Dr. Dominick Armentano has withdrawn his support for "Libertarians for Trump." The below is self-explanatory.
Bob,
The enclosed is a back-and-forth between Walter Block and me concerning "support" for Donald Trump. You may find it interesting and, as you can read, you have Walter's permission to use it at Target Liberty, if interested.
The context is this: When Walter first formed "Libertarians for Trump" I first agreed to join in. I withdrew my support for Walter's effort when Trump, in the NYT interview, condemned Ed Snowden.
All the best,
Dom Armentano
Vero Beach, Florida
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From: Dom Armentano
Sent: Mon 3/28/2016 7:35 AM
To: Walter Block
Subject: Libertarians for Trump?
Walter,
In Trump's recent interview with the NYT he came out strongly against Edward
Snowden. I forgive him all of his foreign policy gaffs but to denounce
Snowden.That's too much for me! I hope that Trump wins BUT I can't "support"
him. And I urge you, too, to rethink "support."
Dom Armentano
Vero Beach, Florida
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From: Walter Block
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2016 12:10 PM
To: Dom Armentano
Subject: RE: Libertarians for Trump?
Dear Dom:
But what are the views of the other Republican candidates on our hero, Snowden? Horrid. Even Rand Paul wanted Snowden in jail. This is a COMPARATIVE exercise. It is insufficient to point out yet another deviation from liberty on Trump's part. You have to show he's WORSE than the others, and this, at least so far, has never been done.
Best regards,
Walter
Walter E. Block, Ph.D.
Harold E. Wirth Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair and Professor of Economics
Joseph A. Butt, S.J. College of Business
Loyola University New Orleans
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From: Dom Armentano
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2016 12:15 PM
To: Walter Block
Subject: RE: Libertarians for Trump?
Hey, I agree it IS a comparative exercise; I've been telling everyone I know that very fact for months now. And, as you know, I wrote a fairly even handed piece on Trump. And I will vote for Trump and hope that he wins. But there are certain principles and lines that a candidate cannot cross to get my SUPPORT. If you are hanging over the cliff by your fingernails I can hope that you make it. But if you want my SUPPORT (aside from wishing you good luck) there are certain things that you cannot say or do. And Trump crossed the line with his Snowden remarks. If Ron Paul, say, had done what Snowden did and Trump called him a bum and threatened to jail him, there is no way you would continue to support Trump. I'm on record all over the place for the disclosure of (government) information and activity that is blatently illegal and that should not have been secret. (Indeed, Cato "fired" me 8 years ago for writing an op/ed on that very subject with respect to UFOs.) So, you see, I can hardly lend my SUPPORT to Trump as a LIBERTARIAN. After all, it was "Libertarians for Trump"…right?
No hard feelings, buddy.
Dom.
p.s. Since Bob Wenzel is calling some of us "fanboys" you might want to share some of this with him.
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From: Walter Block
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 2:40 PM
To: Dom Armentano
Subject: RE: Libertarians for Trump?
Dear Dom:
I do not at ALL support “Trump as a LIBERTARIAN.” He is, clearly, not a libertarian. However, Libertarians for Trump is a very different thing. That is, I, as a libertarian, along with about 400 other libertarians, support Trump as the closest to libertarianism of all the Republican candidates; as the least bad of a poor group of candidates. This is an imporant distinction.
You don’t support overseer Goody vis a vis Baddy?
Best regards,
Walter
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From: Dom Armentano
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 2:03 PM
To: Walter Block
Subject: RE: Libertarians for Trump?
