The 5 Most Anti-Libertarian TV Shows Ever!

A little while ago, we tallied up “The 5 Best Libertarian TV Shows.” South Park, Penn & Teller: Bullshit, The Wire, The Prisoner, House of Cards: They’re all there, along with your abuse in the comments for leaving out Firefly, Yes, Minister, King of the Hill, and all your other favorites.
Now it’s time to list the five TV shows that are the absolute worst from a libertarian perspective.
Let us know in the comments what we got right and what we got wrong!
Written by Nick Gillespie. Shot and Edited by Meredith Bragg. About 4 minutes.
Go to reason.com/reasontv/2014/10/10... for full list of shows, links, downloadable versions, and more.
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[@BillPigg]

Every time I watch "Cops" (yeah, I know, I just can't help it) I yell at the TV, "just shut up and the cop will have no probable cause!", "just shut up and he won't be able to search you!" People giving away their 4th and 5th amendment rights like they were candy.

[@andersonm1975]

LOL I do the same thing.

[@TheBelrick]

Dont you love the irony of, "arrested for resisting arrest" So how do resist exactly prior to being arrested for resisting?

[@BillPigg]

Here's a COPS drinking game. Every time a cop says "real quick", as in, "Wanna jump out of your car real quick?" "Wanna come over here real quick" "Mind if I look in your car real quick?" Another one is "That I should know about", as in, "Is there anything in your pockets that I should know about?" "Is there anything in your car that I should know about?" And the most maddening one is "Mind if I look..." as in, "Mind if I look in the trunk?", "Then you would wouldn't mind if I looked in your purse?", "Then you wouldn't mind if we come in and look around."

[@paulandrew3319]

wtf does that even mean? If you are being arrested and you resist. then it is also part of the arrest.. It's not that you are being arrested to see if you will resist ..stop being a dope

[@Jameshstone]

Go spend time in a courtroom as an observer you will see many people who are charged with resisting arrest and no other charge.

[@NekoBoyOfficial]

"The American Taliban" now that was a good joke.

[@johnmcauliffe8824]

Now they say it unironically

[@jb8408]

Anyone who doesn’t support MY policies is a terrorist! /sarcasm

[@sexcaptainmachineofsex.3331]

@@johnmcauliffe8824 ok

[@tomspettigue8791]

A little unfair, maybe, to the tea party. that said, they've been a thing for 40+ years now.

[@jred7]

No! Not Captain Planet! He's my hero! He's gonna put pollution down to zero!

[@aliciabell6688]

jred7 it was the first time i realized that the media was not my friend and that tv might be an attempt to brainwash me,....

[@juliuscaesar5397]

LOL

[@jfangm]

I enjoyed Captain Planet as a show. It was campy abd dates by today's standards, but it DID get kids interested in environmentalism, and pushed the idea of EFFECTIVE environmentalism - things like reducing, reusing, and recycling, saving tne whales and the rainforest, etc. And while played up to the point of satire, there ARE companies that DID exploit natural resources until regulatory measures were taken. How extreme those measures need to be is up for debate, though.

[@GolgariGymBro]

@@jfangm Wrong Captain there champ.

[@jfangm]

@@GolgariGymBro Yeah, Swype is a bitch.

[@bradfordlangston836]

"The American Taliban" I was not ready for that one lol

[@billvojtech5686]

But that IS how the Left sees anybody to the right of Karl Marx.

[@robsan5410]

Bruh go watch jesus camp. Its not far off.

[@serfcityherewecome8069]

@@billvojtech5686 Yep...and how's that for Orwellian irony...while THEY'RE the ones LITERALLY TEARING DOWN THE STATUES and ERASING ALL "INCONVENIENT" HISTORY! 🤣🤣

[@t6amygdala]

@@billvojtech5686 just like how some people on the right see anyone left of trump as Stalin

[@markburke1396]

aged like fine wine, as US leaves Afghanistan and Taliban take over within hours, leaving Billions of dollars worth of equipment lol. If nothing else the Taliban are going to now be equipped like American soldiers lolol.

[@ortzinator]

Apparently I'm not the only libertarian who loves Star Trek despite its political message :P

[@ToddTBaker]

You definitely aren't. I disagree with a lot of what they say, but it is great science fiction.

[@Petros7373]

The Next Gen was one of the sweetest series ever, even if you have to roll your eyes every once in a while at the political points attempted to be pushed in it.

[@HeathenWarriorPoet]

The original has it's problems. Next Generation introduced the straw capitalist Ferengi and had a very strange mix of messages. Deep Space Nine actually is quite deconstructive of the liberal utopia and is very libertarian.

[@ortzinator]

You should all check out the video "Fascinating examination of Star Trek's Prime Directive" He explains how the Prime Directive is nonsense, even by the moral standards of the Federation.

[@furtim1]

A Libertarian comedian, tim Slagel, once said that we should have a pot rally, concurrent with a star trek convention and a gun show. The people who hung out in the middle would be ours!

[@ronaldmalcolm5609]

Next Gen was much more of a nanny-state universe than the original series. In Kirk's timeline, people still worked for profit and he even states, "what you work for is yours."

[@papajohn365]

@Snake Plisken Timeline is irrelevant. They were written with two distinct worldviews.

[@Spilled-Ink]

Exactly! TOS is very republican/libratarian, and you can largely do what you like unless you interfere with other people (as makes sense in space). TNG is Space Communists. Not even consistent Space Communists.

[@jaybee6505]

@@Spilled-Ink DS9 was way way over the top commie writing buried in the background.

[@jeremykraenzlein5975]

But even in a fictional universe, this couldn't continue indefinitely. "Star Trek: Deep Space 9" gave a larger role to a Ferengi character who runs a for-profit bar (along with various usually-illegal side hustles), and some form of cash economy is necessary to make his storyline work. In "Star Trek: Voyager", replicator rations become a de facto currency.

[@roryscott2941]

"Captain James T. Kirk is mucking around with every civilization from here to the Romulan Neutral Zone, like LBJ on Viagra." ... Laddie .... Don't you think you should rephrase that?

[@Bruva_Ayamhyt]

He knows what he said.

[@Lurker1979]

Star Trek The Next Generation was far more anti-Libertarian than the original show was.

[@kahlernygard809]

Deep space nine explains that though with showing the dominion (notice the voting machine name) is infiltrating their government with changelings

[@jfangm]

Not really. If anything, TNG shows how libertarian the Federation actually is.

[@jaydee1024]

@@jfangm Examples?

