to open new clinics to provide abortions as a service, the Republicans would only have to deny them the necessary licenses to open the clinics. Really, what good is universal (socialized) health care if there is any competition from the free market? That's what you really want isn't it? To get rid of nasty free market greed. To get rid of competition becuase that doesn't protect the common good as well as government regulation, right?
Second, with all of the hubbub about global warming and the destruction of the environment that has been saturating the media lately I want to talk to you about the basic core of why we have some of our current environmental problems. Cars are one of your favorite targets. Why does everyone feel the need to drive everywhere? Why can't they walk to where they need to go? The other issue I always hear Democrats complain about are McMansions. Why do people feel the need to be so wasteful? Why do they need such big homes on so much land so far out in the suburbs? Here is a bombshell for you, I agree with you! I abhor McMansions and Hummers. I think they are just as wasteful and abnoxious as you do. However, the reasons for why these things exist are where we part ways. You think it is just about American greed. I think it is becuase people cannot stand to be around other people in this day and age. I think the reason they cannot stand to be around other people is becuase we live in a society not where we are our brothers keeper, but where our government wants us to be our brothers warden. Unfortunately, it is human nature to want to stick our nose where it doesn't belong. I will return to a common idea now. You want to make sure the government has the power to do the things that you want it to be able to do. The problem is, when you give the government that kind of power it becomes a two sided sword that the Republicans happily use to enforce their morality on society. Not to say that Democrats are not willing sacrifice their civil liberties in the pursuit of their Utopia but simply to say that many of the anti-social policies that drive people away from each other come from laws that legislate morality rather than justice. Now imagine with me. Take a bong hit if that will help (I promise not to tell anyone). Imagine a world where people are free to do ANYTHING they want to as long as they do not harm someone else while doing it. ANYTHING. Want to carry guns with you anywhere you go, fine. Want to do drugs out in the middle of a playground, fine. Want to throw a sex party at our place, fine. Want to start a company because you are convinced that you have found THE better mousetrap, fine. Want to do something that you are pretty sure most people will find highly offensive on your balcony in full view of the world, fine. All of those things need to be legal. As long as you don't hurt someone else, go for it. Being offended is not the same as being hurt, grow up. If you are damaging your body, hey, its YOUR body. No one should have the right to demand that you live a certain way for them. It is my belief that if we lived in a society that let you live your life as you see fit without hurting others and a society that was taught to value to resources that we have and wanted to live in the most efficient manner that you would have your Utopia. Urban sprawl would be replaced by compact city centers where people could live and work and shop and play within walking/biking/taxi distances. The biggest barrier to that reality right now is not American greed, its American busybodies.