Prevent the incalculable loss of life it would take to invade mainland japan.
Plato was probably talking about a Democratic government which is composed of several leaders that are in-charge of particular cities and communities in a country. During his time, Plato is a known philosopher who spent his time discussing with people in plazas and squares arguing about almost anything under the sun.
(Advertisement for radios, published in 1923).
In short, Libertarians believe the government should never violate an individuals rights (socially liberal), and should be extremely limited its power, especially in regards to the economy (economically conservative).
Carried forward, Libertarians generallysupport gay rights, a woman's right to choose ("pro-choice"), and an individuals privacy (opposed to the Patriot Act, and to a degree also opposed to the CIA). Anything that expands the individuals' rights, Libertarians support.
Economically, Libertarians generally believe that Capitalism should be unregulated. There are some blatant problems with monopoly and scams (i.e. Ponzi schemes), and a certain number of Libertarians believe there ought to be some regulation.
In a similar vein, Libertarians generally are opposed to the power of the monopoly called government. As a political philosophy, Libertarians believe the government should exist only to protect the liberties of its citizens. A strong military is acceptable, but Libertarians favor the philosophy of the founding fathers - nonintervention.
These "policies" are only as I understand them, and should not be taken as representative of all Libertarians.
