The Libertarian As Conservative

[Steve Kinney]

On 3/26/19 6:22 PM, Punk wrote:
> 
> The Libertarian As Conservative - Bob Black
> 
> https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/bob-black-the-libertarian-as-conservative
> 
> -------
> 
> I think Black's views are mostly accurate. Vast majority of people who pretend to be 'libertarians' are in reality rabid supporters of industrial fascism. 

An interesting article, but a little long winded and jargon heavy for my
taste.  I like radical propaganda that does not alienate "regular folks"
on contact.

When I see "Libertarian as Conservative" I mentally respond, "So what
else is new?"  If the Libertarian ideology of its leading U.S. advocates
did not share key features with Conservative theory and practice, why
would Republican operatives have taken the trouble to co-opt the
Libertarian Party in a hostile buy-out back in the 1990s?  Today our
Libertarian speakers, authors and pretend-candidates work in tandem with
the Republican Party:  Both do their best to defend billionaires and
their corporations from taxation, fight against unions as a matter of
principle, assert the right of Corporate persons to destroy communities
and natural resources to enhance shareholder value for absentee
landlords, etc.

When I think about the word "Conservative" as more than just an
arbitrary label, I have to ask what the people involved want to
"conserve."  Libertarians I have personally known were interested in
conserving their Middle Class status - real, aspirational or imaginary -
against perceived assaults by lesser economic beings and, paradoxically,
the State tyranny that makes their preferred way of life possible.

Between Libertarian and Conservative I see differences in belief and
style, but not in motives and actions.  I would not describe
Libertarians as "Conservatives who do drugs," but maybe as
"Conservatives who have no use for fundamentalist religion."  I think
that hits the mark squarely.





-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 490 bytes
Desc: OpenPGP digital signature
URL: <https://lists.cpunks.org/pipermail/cypherpunks/attachments/20190326/560d0a21/attachment-0002.sig>