Why libertarians are hopeless
Posted by Zenphamy 9 years ago to Philosophy
For those of us that understand the hopelessness of the election choices offered to us, as well as the lack of a solid and consistent philosophy on either side of the R/D choice, we also understand that the libertarian and anarcho-libertarian political offerings are just as pitiful in any relation to a hope of moving towards an individual freedom establishment. Linked is an article by a libertarian writer that I follow occasionally, that though lengthier than normal, is an exceptional essay on not only the failings of libertarianism in seeking political partners, but also provides a unique analogy of today's R/D split and the apparent irrational growth of progressivism.
"I’ve come to some revelations as of late which have radically altered my worldview. It has been as upsetting as it has been exciting. For several years I have expressed my frustrations against certain elements of the libertarian movement which might most recognizably be categorized as leftist. I am far from the first to see their presence as a disaster and even dangerous. This is a very old problem, and it gets worse by the day. I have recently become convinced (and I welcome your efforts to convince me otherwise) that this is a natural and inescapable biological phenomenon, which dooms our efforts in man’s present evolutionary state."
And in the following, replace the word libertarian with Objectivist and think how well it fits some of our experiences in discussing our ideas with others:
"We have worked to better educate ourselves and refine our arguments, convinced that in accordance with our philosophy of personal responsibility, this must be a failing on our part. Rather than blame others for their irrationality, we blame our lack of capacity for convincing others, and work to better ourselves. Some of us spend many years attempting to correct our own failings, and as we do, things get continually worse in perpetuity.
In so doing, we have largely overlooked the crux of the issue. We have attempted to understand the realities of the universe and make better libertarian arguments, without trying to understand the flaw in our fellow man which prevents him from understanding reason. It is that inquiry which has led me to my startling conclusion, that libertarians are hopeless."
"I’ve come to some revelations as of late which have radically altered my worldview. It has been as upsetting as it has been exciting. For several years I have expressed my frustrations against certain elements of the libertarian movement which might most recognizably be categorized as leftist. I am far from the first to see their presence as a disaster and even dangerous. This is a very old problem, and it gets worse by the day. I have recently become convinced (and I welcome your efforts to convince me otherwise) that this is a natural and inescapable biological phenomenon, which dooms our efforts in man’s present evolutionary state."
And in the following, replace the word libertarian with Objectivist and think how well it fits some of our experiences in discussing our ideas with others:
"We have worked to better educate ourselves and refine our arguments, convinced that in accordance with our philosophy of personal responsibility, this must be a failing on our part. Rather than blame others for their irrationality, we blame our lack of capacity for convincing others, and work to better ourselves. Some of us spend many years attempting to correct our own failings, and as we do, things get continually worse in perpetuity.
In so doing, we have largely overlooked the crux of the issue. We have attempted to understand the realities of the universe and make better libertarian arguments, without trying to understand the flaw in our fellow man which prevents him from understanding reason. It is that inquiry which has led me to my startling conclusion, that libertarians are hopeless."