[@jfangm]

@@jaydee1024 Federation citizens are allowed to live their lives with pretty much no Federation oversight or regulation. They may arm, finance, and occupy themselves however they want. One need only look at the numerous episodes taking place on Federation worlds to see this. One colony is comprised entirely of Luddites, seeking a life away from most technology. Others are hyper-advanced. Still others are more militant or industrial. And nowhere are the citizens under any kind of obligation to act or live a certain way. Even Starfleet personnel are not wanting for personal liberty.

[@SuperNovaJinckUFO]

@@jfangm Well stated, man. I hate that people think TNG is Communist just because they don't have money. I mean, no shit they don't have money, they have machines that can make whatever the fuck you want, when you want. That's not Socialism, that's just awesome

[@dksilentbob]

The whole "no money" thing in Star Trek is only because nothing in the Star Trek universe suffers from any sort of scarcity. There's hardly any need for trade when everything you could possibly want is so readily available. Maybe one day we'll reach that point but for now, we deal with scarcity, and the best way to deal with scarce resources is the market.

[@Spilled-Ink]

Plus, it isn't even in TOS.

[@jeremykraenzlein5975]

Oxygen is the most obvious example of a non-scarce resource in the real world. Imagine how that would work if it were a scarce resource that we had to buy! We pay whatever it costs, or we die immediately. But thankfully, in reality, our atmosphere has many times more oxygen than we need, and plants continuously replenish the supply for free. The theory for much of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is that replicators had made many other resources non-scarce like oxygen.

[@David-qi1ys]

"nothing in the Star Trek universe suffers from any sort of scarcity" ::laughs in dilithium crystals::

[@generalesdeath5836]

Yeah, in a world where if you want something, you can just “replicate it from the power of the warp core” there isn’t much need for money or currency. But that’s a hypothetical utopian future world that we simply do not live in.

[@flynn2008]

what about the daily show with jon stewart?

[@miki09876]

Love that show! It's the media's job to poke holes in politicians, and he did so both ways. It would be antilibertarian to criticise free speech.

[@robjenkinson1487]

All these Stewart knock offs don't get it, some of Stewart's funniest stuff was when he went after preening Liberal elitists.

[@gregthebaritone]

He did do a whole segment mostly defending Ron Paul.

[@michiganscythian2445]

Though Jon Stewart is liberal, he was usually pretty fair to Ron Paul and I know both Ron and Rand were on the show a few times. Stewart clearly liked Obama as a politician but would often poke fun at Obama’s pretentiousness (the Greek pillar back drop on the campaign trail, Obama waxing lyrical about his love for Urdu poetry, etc) as well as some of the campaign promises that Obama didn’t live up to

[@piperian3962]

He introduced me to Ron Paul.

[@deth2munkies]

See, I originally liked the Newsroom's send up of the sorry state of the News industry, and I thought I could ignore the overwhelmingly liberal politics of the show. Then they tried to get me to buy that the main character is a Republican that all other Republicans should follow, and that snapped my suspension of disbelief.

[@tomspettigue8791]

It's Aaron Sorkin. That said, i uh, holy shit contemporary Republicans.

[@christiancrocetti9940]

@@tomspettigue8791sad since Aaron Sorkin also made suits which was an amazing show

[@EX58UD]

Don't you DARE put Star Trek on that list! Even though you're probably right :(

[@FarmingWithYahweh]

They could've shown some more convincing clips from star trek. It had some episodes, blatantly promoting socialism.

[@Calbrea]

Trek had a neo socialist edge to in from the beginning, STNG was the worse, the reason I liked Deep Space 9 was it was a free trade zone outside of the Federation.

[@FarmingWithYahweh]

Dennis Mix it was, but they spent far too long demonizing the space jew capitalist, the ferengi.

[@FarmingWithYahweh]

John Doe that was TNG

[@rolandogarza4352]

Y'all are right, but still enjoyed the show...Besides, once all goods necessary can be 'replicated', and energy is boundless... What form of gov't would naturally evolve in that instance

[@FarmingWithYahweh]

John Doe here's the episode. This reviewer liked it; www.tor.com/blogs/2011/12/star-trek-the-next-generation-rewatch-the-high-ground There were probably other episodes as well, and other species. The writers were also post modern and called George Washington a terrorists.

[@lgmmrm]

I like the newsroom not for a it's politics but because the basis of it does make good points ( our media is horrible)

[@nin6246]

I love Star Trek, especially The Next Generation however it is extremely anti-libertarian and at times, tough to watch. Fortunately however, there are moments in the show that are *very libertarian* and those moments are incredibly special.

[@patmartin5459]

I'd love to hear some examples, lol... All that free healthcare and education and food... How horrid.

[@nin6246]

***** Free healthcare in the Star Trek universe and "free healthcare" in a country today are almost entirely opposite of each other.

[@Ed-zn1in]

"All that free healthcare and education and food".... on a t.v. show. A fantasy-based one, at that.

[@patmartin5459]

I'm not the one who called it out. people said the same thing about video calls and data pads. fantasy. garbage argument.

[@patmartin5459]

of course it is. they eliminated capitalism and have 400 years on us. but we can get there. the spirit behind universal healthcare remains.

[@URProductions]

Me and friends were deeply inspired by Captain Planet when we were kids. But not in the way I think they intended. We made a huge garbage fire and pretended we were Captain Planet villains making pollution. It was awesome.

[@URProductions]

@@thomasolsen6923 Polluuuuuution! Polluuution!!

[@URProductions]

@@thomasolsen6923 No. I'm a planeteer. And you can be one too. 'Cause saving our planet is the thing to do. Looting and polluting is not the way. Here's what Captain Planet has to say:

[@jasmadams]

Human Tree...Tree...Tree, Tree Tree Tree Tree Tree... So many trees!

[@dash_frame]

Wow man you're so cool, I bet you also hate age of consent laws

[@URProductions]

@@dash_frame No. You're mom is way older than age of consent.

[@lodathi]

I have not watched tv in over twenty years and I was shocked to see that my friends and family are being fed shit like "News Room"

[@SirThinkALot42]

I'm shocked The West Wing didnt make this list.

[@brettknoss486]

The only reason it didn't make the list is that it's produced by Aaron Sorkin, and it lost to The Newsroom.

[@SirThinkALot42]

I never saw the Newsroom so thats fair. The West Wing jumped into my mind first because its the embodiment of the 'politicians as selfless public servants' crap. The other that jumped imminently to my mind was 24.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Shocked. SHOCKED!!!

[@jemonaco]

In my mind, ABC's Scandal and Madam Secretary deserve Honorable Mentions (amongst the worst).

[@OwenGriffiths]

***** Democrat politicans as selfless public servant maybe.

[@stephenhoughton632]

Wait what! You didn't include COPS? Any show that begins every episode with a no knock raid ought to be number one on the list.

[@bobertjones2300]

Yes, police tactic is often trick you into giving up your constitutional rights. They generally don't consider protecting citizen rights, only maintaining their power and enforcement of non-judicial punishments.

