Freedom: The Unfolding Revolution

National Review ^ | June 14, 2013 | National Review

[National Review]

The libertarian idea is the only truly new political idea in the last couple thousand years.

By Jonah Goldberg

‘Why are there no libertarian countries?”

In a much-discussed essay for Salon, Michael Lind asks: “If libertarians are correct in claiming that they understand how best to organize a modern society, how is it that not a single country in the world in the early twenty-first century is organized along libertarian lines?”

[CodeToad]

” how is it that not a single country in the world in the early twenty-first century is organized along libertarian lines?””

The US Constitution is. Without question it is about limited government. One socialist after another has been trying to take it over and control it ever since it was born.

[sargon]

Name one agro-urban civilization that has survived half as long as the Masai, the Bushmen, the Lapps, the Magyars, the Innuit, the Bedouin, the Aborigines... The principles underlying the Torah were meant to transfer the properties that enabled those tribes to endure onto a nation comprising combined agro-urban AND nomadic components, cross fertilizing the former with the ideas of the latter. It never happened. Post-exilic Judaism made a valiant attempt to interpret those ideas, yet because of that urban lens ended up making a mess of it. We have been stuck with an urban intellectual's interpretation of how that tribal system was supposed to function ever since. It was an internally structured poly-archy, with the Law as its organizing element. The only thing that resembled a government were to be the judges' rulings as to how it applied.

Torah, Schmorah. Agro-urban? Is America agro-urban? In any event, we're still here, but we've only been around 238 years or so. Sorry we couldn't have started sooner.

I don't have any preconceived notion about how the tribal system is "supposed" to function. As far as I'm concerned, it's supposed to function however its individuals decide it's supposed to function, presuming it doesn't trample the unalienable rights of said individuals. Anything else is sub-optimum.

The libertarian ends up precipitating government control at the expense of freedom because of the emphasis upon the individual at the expense of family.

Still laughable. Your broad-brush smear on libertarians is neither justified nor accurate. The onus of backing up your assertion is on you. Provide evidence of your claim. How is the emphasis on the individual at the "expense" of the family? What individual rights must necessarily be curtailed to prevent such a situation?

When individuals are fully empowered, families (loosely defined) are at their strongest and most independent.

Are you saying "It takes a village?"

[sargon]

My reply was obviously to Carrie_Okie's knee-jerk libertarian smear, not myself, of course.

[Daveinyork]

You criticize libertarian ideas when you have exhibit no clue as to what they are. It’s the straw man you set up that you knock down. Liberals often do that with conservatism.

[BuckeyeTexan]

If this is an official NR account, welcome to FR and thank you for reaching out to FReepers.

[Responsibility2nd]

Libertarianism is just another political party.

Its amazing to see how the values and the party platforms of libertarians have evolved in the last 20 years or so.

[Responsibility2nd]

Why you take offense at the concept of a libertarian system?

Libs are just another political venue in this country clammoring for their spot in the sun. For their piece of the pie. And for that 420 to be legal.

(See tagline)

[Daveinyork]

I don’t take offense. It’s just that your straw man arguments have no place on this intelligent board. If you don’t want freedom, that’s your choice, and maybe your last one, because if you’re not free, your only choices are slavery or death. Keep your power hungry hands off the rest of us.