The Subsidy of History

Guest post by Kevin Carson. A considerable number of libertarian commentators have remarked on the sheer scale of subsidies and protections to big business, on their structural importance to the existing form of corporate capitalism, and on the close inter-meshing of corporate and state interests in the present state capitalist economy. We pay less attention,…

The Johnson Dilemma

I’ve always been an open-minded guy. That’s how I discovered libertarianism during my very shameful, neoconservative past self. I have never been that offended or threatened over alternative viewpoints or what American society considers horrible. That strength was proven during the famous “Kony 2012” campaign. I remember very specifically people telling me that I didn’t…

Do You Hate the State?

Guest post by Murray Rothbard. I have been ruminating recently on what are the crucial questions that divide libertarians. Some that have received a lot of attention in the last few years are: anarcho-capitalism vs. limited government, abolitionism vs. gradualism, natural rights vs. utilitarianism, and war vs. peace. But I have concluded that as important…

Individualism, Collectivism, and Other Murky Labels

Imagine the following person. He believes all individuals should be free to do anything that’s peaceful and therefore favors private property, free global markets, freedom of contract, civil liberties, and all the related ideas that come under the label libertarianism (or liberalism). Obviously he is not a statist. But is he an individualist and a capitalist or a socialist and a collectivist?

The Non-Problem of Rogue Defense Agencies

Even in today’s universally statized world, prudent individuals continue to patronize private protection agencies, hire bodyguards, and otherwise increase their personal security by the use of market means. The reason for them doing this is obvious – they know all too well that they cannot rely on the “protection services” provided by coercive governmental monopolies,…