You misunderstand. I did not say Trump was a libertarian! (Why would you think I said that?) I said, clearly, that someone who would jail Snowden could not earn MY support as a libertarian. (Get it; I'm the libertarian, not Trump). I will vote for him and hope he wins and agree that he is the least bad of the candidates. BUT since he adheres to few if any libertarian principles, and pledges to violate one of the most important (the jailing of a government whistle-blower), he cannot earn my support AS A LIBERTARIAN. Libertarians for Trump implies that there must be some libertarian principles that he holds fast and that's why he has earned our support (aside from just wishing him well in a field of terrible candidates). Else, why call it "Libertarians for Trump"? rBut Trump is a pragmatist and holds fast to exactly zero libertarian principles (as, say, opposed to occasional policy agreement). But, hey, I wish you well and I hope that he beats the hell out of statist Hillary.
Dom
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From: Walter Block
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 3:34 PM
To: Dom Armentano
Subject: RE: Libertarians for Trump?
Dear Dom:
You say: “Libertarians for Trump implies that there must be some libertarian principles that he holds fast.” I deny this. My only claim is that he is the CLOSEST to libertarianism of all the Republican candidates.
Want to join lft?
Best regards,
Walter
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From: Dom Armentano
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 3:04 PM
To: Walter Block
Subject: RE: Libertarians for Trump?
Closest….but no close enough. Didn't vote for (let alone SUPPORT) Bush or McCain or Romney (or Obama) although they might have been "closest to libertarianism" of the candidates running, too. Further, I think such "support" from libertarians, especially from prominent ones like yourself, has a reasonable chance of diminishing the libertarian brand. Since there are no (libertarian) principles involved, I think that you will have to be extremely careful in explaining that support. If I can't be easily persuaded, good luck with the Trump people or the general political audience or whoever you are trying to influence.
I assume that the strategy here is to bring some influence to bear on the Trump people to move them closer to our position on the issues. Who knows, it may work. As Murray used to say, all strategy questions (in political economy) are legitimate and no one has a monopoly on the truth. I certainly hope that it works.
All the best, Walter.
Dom.
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From: Walter Block
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 6:00 PM
To: Dom Armentano
Subject: RE: Libertarians for Trump?
Thanks, Dom
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From: Dom Armentano
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 6:25 PM
To: Walter Block
Subject: RE: Libertarians for Trump?
Libertarians, both for and against Trump, could benefit by our recent back-and-forth. Do you have a problem with my sharing of this mini-debate with Bob Wenzel at Target Liberty? (I note that you have done this on the Wenzel blog). If you have any objection whatever I give you my word that I WILL NOT SHARE. Please advise.
Dom
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From: Walter Block
Sent: Tuesday, March 29, 2016 8:05 PM
To: Dom Armentano
Subject: RE: Libertarians for Trump?
Dear Dom:
I have not objection at all. I’m delighted.
Best regards,
Walter
Overall, I don't think Dr. Block's methodology differs that much from Wenzel's--both want to minimize harm. However, I think Wenzel is taking into account a factor which Dr. Block fails to acknowledge.
ReplyDeleteTo expound on Dr. Block's analogy with Wenzel's extra criteria: Suppose there are two slave masters Goodie and Baddie. As a slave you get to vote for which master you will be subjected to. Goodie promises to beat you once a week and Baddie thrice daily. Both are liars. However, Baddie is also a cripple and any beating is sure to be ineffective. In addition nobody likes Baddie so he'll have a hard time getting someone else to do the beatings for him. Who do you choose?
Going along with this analogy, what if you were locked in and slept in a slave shed at night made out of dry wood and surrounded by hay, and one of the slave masters was a drunk who liked to play with matches near your shed. The other slavemaster only drank sometimes and usually was more careful with fire. Would you prefer the slavemaster who might light your shed on fire and kill you and your family in the middle of the night (Hillary starting WWIII with nuclear weapons against Russia) or the one who is more careful with fire (Donald Trump saying he will actually speak to Putin and has no interest in getting into a war with Russia).
ReplyDeleteI enjoy Armentano. I live near Vero Beach and work in it often. Occasionally the newspaper I work for will publish some of his letters. Never had the pleasure of meeting him but keep my eye out when in Vero.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this Bob.
Block economics > Block politics
ReplyDelete