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Yeah basically an exercise in futility

Ironically, practically everyone who is an "ancap" today used to not be one and literally did change core beliefs because of what others taught them.

If you can't see eye to eye with someone, it can be worth it to consider whether the issue is on your end.

Why does everyone equate libertarianism with anarchocapitalism? They're completely different.

"Libertarian" is an American word for minarchists and anarchocapitalists (contrasting with the international use of the word "libertarian," I have no idea why this happened, I assume "anarchocapitalism" sounded scary). The difference between minarchists and ancaps is oftentimes illusory once you press them for details.

Wrong. Libertarianism =/= Austrian economics. Libertarianism includes panarchists, georgists, mutualists, agorists, and municipalists.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-libertarianism

There is also what would be considered beltway libertarianism within the chicago school and monetarist school who take a more utilitarian approach to economics and don't believe in a nightwatchmen state or a completely privatized world.

I'm a libertarian anarchist/socialist myself but today in the American mainstream libertarian means minarchist or anarchocapitalist.

Ancaps and minarchists aren't mainstream. The only libertarianism that's even remotely mainstream is the Rand Paul and Gary Johnson types who consider themselves 'fiscally conservative'and 'socially liberal', which is pretty much beltway libertarianism. Everything else is fringe.

haha yeah you are right, I meant that when you say "libertarian" in the American mainstream you are talking about all the "small government" people, AKA "fiscally conservative, socially liberal". Where I disagree with you is that the mainstream libertarians are simply beltway types. They are minarchists at best and ancaps at worst.

Can you name any mainstream ancaps or minarchists. Most politicians that call themselves libertarian are just republicans that act consistently with their small government rhetoric.