Why the Beltway Libertarians Are Trying to Smear Ron Paul

[RonPaulFTFW]

http://www.takimag.com/site/article/why_the_beltway_libertarians_are_trying_to_smear_ron_paul?

It’s no mystery, really: Ron Paul is, in many ways, the exact opposite of the Beltway fake-“libertarians.” He’s a populist: they suck up to power, he challenges the powers-that-be; they go along to get along – he has never gone along with the conventional wisdom as defined by the arbiters of political correctness, Left and Right. And most of all, he’s an avowed enemy of the neoconservatives, whom he constantly names as the main danger to peace and liberty – while the Beltway’s tame “libertarians” are in bed with them, often literally as well as figuratively.

In short, the Beltway fake-libs are in bed with the State, and all its works, while contenting themselves with the role of court jester and would-be “reformer” of the system. As long as they don’t challenge anything too fundamental to the continuation of the Welfare-Warfare State, the pet libertines of the neocon-led GOP “coalition” are deemed “urbane” and “cosmopolitan,” the highest compliment the Georgetown party circuit can bestow. Once they begin rocking the boat, as Paul insists on doing, they become fair game for the Smearbund.

 

[Xenophage]

This is a gross misunderstanding. I understand your desire to point and shout "EVIL!" when you see someone who disagrees with you, but you're making huge generalizations and unfairly characterizing people who are really your allies (which is a source of great trouble within the freedom movement in general, and has held us back for decades).

There are *many* different reasons that various libertarians or libertarian-leaning people don't support Ron Paul. The vast majority *do* support Ron Paul, and perhaps there are some that dislike him for exactly the reason you pointed out, but certainly not most of them.

Many Libertarians would describe Ron Paul exactly the way you described *them*: as pandering, and philosophically inconsistent. Many Libertarians have traditionally supported NAFTA and an open immigration policy. Many Libertarians are pro-choice. Many Libertarians believe Paul has ignored the fundamental moral argument in support of capitalism. Many Libertarians are so used to getting a raw deal that they just can't believe someone like Ron Paul is even running... so they don't believe it, and in their minds, something has *got* to be wrong because no politician could be that great, so they're looking for things to criticize. Many Libertarians feel Ron Paul has improperly portrayed the political philosophy, or brought it under unfair scrutiny either by creating an opportunity for people to label him and the philosophy as "racist," or by simply failing to defend his positions publicly as well as they would have liked. Many Libertarians simply want to distance themselves from 911 Truthers and other conspiracy theorists that they believe the Paul campaign has associated with. Many Libertarians just *hate* the Republican Party, and want nothing to do with it, and can't believe a real Libertarian would run on a GOP ticket.

Now obviously, you and I and mostly everyone on this message board disagree with the position those Libertarians take. The fact remains, however, that they are *still* our political allies in the long haul, and we should not alienate them with bravado and bombast. They are also the most easily converted non-paulites in the world, and you should remember that next time you go out canvassing (which I hope you're doing).

 

[RonPaulFTFW]

Well for one "I" didn't say any of this.

But the point is they are attacking him on things that arent' true because he represents real change.

Anybody who does that isn't our ally no matter what they call themselves.

 

[Dave Pedersen]

Seems to me the Libertarian party has been poisoned by jealousy for decades. If any one of their members succeeds without the whole party succeeding along with them they automatically transform into a pack of ravenous hyenas who bite and gnaw and figure out why as an afterthought.

 

[jumpyg1258]

My political views have a left-leaning libertarian stance to them, I live in the DC area but yet I like Ron Paul so I wouldnt generalize like you do.

 

[Churchill2004]

This huge "split" in libertarianism is hugely over exaggerated. It's not a split between any two distinct schools of libertarianism- it's a split between libertarians based on how they see the newsletters scandal. Nothing more. It will, and should, go away after this election.

 

[Johncjackson]

This huge "split" in libertarianism is hugely over exaggerated. It's not a split between any two distinct schools of libertarianism- it's a split between libertarians based on how they see the newsletters scandal. Nothing more. It will, and should, go away after this election.

Exactly.

