The split between left-leaning and right-leaning libertarians has reached a fever pitch after Jeff Deist, Director of the Mises Institute, gave an iconic speech during his annual Mises University event about “blood and soil” libertarianism, an idea encompassing cultural conservatism as a barricade against state power.
“It is reasonable to believe that a more libertarian society would be less libertine and more culturally conservative — for the simple reason that as the state shrinks in importance and power, the long-suppressed institutions of civil society grow in importance and power,” Deist said.
“And in a more libertarian society, it’s harder to impose the costs of one’s lifestyle choices on others. If you rely on the family or church or charity to help you, they may well impose some conditions on that help.”
While these sentiments may seem benign in nature, they were immediately picked up upon by frenzied analysts at the Cato Institute as inherently racist–filled with dog-whistles that appeal to the alt-right bogeymen that they have imagined is lurking around every corner.
“If you keep saying things like “heil Trump” and “blood and soil” and putting slightly-modified Nazi flags in the backdrop of your [social media picture], you really, REALLY need to stop complaining about the way people react,” Cato analyst Adam Bates wrote on social media in an attempt to equate Deist and his supporters to racists. “Quit pretending you’re being misunderstood. You’re not that smart, and the rest of us aren’t that dumb.”
Fringe academic Steve Horwitz, also connected to Cato, first implied that Deist was a Nazi before launching a bizarre rant bemoaning Ron Paul’s success in growing the libertarian movement.
Comparing Deist’s words to that of Holocaust deniers or sympathizers, Horwitz said, “I await the new [Mises Institute] lecture on how entrepreneurship and personal responsibility help spread liberty, which will surely be titled ‘Work Will Set You Free.'” ‘Work Will Set You Free’ was the slogan posted by the Nazis at Auschwitz and other concentration camps.
Although Horwitz compares “blood and soil” libertarianism to Nazism, he has no problem standing for “blood and soil” when it comes to the state of Israel. Horwitz is an avid Zionist, and sees no hypocrisy in his reflexive defense of nationalism and ethnic pride when defending his beloved Jewish state.
Horwitz followed his Nazi hysteria with a condemnation of Ron Paul saying, “I have no love or admiration for Ron Paul. I think his contributions to building a sustainable libertarian movement are overrated and his role in attracting folks who found the alt right attractive has been damaging.”
This rift within the libertarian movement has been festering for decades, and shows no signs of slowing down. When it is all said and done, libertarians will need to decide whether they are going to choose leaders who want to form common bonds with ordinary people or leaders who want to collect paychecks in Washington D.C. and promote degeneracy. The choice should not be very difficult.
Poster Comment:
I have been critical of libertine libertarians since about '96. At the time I called them Rothbardians, although that was somewhat unfair to Rothbard, as he wasn't a libertine, yet his philosophy required that the rest of society had no recourse against libertines and other cultural Marxists for their acts of subversion -- disallowing even a well deserved punch on the nose as a violation of the "NAP".
They are still extent, although criticism from the alt-right and others over the last 5 years have caused some leading libertarians to adjust their views and promote elements of civil society, including the Church, as fully compatible with libertarianism. Today we have a split between conservatives and libertines, the former late to the party, but better late than never. There are still plenty of libertines who are merely no-tax hedonists bristling at any authority, including the non-state orgs such as the Church.
#1: rlk To: Anthem (#0)
Without entrepreneurship and personal responsibility this nation will dry up and die in a short period. I am disgusted with Jews demanding attention and special intellectual prominance because they bring up the haulocaust. Jews are far from the only people who have experienced a haulocaust. They have only made a lifetime career of bringing it up to receive special attention and prestige/consideration.
rlk posted on 2017-08-04 19:04:01 Reply Private Reply
#2: rlk To: Anthem (#0)
Without entrepreneurship and personal responsibility this nation will dry up and die in a short period. I am disgusted with Jews demanding attention and special intellectual prominance because they bring up the haulocaust. Jews are far from the only people who have experienced a haulocaust. They have only made a lifetime career of bringing it up to receive special attention and prestige/consideration.
rlk posted on 2017-08-04 19:08:12 Reply Private Reply
#3: misterwhite To: Anthem (#0)
Theoretically. Our society was more libertarian in the past, yet somehow the cost of other's choices were imposed on the rest of us. Which, in turn, led to larger government and more laws.
