You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Libertarianism’ tag.
When I see Objectivist thinking or its equally bankrupt little brother Libertarianism brought into a serious conversation I always smile inwardly. Objectivism is based on the writings of Ayn Rand. Objectivist doctrine can be summarized in a short sentence, which happens to be the title of this post. Rand and others put forth the emphasis on rationality and making objective decisions but, risible ornamentation aside, her thoughts boil down to the idea that being selfish and greedy is a good thing and the net benefits accrued from this ego festival will benefit society.
Objectivism fits nicely with the Chicago school of neoliberalism as the selfish nature of objectivist thought fits well with the trickle down theory of wealth and laissez-faire market policy in general.
Before going any further with this post there are a couple of assumptions that I will be working from that will inherently colour my conclusions.
1) Laissez-faire capitalism is a farce. No one actually wants a completely unregulated free market.
2) The neoliberal economic plan put forth by Friedman and the Chicago school is an unmitigated disaster and has been thoroughly discredited.
3) Democracy and Capitalism are mutually antagonistic systems.
I have other tenets but listing them all would only further entangle an already long post. I just want to help establish the tone of what this piece is going to be about. As this is an introductory piece, it would be good to get the wisdom from its source. Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged says:
“[T]he most selfish of all things is the independent mind that recognizes no authority higher than its own and no value higher than its judgment of truth. You are asked to sacrifice your intellectual integrity, your logic, your reason, your standard of truth-in favor of becoming a prostitute whose standard is the greatest good for the greatest number.” (1957: 955-956)
Bruce Barry and Carrol Stephens in the Academy of Management Review (Volume 23, No. 1 January 1998) have taken Randian thought to task. Their reply is as follows:
“Objectivists assume that humans can reap value and attain virtue only through the satisfaction of the self. But, of course, in genuine societies we find ourselves mutually interdependent and often motivated to assist others in order to achieve broader out- comes that serve our own individual interests.” (165)
Why you would want to have Libertarianism as your fall back political position is well beyond my limited faculties. Daily Kos had a wonderful top 10 list which I will repost the top 5 reasons you may not be Libertarian.
DarkSyde from Daily Kos wrote:
- If you think the separation between church and state applies equally to all faiths except socially conservative Christian fundamentalism, you’re probably not a Libertarian.
- You’re probably not a Libertarian if you believe the federal government should remove safety standards and clinical barriers for prescription and OTC medications while banning all embryonic stem cell research, somatic nuclear transfer, RU 486, HPV and cervical cancer vaccination, work on human/non human DNA combos, or Plan B emergency contraception.
- If you think state execution of mentally retarded convicts is good policy but prosecuting Scott Roeder or disconnecting Terri Schiavo was an unforgivable sin, odds are you’re not really a Libertarian.
- If you argue that cash for clunkers or any form of government healthcare is unconstitutional, but forced prayer or teaching old testament creationism in public schools is fine, you’re not even consistent, much less a Libertarian, and you may be Michele Bachmann.
And the number one sign: if you think government should stay the hell out of people’s private business — except when kidnapping citizens and rendering them to secret overseas torture prisons, snooping around the bedrooms of consenting adults, policing a woman’s uterus, or conducting warrantless wire taps, you are no Libertarian.
I am no fan of Libertarianism or Objectivism, I’ve written a little about how inane the Objectivist ideals are. It deserves another post, which is coming soon.
The interesting things you find on the net. I’ve been reading the Sword of Truth series as of late. The further you get in the series it seems, the more preachy/inane it becomes. It seems Mr. Goodkind is a strong proponent of the
american style of Libertarianism (see also Objectivism), that for most intensive purposes is a bat-shite crazy in the woods notion of how the world should be run on self-interest and selfishness.
On the blog Randzapper was this gem of a quote refuting a objectivist named Flashman:
bleatmop
Mystro
The Arbourist
Dead Wild Roses 
Your opinions…