“That’s something that should make libertarians nervous”: Inside the tumultuous rise of an American

[DonViejo]

“That’s something that should make libertarians nervous”: Inside the tumultuous rise of an American ideology

Executive vice president of the Koch-backed Cato Institute tells Salon why he thinks his creed is on the ups

ELIAS ISQUITH

“Libertarianism,” like its ideological cousin neoliberalism, is one of those words that people in the political world use a lot without establishing whether everyone agrees on its meaning. This doesn’t really matter in the vast majority of cases (because nothing that happens during a fight in a comment thread or on Twitter matters). But as support for libertarian-backed causes like marriage equality, opposition to the war on drugs, and resistance against the rise of mass incarceration become ever-greater parts of U.S. politics, the definition of libertarianism will matter more, too — for the sake of apportioning credit and blame, if nothing else.

In the interest of nailing down a famously elusive and controversial term, then, Salon recently spoke over the phone with David Boaz, longtime member of the influential and Koch-founded Cato Institute think tank and author of “Libertarianism: A Primer,” which was just updated and rereleased as “The Libertarian Mind: A Manifesto for Freedom.” Our discussion touched on the big issues mentioned above, as well as Boaz’s thoughts on what liberals and conservatives misunderstand about libertarianism, and why he thinks his favored political philosophy’s future is so bright. Our conversation is below and has been edited for clarity and length.

If you had to pick one defining or differentiating characteristic of the libertarian mind, what would it be?

The first line of the book says that libertarianism is the philosophy of freedom, so what distinguishes libertarians is their commitment to freedom. That can manifest itself in lots of different issues, from marijuana and gay marriage to smaller government and lower taxes, but the fundamental idea of freedom as the proper political condition for society is the thing that unites libertarians.

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http://www.salon.com/2015/02/18/thats_something_that_should_make_libertarians_nervous_inside_the_tumultuous_rise_of_an_american_ideology/

[bluestateguy]

1. I tend to be opposed to government laws that preclude me from having fun

Consenting adults should be allowed to have fun. Smoking weed, running out on the field when my NFL/MLB team wins the championship.

Don't mess with those things.

But large corporations should have big government.

[1StrongBlackMan]

2. So what I take away from the article ...

libertarianism is being all things to all people ... it is what you want it to be, none of which need be consistent with any of the other adherents. Therefore, it is the unworkable politics of me.

[MineralMan]

3. Libertarian Creed: "I want what I want and don't give a crap what you want."

There are libertarians across the entire political spectrum. They don't give a crap about much, as long as they get theirs.

They're often single-issue sorts of folks. The marijuana advocates just want to smoke weed when they want. The money-grubbers just want to be able to take and keep as much money as they can. The alternative energy libertarians want you to stop driving your gas-hog car and make more room for their bicycle. Libertarians are about their needs, priorities and interests. Your concerns? Well, if they're not the same, libertarians don't give a crap.