As with most people, my introduction to libertarian thought began with Ayn Rand. But unlike many people it didn’t end there either. Rand’s books have always been semi-popular; ranking in the lower triple digits on Amazon and constantly in print. But with the rise of the Tea Party Movement, her books are back in center stage, pushed by the times and by conservative book of the month clubs, that flog Beck, Levitt, Kristol, Palin ect. to the heights of the best-seller lists.
At the time of publication, her work stood athwart global currents that all seemed to be pushing relentlessly towards a centrally controlled economic Leviathan as an ‘ideal’ way to organize society. Because of her vantage point as an economically-advanced Jew living in Ukraine during the rise of Soviet power, her books are filled with a moral indignity that served well to expose the inhumanity of the socialist model and popularize her idealized moral-captain of Industry.
However, Rand had two fatal flaws, which in her lifetime limited her appeal into the political mainstream. One was her personality, which has been noted far and wide for its ability to peel the paint off any room she entered. It drove away admirers and gave critics an easy target to screed against. The other was that she was a dyed in the wool atheist. And this made her untenable to much of the GOP movement, at the time centered on Barry Goldwater, with whom she shared an ardent anti-Communism sentiment.
And thus, Libertarianism was regulated to the ‘other parties’. It became a popular fringe movement that associated, and became associated with, other fringe movements. Like the neo-leftist New Party AND the American National Socialist Workers Party in Delaware! But as allies are apt to do, the shortcomings were overlooked and the movement keeps moving, but never growing.
Meanwhile, in the Ivory Towers libertarian thought took on a new respectability with Hayek winning the Nobel in 1973 and Milton Freedman shortly after that. Other notable academics included the great Ludwig van Mises. Together they started the study of Austrian Economics, funded the Reason Foundation, and opened the CATO Institute.
But alas, two other Academics, Murry Rothbard and Lew Rockwell, saw an opening in 1992, and sought to establish a viable 3rd party they only way they saw possible, by combining all the ‘fringe groups’ under one banner. And who was the standard bearer of that banner? Pat Buchannan.
And here is my problem with Libertarianism. As an academic, moral, and political philosophy it is very convincing and powerful. I would even argue it is ‘true’. But as a political movement ideology it has toxified itself by association. Far too often libertarian arguments are employed to defend racists and unjust policies. Often times, the speaker isn’t even aware of the full implications what they are saying. Furthermore, Rand, Hayek, Mises, and Friedman all recognized that the government does exist, and should be dealt with as such. To pretend like every government action is a stepping stone to absolute state control is asinine. Ever since Rome, the government has built the roads. Three of the biggest insurers in America are Medicare, Medicaid and the VA. Then to argue that the US Healthcare SQ is great, but that the government should not play a role is to willfully deny reality.
After reading my Rand, following up on Hayek, and understanding what it means to be ‘conceived in liberty’, to me, Libertarianism says that the IDEAL world is one where government is no longer necessary. But we don’t live in that world. And as such, the better libertarian thinkers, like David Freedman, have been proposing libertarian minded policy; like ending the ‘War on Drugs’, reforming our penal system, or proposing Free Trade in both goods and labor to update NAFTA and US immigration. Yet, the people reading Ayn Rand today, who shout Socialism! at the top of their lungs, wouldn’t even consider a single one of those Freedman suggestions. ‘War on Drugs’ is tough on crime, prisoners OUGHT to be raped (it’s a feature not a bug), and why do we need more brown people?
To put it in a phrase: everyone favors liberty until their privilege is in jeopardy, and then no one does.
