The “remnant”
It seems as if everybody is a “libertarian” these days. Have you ever smoked pot…you’re a libertarian. Do you want to pay less taxes? You’re a libertarian. Do you think that after bailing out the financial class to the tune of 700 billion (which they maintain is necessary to avoid a crash) some inquiries should be made as to the propriety of golden parachutes? Congratulations, you’re a libertarian!
Libertarinanism is mainstream today. Ask Bob Barr…who thinks the US military should get out of Iraq…but not necessarily Pakistan or Colombia. Ask Tyler Cowen who thinks government should be allowed to expand at or less than the rate of growth of GNP. (With negative growth, that may be a proposal for drastic reduction in the near future!) Ask Joe the Plumber! And these are the good guys!
In contrast, a bad guy would, I suppose, be Alan Greenspan who masqueraded as both an economist and a libertarian on the strength of his personal relationship (not as tight as Nathaniel Brandon’s, but good enough) with Ayn Rand. Thank you Mr. Greenspan for almost single handedly destroying the American economy! No, we don’t expect you to know anything about the Austrian bussiness cycle theory…because you never studied Austrian economics. But you are a self described classical liberal aka “libertarian”…can you define that?
The oracle replies, “Yes, a classical liberal is someone who, at least at heart, thinks that it is best for the banks to maintain low interest rates.”
Thank you, we are astounded and illuminated, to the extent that we have no reply….except….
True Libertainism
(Or classical liberalism, if you will) is the belief that there is a natural law which superceeds any law promulgated by a parliament, congress, or diet. If a legislative body passes a law which, say, permits anyone to murder someone with red hair, then, according to a libertarian, that law is immediately void. It is not voided by judicial review. The extra-natural law edict is a dead letter and of no force.
The principle of obedience to natural law is, I humbly submit, of more fundamental importance than low interest rates, or even the principle on loans!
The mainstream libertarians are for the most part utilitarians, tinkering with the notion of limiting a government which has long since gone beyond any sane limit in terms of expenditure, infringement of civil rights, or executive centralization. Only a small “remnant”, to use the phrase of Albert J. Nock, has the historical perspective to realized that the natural law justification of the state has long since been violated.
The Man and the Party
The closest thing to a libertarian party in existence today is the Constitution Party, which is fielding the Baldwin/Castle ticket in this season’s presidential contest. There is a certain amount of odium attached to this party from the perspective of libertarians. It is rumored that it is a stalking horse for theocrats. But hold your Savanarolas a minute and take a look at the facts.
Yes, at one time there was a “theocrat problem” in the Constitution party. There was a point at which an extremist wing was trying to purge the party of all but Protestant fundamenalists. These people lost and they lost big. Today the Baldwin/Castle ticket is canvasing the support of all people of good will…Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, Jew….Righteous Atheist….anybody!
Like Thomas Aquinas seven hundred years earlier, Chuck Baldwin recognizes the existence of two layers of truth, natural and revealed. Whether god is a unity or a trinity, what direction to pray in, and the number of divine commandments, if any, are theological questions which can only be answered within the context of particular faith communities. However the existence of natural law, the inviolability of the person and property of one’s neighbor, is a manifest truth which doesn’t require faith in a theological sense. It is this principle of natural law, not any sectarian confession, which the Baldwin campaign stands for.
All the other parties are pushing utilitarian theories in accordance with the class interests which they represent. So what do you want…low interest rates, high interest rates….or are you acutally interested in in truth and justice? If the latter you are one of the “remnant” who will be voting for Chuck Baldwin this season.
You may not be voting for a winner, but to borrow another phrase from Albert J. Nock, you’ll be “Doing the right thing!”
