Category Archives: libertarianism

Robert Rector Of the Heritage Foundation On the ‘Transfer State’

libertarianism, Political Economy, The State

Robert Rector, Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, has this to say about the illiberal, lemming’s lunacy of open-border libertarianism:

“I very much enjoyed your column on WorldNetDaily today. You hit the nail on the head. As I pointed out in a recent response the Wall Street Journal, the issue is not merely the “welfare state,” narrowly defined, but the much broader transfer/redistribution state, and, more fundamentally, the right to use the ballot box to pillage other people’s bank accounts. When you confer citizenship on a low-skill immigrant, you are granting them the right to use the electoral process to access your income.

I had a recent debate with Dan Griswold of Cato in which he actually said that we should have amnesty and open borders now and then work on limiting welfare later. (Not that Cato has ever had the least practical effect in limiting welfare spending). I think we could borrow a concept from the recent debate about “enforcement first.”

If libertarians are intellectually serious, they should eliminate the transfer state first along with the right to use the ballot box as an instrument of pillage, and then talk about open borders. At present, there is one potential vote for eliminating the welfare state in the U.S. Congress, so they will have their work cut out for them.

Again, great column.

Robert Rector
Senior Research Fellow
The Heritage Foundation

Machan/Mercer Exchange

Founding Fathers, Government, IMMIGRATION, libertarianism, The State

Tibor Machan posted a brief reply to “The Work Open-Border Libertarians Won’t Do” in the Comments Section of Barely a Blog. The meat of Machan’s reply:

“Refusing to extend welfare to illegal immigrants will amount to an arbitrary, indeed mean-minded policy based on nothing more than nationalism or even worse, such as preference for members of one’s own race or age group or some such nonsense.”

Machan’s line of reasoning proceeds from the premise that limiting the size and scope of the Welfare State no matter how is not necessary the most urgent—and hence the most ethical and moral—imperative. Rather, according to Tibor’s reasoning, given the reality of the Transfer State, apportioning welfare based on egalitarian, “fair,” and consistent criteria is the most pressing matter.

The premise of Machan’s reply seems to be that egalitarian treatment (of the world) is the proper purpose of policy. As a strict propertarian, I could not disagree more; As I see it, the imperative of policy is to limit theft, not extend its spoils fairly.

I also wonder about the worldview held by libertarians. The founders clearly recognized that some people were the responsibility of a limited, American, republican government; others not. What, after all, did John Quincy Adams mean when he counseled that America not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy, but remain the well-wisher of the freedom and independence of all, but the champion and vindicator only of her own?

Machan’s reply, on the other hand, seems to suggest that “We Are the World”—that since we have the misfortune of laboring under the transfer state, we are obliged to extend its “benefits” to all who enter its orbit.

Updated: Getting to the Young’uns

Classical Liberalism, Ilana Mercer, IlanaMercer.com, libertarianism

I’m not tooting my own horn, I promise. That would be bad form. What’s satisfying about the following post (other than who it afflicts), however, is that it’s by a young reader on “The Hip Forums” (not yet “done with school”), whose interest in libertarianism was stirred by my writing. About one thing he is unfortunately mistaken: my general knowledge is not very good:

“Ilana Mercer is the best damn essayist I have encountered, right up there with Justin Raimondo (another libertarian), although she arguably surpasses him. Her analytical rigor and verbal fluency astound me (it’s not uncommon for me to have to check the dictionary one or two times when reading her essays), and she is just so reasonable and yet iconoclastic. She also has an amazing store of general knowledge.

I cannot say I am a libertarian, because only recently have I started reading her essays, but I plan on learning more about the ideology once I am done with school and have more free time.”

Update: I am posting here a comment and my reply. The comment was originally appended to the wrong post:

Ilana,

While you may reject my recommendations for documentary movies i.e. “must-see” titles, I most certainly respect your global political acumen. [I don’t recall rejecting anything…]

Could you please describe the genesis of the “classical” part of your liberal persona, so that I might offer some sage advice to my daughters, who apparently adore you?

