Libertarianism as a concept has a lot to like on a surface level, I was right there with you. They could do something great with the movement, but looking around now you eventually realize that there are really only 2 sides of mainstream libertarianism, ‘Republican, but weed and gay people might be okay sometimes’ and ‘Completely avoid personal accountability, but still punish others when it suits me’.
Actual libertarianism is fine. The problem with modern Libertarianism is them trying to shoehorn capitalism into what was a socialist ideology. Its anathema.
But go look up Joseph Dejacque. The man who coined the term and was the first libertarian. He would have scared the bejesus out of the modern libertarian larpers. Stood against all the things they are for. Fought in the French revolution.
Actually libertarianism has a lot going for it, period. Where it falls short is in recognizing that the power wielded by corporations and wealthy people now far surpasses any level which could be self-regulate, or be controlled by “the free market”. So it’s naive in its view of solutions to major issues facing a modern world, but pretty great regarding its interpretations of liberty, and the role of government in people’s lives.
Libertarianism as a concept has a lot to like on a surface level, I was right there with you. They could do something great with the movement, but looking around now you eventually realize that there are really only 2 sides of mainstream libertarianism, ‘Republican, but weed and gay people might be okay sometimes’ and ‘Completely avoid personal accountability, but still punish others when it suits me’.
Actual libertarianism is fine. The problem with modern Libertarianism is them trying to shoehorn capitalism into what was a socialist ideology. Its anathema.
But go look up Joseph Dejacque. The man who coined the term and was the first libertarian. He would have scared the bejesus out of the modern libertarian larpers. Stood against all the things they are for. Fought in the French revolution.
Actually libertarianism has a lot going for it, period. Where it falls short is in recognizing that the power wielded by corporations and wealthy people now far surpasses any level which could be self-regulate, or be controlled by “the free market”. So it’s naive in its view of solutions to major issues facing a modern world, but pretty great regarding its interpretations of liberty, and the role of government in people’s lives.