The Trouble with Libertarians

Many of the smartest people I know are libertarians. They basically want the government to get out of the way, both in the boardroom and in the bedroom, and leave it all to Ayn Rand.

I have never met a libertarian of average intelligence. They are always way smart, way capable. The kind of people who would for the most part succeed excellently in a libertarian world — or any other.

The one flaw in libertarianism, as best I can dope it out, is its silence on the matter of those who, for whatever reason, especially reasons beyond their reach, are born or rendered too weak or intellectually limited to hold their own. They need society’s protection/assistance/special care … and this sometimes requires the presence of government.

I asked one of you, Chris Selland, about this a while back, when we were e-discussing it, and he wisely replied:

"What do Libertarians say about those who can’t compete with Libertarians? They pretend they don’t exist. Which is why I can’t call myself a true Libertarian. I just believe, to pirate a phrase from Bill Weld, that the social safety net should be a trampoline, not a hammock."

In other words, Atlas just shrugged, but Bill Weld and Chris and others are willing to lend a hand.

Monday: The Trouble with Socialism