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Libertarians don’t want to do away with force, just ‘first-strike’ force. If neither of us strike first, no fight is possible. If you are behaving peacefully, and I assault, defraud, or steal from you, then defensive force is permissible in a libertarian society.

— Mary Ruwart Short Answers to the Tough Questions: How to Answer the Questions Libertarians Are Often Asked (2012)

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More quotes by Mary Ruwart

Libertarians support free trade, but it doesn’t take the five hundred plus pages of the NAFTA agreement to say ‘no more restrictions between us.’

Short Answers to the Tough Questions: How to Answer the Questions Libertarians Are Often Asked (2012)

The basic premise of libertarianism is that each individual should be free to do as he or she pleases so long as he or she does not harm others.

Healing Our World: In An Age of Aggression (2003)

Wealth is created when we use existing resources in new ways. Since such creativity is virtually limitless, wealth is too.

Healing Our World: In An Age of Aggression (2003)

As children, we learned that if no one hits first, no fight is possible. Therefore, refraining from ‘first-strike’ force, theft, or fraud, is the first step in creating peace.

Healing Our World: The Compassion of Libertarianism (2015)

Those too poor to own their own home pay no property taxes, but their rent reflects the taxes that the landlord must pay. The poor pay higher rents to subsidize inefficiency and waste.

Healing Our World: In An Age of Aggression (2003)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Mary Ruwart (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.