Don’t Worry About the Government 2
A big point I was trying to make in my first post about Glenn Reynolds and Stephen Green was that reports of their sudden renunciation of libertarianism were greatly exaggerated. That is, there was nothing new there. Reynolds has for years called himself a “whig,” not a libertarian, and years ago Green self-identified as “I’m a Falwell-tweaking, gay-marriage supporting, drug legalizing, pro-abortion, pro-immigration, anti-trade barrier, wary-of-organized-religion kind of conservative. Hardly a conservative at all, but I digress.”
In Green’s defense, he’s not responsible for the exaggerated fuss about his recent article or the Instapundit link to it. I’ll even cop to preferring Green’s forthright disavowal of the label to Randy Barnett’s recent attempt to wrap it around an idiot case for Big Government Abroad. If people hadn’t over-interpreted a brief reference by an internet celebrity, Green’s article would have generated a reaction more appropriate to its status as the latest example of a familiar genre.
Comment by joseph hill —
November 2, 2007 @ 10:06 am
those lads, like just about all bloggers and so many news freaks are caught up with name hey can use to label themselves and/or the opponents. Ask what they believe in and stop trying to label.Glen like guns, legal niceties, macho approach to firty foreigners, and tenure.
Lou Dobbs , pain that he is, in on to sumething: quit being registered to this or that party and become independent and then when enough folks do, the politicans will have to woo your votes instead of taking you for granted.
Comment by John Emerson —
November 2, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
I’ve been pushing the term “Pinochet Libertarians”. Not really a red herring, Friedman and Hayek made some friendly statements about Pinochet in reasonably full knowledge of how he gained and exercised power. They may have fudged later, but AFAIK neither ever recanted or apologized.
Subject to correction, if evidence is put forward.
Comment by Barry —
November 2, 2007 @ 10:38 pm
Comment by joseph hill —
November 2, 2007 @ 10:06 am
“Glen like guns, legal niceties, …”
Guns, yes. Legal niceties, not so much.
Comment by joe hill —
November 3, 2007 @ 7:50 am
electronic toys, macho stuff