We Libertarians Need to Redouble Our Efforts for Freedom
Reminder: Our online Zoom conference on open borders continues this Monday evening, November 11, with Richard Ebeling and me. We wrap up our series on open borders with a session that addresses all the common objections to open borders. 7 p.m.-8 p.m. Eastern Time. Register here.
Reminder: I’ll be speaking at the JFK Lancer conference and also at the CAPA conference. The Lancer conference is being held on November 22-24 in Dallas. The CAPA conference is apparently now being held online. There is also another excellent JFK conference on the same weekend sponsored by the JFK Historical Group. All three of them are fantastic JFK-assassination-related conferences. I highly recommend registering for all three and then picking and choosing which sessions you would like to attend at all three conferences. The registration prices are moderate and it’s a great way to support three great conferences. I will have some of my JFK books at my presentations at the Lancer conference to autograph and sell at a discounted price. I hope to see you all there!
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Ever since I discovered libertarianism in the late 1970s, I have witnessed conservatives every four years exclaiming, “This is the most important presidential race in U.S. history,” as they attempted to exhort people to elect a Republican to the presidency. The 2024 presidential race, of course, is no exception.
But the periodic elections of Republican presidents has never brought us the free society — not in the genuine sense of the term. At best, they have brought “freedom-leaning” conservatives appointed to federal positions to help manage the welfare-warfare state, managed/regulated-economy system under which we have all been born and raised.
For conservatives, that is sufficient. They would be happy to go to their death beds with a Republican president and “freedom-leaning” conservatives in charge of the welfare-warfare state and regulated/managed society.
But it’s not sufficient for me and some other libertarians. I got into this movement because I want to be free. And freedom in the genuine libertarian sense of the term does not mean having “freedom-leaning” conservatives running the welfare-warfare state. Genuine freedom means a dismantling — a removal — a termination — a repeal — an end — to all infringements on liberty.
That necessarily means identifying what the infringements are that are depriving us of our liberty and then consistently making the principled case for removing them. If all we do is end up reforming or improving the infringements, we die as unfree men and women, even if we convince ourselves, falsely, that reform is freedom.
In my opinion, Ronald Reagan was the epitome of a “freedom-leaning
Article from The Future of Freedom Foundation
The Future of Freedom Foundation (FFF) is a leading voice in libertarian thought, tirelessly advocating for individual liberty, free markets, and limited government. Established in 1989, the FFF is more than just a think tank; it’s a hub for intellectual exploration and policy advocacy that draws on the classical liberal tradition and Austrian economics. Through insightful articles, videos, and events featuring top libertarian minds, the organization provides a robust critique of mainstream politics and policies, championing instead the principles that underlie a truly free society. For anyone seeking a principled stand for freedom and limited government, the Future of Freedom Foundation serves as an invaluable resource and an inspiring beacon.
