Libertarians Are the New Communists

[Somerville]

An interesting opinion piece from Bloomberg

Libertarians Are the New Communists

. . . social libertarians aren’t the problem. It is the nihilist anti-state libertarians of the Koch-Cruz-Norquist-Paul (Ron and Rand alike) school who should worry us.

Like communism, this philosophy is defective in its misreading of human nature, misunderstanding of how societies work and utter failure to adapt to changing circumstances. Radical libertarianism assumes that humans are wired only to be selfish, when in fact cooperation is the height of human evolution. It assumes that societies are efficient mechanisms requiring no rules or enforcers, when, in fact, they are fragile ecosystems prone to collapse and easily overwhelmed by free-riders. And it is fanatically rigid in its insistence on a single solution to every problem: Roll back the state!

Communism failed in three strikingly similar ways. It believed that humans should be willing cogs serving the proletariat. It assumed that societies could be run top-down like machines. And it, too, was fanatically rigid in its insistence on an all-encompassing ideology, leading to totalitarianism.

 

[reidster]

This is cute, he uses the Somalia argument. :lol:

The entire argument just stretches the intent of Libertarianism into some sort of extremist anarchist movement.

I could take radical conservatism and radical liberalism and stretch those arguments into "The New Communism."

 

[Medusa]

libertarians : laissez faire minded egoists :mrgreen:

 

[Henrin]

:roll: I smell a hack.

 

[Harshaw]

An interesting opinion piece from Bloomberg

My only question -- is their grotesque mischaracterization of what libertarianism is intentional or borne of reckless disregard for the truth? (And their characterization of communism, for that matter.)

And course, they only cite Republicans and not actual libertarians.

You, for your own part, edited out the term "radical" from "radical libertarians," giving the impression that the article is about all libertarians.

 

[Drake McHugh]

Opposing statists will always generate negative reaction. Bloomberg's publication probably not a great place to get a fair article on libertarians.

 

[Medusa]

Opposing statists will always generate negative reaction. Bloomberg's publication probably not a great place to get a fair article on libertarians.

because capitalist selfishness of free market is negative too

 

[Thrilla]

I'm soo surprised a couple of rich Democratic party progressives hate libertarianism.

 

[reidster]

because capitalist selfishness of free market is negative too

And taking what others have earned is not selfish?

 

[Somerville]

My only question -- is their grotesque mischaracterization of what libertarianism is intentional or borne of reckless disregard for the truth? (And their characterization of communism, for that matter.)

And course, they only cite Republicans and not actual libertarians.

You, for your own part, edited out the term "radical" from "radical libertarians," giving the impression that the article is about all libertarians.

Darn, the "no True Scotsman" argument - how can one answer that? :roll:


I did no editing - the headline is exactly what is found on the Bloomberg page.

 

[Henrin]

And taking what others have earned is not selfish?

Don't you see that you earn too much? It's just not fair to all those poor people. :2razz:

 

[Henrin]

Darn, the "no True Scotsman" argument - how can one answer that? :roll:

What makes you think that Cruz is a libertarian?

 

[Thrilla]

:roll: I smell a hack.

..a pair of them actually.

they aren't rally hacks though...one's a venture capitalist, the other is a former Clinton speechwriter...the both makes money off this stuff..

 

[Medusa]

And taking what others have earned is not selfish?

depends on how they earned .

 

[reidster]

depends on how they earned .

Considering most earn their wages via a completely "legal" job...

 

[Henrin]

depends on how they earned .

Earned seems to be the key word there...

 

[Fletch]

Whats a thread that mischaracterizes libertarians without haymarket?

 

[Hard Truth]

I agree with the excerpt posted in the OP. The libertarian philosophy is unworkable due to human nature and primarily appeals to individual's selfishness. Most libertarians are shallow and lack compassion. They don't want to make society better, they only seek to further their own self interests. However, they are right about a few things, specifically the futility of drug laws and foreign invention.

