Libertarianism

Too Far, or Not Far Enough?

by Laurence M. Vance July 1, 2023

In his October 22, 2020, column in the New York Times, titled “When Libertarianism Goes Bad,” establishment economist Paul Krugman bemoaned the “libertarian rhetoric” he was hearing from Republican politicians while they questioned the usefulness of wearing face masks during the “pandemic.” This rhetoric he described as “a lot of talk about ‘freedom’ and ‘personal responsibility.’” But in addition to ...

From Immigrant to Public Intellectual

by Robert E. Wright April 3, 2023

In 1995, a reviewer called Murray Sabrin a “libertarian hero” due to the perspicacity of Murray’s first book, Tax-Free 2000: The Rebirth of American Liberty. Two years later, Murray became the first third-party candidate in New Jersey history to raise enough funds to be able to debate the two "major party" candidates for governor. How did Murray, ...

“Law and Order” and Libertarianism

by Laurence M. Vance March 1, 2023

The election year of 1968 was a tumultuous one marked by the assassinations of Sen. Robert Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King, urban race riots, college antiwar demonstrations, and a Democratic National Convention that saw the Chicago police and the National Guard have violent clashes with protestors. The 1968 election Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon (1913–1994) campaigned on a ...

Libertarian Litmus Tests

by Laurence M. Vance July 1, 2022

It was hundreds of years ago that scientists discovered that litmus, a water-soluble coloring matter obtained from lichens, turns red in acid solutions and blue in alkaline solutions, thus functioning as a litmus test to indicate the relative pH of a substance. On a scale of 0 to 14, a neutral solution (water) has a pH of 7.0, while ...

Libertarian Lessons from the Super Bowl

by Laurence M. Vance June 1, 2022

Even most non-sports fans like me know that the Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL). It is one of the world’s most watched sporting events, and it has the most expensive commercials (lately $7 million for 30 seconds). Some people watch the game just to see the commercials and the halftime show. ...

Conservatism, Libertarianism, and John Stuart Mill

by Laurence M. Vance May 1, 2022

Although most conservatives of today seem to have forgotten him, conservatives of yesteryear honored and revered Russell Kirk (1918–1994). After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State College (now University), Kirk earned his master’s degree at Duke University and then his doctor of letters from the University of St. Andrews. Kirk was a prolific writer who wrote not only ...

The Libertarian Brand

by Laurence M. Vance March 1, 2022

While U.S. presidential elections are held every four years, U.S. senators serve a six-year term, and members of the U.S. House of Representatives are elected every two years. A midterm election is an election where the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate are up for election, but the president is not. These elections always occur two ...

Raising a Standard to Achieve Liberty

by Jacob G. Hornberger August 1, 2021

One of the things that distinguish libertarians from non-libertarians is that we libertarians know that we are not free. Non-libertarians are still convinced that they are free. That’s one reason why non-libertarians are befuddled by libertarians. When they ask us what we are all about, we sometimes respond that we are about bringing liberty to America. That ...

Four Libertarian Principles to Guide Childcare Policy

by Laurence M. Vance June 25, 2021

Just as many conservatives believe that the federal government should have an education policy, so many conservatives believe that the federal government should have a childcare policy. A case in point was an event held last March by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) titled “Should Conservatives Favor Child Allowances?,” as well as a recent ...

Frank Chodorov’s Peaceful, Persistent Revolution, Part 1

by Wendy McElroy June 1, 2021

Part 1 | Part 2 It is easy to imagine the libertarian icon Murray Rothbard (1926–1995) modeling himself on his mentor, the Old Right icon Frank A. Chodorov (1887–1966), in the same manner as Chodorov undoubtedly looked to his mentor, Albert Jay Nock (1870–1945). As a young grad student Rothbard stumbled across Chodorov’s pamphlet Taxation Is Robbery. His reaction: ...

Carl Watner, RIP

by Wendy McElroy December 16, 2020

It is with deep sorrow that I announce the death of Carl Watner, who was the primary hand in founding the modern Voluntaryist movement in the early 1980s. He worked tirelessly and without complaint, day in and day out for decades, expressing his principles through his prolific writing, his  character, and his actions. I will never meet his like ...

Libertarianism and Boycotts

by Wendy McElroy November 3, 2020

“There oughta be a law” has become the default position for those seeking social change, and mainstream libertarianism is beginning to forget effective non-legal, non-violent strategies from the past. A powerful one is the boycott. The term “boycott” was coined in 1880 by the Irish Home Rule leader Charles Stewart Parnell to describe a campaign of social and economic ostracism ...