Difference between revisions of "Introduction To Libertarianism"
From Critiques Of Libertarianism
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==What Is Libertarianism?== | ==What Is Libertarianism?== | ||
| − | Libertarianism is a cacaphony of political ideas united only by a rhetoric of [[liberty]] and [[freedom]]. On this website, libertarianism refers only to the right-wing, capitalist versions | + | Libertarianism is a cacaphony of political ideas united only by a rhetoric of [[liberty]] and [[freedom]]. On this website, libertarianism refers only to the right-wing, capitalist versions. At this point, libertarian ideas have entered the mainstream media and are unavoidable. |
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| + | ==What Libertarianism Is NOT Considered On This Website?== | ||
| + | Left-wing, socialist libertarianism's exist, but they are comparatively tiny and not problems. Nor are we discussing the ancient, nondeterministic, philosophical libertarianism concept that means free will. | ||
== Three Realms of Libertarianism.== | == Three Realms of Libertarianism.== | ||
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* Ownership of the vast majority of the world's wealth by plutocrats is legitimate and untouchable. | * Ownership of the vast majority of the world's wealth by plutocrats is legitimate and untouchable. | ||
* Changing that distribution will result in assorted horrors for everybody, including loss of liberty and freedom. | * Changing that distribution will result in assorted horrors for everybody, including loss of liberty and freedom. | ||
| − | + | The plutocrats objective is political change to get more wealth and prevent losing any wealth to taxation or other liabilities. | |
Political libertarianism is dominated by [[Public Relations|public relations]] programs that have been around since at least the 1930's, reacting to [[Progressivism]]. The [[Mount Pelerin Society]] in the 1950's began a great expansion of these programs. The [[Charles and David Koch|Koch brothers]] have largely organized or controlled these public relations programs, and they scored their first big successes in the 1980's under Reagan. Without the hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into public relations programs, right-wing political libertarianism would be just another fringe political belief as small as left-libertarianism. | Political libertarianism is dominated by [[Public Relations|public relations]] programs that have been around since at least the 1930's, reacting to [[Progressivism]]. The [[Mount Pelerin Society]] in the 1950's began a great expansion of these programs. The [[Charles and David Koch|Koch brothers]] have largely organized or controlled these public relations programs, and they scored their first big successes in the 1980's under Reagan. Without the hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into public relations programs, right-wing political libertarianism would be just another fringe political belief as small as left-libertarianism. | ||
| − | This is also called [[Vulgar Libertarianism|vulgar libertarianism]] by Kevin Carson. The message really is: “Them pore ole bosses need all the help they can get.” | + | This is also called [[Vulgar Libertarianism|vulgar libertarianism]] by [[Kevin Carson]]. The message really is: “Them pore ole bosses need all the help they can get.” |
| − | Political libertarianism maintains a continual drumbeat of propaganda: attempting to inject libertarian ideas and terminology into almost every public issue while filtering out opposition, because repetition is the heart of propaganda. A more complete description of this methodology is found in [[Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media]]. | + | Political libertarianism maintains a continual drumbeat of propaganda: attempting to inject libertarian ideas and terminology into almost every public issue while filtering out opposition, because repetition is the heart of propaganda. A more complete description of this methodology is found in [[Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media]]. Political libertarianism is not the only plutocratic tool: much conservatism is similarly exploited, for example by the [[Heritage Foundation]] and most recently by the [[Tea Party]]. |
Political libertarianism is why the Critiques Of Libertarianism site is so very large: propagandists attempt to shoehorn almost every issue and subject into libertarian ideology. | Political libertarianism is why the Critiques Of Libertarianism site is so very large: propagandists attempt to shoehorn almost every issue and subject into libertarian ideology. | ||
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===Individualistic Libertarianism=== | ===Individualistic Libertarianism=== | ||
Individualistic libertarianism is what the targets of political libertarianism believe. This is a huge morass of conflicting ideas with only one constant: the political libertarian idea that ownership should be sacred. Ask a libertarian what part of ownership they would give up to achieve any other social end, and they will say no part. It doesn't matter if some socialistic government (such as roads or defense) would benefit the lives of everybody; they despise it because it conflicts with their property, no matter how meager. | Individualistic libertarianism is what the targets of political libertarianism believe. This is a huge morass of conflicting ideas with only one constant: the political libertarian idea that ownership should be sacred. Ask a libertarian what part of ownership they would give up to achieve any other social end, and they will say no part. It doesn't matter if some socialistic government (such as roads or defense) would benefit the lives of everybody; they despise it because it conflicts with their property, no matter how meager. | ||
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| + | Individualistic libertarians are in large part shaped by the propaganda organs of Political Libertarianism. For example, the [[Libertarian Party]], the [[Cato Institute]], [[Reason Magazine]] and many other sources are parts of the [[Kochtopus]], a huge number of organizations and publications founded, funded, or controlled by [[Charles and David Koch]] over roughly 40 years. These in turn direct recruits to a number of [[Fundamental Libertarian Books|fundamental books]] that help indoctrinate the important propaganda themes. | ||
Individualistic libertarianism is bottom-up: it is not controlled directly by political libertarians beyond manipulation by propaganda. These useful idiots can be relied upon to inject libertarian viewpoints into discussions that are not controlled by the mass media. They are as welcome as door-to-door evangelists from another religion. | Individualistic libertarianism is bottom-up: it is not controlled directly by political libertarians beyond manipulation by propaganda. These useful idiots can be relied upon to inject libertarian viewpoints into discussions that are not controlled by the mass media. They are as welcome as door-to-door evangelists from another religion. | ||
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===Libertarian Philosophy=== | ===Libertarian Philosophy=== | ||
| − | Libertarian philosophy is mostly corrupt: much of it is funded by plutocrats to provide ideas and materials for their public relations campaigns. Hayek, for example, never held an academic position that wasn't funded by plutocrats. | + | Libertarian philosophy is mostly corrupt: much of it is funded by plutocrats to provide ideas and materials for their public relations campaigns. Hayek, for example, never held an academic position that wasn't funded by plutocrats. Milton Friedman and Robert Nozick might seem exceptions to this funding generalization, until you consider what class Harvard and the University Of Chicago serve (both are private universities relying on wealthy funders.). |
Common [[Failures Of Libertarian Philosophy|failures of libertarian philosophy]] include: | Common [[Failures Of Libertarian Philosophy|failures of libertarian philosophy]] include: | ||
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* ignoring anthropology | * ignoring anthropology | ||
These are all erroneous assumptions or fallacies of argument. | These are all erroneous assumptions or fallacies of argument. | ||
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For more on this, see the [[Philosophy]] index. | For more on this, see the [[Philosophy]] index. | ||