A list of essential readings would be appreciated, as they are both in university, and still impressionable.

Autographed photos might suffice, for now….

Mercer Reply:

Your dear daughters are clearly gems who have an instinct for the philosophy of freedom, upon which this great country was founded, and which it has since abandoned. Rejoice that they have come to this philosophy while in the academy; it usually inculcates in the young everything but Jeffersonian ideas.

If by quizzing me you imply that they may need to be steered away from the American ideas of individualism and self-government —then it is you who may need their counsel more than they yours.

I wish I had time to correspond at length, but I don’t. (Please tell your girls how buoyed I am that there are youngsters in the left-liberal academy who think independently as they do. I’d love them to partake on my blog. I extend an invitation.)

My columns/essays almost always include references. It’s about taking the time to work through the columns and extract the references. I have links on my Links Page to great classical liberal sites. My website is easy to navigate. Begin with Ludwig von Mises, Ayn Rand, Henry Hazlitt, Murray Rothbard, Frederic Bastiat, F. A. Hayek, and the great heroes of the Old Right, such as Felix Morley, Frank Chodorov, Garet Garrett, and John T. Flynn.

Thank you for telling me about your lovely girls.

—ILANA

By Michael on 04.07.07 3:58 pm

Updated: Getting to the Young'uns

Classical Liberalism, Ilana Mercer, IlanaMercer.com, libertarianism

I’m not tooting my own horn, I promise. That would be bad form. What’s satisfying about the following post (other than who it afflicts), however, is that it’s by a young reader on “The Hip Forums” (not yet “done with school”), whose interest in libertarianism was stirred by my writing. About one thing he is unfortunately mistaken: my general knowledge is not very good:

“Ilana Mercer is the best damn essayist I have encountered, right up there with Justin Raimondo (another libertarian), although she arguably surpasses him. Her analytical rigor and verbal fluency astound me (it’s not uncommon for me to have to check the dictionary one or two times when reading her essays), and she is just so reasonable and yet iconoclastic. She also has an amazing store of general knowledge.

I cannot say I am a libertarian, because only recently have I started reading her essays, but I plan on learning more about the ideology once I am done with school and have more free time.”

Update: I am posting here a comment and my reply. The comment was originally appended to the wrong post:

Ilana,

While you may reject my recommendations for documentary movies i.e. “must-see” titles, I most certainly respect your global political acumen. [I don’t recall rejecting anything…]

Could you please describe the genesis of the “classical” part of your liberal persona, so that I might offer some sage advice to my daughters, who apparently adore you?

A list of essential readings would be appreciated, as they are both in university, and still impressionable.

Autographed photos might suffice, for now….

Mercer Reply:

Your dear daughters are clearly gems who have an instinct for the philosophy of freedom, upon which this great country was founded, and which it has since abandoned. Rejoice that they have come to this philosophy while in the academy; it usually inculcates in the young everything but Jeffersonian ideas.

If by quizzing me you imply that they may need to be steered away from the American ideas of individualism and self-government —then it is you who may need their counsel more than they yours.

I wish I had time to correspond at length, but I don’t. (Please tell your girls how buoyed I am that there are youngsters in the left-liberal academy who think independently as they do. I’d love them to partake on my blog. I extend an invitation.)

My columns/essays almost always include references. It’s about taking the time to work through the columns and extract the references. I have links on my Links Page to great classical liberal sites. My website is easy to navigate. Begin with Ludwig von Mises, Ayn Rand, Henry Hazlitt, Murray Rothbard, Frederic Bastiat, F. A. Hayek, and the great heroes of the Old Right, such as Felix Morley, Frank Chodorov, Garet Garrett, and John T. Flynn.

Thank you for telling me about your lovely girls.

—ILANA

By Michael on 04.07.07 3:58 pm