[@starkillersneed]

The Federation of Star Trek is the best example of a socialist society working, and it shows exactly how to make it work. Step 1: Be fictional. Step 2: That's it.

[@Aaronlcyrus]

Even then it didn't work. Picard opens the show with a speech on how humanity has moved past money and material things, meanwhile Tasha Yar is running from a rape gang on an abandoned frontier colony.

[@Baconmonster723]

It's not socialist though. It's a liberal post scarcity society with private property rights. That's what's funny. It's STILL not an example of socialism succeeding.

[@Aaronlcyrus]

@@Baconmonster723 private property rights? Even data barely had the right to be considered an individual rather than property of the state.

[@Baconmonster723]

@@Aaronlcyrus Kirk's family owned a farm, Picard a vineyard. Never said it was perfect, but private property rights exist for some at least.

[@daviddavis7752]

I was thinking C-SPAN, when Congress is in session.

[@skoomajoe6205]

I love Star Trek, but yeah, the Federation and Prime Directive are pretty socialist.. But it never really bothered me. It's just that their depiction of a peaceful, utopian earth, with one government, no wars, no currency, etc, is just as unrealistic and far out as anything else in the show.

[@CaptainCocaine]

Socialism only works when you have virtually unlimited energy and resources.

[@TheThreatenedSwan]

Skooma Joe The earth in the star trek universe (even while in the federation) goes through centuries of wars which ravage the earth and solar system except for the few decades of peace overseen by an ultra fascist federation

[@builder396]

I think pure and total socialism is impossible, but capitalism where basic needs (food, shelter healthcare, etc.) are universally provided for without the need for compensation, and where only luxuries need to be paid for, that would be easily possible, and I get why people would oppose that.

[@Letrus100]

So basically it never works...

[@ivorybooker8957]

Skooma Joe It seems that everyone forgets what Captain Picard said in First Contact. It's not about law and social systems, we evolved from the need of consumerism and ownership. Helping ourselves out is better. Kirk and his shenanigans are just the result of 60's TV producers and networks. Even with Gene's liberal view toward sex, he had to make the Next Generation just to apologize for it.

[@garlandragland]

You know what, though? There are moments in 24 where the other side (the true side) of torture was shown. I remember one episode where Jack thinks he gets good intel from torturing someone only to find out it backfired. Also, in the new season, there is an anti-drone undertone and also a pro-Fifth Estate message with Chloe playing essentially a Julian Assange role. I would say Homeland also shows both sides well, including how paranoid and crazy the CIA is...

[@charlesvan13]

I hate that stupid hyperbole, such as "they are the American Taliban". It's stupid on another level, since the Tea party is concerned with economic issues, not religious.

[@PenneyThoughts]

Not the Tea Nutters in my area (Waco). They're all fundy nuts only concerned with abortion, contraception, gays and immigrants. They've completely diverged from what I originally admired about the movement, economic freedom. Today's TP looks like the Taliban because that's where all the religious fundamentalists in the U.S. are flocking, the economy and freedom be damned.

[@Cheapshot420420]

Jim H. you dont sound like you have an axe to grind at all.

[@Youtubeaccount369]

Jim H. "contraception", lol. I knew you were a fake from the second you said that. No TP/conservative has ever played to that issue in my lifetime. Progressives love throwing it out there to make noise and inflate the "war on women" idea, but when's have you've heard of a Republican candidate run on restricting/outlawing contraception?

[@dank1j]

gayfuckoffyoutub1000 Yeah the type of post by "Jim" is usually by somebody without much real insight or experience with the stuff they claim to know. Often they are so-called liberals trying to split people on the opposite side apart. But some professed libertarians can come off just as preachy and hardline as the leftists when they condemn a group of "wrong-thinking" people given a few examples that they don't personally agree with.

[@Gamberbro237]

charlesvan13 That doesn't really follow; Maoist revolutionaries were, if you get right down to it, all about economic issues. What motivates people to action isn't as important as how they act.

[@Abigpuppy]

Feels like I'm watching WatchMojo, lol

[@tigershark421]

Did anyone else say, "SKUNK!" or "I WANT CAKE, I WANT CAKE NOW!" when the NFL clip played?

[@Hard_Boiled_Entertainment]

When Roddenberry was in charge, perhaps. Should be noted, though, that Deep Space Nine in particular completely deconstructed the "utopia" aspect of Star Trek. The two big themes of DS9: freedom isn't free, and there are consequences to our actions.

[@moonjoe5164]

I was just thinking about section 31 and violating rights, and how DS9 had the guile to be morally grey. What you say is very true.

[@Hard_Boiled_Entertainment]

joseph lomker Indeed, the existence of 31 exposed what had to exist under the surface, for the Federation utopia to be what it is.

[@Panax07]

The sad truth is that Trek became more libertarian after Roddenberry died. Makes sense, since Roddenberry was a commie.

[@nrkgalt]

And Voyager had an informal free market. Use of the replicator had to be rationed due to power being scarce, so the crew traded replicator rations like currency.

[@jackhughes3981]

@@nrkgalt plus the trading of holodeck time, duty shifts and that time when the doctor was recognized as an artist for the purposes of copyright. Plus in DS9 Ensign "I'm still a Ferengi" Nog wheeling and dealing to get the spare parts for ships, good bloodwine for Martok etc.

[@stevenheinze297]

lmfao "there won't be a living thing left in the ocean once I'm through"

[@NotMyWar]

Right because people want to eat everything in the ocean.

[@Gamberbro237]

It's funny, I remember when I was just a little kid I'd watch 24 every now and again while my dad followed it closely. I tried watching it a couple of months ago and I couldn't even get through season 1 without constantly noting "screw the rules, TERRORISM!" was pretty much the writers motto.

[@sovietunion7643]

they also kind of drag the story out a bit too much sometimes. i'm all for drama but when it takes so long to get through lesser plot points it really kills the pacing.

[@stevegilbert8486]

That seems to be the goal of many of shows and movies like 24. If you are fighting terrorist, all the laws and rules are thrown out. The next step is to declare all of your political opponents as terrorists. Now you can do anything you want to them without any regard ton laws. That sounds like a great idea, until YOU get declared as a terrorist.

[@hexadecimal5236]

Yeah, all the CSI, Law and Order type shows that are straight up propaganda...

