this post was submitted on 08 Nov 2023
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"Libertarian" always seems like a misnomer. Libertarians only want people like themselves to experience liberty. They aim to do nothing to address inequities like social and systemic discrimination against LGBT+ people, BIPOC, women, and others. They aim to do nothing to address poverty. It's social darwinism at its ugliest. This is why they are practically indistinguishable from conservatives here in the US -- the way they arrive may look different, but the outcomes are the same. At best, they are wearing blinders. At worst, they actively support the power structures and systems that result in things like poverty and abuse.
People who legitimately do seek liberty should instead be looking to things like anarchism, which is interested in addressing the root causes of all of these problems, such as hierarchies and the state.
"Libertarian" used to be a synonym for left-wing anarchism until Murray Rothbard purposefully co-opted the term and even bragged about it.
Yep it's just a propaganda campaign.
Fellow left-wing anarchists: should we just give up on trying to reclaim this word? What do you call yourself among people who don't know the context?
In Europe it's way more ambiguous. Also: you can simply specify "left-wing", or "right-wing" libertarian.
I usually just say "anarchist", though ;)
Interestingly, 'libertarian' was originally a euphemism for 'anarchist', until it was co-opted by the right
There is equality and there is equity. Libertarians are for equality even if it creates non-equity.
Let me give an abstract example so that it is not politically charged. Suppose that there are green-skinned people in our society that for some historical reason value writing poetry above all else. And they are trying to earn their living by writing poetry and sometimes having second part time usually low paid job to support themselves.
Libertarian would say that these green people has absolute right to do so, and face consequences of their choice. This is liberty.
People who advocate equality would say - no, there is systemic green-ism that leads to green people being consistently underpaid, having less percent of them in high level jobs like CEO, and so on. They then propose all sorts of laws that will treat green people differently so that the average salary, average number of CEOs per 100,000 population and other similar metrics associated with “success” are the same for green people. This kind of differential treatment of green people is absolutely against to liberty minded people, that includes libertarians, that think that the laws should be the same to all people, regardless of their skin color, genetics and so on.
Interesting that the systemic discrimination in your case is due to a conscious choice and not systemic discrimination.
You describe the origins of “starving artist” and not “oppressed race” IMO.
I assumed he was loosely referring to religion. "Go forth and multiply" [regardless of available support] is a huge source of suffering in the world.
You can't fully experience liberty unless everyone is free