In the most recent issue of Young American Revolution, W. James Antle III writes about the politics of Murray Rothbard.
Rothbard, an anarcho-capitalist, built the philosophical core of the modern libertarian movement. But instead of focusing on his philosophy, the article focuses on Rothbard’s long-standing search for a practical political movement that would build the foundation of his libertarian society:
Rothbard was not always pleased by the results of his excursions into electoral politics. Yet he never stopped trying to build political coalitions to fight against government encroachments and never lost hope that liberty could be more than an abstract ideal. His radical libertarianism—anarchism, really—did not blind him to the value of conventional politicking. The arena could not be ceded to believers in state power.
Read the whole article here.
And afterwards you can check out my article on the state’s war on tobacco from the same issue.
3 Comments Received
Almost two years ago, I was a neo-con. Then got exposed to the Ron Paul virus and became a Libertarian, but I’m getting more radical as time goes by. Murray Rothbard sounds better and better each time I read him.
i am confused by the use of the term anarchist in this context as i thought it really only applied to libertarian socialists
As the self-proclaimed father of libertarianism throughout the sixties and seventies, Murray Rothbard perhaps bears the most responsibility for marginilizing the once great classical liberal movement. By allying with the 60’s Radical New Left, violent leftist militias, and other Leninists, Rothbard diluted the libertarian brand and made it virtually impossible for free-market conservatives to embrace Rothbard’s brand of libertarianism. Anarcho-capitalism is a philosophy wholly outside the great classical liberal tradition, a cornerstone of which is the Rule of Law. Anarchy, whether anarcho-capitalism, anarcho-syndicism, or anarcho-socialism, subjects men to mob rule and perpetual chaos. It is inconsistent with freedom and with capitalism. Peter Schwartz does a great job explaining the terrible folly of anarcho-capitalism in his essay “Libertarianism: The Perversion of Liberty”
Leave A Reply