Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Showing Original Post only (View all)Libertarianism is for white men: The ugly truth about the right’s favorite movement [View all]
Why are libertarians so overwhelmingly white and male? This is a question that Jeet Heer of The New Republic explored last Friday, after a new CNN poll found that presidential hopeful Rand Paul, who happens to be the favorite among libertarians, is very competitive in the primaries amongst male voters, but almost completely rejected by females. This is a problem that has long haunted conservatism, but it is even more drastic for ultra-right wing libertarianism.
In a 2014 Pew poll, it was found that about one in ten Americans describe themselves as libertarian, and men were more than twice as likely to be libertarians. In a 2013 Pew poll that Heer states in his article, it was found about two-thirds (68 percent) of Americans who identify as libertarians are men, and 94 percent are non-hispanic whites. Compare this to steadfast conservatives, who were found to be 59 percent male and 87 percent white, or business conservatives, found to be 62 percent male and 85 percent white, according to another survey done by Pew. Clearly, the entire conservative movement is dominated by white males, but libertarians are the most male-dominated.
Obviously this is a major problem for anyone who is hoping for libertarianism to take off in American politics. So why are libertarians mostly white guys? Heer points out a few different possibilities that some libertarian writers have offered. One of them being that libertarianism has attracted many male-dominated subcultures, like computer programming (think Silicon Valley), gaming, mens-rights activists, and organized humanism/Atheism, and another, argued by Katherine Mangu-Ward, that libertarianism has long been a fringe movement, and fringe movements tend to be dominated by men.
Okay, so libertarianism attracts nerdy white males, but surely these are not the only ones making up the dedicated crowd? While looking at the larger conservative movement, it becomes a bit more clear that the hostility towards government and collective movements in general tends to attract white males who want to preserve their dominance in a society where they are quickly becoming minorities.
In a 2014 Pew poll, it was found that about one in ten Americans describe themselves as libertarian, and men were more than twice as likely to be libertarians. In a 2013 Pew poll that Heer states in his article, it was found about two-thirds (68 percent) of Americans who identify as libertarians are men, and 94 percent are non-hispanic whites. Compare this to steadfast conservatives, who were found to be 59 percent male and 87 percent white, or business conservatives, found to be 62 percent male and 85 percent white, according to another survey done by Pew. Clearly, the entire conservative movement is dominated by white males, but libertarians are the most male-dominated.
Obviously this is a major problem for anyone who is hoping for libertarianism to take off in American politics. So why are libertarians mostly white guys? Heer points out a few different possibilities that some libertarian writers have offered. One of them being that libertarianism has attracted many male-dominated subcultures, like computer programming (think Silicon Valley), gaming, mens-rights activists, and organized humanism/Atheism, and another, argued by Katherine Mangu-Ward, that libertarianism has long been a fringe movement, and fringe movements tend to be dominated by men.
Okay, so libertarianism attracts nerdy white males, but surely these are not the only ones making up the dedicated crowd? While looking at the larger conservative movement, it becomes a bit more clear that the hostility towards government and collective movements in general tends to attract white males who want to preserve their dominance in a society where they are quickly becoming minorities.
http://www.salon.com/2015/06/10/why_libertarianism_is_so_popular_on_the_right_its_the_last_bastion_of_white_male_dominance/
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
213 replies, 22766 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (53)
ReplyReply to this post
213 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Libertarianism is for white men: The ugly truth about the right’s favorite movement [View all]
ismnotwasm
Jun 2015
OP
I am a "civil libertarian" (example: abortion rights, free speech, religion, anti war on drugs)
Romulox
Jun 2015
#11
Try telling a right-wing libertarian tea party type that Liberals can be libertarian too....
Spitfire of ATJ
Jun 2015
#16
Liberal Libertarians believe the government shouldn't be in the bedroom....
Spitfire of ATJ
Jun 2015
#38
The tragi/comedy aspect of this is that "liberal economics" traditionally means laissez-faire.
Romulox
Jun 2015
#61
"and not by collective institutions or organizations" These days add "Wall Street".
Spitfire of ATJ
Jun 2015
#68
And if it was JUST about those issues, I'd likely be more receptive to the Libertarians.
HughBeaumont
Jun 2015
#87
That's simply not true. It's as relevant as ever--e.g. in the NSA spying debate. nt
Romulox
Jun 2015
#123
+1. Libertarians "left" or "right" are just Republicans who want to smoke dope and get laid.
Tarheel_Dem
Jun 2015
#80
So you support the drug war, then? You don't think terminally ill people should be able to choose
Warren DeMontague
Jun 2015
#174
It's a label, and. You're deliberately conflating the big-L Libertarian party with, among other
Warren DeMontague
Jun 2015
#184
If I gave a f**k about the distinctions between Libertarians, I'd name my dog Ayn Rand.
Tarheel_Dem
Jun 2015
#187
Glad I could help. Oh, and "you're"? I didn't make the sign. Take it up with Google.
