Hell, yes! Radical abolitionist anarchist libertarians can -- and I say ought to be -- incrementalists because, sorry, "abolition now!" is not on the menu today. No contradiction exists in the radical incrementalist or the incrementalist radical. Tom Knapp addresses this point quite capably in his re-post "Blast from the Past -- Without a Net: Compromise versus Calculation." I recommend it highly. The reason that no conflict need exist between abolitionism and incrementalism is that the former is an end while the latter is a means: Incrementalism involves setting (and achieving) incremental...
Atomistic Individualism for the Win!
I'd say defenders of the automobile versus mass transit are looking pretty good these days.
Mutual-Aid Societies: The Lost Solution
If Adam Smith Were Writing the Wealth of Nations Today
“It is not from the benevolence of the mask maker, glove maker, or hand-sanitizer maker that we expect our person protective equipment, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We address ourselves not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages.”
TGIF: Is Self-reliance a Libertarian Ideal?
An Associated Press article published a few days ago reported on disagreements among libertarians over what, if anything, the government may properly do about the coronavirus pandemic. My purpose here is not to comment on the quotes from the various libertarians. I prefer to focus on just one sentence by the author, Hillel Italie. It's this one: "Libertarian principles of self-reliance and minimal government have been around for centuries." Only the part I emphasized -- the reference to self-reliance -- interests me today. At first, that term may seen unexceptional -- even to many...
The Szasz Centennary
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Thomas S. Szasz (1920-2012), the most unappreciated libertarian in modern times. Beginning with his book The Myth of Mental Illness in 1961 and proceeding through dozens of books and hundreds of articles, Szasz, a Hungary-born physician and psychiatrist, spent more than half a century analyzing and debunking the myriad violations of individual liberty committed in the name of health, public health, and mental health. He dubbed the union of government and medicine The Therapeutic State. In this cause, Szasz, who was also a historian and...
Why Politicians Do What They Do
I don't think politicians relish closing down the economy, nor do I think they'll be eager to do so in the future. For one thing, it's contrary to their interests. They do what they do because when all you have is a blunt instrument, every problem looks like something that can only be solved with a blunt instrument.
A Dog that Didn’t Bark
Not so long ago we might have been seeing public-service announcements like this: For the duration of the pandemic, please use the internet and your cell phone for essential purposes only. It is imperative that we keep the bandwidth open for emergency use. Thank you for your cooperation.