[@codename617]

I don't know. I liked how they made the cops seem not so perfect at least in the original Law & Order. In fact I feel like the DA's more than often end up cleaning up a mess the cops make. They got a warrant for the house, but not the car. They took a witness to identify a doorman instead of going through a lineup. The only time a cop prevented that sort of mistake was in an episode where the cop was played by Michael Imperioli. xD

[@timothygray7798]

For about the first ten years, Law & Order was a good show. It was nuanced, the cops/lawyers weren't always right, there was moral ambiguity. There were implications that authority figures could be biased and make bad judgments. There were themes that suggested the law itself could be inconsistent, hard to understand, or just plain wrong. After that, when all the stupid spin-offs started being made, it went downhill to the point where SVU (the only surviving one) has become a ridiculous cops-and-robbers melodrama where all the "bad guys" are portrayed as one-dimensional, subhuman monsters while the the "heroes" are self-righteous, authoritative do-gooders with tacked-on "flaws" (like a gambling addiction) that are supposed to make them look more human, but never anything that would make you seriously question whether they were the ultimate, worship-worthy force for good. It's basically just pro-government propaganda now. P.S. SVU is also kind of demeaning to women and children (and sometimes gay men). They are almost always depicted as being utterly helpless and pathetic victims who need the state to jump in and save them from the depraved men.

[@mantis_toboggan_md]

That Tim Allen picture is awesome. Woody was a Cowboy, Buzz was a Cocaine Cowboy.

[@TheDebare]

Star Trek next gen was even worst from a Libertarian point of view.

[@whiff1962]

All the Star Trek spin offs were. I agree.

[@ericschoen3809]

Completely agree. We're watching all of the Star Trek episodes on Netflix starting with the original series and so far my impression is TOS isn't nearly the leftist propaganda that TNG or DS9 were. Still great shows, though.

[@Joe11Blue]

How so?

[@EgadsNo]

Only superficially, capitalism, free trade, association, non aggression, personal and property rights totally exist and are pervasive in the show. An example of capitalism is when Worf is buying a vase as a present, while browsing items there is clearly a price in credits earned working for the federation. The captains brother owns and operates a vineyard and winery the family has owned for generations. There are no poor people though- that does not mean there are not the have nots- that means that the cost of shelter, food, medical care, clothing are just incredibly dirt cheap because of technological innovation. Resources are finite, just a they are today- but the scales they deal with are far and away beyond what we can really imagine today. The example of Worf replicating a vase for a present- in order to produce 2 pounds of mass that replicator will consume the equivalent amount of energy as a 100 watt light bulb running for 13,590,000 years straight. That is about 3.86 PetaWatts (quadrillion) or 1/112th the total energy use of the entire world in 2008 for a wedding present. In many ways its like saying free energy will free the world, when nobody needs for anything only wants- there is no way to control them with politics- they all become individuals that do whatever they want.

[@Joe11Blue]

Eric Schoen Gene Roddenberry was a libertarian.

[@IRONMANAustralia]

Star Trek is not necessarily anti-Libertarian for the no money thing. When you think about it if Capitalism drives prices down so you're creating more products at lower cost, then the end point is that eventually you should be able to create something for nothing, (or at least pretty much everything for negligible cost). Like a 3D printer printing other 3D printers, (with designs being torrented around the internet), Star Trek Replicators, or telling your robot to build an army of other robots then all go mine the planet Venus, and bring the material back to build you a car. That's a political singularity where you no longer need money and it becomes meaningless, so you could afford all the Socialism (moochers) in the world - personally.

[@squee116]

Nothing is free. That's a tenet of capitalism. There is value in labor: collecting the goods, processing or finishing the goods, and selling the goods. There is inherent value in materials: raw or finished. There is no such thing as an end point for capitalism such that goods become free. That very notion is not only foreign to capitalism, but falls in line with other socio-economic models.

[@markmatblutt7861]

There will be always some kind of scarcity, even with replicators. You can never replicate the original of Mona Lisa, seats in the La Scala or that particular plot of land on the shores of Cuomo. Things like that will always have to be distributed somehow, and I don't see any other way than some kind of currency and some kind of pricing system.

[@squee116]

Mark Matblutt Forgot about scarcity, kind of.

[@savvageorge]

Mark Matblutt I think money will always exist but IRONMANAustralia makes a good point. Stuff is getting cheaper all the time. The cost of music is essentially free now, youtube if free, facebook is free, it's only a matter of time till we start seeing free cars and free houses paid for by advertising.

[@squee116]

savvageorge KZbin isn't free. The cost of computers, internet, and our wasted time watching ads counts for something. But music isn't free, it's generally stolen, or put up without the creator's assent. People forget that all the time. If you want to own your own copy of the music, you should be paying for it. In terms of advertising, it's not free. Which is precisely why I pay for services that let me skip ads with membership, like Crunchyroll.

[@Surmar01]

As much as I like Star Trek, TOS, TNG, DS9, Voy, and the Movies, (Except the first movie; how awful it was) I would agree that it is largely Anti-Libertarian, with a spark of Libertarianism here and there from time to time.

[@dogguy8603]

Honestly i loved the Ferengi in DS9

[@NACAM42]

I think Star Trek socialism works because of two very important reasons: limitless free energy and replicators. Also we never really see anything besides the regimented, Starfleet. Who knows what the civilian population is like.

[@allatoonabass1418]

As a die hard Star Trek fan I was shocked and surprised to see it on the list. But you make a couple of good points. Going to have to think on that one.

[@Laceykat66]

No, he doesn't. He was wrong here and it calls into question the rest of the list. As you recall the last few lines of that particular episode. . . SPOCK: There's no question about his guilt, Captain, but does our involvement here also constitute a violation of the Prime Directive? KIRK: We merely showed them the meaning of what they were fighting for. Liberty and freedom have to be more than just words.

[@onepiecefan74]

24 is a terrible choice. Yes Jack breaks the law and tortures constantly but anyone who watched the show knows the consequences of these action. This life style completely destroys Jack as man to that by the end of the latest season there's only a shadow of a man whos almost completely consumed by the monster these actions and lifestyle has created. Jack is possible the best and most tragic example of the old saying "he who fights monsters must see that in the processes he doesn't become a monster" in modern television/film. Theres nothing anti libertarian about that.

[@TheIrishny]

Yeah, but we're still supposed to see him as some sort of "hero"

[@onepiecefan74]

TheIrishny We see him as a hero but the show rarely approves of his methods and never asks the audience to. Maybe some the earlier seasons did right after 9/11 but the vast majority dont.

[@wlinden]

NerveAMVMaker But on "24", people always tell the truth under torture.

[@theprofessorfate6184]

You sound like the Bush/Oblamer administration. I'm sure if Jack had used drones to kill suspects in crowded AM/PM's you would have found that acceptable as well.

[@onepiecefan74]

Will Linden Thats not the point. 24 isn't saying "torturer should be the policy of the US". Its saying torture may help this man complete his mission but it will eventually destroy the man in the process. 24 (to my surprises) is a far more sophisticated and nuanced show then it gets credit for.

