Shifting to the Left
My colleague Brink Lindsey, author of the excellent book Against the Dead Hand: The Uncertain Struggle for Global Capitalism, has made an interesting proposal in The New Republic, “Liberaltarians.”
Shifting to the Left
My colleague Brink Lindsey, author of the excellent book Against the Dead Hand: The Uncertain Struggle for Global Capitalism, has made an interesting proposal in The New Republic, “Liberaltarians.”
Highly problematic approach in my view. I understand and respect libertarians who wish to stand apart from the left/right framework but openly seeking an alliance with the left seems to me not just pointless but also dangerous and bound to end on disappointment for the libertarian side.
At heart, today’s left (even most moderates) is anti free trade, anti capitalist, pro government regulation of anything they can get their teeth into and pro all forms of social engineering (both through the welfare state and government intervention in education). It is also increasingly anti free speech because of political correctness.
I can (maybe) see the rationale for joining forces on a few very specific issues (ending subsidies to agriculture comes to mind) but not much more than that.
“Furthermore, it has become increasingly clear that capitalism’s relentless dynamism and wealth-creation–the institutional safeguarding of which lies at the heart of libertarian concerns–have been pushing U.S. society in a decidedly progressive direction.”
This sort of historical materialism is very common in libertarians but it always strikes me as tremedously odd. Obviously material conditions matter and interact with other factors but the sort of determinism implied in many statements libertarians make about “wealth-creation” or “technology” pushing societies in this or that direction seems rather awkward and unfounded.
I would also say that it is a position more fitting for marxists than for people who truly (and rationally, I presume) believe in the power of ideas.
Bravo AAA!!!
Keeping our autonomy is better than looking for wrong alliance.
Shifting left or right is the same shame for our ideas, principles and values.
We have to defend our line for the future of free world.
Brilliant analysis, but are the Democrats interested in this?
And is there any hope that the GOP comes to its senses?
Which major Democrats or Republicans are interested in libertarianizing their party right now?
Fitting that Lindsay should publish in the TNR. On the crucial issue of the day, the TNR and Lindsay are peas in a pod.