And, IMHO, to say that populists are the "real" libertarians and everyone else is "fake" is a joke.

 

[Deborah K]

My political views have a left-leaning libertarian stance to them, I live in the DC area but yet I like Ron Paul so I wouldnt generalize like you do.

ROFL!!! I love your avatar!

 

[MsDoodahs]

This huge "split" in libertarianism is hugely over exaggerated. It's not a split between any two distinct schools of libertarianism- it's a split between libertarians based on how they see the newsletters scandal. Nothing more. It will, and should, go away after this election.

Um...not exactly...

(bolding added)

"The Kochtopus. That gigantic and powerful machine that has funded much of the conservative and Beltway Libertarian apapratus. Just look who is number one on its list of organizations funded.

Let me tell you why they (meaning the collective lynch mob) are trying to bring Lew Rockwell down. I started on some of this topic here, but let me delve a little deeper into why they hate Lew Rockwell so much. Because Lew Rockwell, and his Lew Rockwell.com and Mises Institute, represent one of the very last remaining strains of non-Kochtopus libertarianism in existence. The Kochtopus tried to stop the Mises Institute from launching way back in the early 1980s, but with no success. Since then, it's been a persistent launch of attacks from Cato, its satellites, and its hired hands.

The Kochtopus, along with all of its recipients and players, loves the state. We (and I) have blogged about this time and time again on LewRockwell.com (and here), with the best evidence of all: links to the written words. The Kochtopus, most of all, hates that Rockwell (along with his like-minded writers) recognizes the illegitimacy of the state, and thus the anti-statism from the LRC bunch is loud, persistent, and radical. Include me among them.

The Kochtopus, and thus those tied to Cato, IHS, George Mason, etc., is made up of hired tongues who have to act within certain boundaries, and those boundaries are a reflection of the state's moral code: the state makes the eradication of racism, homophobia, sexism, anti-Israelism, and all other un-PC "isms" its top priority. The cosmopolitan/Beltway/Centralizing/PC libertarians consistently promote the state, and especially its moral codes. While Lew Rockwell is always and everywhere anti-state, the focus of the anti-Rockwellians is not the state and its effect on individual liberty, but promoting the state's thought control on racism, homophobia, gay marriage, immigration, and all other pc topics. This has become the new "libertariansim." Libertarians have become some sick and twisted version of the Gestapo on thought control, motives, and guilt by association."

Rest of article with embeddedd links here:

http://www.karendecoster.com/blog/archives/002714.html

 

[Fox McCloud]

Seems to me the Libertarian party has been poisoned by jealousy for decades. If any one of their members succeeds without the whole party succeeding along with them they automatically transform into a pack of ravenous hyenas who bite and gnaw and figure out why as an afterthought.

precisely, and probably why I'll never join their ranks....I have a feeling this is why Ron Paul left the Libertarian party and became a Republican again. The Libertarian party needs to, realistically, split off into different schools of thought; there's too many different "Libertarians" in the same group, and they all think different...therefore, the party is divided.

Ahh well....

 

[stevedasbach]

Seems to me the Libertarian party has been poisoned by jealousy for decades. If any one of their members succeeds without the whole party succeeding along with them they automatically transform into a pack of ravenous hyenas who bite and gnaw and figure out why as an afterthought.

What are you talking about? The Libertarian Party is NOT attacking Paul -- they have been as supportive of Paul's candidacy as their bylaws permit. The vast majority of LP members also appear to supportive of Dr. Paul's campaign.

The "beltway libertarians" mentioned in the OP have exhibited the same distain toward the LP that they are now showing toward Dr. Paul. It's been over two decades since they were involved in th LP.

 

[stevedasbach]

precisely, and probably why I'll never join their ranks....I have a feeling this is why Ron Paul left the Libertarian party and became a Republican again. The Libertarian party needs to, realistically, split off into different schools of thought; there's too many different "Libertarians" in the same group, and they all think different...therefore, the party is divided.

Ahh well....

Ron didn't leave the LP. He remains a life member, which he has repeatedly confirmed in public.

Real political parties have to have "big tents". The LP should embrace anyone who wants to move in the direction of shrinking government and promoting liberty. Splintering is the last thing the party should do.