[@Archone666]

I have to say that I agree with pretty much every single one here except Star Trek. Granted, the original series was a bit... bumpy, given that it was the rough initial version from which other, better shows (TNG, DS9) arose, but at the heart of it Star Trek is VERY libertarian. People are free in the Federation, truly free. They can learn whatever they want, do whatever they want. They're protected both from oppressive government regimes AND oppressive corporate predators. In DS9 Sisko goes to Earth to oppose an attempt to create a military dictatorship, and spends some time with his father (a recurring character in other episodes as well), who is a great Cajun chef with his own restaurant. They DO have commerce, it's just that things are set up so that people can pursue their dreams rather than doing whatever will pay the bills (imagine how Earth would have been impoverished had Chef Sisko been too busy working retail to titillate palates with his shrimp creole?). We even see actual competition within not just the Federation, but also Starfleet - Picard and the other officers didn't get their jobs due to nepotism, they got them by working their butts off. Picard isn't just a ship's captain, he's a highly regarded archeologist who gives lectures attended by the leading experts in the field (and then Q shows up because... he's bored). When Picard tries to change a past mistake (with Q's help) he realizes that his past "mistake" taught him to push himself and be courageous, without which he would have never made it past ensign (and that lesson was Q's intent all along). When Troi decides she'd like to be promoted, Riker's response is NOT "well, we were lovers and I still want to get back together, so sure," it was "here's a very rigorous set of tests you will have to pass before I even THINK about letting you be in charge of other peoples' lives."

[@greghannibal]

Wow, he actually said that on the newsroom? And people still took the show seriously??

[@downstream0114]

I'd say victim blaming, re clothing, in so many rape cases warrants them being called the American Taleban. You can wear a niqab and still get raped. Religious extremism is very prevalent in the US. www.dayswithoutagoprapemention.com/

[@Barskor1]

States are not libertarian ideas governments forcing tubes into you is not libertarian, expecting other people to pay for you medical procedures is not libertarian, killing people you create in your body willingly is not libertarian.

[@theprofessorfate6184]

Newsroom is the absolute worst. You should have mentioned Law and Order where violence and extortion are a hallmark of supposed good police work.

[@Cheapshot420420]

boo, the original law and order has judges that punish the police for that sort of thing. convictions and evidence get thrown out because police violate rights. they show the cops make mistakes, and end up paying for it. police brutality always gets taken seriously by the DA in that show.

[@theprofessorfate6184]

***** But you notice it doesn't stop it from h appening.

[@Cheapshot420420]

TheProfessor Fate so what? it points out that police go beyond their allowed authority. its realistic, instead of showing them as perfect, or innately evil. its balance.

[@theprofessorfate6184]

***** I want solutions, not reality programs.

[@Cheapshot420420]

TheProfessor Fate its TV show... not a civil rights movement.

[@UnknownXV]

West Wing. Watching that show, as a libertarian, makes you want to punch your own eye sockets out. Torture rarely works, but If I was forced to watch a whole season of that show, there's no way I'd hold out.

[@eltonrobb6208]

Why do you think, I didn't watch the West Wing?

[@Chronoflation]

It does make for a fine case study of how neo liberal dems operate under the absolute best of circumstances. Combine it with the episodes of NCIS where the government is covering stuff up and pissing off the main characters, like that one where Gibbs quits in season 3 or 4 (I think) and it's just like, okay there's the idealistic "good" and some blatant bad. I mean, it's all propaganda, but it's whatever as long as you stay aware of that fact

[@RyderSpearmann]

Sorry, don't see the star trek choice. Don't fuck with people (the prime directive) is pretty damned libertarian.

[@PenguinJockey13]

I think the point they are making is that, despite the libertarian prime directive of "don't intervene", the Federation frequently breaks the prime directive by intervening. It is a pretty solid, deliberate, contemplation of the juxtaposition and struggle of the ideology. There's an interesting, but unverified, potential hidden meaning behind why the main ship is called "Enterprise"... think about it.

[@88michaelandersen]

Yeah, the federation seems pretty messed up with its lack of currency or pay, socialized everything, and the inability to leave sovereign states alone, even though the rule to leave these planets alone is their "prime directive."

[@KuraIthys]

The prime directive is easy to misunderstand though. Here's some obscure, poorly understood points that the various star trek series have made about the prime directive over the years: Let's start with the most basic and important. 1. The prime directive only applies to Starfleet, and the federation government. Federation citizens don't have to obey it. (See TNG - Angel One) 2. It primarily protects 'primitive' civilisations from interference. (primitive being defined as a civilisation that has yet to discover warp travel). 3. For warp-capable societies, it no longer applies if the society in question explicitly asks the federation for help. (for pre-warp civilisations it may demand that you cannot offer help even if the society in question is about to go extinct.) 4. It specifically applies to not interfering in INTERNAL affairs. Intervening in a civil war or even genocide entirely within the bounds of a sovereign nation (say if the cardassians were killing their own people) is not allowed. However, interfering when one society is messing with another. (ooh, say, what the Cardassians were doing to the bajorans) may be justified. Alsow worth remembering a lot of episodes are specifically centred around the difficulty of balancing the morality of a non-interference policy with that of having to sit by and do nothing while really horrible things are happening, even though you could easily intervene and stop them. To give an extreme example, let's say there was a spaceship in orbit during WW2 that could have easily stopped ww2 and all the horrible things that it involved from happening, but were told they werent' allowed to interfere... Who could comfortably sit there and do nothing? And who would break the rules of their own society that they swore to uphold to do what they personally thought was the right thing to do? The tension between your own sense of morality, and the implied morality of the society you represent is an interesting one dramatically. Having the prime directive and never having anyone violate it for any reason would be more consistent, but it would be less interesting dramatically...

[@BigDogCountry]

We come in peace; shoot to kill.

[@RyderSpearmann]

"We come in peace; shoot to kill." Those are very libertarian ideas.

[@buck7268]

At least with the later series', the whole Federation vs. Borg conflict was the ultimate fight between individualism versus collectivism, and that was pretty cool. I think they celebrated individualism a lot more in Voyager in particular with the Borg, Seven of Nine, the Q, etc.

[@thedarkconservatarian6806]

Anyone remember that one scene from Newsroom about how he talks about how the US is not the greatest country in the world but was? Now that I watched him make that "American Taliban" comment, that makes me regret pressing the like button for that viral clip.

[@voltaire5427]

+Zack Edwards Seriously.

[@mzk1489]

You should have known better.

[@thedarkconservatarian6806]

mzk1 I've never seen Newsroom so I didn't really know any better.

[@cheryllwaldrop9732]

Even children knew that Captain Planet was absurd. Greedy and/or successful people are not interested in killing the golden goose. They would be more likely to try to extend its life span.

