- cross-posted to:
- news@lemmy.world
- libertarianism@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- news@lemmy.world
- libertarianism@lemmy.world
Very interesting take about current state of Libertarianism after covid period.
Very interesting take about current state of Libertarianism after covid period.
I’d really rather not. The Libertarian Party has always been a disappointment, and that’s especially true with the Mises Caucus takeover. I think Chase Oliver’s nomination was more a rejection of the Mises Caucus than anything.
Defense of Chase Oliver's COVID statements
Attacking him for his mask and vaccine opinions is silly, here’s how I interpret what Oliver has said:
Libertarianism is about personal responsibility as well as individual freedoms, and it’s reasonable to support both simultaneously. Having the freedom to not wear masks, not get vaccinated, and not social distance doesn’t mean you have to exercise those rights, you can still be a considerate human. That’s how I read his statements.
As someone who lived in a state (Utah) without lockdowns (schools were shut down for the last month and a half of the school year, and that’s it), Oliver’s responses read like my own opinions:
I fervently oppose any government requirements while strongly support following government guidance. Knowing what I know now, I would wear a mask and get vaccinated again because those are safe and effective ways of slowing the spread of COVID. Even today, I’ll voluntarily wear a mask if I know I’m sick out of consideration for those I’m around, as well as voluntarily distance myself from others.
His main failing was not being vocal about lockdowns. Here’s what happened in his state (he was running for House that year, and later Senate):
I’m certainly against the shelter-in-place order and I don’t know what enforcement looked like, but it only lasted a month or so, which is way better than many other states. The first few months of COVID were filled with a lot of confusion, so if anything, Oliver should be applauding Gov. Kemp for ending the shelter-in-place order when there was a lot of pressure to keep restrictions going.
This is more a statement about the rot among conservatives than anything to do with libertarianism. A lot of these “libertarians” were just fiscal hawks who don’t actually support libertarian principles and ideals.
Domestic manufacturing, fiat vs gold standard, trade
That “tradition” was because we were a poor country once, and when we grew out of that phase, we moved manufacturing elsewhere so our labor market could focus on higher value work. Why should we manufacture something here when our people could earn more by moving those jobs elsewhere?
It’s not like we have a huge labor surplus or anything, so bringing those jobs back means we’d have to give up more valuable jobs here. Unless, of course, we’re going to open up our borders and bring in lots of cheap labor, but neither major party is going to let that happen.
The gold standard is stupid, why should we base our monetary system on some random metal? Why not put that metal to use in our economy instead?
The discussion shouldn’t be about fiat vs gold-backed currency, the discussion should be about centralized vs decentralized currencies. I’m 100% fine with the dollar being a fiat currency, but I also want some competition in the currency market. If I want to use cryptocurrencies, foreign currencies, or gold-backed notes, I should be completely allowed to do that. It should be on the receiver of the payment to decide what method of payment will be used, and any laws restricting or promoting any one currency should be revoked.
Yes, this was a strategic move to cement the US’ position in the world.
Absolutely. In general, if you invert whatever a politician says, it’s probably more accurate. “Free trade” is about excluding certain countries and thus spreading influence to countries who do what we like.
I don’t see what any of this has to do with libertarianism though, this is just the neoliberalism espoused by both major parties.
Yes, the Libertarian Party is a disappointment, and has been since it was founded. If this is the article’s big thesis, it’s just stating the obvious with way more words than necessary.
More COVID stuff
Yes, that’s the good and bad parts about liberty. Businesses have the liberty to choose their own policies, and you have the liberty on whether to accept those or go elsewhere. You can’t eat your cake and have it too, choices have consequences, and that’s how it should be.
This is the real problem here. We have so much protectionism that the motivations and market forces are all messed up. And it’s not just pharmaceuticals, but businesses across the board have way more protections than they should have, and that’s messing with the free market.
The article claims it’s a mystery, but it really isn’t. Governments siding with powerful corporate interests is a tale as old as time, and the start of it, IMO, was the 16th amendment to allow the federal government to directly tax the population. This is where the government really switched from being a policeman to being more involved in the economy and establishing regulations. That was a domino effect that eventually led to companies lobbying for more legal protections.
Agreed. But the problem is that with everything being so polarized, the moment you attempt to speak up, you get shouted down by some larger organization.
So you need to pick your battles, and I think Chase Oliver has done a decent job of doing that. Articles like this cutting his feet out from under him really aren’t helping matters. So instead of putting a spokesperson down for not going far enough, we should be applauding them when they do take a stand (i.e. applauding Trump on his rare Libertarian statements at the convention, and booing him the rest of the time), and Chase Oliver has his fair share of hot takes that should be applauded and repeated.
My take is that this article is a part of the problem it claims to want to solve. It’s presenting it’s own flavor of libertarianism (they really care about opposing COVID responses, but that’s not really relevant right now), and trying to cut down anyone who doesn’t meet that standard. That’s unhelpful, and just adds to the infighting we already have.
Anyway, that’s my take, thanks for posting!