Over at Libertarianism.org, Andy Craig has written an article where he bemoans attempts by some to ally with others to take control of government. The title is “Pick Your People: The Populist Poison” and Craig says that such attempts can and have led to disastrous outcomes, like in Hungary and Poland, where he says “the populist ruling establishment and its elites thoroughly dominate the government and civil society, their opponents marginalized and excluded.”
How terrible. But what is Craig’s remedy? How can we avoid this dread future for the United States, where some rule and others are ruled?
He says libertarians should reject alliances and coalitions but should simply wait for the day when the majority of voters are libertarians. Then and only then can we have Andy Craig-approved libertarianism.
Craig says libertarianism is “impossible without universal empathy.” If this is true, then libertarianism is impossible.
It has ever been the shibboleth of apologists for government that men cannot be expected to act in the interest of the general welfare, at least when to do otherwise would benefit themselves, their sect, or their class.
As John Trenchard, author of Cato’s Letters, for which Andy Craig’s employer is named, wrote “It is certain that every Man will act for his own Interest; and all wise Governments are founded upon that Principle: So that this whole Mystery is only to make the Interest of the Governors and Governed the same.”
What need is there for laws against theft? Men would never advance their particular interests at common expense. What fear should there be of monopoly? Monopolists, though they could charge high rates to their own profit and public detriment, will never do so. Just as they, as citizen, would never enrich themselves by votes, though they could if they but would.
The world of Mr. Craig is a beautiful one indeed, but we fear he is a time traveler from a prelapsarian past.
So long as government can constitutionally do more than protect person and property, such a world is a fantasy. As Anselme Bellagarrigue said “Power is established; you have given yourselves a master; you have put yourselves at the disposition of a few men; these men use the power that you have given them; they use it against you, and you complain. Why? Did you think that they were going to use it against themselves?”
Yea, Anarchy is Order but Government, Government is Civil War.
Enough! Let us leave the utopists in their babbles, in their world where men may, at a stroke, make themselves and their friends wealthy and powerful, rulers of the land, and yet are expected not to do so. We have serious matters to discuss.