[@GokuFievel32]

LAW AND ORDER the villain is always some business guy never the punk.

[@goriverman]

Your probably right Nick but i still love Star Trek and 24 anyway. Great shows

[@chaseforliberty]

I know it's unlibertarian, but I am a huge Trekkie.

[@gabbar51ngh]

We all know to truly achieve a Star Trek like world, most of the things have to be privatized

[@voluntarism335]

@@gabbar51ngh All of the things have to be privatized otherwise you support slavery, if you support a Government existing then you support slavery, this makes you a bad person.

[@uriituw]

I hate propaganda masquerading as entertainment.

[@RainierGuide174]

I've never seen the Newsroom but when I see that face all I can think of is "hey you wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?"

[@AndriusMazeika]

I think Monday Night Football was a lazy choice. There might be parts of the NFL that might be "anti-Libertarian," but that's not exactly present when players are on the field playing the game...

[@magustrigger9195]

Andy Mazeika dont forget the tele promamtor reading personality that has armed gaurds telling us we shouldntvown guns....

[@usffan5775]

This didn't age well...

[@AndriusMazeika]

@@usffan5775 LOL My comment referred to what had occurred in the past up until that moment. Point taken though!

[@usffan5775]

@@AndriusMazeika a lot has changed in 6 years.. I was a Democrat lol its all good everything changes

[@AndriusMazeika]

@@usffan5775 oh wow - as in past tense? What made you leave the Democrat Party?

[@poduk1263]

What about Family Guy, that episode about the tea party and anarchism was so bad.

[@dreamlandnightmare]

Exactly. Seth McFarlane is essentially Obushma's designated nut-nurser.

[@niksterrr1110]

I'm Libertarian and I love Family Guy.

[@HAL-ov6nv]

Are those cyrillic letters И and З in the background and 0:38?

[@Elbownian]

Zero gravity sex? It's artificial gravity sex dudes, did you even watch the show?

[@IrishCarney]

Newt Gingrich had a major fetish for zero-g sex though. Seriously he was a space enthusiast from the start which is fine, especially since he often promoted a more free market oriented approach (like awarding prizes to private sector contenders for achieving milestones instead of just Apollo style government centric efforts) but he just constantly constantly hinted or outright talked about how in space you could have zero-g sex.

[@richardlew3667]

I switched from Star Trek to Stargate SG-1 because I was fed up with Star Trek's arrogance towards our histories and how it always views humanity in a negative light. Star Gate on the other hand, had a more positive perspective of humanity's future while also covering our flaws. It encouraged unity of our people and even added us as the "Fifth Member."

[@sm5574]

Seriously? SG-1 is the poster child for the "Liberal Character Is Always Right" syndrome. I mean, I enjoy SG-1, but Daniel becomes increasingly insufferable as the seasons wear on.

[@andycampbell8622]

You’re the definition of butthurt Caucasian 😅

[@IriathZhul]

Inclusion of the NFL is lame; I wouldn't call that a TV show since it's not scripted (shut up, conspiracy theorists), doesn't follow an episodic format, etc.

[@Timasion]

I agree.

[@BitcoinMotorist]

I like the inclusion of Monday Night Football because it is one of the most popular shows of all time. I can't watch NFL anymore without thinking "corporate welfare" "arbitrary divisions among people" "military flyby" "very specific rules on what constitutes a catch with sometimes comical results" the entire sport is so rigidly structured. It is authoritarian and anti-libertarian.

[@jloesche88]

Reason has a long history of NFL bashing for the sake of NFL bashing. Sure the NFL is one big orgy fueled by taxpayer money, but that doesn't excuse the Jack McCoy era of Law & Order not being included.

[@BillyJoe1305]

IriathZhul I'd call it a TV show, as it is: on TV, for entertainment purposes, and I actually have to challenge that individual football games on one program counts as an episodic format. jloesche88 At least Law and Order never stole anyone's house to build their set. Major sports kind of deserve the #1 spot.

[@azapota1]

Your criteria are ridiculous. Plenty of TV shows don't have scripts, and Monday Night Football's status as a regular TV program notwithstanding, football is on every week on the same days. Inclusion of the NFL is not enough; they should include "college" football as well. It's become nothing but a holding pen for the NFL anyway.

[@LynnColorado]

I am considering not watching football anymore but perhaps for a very strange reason: The Romans watched the gladiators kill each other. Is there a correlation?

[@joeeffect10]

Why is this good or bad? Everyone involved seems to do it without force/coercion

[@LynnColorado]

joeeffect10 This is true. Adults are making informed decisions.

[@dreamcore]

Except the citizens forced to pay for the stadiums...

[@davideagen8653]

Nick Gillespie, is that who this guy is hosting this clip? I cannot tell. This guy doesn't have a leather coat only a t-shirt. It cannot be Nick then.

[@rmeddy]

I would've switched Star Trek for West Wing , Star Trek DS9 really subverted Gene's vision to show the underbelly of the federation which save the franchise for me, with great writing and great characters

[@dreamcore]

Indeed, by then Star Trek (DS9) had a far superior sci-fi show to crib off of.

[@davidharrison7825]

I just went on a rant to a friend about the hypocrisy of Star Trek! This cracks me up!

[@Argonnosi]

To be fair to Star Trek, they didn't actually get rid of money until Next Generation. The original still included people actually paying for things, and while no one mentioned how much money the characters made, that's not usually a topic that comes up in most tv shows.

[@NomadJournalistNews]

When your a Bucs fan and your team literally represents "bad"...

[@usffan5775]

There is always next year. You just didn't know it yet

[@brandonnonya3544]

there's no such thing as a left or right libertarian that contradicts the whole party the point of the libertarian as we do not believe in the bullshit that either wing puts front we have our own ideas and we are true conservatives who believe in small government and maximum freedom with minimum taxes we just want to be left alone and able to live our life the way we want to unless we are hurting someone else

[@brandonnonya3544]

+Mostly Compilations anarchist and communist,hmmm didnt know they went hand and hand, your theory seems to have holes..... we do not reject authority just minimal Federal power maximum States rights. the old saying if it's not broken do not fix it has been ignored obviously they have tried to fix it and failed miserably and broke it. we believe in personal responsibility and that you should be able to live your life as long as it does not affect others directly, Thomas Jefferson once said if it does not pick my pocket nor break my leg why do I care he also said those who are willing to trade Liberty for security deserve neither Liberty nor security. the fugio said mind your business the Statue of Liberty was presented to us by France because we were an experiment of Freedom that worked. now we are despised by the world trying to police the globe every social program the government has gave out has failed miserably and we are 19 trillion dollars in debt obviously big government does not work.

