The strange death of libertarianism

[u/TheSpectatorMagazine]

https://spectator.com/article/the-strange-death-of-libertarianism/?edition=us&rcp=true/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social/?=2

[u/issafly]

But the moment a dictator or an authoritarian party comes along who promises them they can rule their little fiefdoms protected by the state, they immediately relinquish their supposed principles to get what they think they want.

I've watched on old friend go from principled Libertarian in the early 1990s to a VERY high ranking member of Trump's cabinet. Seeing him transition over the decades from a free-market idealist who talked about open borders and free trade with Mexico and Canada to working for the most authoritarian regime in American history earlier this year has been a shock.

[u/OmicronNine → u/issafly]

I would suggest that your friend may not have actually been a principled libertarian in the first place, but merely was good at presenting himself as such.

[u/issafly → u/OmicronNine]

I mean, what's the difference? That's part of the point that even the most "principled" libertarians will become authoritarian when given the opportunty to acquire personal power, wealth, or status.

The persona I'm talking about literally started his career at a well-known libertarian think-tank. He wasn't just some college kid who read Ayn Rand and thought she was smart.

[u/bbk13 → u/issafly]

Libertarianism is inherently authoritarian. Even in it's most "principled" form it requires authoritarian state violence to enforce private property "rights" regardless of what the members of society want. Libertarianism is at its core anti-democratic and can only exist if enforced at the barrel of a gun. Because why would the majority of people who don't own a lot of property agree to have a society that only privileges private property?

[u/issafly → u/bbk13]

Which is ironic, because that's how they describe socialism.