This is just disgusting.
Libertarianism has nothing to do with "service."
This is utterly nonsensical trendy lefty-style virtue signaling when the last thing libertarianism needs now is virtue signaling.
For my birthday this year, I was proud to join fellow #liberty lovers across the country in our inaugural National Libertarian Day of Service. While picking up trash is far from glamorous, I was proud to help my community. What did you do for #NLDOS today...? pic.twitter.com/9boyCw5J77
— Jo Jorgensen (@Jorgensen4POTUS) May 1, 2021
A National Libertarian Bowling Day makes more sense and is less dangerous than the promotion of "service" which is generally linked with the state. Doesn't Jorgenson understand that in a libertarian society there would be no public sectors where trash would have to be picked up?
Ayn Rand, no hardcore libertarian, would even get it and is no doubt is spinning but not quite as fast as Murray Rothbard.
No matter how pure you try and keep a movement, the ignorant always find their way in.
ReplyDeleteOh my, RW, you went way off key in your last sentence.
ReplyDeleteAyn Rand taught of the many contradictions in the ideas of libertarianism and, far from spinning, she'd hardly take notice, because she actually predicted such disgusting things as this.
Your sentence kind of indicates that, in some important ways, you don't understand her.
JMJ
Contradictions in libertarianism?
DeleteAlso, she would not be in favor of "service," promoted by libertarians or anyone else. That said, "service" has nothing to do with libertarianism and Rand's critiques of libertarianism were way off the mark.
Political ideas can't arise ex nihilo, but are rooted in a metaphysics and an ethics. The political idea of libertarianism denies this and dispenses with ethics as having "nothing to do with libertarianism." Because of this its concepts (freedom, private property, non-aggression, etc.) are not solid and often have to be defended ad hoc. It is a politics rudderless in a philosophical sea and so bound to run aground.
DeleteJMJ
Yeah, right.
DeleteThat's why Murray Rothbard titled his deepest philosophical book on libertarianism "The Ethics of Liberty."
Does not Walter Block receive numerous questions from students about ethical issues, to which he replies "libertarianism has no position on this?"
DeleteIn an on-line debate with a militant vegan, he lauded his opponent's ethics, while arguing that the libertarian NAP, though inferior to the guy's ethics ("I'm not as ethical as you are"), takes precedent. Is there not a contradiction in this?
I have not read Rothbard's "Ethics..." though I eagerly intend to, but Walter Block has read it, and look at the result w/ regard to what he teaches about ethics and libertarianism.
You're going to have to reckon with Ayn Rand's criticism of libertarianism.
"Yeah, right" and "way off the mark" ain't gonna do it.
JMJ
I hear this from Randians all the time, but for all the alleged metaphysical and epistemological purity in Objectivism, it still ends up supporting a coercively imposed state for certain functions, and thus this alleged purity seems pointless from an ethical point of view if, as libertarians do, one regards the initiation of force as immoral.
Delete"Does not Walter Block receive numerous questions from students about ethical issues, to which he replies "libertarianism has no position on this?""
DeleteI don't know about Walter's experience but there are certainly ethical questions on which libertarianism is silent but that doesn't mean that libertarianism is not a system of ethics. It is simply not a complete system of ethics.
Libertarian ethics speaks to one narrow, but important, ethical question, when is it permissible to use violence. Libertarians are free to combine any other ethical system into their lives (indeed, I hope they will to be well rounded humans!) so long as those other systems are compatible with the NAP.
Yes, I agree with what you say, in so far as Objectivists seem unwilling to reckon with the arguments for anarcho-capitalism, while leviathan continues to bring hell on earth.
DeleteJMJ
why not just say "we're selfish jackasses" and be done with it? how many angels are dancing on that pinhead, Libs? Only the ones who want to be there.
DeleteThe term "service" has become associated with the state and that is a problem. I agree there. I even think a 'call to service' sounds way too statist.
ReplyDeleteHowever in a libertarian voluntary society people need to volunteer to do certain things here and there to make it work. Hence private charity and so on. libertarian society is about having private entities and individuals do things instead of the state and that includes non-profit and charitable activities and just doing things that need doing without being commanded or asked. Now of course that ideally would be minimal because people would in general be more responsible as well. For example if we had a society that respected property there wouldn't be much trash along the highway to pick up in the first place.
Now this makes sense...
DeleteA National Libertarian Day of Civil Disobedience would make more sense. Or National Libertarian Day of Jury Nullification.
ReplyDeleteAnd she is why women should not be allowed to vote either. This is same LP representative that emoted over the worthless Fentanyl Floyd. This is the same LP that's wants open borders because we know all those dirt poor turd worlders are just so peaceful.
ReplyDeleteI spit on the LP for now. Their is big issue is transweirdo rights. The only rights they should have are to off themselves and leave the rest of us alone with their mental illness.
Oh no, a Libertarian is promoting voluntary acts of community service and promoting the idea (with action to back it up) that people can govern themselves without reliance on the government!
ReplyDeleteLibertarianism has nothing to do with service? If you mean service with demands of sacrifice from the government, you are absolutely correct. "Where there’s service, there’s someone being served" - Ayn Rand. In Jorgensen's example there are people being served, the actions are performed voluntarily, and it promotes self reliance. Instead of calling it virtue-signaling how about calling it setting a good example?
You're barking up the wrong tree. If you want some real examples of "This is just disgusting" that you should be calling it, how about Libertarians for State Murder of Breonna Taylor? https://www.lewrockwell.com/political-theatre/new-photographic-evidence-shows-the-truth-about-blm-martyr-breonna-taylor/
That's just the tip of the iceberg of what gets published over there