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Monday, November 24, 2008

Hogarth's Definition of Libertarian

http://lastfreevoice.wordpress.com/2008/11/21/not-much-of-a-libertarian

On 2007-08-10, Robert Capozzi wrote on LPplatform-discuss:

RC) In short, we moderates are sometimes told (implicitly or
explicitly): you are not Libertarian because you do not follow the NAP
plumb line. (RC

Susan Hogarth replied:

SH) I am sorry you find that distressing and/or disrespectful. I do
happen to beleive that libertarianism is in essence the idea of
non-aggression (not non-violence); sometimes expressed as being opposed
to the initiation of force against other humans. I recognize that not
everyone in the LP is totally 'down with that' (yet); I welcome them as
fellow-travelers who are at least moving in (what I consider to be) the
right direction. [...] I'm not sure that any amount of goodwill or
respect toward others could honestly make me call someone who embraces
the idea of initiating force against others to accomplish something they
desire a libertarian. (SH

So if you embrace the existence of a minimal state because you desire to
minimize force initiation by protecting life, liberty, and property,
then the Susan of 2007 says you're not a libertarian. I will admit that
the post-Denver Susan seems much more ecumenical than before, so the
2008 Susan might not still claim that such minarchists aren't
libertarians. And I doubt she ever agreed with her fellow LPradical
triumvir Marc Montoni, who said in 2007: "I do not agree that any
affiliate has the right to call for a new national sales tax, or even a
state one. I do not agree that any affiliate has any right to advocate
for school vouchers. [...] And I do not agree that affiliates who
endorse candidates who support any of these things should be allowed to
remain as affiliates of the Libertarian Party". I presume the LPNC
endorsed voucher-advocating Michael Munger, but I don't know if the 2008
Marc Montoni has yet called for disaffiliating the LPNC -- or for
disaffiliating any affiliate that may have endorsed the
sales-tax-advocating Bob Barr.

(For those who may want to quibble about the anarchism/minarchism
distinction, please first read Roy Childs' 1969 open letter to Ayn Rand
at
http://libertarianmajority.net/does-zero-aggression-absolutism-imply-anarchism.)