 

[haymarket]

On a website where people who proudly wear the label RIGHT LIBERTARIAN are as common as hemorrhoids in a senior citizen home, I would expect the true believers to come out of the woodwork and defend their religion against the heretic. After all, that is how things work here. In real life, the label of LIBERTARIAN on an election ballot is like the skull and crossbones on a medicine bottle. On many political websites, its announcing that you have decided to steal the methodology of the Jehovahs Witnesses but instead of doors are using computers to spread the message.

I thought this part of the piece was especially excellent and hit the nail right upon its head

Radical libertarianism, if ever put into practice at the scale of something bigger than a tiny enclave, would also be a disaster.
We say the conditional “would” because radical libertarianism has a fatal flaw: It can’t be applied across a functioning society. What might radical libertarians do if they actually had power? A President Paul would rule by tantrum, shutting down the government in order to repeal laws already passed by Congress. A Secretary Norquist would eliminate the Internal Revenue Service and progressive taxation, so that the already wealthy could exponentially compound their advantage, as the programs that sustain a prosperous middle class are gutted. A Koch domestic policy would obliterate environmental standards for clean air and water, so that polluters could externalize all their costs onto other people.
Radical libertarians would be great at destroying. They would have little concept of creating or governing. It is in failed states such as Somalia that libertarianism finds its fullest actual expression.

Amen brother Amen. Oh wait - thats a religions missionary term. Okay - never mind with the amens. Its just a great and very insightful peace that will bring down the wrath of the faithful so they can get their monthly Von Mises merit badges.

 

[Henrin]

Whats a thread that mischaracterizes libertarians without haymarket?

and..

I agree with the excerpt posted in the OP. The libertarian philosophy is unworkable due to human nature and primarily appeals to individual's selfishness. Most libertarians are shallow and lack compassion. They don't want to make society better, they only seek to further their own self interests. However, they are right about a few things.

Hard Truth

 

[ttwtt78640]

Whats a thread that mischaracterizes libertarians without haymarket?

Like a turd without a fly, its only a matter of time.

 

[haymarket]

Whats a thread that mischaracterizes libertarians without haymarket?

Ahhhh - thanks for thinking of me as the leading enemy of libertarianism here. It is a great compliment even if you have to couch in in a pretend insult.

 

[Fletch]

On a website where people who proudly wear the label RIGHT LIBERTARIAN are as common as hemorrhoids in a senior citizen home, I would expect the true believers to come out of the woodwork and defend their religion against the heretic. After all, that is how things work here. In real life, the label of LIBERTARIAN on an election ballot is like the skull and crossbones on a medicine bottle. On many political websites, its announcing that you have decided to steal the methodology of the Jehovahs Witnesses but instead of doors are using computers to spread the message.

I thought this part of the piece was especially excellent and hit the nail right upon its head



Amen brother Amen. Oh wait - thats a religions missionary term. Okay - never mind with the amens. Its just a great and very insightful peace that will bring down the wrath of the faithful so they can get their monthly Von Mises merit badges.

Oh, thank God. Youre here. I was beginning to worry about you.

 

[reidster]

I agree with the excerpt posted in the OP. The libertarian philosophy is unworkable due to human nature and primarily appeals to individual's selfishness. Most libertarians are shallow and lack compassion. They don't want to make society better, they only seek to further their own self interests. However, they are right about a few things, specifically the futility of drug laws and foreign invention.

How does promoting liberty promote selfishness?

Making the choice to help the poor is so much more important for an individual than being forced to.

It's the choice that changes society, not the force.

 

[Dittohead not!]

This is cute, he uses the Somalia argument. :lol:

The entire argument just stretches the intent of Libertarianism into some sort of extremist anarchist movement.

I could take radical conservatism and radical liberalism and stretch those arguments into "The New Communism."

yes, and right wing authoritarianism into extreme Orwellian statism.