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August 19, 2006

Libertarian Movement Not Dead Yet

Considering how many states are currently facing multiple ballot measures written and funded by libertarians hell-bent on circumventing the legislative process by scamming the public into passing self-destructive laws, I am flabbergasted at Michael Lind's declaration that the libertarian movement is dead.

The most epochal event in world politics since the cold war has occurred – and few people have noticed. I am not referring to the conflict in Iraq or Lebanon or the campaign against terrorism. It is the utter and final defeat of the movement that has shaped the politics of the US and other western democracies for several decades: the libertarian counter-revolution.

His thesis is based on the libertarians' unsuccessful efforts to sell the American public or our lawmakers on their belief in eliminating the "welfare state." That much is true – Americans have rejected the libertarian philosophy. We have rejected the privatization of Social Security. We have rejected the dismantling of public education. We have rejected the abolition of the minimum wage.

But I believe Lind has underestimated the financial resources and the wily tactics of the proponents of libertarian philosophy. Howard Rich and his cohorts are small potatoes compared to the puppet masters at the Cato Institute. They still have their eye on Social Security privatization, privatization of education, and the removal of hard-fought protections for workers. And they have discovered how to use things Americans do support - low taxes and property rights - to achieve their more extreme goals. This year's crop of ballot measures will strip legislatures of experienced individuals, strip away all ability of government to regulate the use of private property, and limit government revenues so severely that states will have no choice but to dismantle social programs and education altogether. Meanwhile, they are launching an anti-union disinformation campaign to undermine people's trust in both their government and the unions working to protect their rights.

Are libertarians playing out their last gasp right now, or are they on the verge of a major coup? In my opinion, that depends entirely on whether adequate resources can be brought to bear to educate the public about the dangers to our way of life should these underhanded libertarian efforts be successful.

Posted by Becky at August 19, 2006 10:49 AM