Flibbertigibbet

We're All Anti-Libertarians Now

When people ask me what my politics are, I get a little cagey. It's a personal topic and some people and prone to the screaming, snarking sort of debate they learned from Bill O'Reilly's School of Oratory. I tend to say things like, "my politics are radical" and "Most people would best compare my views to those of the Libertarians, but I am not a Libertarian. I disagree with them, too."

If pressed to provide an explanation, I usually attempt to give a definition of the term freedom (Free from the threat and actuality of force or fraud.) and explain that although the Libertarians claim to be pro-freedom, they fail to agree on what that means exactly.

Freedom to the Libertarian Party (LP) is a "floating abstraction." It's a concept that isn't linked to reality and the actual existence of human beings. They just say it's "a good thing."

As a result, even the shallowest scan of LP membership reveals a host of potheads, anarchists, whore-mongers (literally), free-love moonbats, pacifists, and the like. Obviously, in politics, the anarchists and pacifists are the most immediate concerns, but I present that short list to illustrate the extremely wide philosophical gulf between me and many, if not most, Libertarians.

I've said all of the above before, but I'm saying it again because I want to introduce a very short round-up of posts and articles in which others describe their issue with the Libertarian Party and Libertarianism. (Note the big L as it refers to the party and not the very, very broad term 'libertarian.')

Francisco Gutierrez: Why I no longer identify myself as a Libertarian

My misgivings come from the anti-conceptual nature of the libertarian movement. It is true that my values are the same as those espoused by libertarians, but do we really mean the same thing when we say that we want freedom? That sounds like a silly question, but complicated abstractions like freedom are very much dependent on the conceptual framework used to build up the concept. If you are a socialist, a communist, a fascist, a christian, or an islamist, your concept of freedom will be very different to that of a capitalist. No social movement believes itself to be against freedom, as evidenced by the fact that all armed rebels call themselves freedom fighters whether they happen to be fighting for communism, fascism, islamism, democracy, or capitalism.

Gus van Horn has lots of posts, so here's a line from one of his oldest. Go read the rest of his blog and enjoy.

Newdow is making the same fundamental error as the Libertarians. He thinks that massive political change can be achieved in a republic without a massive change in the dominant philosophy of the people who make up that republic.

Contrary to the Libertarians' wishes, renaming what the people already believe as "liberty" will not magically result in them supporting a proper form of government. Contrary to those of Newdow and his ilk, a few men in black robes will not be able to make them govern themselves properly. Both approaches attempt to substitute a wish for the will of the people. It is this will that must be changed.

Ari Armstrong: Why Principles Matter: A Reply to Norm Olsen

I have made the decision to renounce my membership in the LPCO. I will notify the state board of my intent, and I will register as an unaffiliated voter. The reasons for my decision are described above. I felt it necessary to offer a detailed explanation as to why I am parting with an organization I've been involved with for over four years. I did not make my decision lightly, and it involves issues I've been struggling with for around two years. The LPCO is an ineffective organization headed by moral subjectivists. Several LPCO candidates in 2000, 2002, and 2004 have held positions at odds with the principles of individual rights, and several prominent LPCO members have apologized for those candidates and reacted angrily to principled critics. Ironically, it is precisely because I'm a libertarian (in the morally objective sense) that I must leave the Libertarian Party of Colorado, which has been compromised by subjectivists.

And props to Diana for inspiring this post.

If you have a similar post, let me know and I'd be happy to highlight it with the corresponding link-love.