Tarheel_Dem
Jun 2015
#193
It's emblematic of the high intellectual level of discussion, embodied in this thread.
Warren DeMontague
Jun 2015
#196
I'm glad to see you acknowledge the "level" of your contribution. I wasn't gonna say anything.
Tarheel_Dem
Jun 2015
#203
Except, of course, most of them are not 'the fittest, the biggest and strongest'.
Erich Bloodaxe BSN
Jun 2015
#31
Oh come on, why not post their name, as long as you're quoting? Lol; doesn't count as a callout
Hekate
Jun 2015
#155
I expect the trend for higher degree requirements to continue. I got my B.S. In 1977, but I
Flatulo
Jun 2015
#157
libertarians suck because their entire agenda is to benefit those who enjoy societal privileges
geek tragedy
Jun 2015
#75
Yes. The key to that is education and persuasion, not throwing women, immigrants, and
geek tragedy
Jun 2015
#105
In what way does criticizing libertarianism by associating it with white men...
lumberjack_jeff
Jun 2015
#141
the point is that it's an exclusive club that only cares about white men. nt
geek tragedy
Jun 2015
#145
Then in what way is the revelation that white men identify with it "an ugly truth"?
lumberjack_jeff
Jun 2015
#147
True enough. Is it "libertarianism makes white men bad" or "white men make libertarianism bad"?
lumberjack_jeff
Jun 2015
#171
Yet a lot of non-white people would benefit from some libertarian policies.
Comrade Grumpy
Jun 2015
#46
I'm not a member of the Libertarian Party, or the Democratic Party for that matter.
Comrade Grumpy
Jun 2015
#140
The mothership for Libertarian publications--the Cato Institute--is owned by the Koch Brothers.
geek tragedy
Jun 2015
#117
Yes, I am aware of that. Those same Cato bad boys also do some excellent work on policing issues.
Comrade Grumpy
Jun 2015
#142
I posted it to piss off our resident daily paul regulars. Sorry you don't like it. I'll try to get
Tarheel_Dem
Jun 2015
#72
You are using people's political ignorance to promote domestic spying. It's personal. nt
Romulox
Jun 2015
#86
That's an ignorant statement, at best. Authoritarianism has lead to horror in living memory. nt
Romulox
Jun 2015
#101
It doesn't become more convincing by repeating it. It just becomes obvious that's all you got. nt
Romulox
Jun 2015
#104
Who's trying to "convince"? I think most people here already know Libertarians suck.
Tarheel_Dem
Jun 2015
#115
it seems simply repeating "it's wrong" over and over again easily convinces the irrational mind.
LanternWaste
Jun 2015
#134
So...this is an argument *in favor* of dragnet style surveillance, or...???? nt
Romulox
Jun 2015
#135
You mad? Well, don't go away mad Comrade. C'mon. Can't we rebuild? What will I do now?
Tarheel_Dem
Jun 2015
#154
Democrats have lead the way on marijuana legalization and it's shitty of you to pain that
Bluenorthwest
Jun 2015
#110
Actually, under the Obama adminstration, the Justice Dpt. continued prosecutions of dispensaries and
Romulox
Jun 2015
#120
That's one part of the article that doesn't jibe with my personal experience
ismnotwasm
Jun 2015
#69
My view is that the caricature of Libertarians being young, middle-class white guys is accurate
YoungDemCA
Jun 2015
#169
Very "inconvenient" if the heated responses are any indication. Touched a nerve, doncha know?
Tarheel_Dem
Jun 2015
#131
A former high-school friend (now a quasi-racist libertarian) put it succinctly: "I've got mine."
byronius
Jun 2015
#59
Libertarians build their ranks from young people disillusioned by ineffective and corrupt govt
LittleBlue
Jun 2015
#60
That's not the whole story. Look up "civil libertarianism", and you'll see it's a cornerstone
Romulox
Jun 2015
#92
That's good to hear. You can see many here don't understand (or don't care about) the distinction.
Romulox
Jun 2015
#95
I doubt there are very many actual Milton Friedman, Ayn Rand "Libertarians" on DU.
Warren DeMontague
Jun 2015
#185
No, I'm wondering why it's so gosh darn important to conflate things like left-libertarianism
Warren DeMontague
Jun 2015
#200
Except the analogy fails, because Libertarians aren't disenfranchised or oppressed
YoungDemCA
Jun 2015
#165
Nice that somebody finally noticed. Ayn Rand was an anomaly in more ways than one....
Hekate
Jun 2015
#113
A libertarian I know has at least copped to the racism libertarian policies let run amok
Recursion
Jun 2015
#167
Outcomes aren't important to those who won't be negatively affected by Libertarian policies
YoungDemCA
Jun 2015
#170
Unfortunately, a lot of the far-right, anti-government Libertarian talking points...
YoungDemCA
Jun 2015
#168