Libertarianism and its Discontents

Though I, Dogtooth, and, I suspect - not to put words in his beak - Hamilton, will generally incline towards the Libertarian end of the political spectrum in the majority of debating fora, the both of us are loth to be elbowed unceremoniously over the edge of the precipice. Ham shed some ink on the ills of this political creed by observing the propensity of Libertarians to use their manifested beliefs as a crude algorithm through which to process all political news stories and controversies. An approach of this sort is offensively apolitical - more akin to a religious dogma. Aside from the eye-gougingly unsympathetic relationship hardline Libertarians (and isn't it an ugly, unwieldy word!) have with the world around them, this algorithmic attitude is comfortably their most unattractive trait. Computing a world-view as an alternative to actually thinking about politics is inexcusable.

Among the more serious charges that can be brought against the Libertarians are the thoughtless insistence on liberal gun laws as an alternative to actual crime prevention, the lunatic advocation of duelling (a point of mere principal which makes no practical sense) and the total abandonment of rationality and progress in suggestions to the effect that Justice should be privatised! (Admittedly this last example is very extreme and not advocated by exponents of the more compromising 'Minarchist' school of thought.)

The Post-Newt is by no means a party-line journal, and we at the top of the tree anticipate some rumblings of disagreement from some of the omnibus contributors. The Newt is in good temper today and will hear your objections: gaudeamus igitur!