Comments Elsewhere

Kos: “The intersection of libertarianism, good government, and economic populism.”

Trent McBride: “I’m afraid the place where libertarianism and economic populism intersects could be termed an empty set.”

Well, if in your mathematical notation “an empty set” includes sets with several elements, I suppose it could be termed that. Otherwise, however, you seem to be overlooking all of the following: (1) opposition to corporate welfare, (2) opposition to the voracious crony capitalist appetites of the military-industrial complex, (3) opposition to agribusiness subsidies, (4) opposition to New London-style pillage for business gain, (5) (possibly, depending on the libertarian’s position) opposition to patent and copyright monopolies, (6) (possibly, depending on whether the libertarian has ever thought seriously about the issue or not) opposition to government-sponsored union-busting (Taft-Hartley, “right-to-work” laws, etc.), (7) (possibly, depending on whether the economic populist has ever thought seriously about the issue or not) opposition to government cartelization of industry through restrictive licensing, etc. etc. etc.

The idea that libertarianism is the economic thought of, by, and for Ebenezeer Scrooge has just got to die. It’s bad enough seeing it come from statists interested in defaming libertarianism; it’s worse when it comes from people purporting to defend it.

If you’re going to complain about something related to libertarian principle, it ought to be the alleged “intersection” of libertarianism and “good government,” since on principled libertarian theory the government which governs best, governs not at all.