As the RPR shows, you can "think different" and still join together to promote liberty.

 

[Xenophage]

Um...not exactly...

(bolding added)

"The Kochtopus. That gigantic and powerful machine that has funded much of the conservative and Beltway Libertarian apapratus. Just look who is number one on its list of organizations funded.

Let me tell you why they (meaning the collective lynch mob) are trying to bring Lew Rockwell down. I started on some of this topic here, but let me delve a little deeper into why they hate Lew Rockwell so much. Because Lew Rockwell, and his Lew Rockwell.com and Mises Institute, represent one of the very last remaining strains of non-Kochtopus libertarianism in existence. The Kochtopus tried to stop the Mises Institute from launching way back in the early 1980s, but with no success. Since then, it's been a persistent launch of attacks from Cato, its satellites, and its hired hands.

The Kochtopus, along with all of its recipients and players, loves the state. We (and I) have blogged about this time and time again on LewRockwell.com (and here), with the best evidence of all: links to the written words. The Kochtopus, most of all, hates that Rockwell (along with his like-minded writers) recognizes the illegitimacy of the state, and thus the anti-statism from the LRC bunch is loud, persistent, and radical. Include me among them.

The Kochtopus, and thus those tied to Cato, IHS, George Mason, etc., is made up of hired tongues who have to act within certain boundaries, and those boundaries are a reflection of the state's moral code: the state makes the eradication of racism, homophobia, sexism, anti-Israelism, and all other un-PC "isms" its top priority. The cosmopolitan/Beltway/Centralizing/PC libertarians consistently promote the state, and especially its moral codes. While Lew Rockwell is always and everywhere anti-state, the focus of the anti-Rockwellians is not the state and its effect on individual liberty, but promoting the state's thought control on racism, homophobia, gay marriage, immigration, and all other pc topics. This has become the new "libertariansim." Libertarians have become some sick and twisted version of the Gestapo on thought control, motives, and guilt by association."

Rest of article with embeddedd links here:

http://www.karendecoster.com/blog/archives/002714.html

Lew Rockwell is of the anarcho-capitalist disposition, and Ludwig Von Mises was ironically not anarchistic at all (more in line with an Objectivist politics). Rothbard and Rockwell both pander to the religious right for support of libertarianism, and I don't see this as morally superior to those that pander to the left.

 

[MsDoodahs]

MsD is anarcho-capitalist, you see.



edited to add...

Regardless, I added the info to enlighten those who are apparently unaware of the history and mistakenly think this is all about some decades old newsletters....

 

[Mystile]

I'm trying really hard to think of the difference between libertarianism and conservatism (real conservatism, not neocons). Aren't they fundamentally the same? Small government, low spending, low taxes, anti-statism, pro-civil liberties, free trade, non-interventionism etc.

Of course some libertarians are pro-war and I'm not exactly sure how that works out.

 

[Brutus]

The connection from Mises to Rothbard to Rockwell is pretty easy to follow.

 

[Brutus]

"Rockwell both pander to the religious right for support of libertarianism"

Yup, explaining to people that in a libertarian world you wouldn't be able to outlaw those libertines, but you wouldn't have to support them either. I can see where that would really get up people's noses.

 

[Churchill2004]

I don't deny that there are personal animosities between some of the leading individuals in the movement, particularly surrounding Rockwell (who is ironically also at the center of the newsletter scandal). I'm saying that those animosities have never extended to the rank-and-file until now. That's the part I don't want to see getting stirred up, that should and will go away after this election.

 

[Robert Johnson]

Today, I watched Tucker Carlson having to defend Ron Paul to the editor of Reason.

This was not over the newsletters, but over whether Ron Paul's campaign is relevant.
The split between any actual freedom movement and the "beltway libertarians" is real.

 

[HarryBrowneLives]

I consider myself an astute intellectual ...

THAT's WHY I SAY F**K Cato, Reason, and all the other institutions who have consistently given the finger to the LP and people like RP over the years while sipping coctails with Washington establishment while railing against it and asking people like us for more money. F**K 'em and feed 'em a fishhead!