How to Reach the Left | Roderick T. Long

Presented by Roderick Long at the Mises Circle in Chicago: "Strategies for Changing Minds Toward Liberty," on 9 April 2011. Sponsored by Dr. Don Stacy.

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[jrsub3]

Prominent conservatives and libertarians have said the same thing.

If we, as Libertarians, want to push forward politically, we should target the handouts and intervention for the rich. No bailouts, no farm subsidies, no tax credits to favorables (like new energy types). This will show our goal is a free state, not a corporatist.

[MarmaladeINFP]

@Hashishin13

There can be state socialism just as there can be state capitalism.

There can be anarcho-capitalism just as there can be anarcho-socialism.

Many anarcho-capitalists identify socialism as statism.

Many anarcho-socialists identify capitalism as statism.

Statism is statism no matter what ideological rhetoric is used to justify it, rightly or wrongly.

Anarchism is anarchism no matter what ideological rhetoric is used to justify it, rightly or wrongly.

[dubified89]

Man, the left don't give a fuck. They believe their own bullshit and they don't want to hear any truth.

[batman93oo]

Well the austrians got me and I was an ex Progressive (mainly because I was a strong candidate in Keynesianism because I feared the corporations and disliked monetary policy). All you have to do is tell people to read a little bit about the accurate political and economic history while having the understanding of some economics. Lots of leftist don't even understand economics

[terry0mac]

@icantfindanamex86 -- you could deliver packages, but you would be forbidden by law from delivering first class mail. You'd also lack any form of government subsidy.

[dantean]

The best Libertarian presentation I've ever heard. Thank you for posting.

[icantfindanamex86]

@joepeeler34 Sure you do. If your representative doesn't do what you want, vote for another. Again, who is this shadowy central planning board you keep referring to? Give names. You advocate a society in which power is concentrated in you and your friends, effectively a totalitarian oligarchy. Power has to be concentrated somewhere. And saying that I have zero power in a democracy is ridiculous, assuming I have the franchise. Again, you don't get to redefine whatever terms you like.

[icantfindanamex86]

@joepeeler34 Would you rather have power concentrated in the government or in corporations? It has to be concentrated somewhere. You can't just wave your hand and declare that power isn't concentrated if Standard Oil controls 97% of the domestic market. If something (the facts) doesn't agree with you you just redefine whatever terms you like to make yourself right.

[joepeeler34]

You don't get to "vote" for where your money goes, to whom, how much, etc. when govt. creates monopolies, cartels, or public-private partnerships. It is a small group of central planners and connected firms that have the power.

This goes back to my point about unlimited democracy resulting in interest factions vieing for power, even within the same party. You have ZERO power in that system. Power is extremely concentrated. In the end, wealth will be too. Observe Federal Reserve's cartel.

[icantfindanamex86]

@joepeeler34 The USPS doesn't have a monopoly at all. If I decided tomorrow to start a company that delivers mail and packages I would be perfectly free, except for competition from other firms providing the same services and from the post office.

[joepeeler34]

In fact, the so-called left loves corporatism. The created the Federal Reserve banking cartel. The left loves mandates (some firms always benefit at the expense of competitors and consumer choice), subsidies, public-private partnerships, tax credits that only some can access (see "green" companies).

The left loves all of these things so long as they are for "progressive" ends. It's still corporatism. It's still a concentration of power. It doesn't magically become good govt.

See Solyndra

[icantfindanamex86]

@joepeeler34 And here's the problem again. You're telling me that I'm not acting in my self interest. Who the fuck are you to determine what's in my self interest, and I what's yours? Other peoples' opinions hold as much weight as yours; The world doesn't revolve around you. In a market, power is BY DEFINITION concentrated in the consumer. Why is the consumer any more deserving of power than the producer, or vice versa?