murrayrothbard.com

You can read “Why be Libertarian?” here.

When my father-in-law asked me for one succinct article to describe what libertarianism is and why it should even matter, this is the first one I came across. After further discussions, I found out he is voting Libertarian (which in this case is unfortunately Bob Barr), which is a fairly big deal. Rothbard is extremely persuasive and the logic is compelling. Say what you will about libertarians (i.e., anarcho-capitalists), at least their position is consistent.

Rothbard asks a question I have often asked myself: “When life is short and the moment of victory far in the future, why go through all this?” It is true that being a libertarian can easily create a cynical attitude. To this I refer you to the quote of George Bernard Shaw: “The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who haven’t got it.” I see libertarianism as an accurate reflection of reality. It helps you to think logically and to see how beautiful the market is and how evil the state is.

Rothbard has set the example for libertarians. He talks of the necessity of a movement to advance the idea of Liberty. This is easily demonstrated by looking at Rothbard’s career. In addition to writing articles for many different publications throughout his lifetime, he started the Left & Right journal, then The Libertarian, also organizing the first libertarian conference, and then the Rothbard-Rockwell Report. He also started the Review of Austrian Economics journal and the Journal of Libertarian Studies. (I am probably missing a few, e.g., CATO, Center of Libertarian Studies, but you get the idea.)

Murray looked to both the left and right on the political spectrum and aligned himself with anyone who would listen, essentially creating “big tent” libertarianism. The Wikipedia article says, accurately, that he was engaged in “‘intellectual entrepreneurship’ in building a Libertarian intellectual superstructure.”

Libertarianism has to do with justice (and injustice). It is due to seeing such injustices performed by the state that the cynical attitude may come across. I prefer to see this as accurately seeing reality. Justice is not based on a utilitarian philosophy which disregards rights. This, Rohtbard says, must be “the mainspring of our drive, the armor that will sustain us in all the storms ahead, not the search for a quick buck, the playing of intellectual games or the cool calculation of general economic gains.”

So what is the true test of whether you are a libertarian? Now is a great time to ask this question. How many libertarians would push the button to eliminate unjust government programs (or do I repeat myself?)? For example, there are many people, including many libertarians, or at least so-called “free marketeers,” who seem to view the current financial crisis as the result of Federal Reserve policies, but still advocate, reluctantly, that something must be done. Government, ultimately, must “do something.” And they are.

Rothbard wants to know how many libertarians would push the button to eliminate injustices and State oppression. How many would immediately push the button to eliminate the Federal Reserve? This is the test. This reminds me of one of the Presidential debates where the candidates were asked which Departments of Government they would get rid of (something like that). After the other candidates said some mumbo-jumbo, Ron Paul immediately said the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, and others. It was a great moment. He would push the button. I guess he would ”blister [his] thumb pushing that button!”

There is so much in this article to be commented on. For example, Rothbard, here and in other places, has talked about the importance of distinguishing libertarian goals from libertarian strategy. In other words, goals should not be decided based on their probability of attainment. Once the goal has been decided upon, the separate question of how to attain it can be discussed.

I have decided lately that a major problem that plagues the world today is not anger or any sort of hostile (or “bad”) feelings, but a lack of feeling, i.e., indifference (not the Austrian view of indifference). It is when people are indifferent that they don’t care about justice or injustice. Rothbard was all but indifferent, and extremely passionate and optimistic–and radical. 

Rothbard ends the article by showing the spirit in which men should undertake the goal of liberty, exactly as William Lloyd Garrison had said in the 19th century: “I have need to be all on fire, for I have mountains of ice about me to melt.”