[@brandonnonya3544]

+Mostly Compilations I have said it before but obviously you cannot read libertarian does not mean Anarchy we believe in authority of the state. Federal government to be minimal the states have more than enough efficiency to control the laws and rights of their citizens that is why each state has their own Constitution it is not a fantasy it is perfectly possible but there had to be a lot of changes for it to work but too bad people with your mindset who feel that they need to be babysat and hand held throughout their life cannot realize that ultimate freedom is achievable there are going to be people who would take advantage of it but it would be the state's right to punish those people and if you feel that you or being wronged by the state the Supreme Court is always available that is how this country was set up there was no Republican or Democrat this imposterous notion that this country is a democracy is wrong and hilarious I'm curious what is your political affiliation

[@jonnyhan]

There is absolutely a thing called right wing libertarian, especially as the wings are classified in the US.

[@arcanekrusader]

That Captain Planet was disgraceful!

[@emptyseeMACHINE]

It isn't clear if Star Trek's Star Fleet is a governmental organization or a capitalistic "Enterprise." It is never said. There is never mention of citizens electing the Federation Counsel which has always made me think of it is a quasi military-exploration business. People join freely and go around the galaxy helping people. Often fighting for individual liberty. Also just because they don't use "money" doesn't mean they haven't adopted an even better economic system.

[@billvojtech5686]

I think they're on a social credit system. The hot shots in starfleet are well taken care of, but earthbound slobs don't have the same perks.

[@HVACSoldier]

Once you go “green,” you’ll never turn mean.

[@kmg501]

The Star Trek pick is going to piss a lot of people off but it is totally appropriate. I grew up with Star Trek and loved it but then I was a sucker for nearly all sci-fi. Anyway, Star Trek was a commie show through and through. No doubt about it.

[@voluntarism335]

Star trek supports slavery

[@BoyNamedSue4]

I remember Captain Planet. The show everyone only watched because it was the only cartoon on during that time slot

[@AngryHateMusic]

Legalese definition: Understand; agreeing to accept someones authority. "Do you understand the charges against you?" means, do you accept I have the authority to levy these charges against you?

[@jmbraunling1928]

Jack B. has a lot in common with Santa Clause; how do you find a job where you work one day each year? Oh yes, the government.

[@dreamlandnightmare]

How is "House of Cards" libertarian? (I've never seen it.) I thought it was about a corrupt politician?

[@MartinWillett]

I think the idea that everything that makes politicians look bad is somehow good for the libertarian cause.

[@dreamlandnightmare]

Martin Willett Which is nonsense. Usually, things that make politicians look bad, are trying to say we need socialist/liberal politicians.

[@MartinWillett]

***** I'd be surprised if this was the intention of House of Cards, it was originally a novel written by a British Conservative politician, there was no agenda involved other than titillation to sell more books.

[@dreamlandnightmare]

Martin Willett Well, like I said, I've never seen the show (nor have I read the novel). Just wondered why it was dubbed libertarian.

[@paul1964uk]

***** I remember before Obama was first elected and it was reported that he thought _The Wire_ was the best show in TV. (_The Wire!_ He clearly hadn't been watching the same hard bitten satire of governmental malfeasance and corruption and was presumably told to say he enjoyed it by someone on his staff)

[@RetroRobotRadio]

The Prime Directive only applies to PRIMITIVE races. Races on similar levels of technology are fair game. Also, you should remember that the show depicts the future from the deck of a military vessel. It's about as representative of what the average life is like in the future as a show set on the command deck of an aircraft carrier shows us what American life is like today.

[@zackcoggins9752]

The Enterprise is not a military vessel. It is a well armed exploration vessel. The Federation follow the doctrine of "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it," when it comes to arming their vessels. Just because you are peaceful doesn't mean the people you meet are going to be. It can be used in military exercises, but so can a common pistol. The only true warships the Federation has produced were the Defiant class ship, which was not the main focus of DS9, and the experimental Prometheus class ship featured in one episode of Voyager.

[@RetroRobotRadio]

@@zackcoggins9752 if it walks like a military vessel and it talks like a military vessel it's a military vessel. I don't care how much of a hippie Gene Roddenberry was he wrote about the military.

[@zackcoggins9752]

@@RetroRobotRadio - I guess everybody with a firearm is a member of a military now. An interesting concept.

[@RetroRobotRadio]

@@zackcoggins9752 or perhaps everyone with military ranks from admiral to ensign who drives a gigantic well-armed ship has military tribunals and conducts Wars is part of the military? The Enterprise even mentions that some of the people on the ship are civilians... So if some of the people are civilians the rest must be non civilians, aka Military? Let me put the burden on you. What would Starfleet missing and need to add in order to qualify as a military?

[@zackcoggins9752]

​@@RetroRobotRadio - Sweet. I just need to own a gun and call myself an admiral to be military. Thank goodness that doctrine and intent are irrelevant. Starfleet's existence in meant to be a coordinated effort for exploration and peaceful diplomacy. They have ranks, and separate their members from "civilians" as a means to maintain chain of command. Ship crew should be separated from non-crew, as it is more efficient, effective, and safe. They do accept the role of military in times of crisis, but that is not their main function nor purpose. If reacting to offensive violence done to makes you military, then every civilian militia is a military. The Defiant and the Prometheus are military vessels. Or more accurately, they are warships. As they were built for the specific purpose of warfare. The former against the Borg, the latter against the Dominion. They have zero civilian populations, the majority of their equipment is meant for the purpose of war, and every crewman is tasked with the operation/defense of the ship itself. Scientific advancement is at most an indulgence for the vessel's purposes, and only done so when there is nothing else available and nothing more important to do. The Enterprise explicitly separates its non-crew population from the crew population in times of need. If the Enterprise were a true military vessel, they wouldn't have non-essentials like children and spouses, and scientists would only be on board as a means of escort. Even Sisko was disgusted at the necessity of the Defiant, as it goes against the spirit of Starfleet. Also, the Enterprise was meant to be a flagship of the whole Federation. An exemplification of _all_ scientific advancement. Including weaponry. The only reason the Defiant has better guns is due to having weapons systems and AI specifically designed for them.

[@concernedcitizen6577]

I don't think 24 is anti-libertarian but quite the opposite. Jack Bauer broke many government imposed silly rules to do what's necessary. He does not work for the government, but often, the government holds him back or work against him from doing what's good for the people.

[@CellLord01]

+Ray C Torture is good for the people!

[@Whoo711]

Does the Newsroom at least get a few points for the anchor's awesome rant in the first episode about the bullshit of "American exceptionalism"? ;)

[@UnknownXV]

Yeah, it was a good speech, good acting too.

