Will the Right Find Libertarianism?

The Atlantic ^ | Mar 18 2010 | Wendy Kaminer

[presidio9]

"Freedom" has long been a right-wing rallying cry for self-identified patriots ranging from John Birchers to tea party protesters to increasingly extreme members of the Republican establishment. They're particularly passionate about the freedom to own and openly carry guns and freedom from federal taxation (but not necessarily federal benefits). Otherwise, their most consistent attachments to freedom tend to be rhetorical, unless freedom means restricting reproductive choice, same-sex relationships, medical marijuana, or sexually explicit speech and permitting discrimination against people who do not acknowledge Jesus as their savior. For some prominent conservatives -- like John McCain, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, and Dick Cheney -- freedom also entails the establishment of a national security state empowered to arrest and imprison summarily people suspected of terrorism and to spy on people suspected of nothing in particular, thanks to a ubiquitous but largely invisible surveillance system.

There are, of course, exceptions to this statism. The CATO Institute, generally associated with the right because of its commitment to free markets, is equally, if less notoriously, committed to civil liberty. CATO is unusual in its consistent libertarianism, which means, however, that (like Reason magazine), it is a creature of neither the right nor the left. A recent CATO report estimates that some 14 percent of Americans also qualify as libertarian, meaning that they're fiscally conservative and socially liberal (although it's unclear if fiscal conservatives who believe "the less government the better" are willing to surrender their own government benefits, from Pell grants to Medicare).

Libertarians are labile voters,

[rob777]

"Big L libertarians are pro-abortion."


The official position of the LP is and a majority of LP mambers probably are, but there is a significant number of even big "L" Libertarians who see support for abortion as inconsistent with the libertarian rejection of force and agression as a means of achieving social ends.

[Dead Corpse]

Not bloody likely. Second Amendment, free markets, and private property Rights are huge divides with the political Left.

[Dead Corpse]

Can I have my androstenedione back too please?

[misterrob]

And as long as you want to grow and expand the government beyond the limits of the constitution that means you are a fraud if you want to call yourself a conservative.

[misterrob]

Nothing wrong with representing our interests in the world. Nation building under Clinton was unacceptable too

[Dead Corpse]

If it's human, killing it is murder. Roe v Wade needs to be over turned. Federal funding for abortion providers must end.

All Libertarian positions. The "LP is pro-choice" argument is crap.

[Drango]

Losertarians looking to split the GOP vote. Just like the greens peeled of the left flank of the Democrats. Same thing, different moonbats.

[Fiji Hill]

After WWII the conservatives were critical partners with interventionist Democrats

Which conservatives? Democrats ran the show.

[misterrob]

And as a limited government type I will not vote for candidates that want to go beyond what the constitution allows them.

[bamahead]

The quote you provided is from a 1975 interview published in the leading libertarian magazine. At the time, Reagan was challenging a Republican incubant, and looking for all the votes he could get. He tries as hard as he can to say something nice about libertarianism. In the end, he concedes that there are differnces between Conservatism and Libertarianism, and the he is not a Libertarian.

So basically, you're calling Reagan a liar now, in order to save your own face in the wake of your lies.

Now, you're not only showing yourself as a liar...you're showing that you're willing to denegrate a man that you supposedly venerate in order to cover your own ass.

That's pretty much all I needed, thanks!

[SoCalPol]

Will the Right Find Libertarianism?

A euphemissm for

Will the Right Find the Neo Left?

[rob777]

"The quote you provided is from a 1975 interview published in the leading libertarian magazine. At the time, Reagan was challenging a Republican incubant, and looking for all the votes he could get. He tries as hard as he can to say something nice about libertarianism."


I have heard this spin before and it makes Reagan look like an unprincipled political prostitute who only says what he does to attrack votes. I am personla friends with the founder of the Ethan Allen Institute here in Vermont. He was a senior advisor to Reagan when he was in the WH and a speech writer for him before that. He claims was that Reagan's fidelity to libertarianism was deeper than just about any other modern president. The recognition of a connection between libertarianism and American conservatism goes well beyond Reagan. The modern conservative movement in America began as a fusion of libertarians, traditionlists and anti-communists. The fact that partisans of each of these strands of conservatism often try and excommunicate members of the other stands does not alter the fact that all three strands were part of the founding of the American conservative movement.

[carenot]

Well said.

[kbennkc]

I'd prefer to see the libertarians aligning themselves with the left, and see if they can reign them in on spending a bit.

I would prefer looking through iron sights to see totalitarians of the left and right up against the wall .

[bamahead]

PS: If you read my original response, you’d realize I never said Reagan claimed he was libertarian, as you claim, along with your other falsehoods.

But he did recognize it as an ally, unlike you.

[bamahead]

Outstanding post! BTTT

[ansel12]

I have heard this spin before and it makes Reagan look like an unprincipled political prostitute who only says what he does to attrack votes.

When you guys keep posting the same little quote from a libertarian interview in which he then proceeds to explain why he is not a libertarian and is a social conservative and strong on national defense from 35 years ago to tell a lie, then of course you have heard reactions to it.

[ansel12]

“Conservatives want everybody to be free to think, say, and do what conservatives want them to think, say, and do. Liberals agree with that sentiment, they just want people to think, say, and do something different.

Libertarians think people should be free to think, say, and do whatever they want — as long as it does not involve the initiation of violence, coercion, or fraud — and to bear the consequences of their actions.”

---

It will take one heck of a lot of “authority” for you to ever impose this agenda on conservative Americans.

Here is the leftists agenda hidden behind the Libertarian Party curtain.

Libertarian Party Platform:

Throw open the borders completely; only a rare individual (terrorist, disease carrier etc.) can be kept from freedom of movement through “political boundaries”.

Homosexuals; total freedom in the military, gay marriage, adoption, child custody and everything else.

Abortion; zero restrictions or impediments.

Pornography; no restraint, no restrictions.

Drugs; Meth, Heroin, Crack, and anything new that science can come up with, zero restrictions.

Advertising those drugs, prostitution, and pornography; zero restrictions.

Military Strength; minimal capabilities.

[bamahead]

Nobody’s telling a lie. But for those who trounce around FR ignorantly proclaiming that the small ‘l’ needs to be purged from the conservative movement...of course it’s always the first salvo. Because it’s a FACT that Reagan saw the alliance as valuable, even if he didn’t agree with everything it promoted. It provides a moment of clarity to those ignorant of that fact.

[bamahead]

And again, you’re failing to make the distinction between the Big L and the small l.

What am I going to do with you? :)