Libertarianism

I have a fair amount of friends who identify as libertarian and I've always enjoyed talking politics with them because they are the least likely, of all political ideologies, to make things personal or heated. All of the ones I've talked to seem to legitimately want a healthy dialogue and that attitude is a very strong force for good in my opinion. I agree with them on some things, and I disagree with them on others but I've never seen or experienced a libertarian talking down to or belittling someone for seeing things differently from them and that's just plain refreshing to witness considering how venomous and dividing talking about politics can get these days. From what I know, there isn't a concise and completely clear platform that all libertarians can be labelled as having (I've met both left and right leaning libertarians) but there are a few positions that most would agree with. Their biggest thing is that they want as little governmental involvement in the lives of people as possible, and while that does come with some positive aspects, there are repercussions of that as well. Less bureaucracy makes everything much simpler, and in some ways that's a good thing, but at the same time, I feel like there are some instances where government involvement is necessary for the common good and that's mainly where I lose most libertarians. Some positions that they hold that I agree with would be their stance on gay marriage, which is that they really don't care since it doesn't infringe on anyone else's freedoms, their views on Marijuana, which is that pot heads aren't hurting anyone and the war on drugs has been a failure, their position on war, which is that we should be as non-interventionalist as possible, and to an extent their position on abortion, which is that, as long as they don't have to pay for it with their own tax dollars, a woman should have the right to make her own choices. I know not every libertarian agrees with all those standpoints but those are views that most libertarians I've talked with hold. Of course, there are some positions that they hold that I disagree with. For instance, many libertarians are prominently pro gun, they believe that the state has no place regulating the sale and who can possess firearms which I fundamentally disagree with. Also, many of the libertarians I've talked with think that the economy should have as few regulations on it as possible, which I strongly disagree with since I've witnessed the harm that basically lawless capitalism can do. Another position that many libertarians have, that is almost synonymous with the ideology in general, can be accurately summed up in short as the statement "taxation is theft!". They view taxation as essentially criminal and morally unjustifiable, which I have to disagree with. While nobody likes taxes, I see them as a necessary evil, and I honestly feel better about myself for paying them knowing that the money is going towards keeping our society running. While I agree with libertarians on some things and disagree with them on others, I can truthfully say that I've never had a bad experience with one. They are generally well meaning people who want everyone in society to do well with as little government involvement which, in and of itself, isn't necessarily a bad idea on paper. The best thing about them, though, is the demeanor that most of them carry. They are some of the most laid back people I've ever met and they are very easy to talk to. In my opinion, libertarians are crucial to societal growth because they bridge the vast divide between left and right and generally seem to want to have thoughtful and healthy dialogue about the issues we face as a society.