[@yuzurname]

I thought "cops" would have been # 1

[@pashagolshan6490]

Aw c'mon, Cops isn't that bad, It doesn't fantisize authority like CSI does!

[@shanedk]

If you were going to pick a Star Trek, it should have either been Next Gen or Voyager.

[@voluntarism335]

Why Voyager? If you think about Voyager they had to make do with what they had and engage in voluntary trade, the show would have been the same if instead the ship being owned by a Government it was owned by a private company, there is nothing wrong with a voluntary hierarchical structure and the ships captain can set any rules he or she likes on the ship.

[@goldenheartOh]

I always thought Captain Planet was a hilarious parody of liberals: They do what little they can on their own, stick their noses in where they don't belong, but when things get too tough, they call on someone else much more powerful (i.e. Captain Planet/the gov't) to get things done & enforce their will on others.

[@studinthemaking]

Anything on CNN or MSNBC?

[@mmcorvi]

The Prime Directive says that the Federation cannot interfere with civilizations that don't have warp drive! Get it right!

[@LudvigIndestrucable]

that was a lot of by-catch in that captain planet clip

[@tmyte6896]

Captain planet had a mullet. That's all I am going to contribute to this discussion.

[@MrSophire]

I use to Captain Planet because even as a kid I enjoyed poking holes in their messages. My siblings would watch and question everything. Great for critical thinking.

[@jessejauregui]

I love Star Trek 🖖🏼

[@YamadaJisho]

I don't care. I still love Star Trek.

[@dmbook]

What does Heaton about trek being here

[@adamthornton7880]

_Star Trek_ just seems really confused to me about what it is trying to say about economics. At times it looks like the Federation is a post scarcity society that has moralized the very concept of being motivated by financial concerns. It really doesn't seem to be specific economic policies that offend 24th century sensibilities, but the basic idea that economics would be a motive for anything, which you may recognize as a completely ridiculous standard to apply to current society. Then again, the main cast are consistently shown to care deeply about their own careers, and this is consistently portrayed as normal and positive. As far as we can tell the federation only developed its distaste for the pursuit of wealth after becoming post-scarcity, yet they condemn less economically developed cultures for not already having the same attitudes. And of course the Prime Directive makes no sense at all. Personally, I don't think the writers had any clear idea what they wanted to say on the matter. I think they just wanted to say that future humanity had a superior morality, without going to the trouble of working out what such an advanced morality might look like, or depicting it consistently.

[@isair81]

I think you can also go ahead and add any variation of the "Law & Order" series to the list, or CSI, or NCIS and.. (yeah, the list is virtually endless).

[@christianfreedom-seeker934]

Nope. Law and Order and NCIS aren’t anti-Liberty. They are anti-terrorist. Any sensible Libertarian wants effective police who will run down the bad guys and leave law-abiding citizens alone.

[@savgal1211]

yeah, but if you DON"T like 24? Jack will kill Ya!! I love 24!!

[@onepiecefan74]

Me too.

[@georgecataloni4720]

Fuck 24 and Jack Bauer! I have a gun so I can say whatever I want!

[@squee116]

It's not about liking the shows, it's about recognizing they break with libertarian ideals. The propositions can be mutually exclusive.

[@timothygray7798]

That whole first section of clips from the NFL (2:05 - 2:24) are taken straight from a Bad Lip Reading video. Am I the only one who noticed that?

[@timothygray7798]

Here's the proof: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJTIXoSKbLJ6iac

[@RonDesGroseilliersJr]

I'm surprised that "The Dailiy Show" didn't make the list.

[@radiantjet418]

I have to agree with the list! Also a lot of Americans are turning the TV off and for good reason. Most TV shows are nothing more than government propaganda! I turned my TV off 6 years ago. Not having to pay a $100 dollar cable bill saves me a lot of money now.

[@matthewrichardson828]

I watched Star Wars, all 6 movies, over the last couple weeks with my 4yo son who's getting into them. Being grown up, and having new optics, I love the libertarian over-tones the movies have.

[@Visfen]

Think you should have picked West Wing over The Newsroom. If you want to point out that the screen-writer and narcisstic coke-addict is over-political that comes trough just as well in West Wing.

[@xxxCrackerJack501xxx]

Deep Space 9 both serves as a critique of the Star Trek world and it's philosophy in a lot of ways while also showing the merits/ideals of the franchise but in a less preachy way most of the time. It's by far the best show in the franchise

[@vonneely1977]

Wow, talk about about a half-assed propaganda piece.

[@HeatForce]

firefly...:'(

[@squee116]

Wasn't firefly libertarian?

[@HeatForce]

Yes but they mentioned in the description that they should have added it to their last video.

[@Youtubeaccount369]

i dont get why people have such a hard on for this show... it was just okay. but then again maybe i just don't fall into that sci-fi crowd that loves stuff like star trek, battlestar galactica, stargate, etc etc

[@squee116]

gayfuckoffyoutub1000 What other sci-fi shows are there? I liked the characters and humor on Firefly, I liked the setting and universe that was created, I liked the back story, and I wanted to see where it was going. I can't say much else about a half-season show and a movie.

[@JeffDeWitt]

Yep, Firefly. A tramp freighter crewed by people who were on the losing side in a battle against an overbearing central government. Great show, I wish it hadn't been killed off.

[@danielc9312]

The reason I liked Star Trek Deep Space 9 was because it was the opposite of Gene Roddenberry's utopian commie vision.

[@rredhawk]

Star Trek was actually the first show that came to my mind when I saw the title of this video. One episode, called "A Piece of the Action", involves the enterprise and it's crew forcing an admittedly highly dysfunctional culture to submit to the Federation--literally at gunpoint (or phaser point)--in order to save them from themselves. After subduing this culture, Kirk then proposes a 33% tax on the planet, with the benevolent intention of re-investing these funds back into the culture from whence they were taken. As a liberal kid I LOVED this episode and it's message. Now, not so much. An epilogue involving conservative/libertarian members of the Federation lowering Kirk's original 33% down to, say, 25% would've made the episode a bit more palatable. Oh well.

[@chrnjf8ilk.]

cough cough, COPS, cough cough

[@erinwalker6185]

Laser Cat I watch "Cops"just to see if my friends are going to be on the show,LOL

[@jeffreyanderson667]

being a libertarian doesn't mean you can't put a little effort and money into your hair and wardrobe when you're going to make a public appearance. Just saying.

[@about37ninjas]

"I want it now! I want cake now..... I want it now!"

[@serban254]

You are ignoring NCIS

[@dreamlandnightmare]

Almost every single crime/spy drama on TV these days is anti-libertarian/pro-government propaganda. This list should devote one of the spots to encompass ALL of these shows. The original CSI (Vegas) is about the only that never really gets political or seems to push agendas.