Libertarianism

A Friend from Facebook made a memorable sharp-tongued comment about a certain strain of libertarians.

I think property-fetish libertarianism is a special case.

Look to it's antagonistic relationship with any kind of liberation movement: especially feminism. Hell — attacks on altruism. It feels like to me that it's built on “challenging assumptions”, on destruction, on dismantling, on correcting, and on the power of the solitary, glorious, self-generated Ubermensch to situate yourself above and beyond The Sheeple. Because the individual exists in a social vacuum of what's theirs and fuck all’a’yall. It wouldn't know intersectionality if it was going to return to the common mineral deposits of everyone else like we all will.

Also. Look to how it's actually practiced. Online, in pubs, whatever. Does it come across as supporting the individual, as inspiring action, as championing any concrete ethical behaviours of betterment or self-development? Does it really want to change anything? Not especially, as far as I've encountered. It seems more like a way of feeling ok about the problems of systemic-wide exploitation, violence and dehumanisation and/or justifying feeling superior to others who do have a problem with those things.

I think I see your initial point, and I would agree that every political ideology has reactive elements, but speaking from experience of listening and arguing with the spectrum of lefty/anarchist/individualist/hippy/etc friends I have, and chats with other people of varying degrees of political involvement and kinks, I really feel right-wing libertarianism has a special kind of empty reactionary contraryism to it. Or at least opens its arms wide to let in those kinds of folks that want to think like this.

Partly I think that comes from straight up smugness. It is the smuggest ideology I think I've ever encountered. It comes across to me as Reasons Why You Shouldn't Give a Shit, with a healthy side of You Are More Enlightened Than Everyone Else. If you don't want to give a shit, just don't give a shit. Don't concoct fabulous, fatuous, bloodyminded straw men about why you're better for not giving a shit.

Your mileage varies. I know. I hope you get more out of it than I perceive. All I'm saying is at the very least your movement has a lot of dickheads in it. Especially those that hate women and other minorities, manifesting as monumental chips on the shoulder about having to care about anyone else. I really worry there are some fundamental things about the philosophy that allow these to fester in it.

They are making you look like proper twats.

Saving for future reference.