Reality has a tendency to interfere with Libertarianism.
misterwhite posted on 2017-08-04 20:04:56 Reply Private Reply
#4: Anthem To: misterwhite (#3)
My theory is that government busybodies will use any pretext to expand their domain. They get away with ineffective practices because the rhetoric sounds good to the lazy and ignorant who then proclaim that everything that can be done is being done -- because a law was passed. Some will want even more laws passed when the earlier laws proved ineffective. Meanwhile, bookies, pimps, pushers and skid row continue apace.
Anthem posted on 2017-08-04 20:38:04 Reply Private Reply
#5: misterwhite To: Anthem (#4)
Maybe in a dictatorship. But how can any democracy do that against the will of the people?
You act so helpless -- "They" are doing this. "The government" is interfering. "The laws" are unjust.
You have a voice. You have a vote. Do something besides whine and cry.
misterwhite posted on 2017-08-04 20:51:18 Reply Private Reply
#6: buckeroo To: Anthem (#0)
?
Just leave me the FUCK ALONE. My priorities are a good life without any meddling by leftists or rightists of any kind.
buckeroo posted on 2017-08-04 21:13:43 Reply Private Reply
#7: misterwhite To: buckeroo (#6)
Sure. Libertarianism works when life is good. But it fails miserably when life is not so good and you need help.
misterwhite posted on 2017-08-04 21:53:54 Reply Private Reply
#8: Hondo68 To: buckeroo, misterwhite, were from the government, and were here to help (#7)
misterwhite's friends the police "help" a lad strapped to a chair...
https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a37_1501291461
Hondo68 posted on 2017-08-04 22:24:16 Reply Private Reply
#9: buckeroo To: misterwhite (#7)
Is the local SWAT team on your speed dial?
buckeroo posted on 2017-08-04 23:18:10 Reply Private Reply
#10: buckeroo To: misterwhite, tater (#3)
You mean to say a government that administers TERROR that YOU voted for. Its OK to admit your personal guilt of denial. We are all friends on LF, pal, and we want to hear your story about how you were lead astray accepting the US Government to control your personal life and decisions. Here, I will start your story off ... YOU allowed tater to ramshackle you in government closed quarters, behind closed doors.
buckeroo posted on 2017-08-04 23:35:17 Reply Private Reply
#11: Anthem To: misterwhite (#5)
I like your posts though, they remind me that democracy is the lowest common denominator government.
Anthem posted on 2017-08-04 23:49:55 Reply Private Reply
#12: Anthem To: misterwhite (#5)
The outspoken public education advocate, LGBTQ activist and — most recently, B.C. New Democrat candidate for mayor — came inches from becoming the first openly transgender person elected to any level of government in Canada, narrowly losing at the last moment to the B.C. Liberal incumbent, former Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan.
Democracy! Yeah!
Anthem posted on 2017-08-05 00:46:08 Reply Private Reply
#13: misterwhite To: Anthem (#11)
Evidence of what? I said stop whining and take control of your life. You don't live in a dictatorship.
misterwhite posted on 2017-08-05 09:47:05 Reply Private Reply
#14: Anthem To: misterwhite (#13)
Of your reading comprehension would be a good start.
Who cares what you said.
Anthem posted on 2017-08-05 10:02:30 Reply Private Reply
#15: misterwhite To: Anthem (#12)
I'm guessing you got this from your Transgenger Newsletter subscription.
misterwhite posted on 2017-08-05 10:03:02 Reply Private Reply
#16: misterwhite To: Anthem (#14)
Then why ask me questions.
misterwhite posted on 2017-08-05 10:04:07 Reply Private Reply
#17: Anthem To: misterwhite (#15)
Anthem posted on 2017-08-05 10:08:17 Reply Private Reply
#18: Anthem To: misterwhite (#16)
Anthem posted on 2017-08-05 10:09:01 Reply Private Reply
#19: misterwhite To: Anthem (#17)
"... Billy Pilgrim reports that the Tralfamadorians look like upright toilet plungers with a hand on top, into which is set a single green eye ..."
Well, hey. Just the other day I used a Tralfamadorian to unclog my toilet. Was it you?
misterwhite posted on 2017-08-05 10:36:53 Reply Private Reply
#20: Anthem To: misterwhite (#19)
Anthem posted on 2017-08-05 10:45:42 Reply Private Reply
#21: Vicomte13 To: Anthem (#0)
Vicomte13 posted on 2017-08-08 09:51:24 Reply Private Reply