3 ms·

> "For the most part, the leftist leaning libertarians are extinct in the US." Actually there is a recent trend of leftwing libertains in America under the nam

> "For the most part, the leftist leaning libertarians are extinct in the US." Actually there is a recent trend of leftwing libertains in America under the names "free-market anti-capitalist", "thick libertarianism", " market-anarchism", and even "libertarian socialism", all working inside and outside of the Libertarian Party.

KGIII 9y ago
There is. It's still vanishingly small. I probably could have phrased it better. I sometimes describe myself as 'classic libertarian' but 'libertarian socialist' is also pretty close to my ideals. Notably, I'm nearing 60 and I've never once had political representation. Not one elected politician has represented my ideals, at least not at the national level. There may be some at local levels, but they wouldn't be in any of the areas where I live(d). No, no I don't usually vote for the Libertarian Party candidate these days.
throwawayknecht 9y ago
Wow this comment is confusing a lot of stuff. - "Free-market anti-capitalist" is a term used by people who want to call themselves "mutualists" but lost the rhetorical shell game trying to compare themselves to Proudhon, with whom they in reality share nothing. - Thick vs thin libertarianism is orthogonal to the discussion here, though I think it's discussed almost exclusively by ancaps; as far as I know the distinction was created to discuss two different attitudes towards the NAP. Anarchists and other socialists don't put much faith in NAPs. - "Market anarchism" is a synonym for full-on Rothbard ancap. - "Libertarian socialism" is identified with anarchism back into the 19th century. Any attempt to use the term to describe "free market" policies is incoherent appropriation for the sake of (probably populist) branding. No libertarian socialists of note work within the Libertarian Party in the US. When the term "left libertarian" is used in that context, the "left" is only relative to the paleoconservative parts of it.

KGIII 9y ago

There is. It's still vanishingly small. I probably could have phrased it better. I sometimes describe myself as 'classic libertarian' but 'libertarian socialist' is also pretty close to my ideals. Notably, I'm nearing 60 and I've never once had political representation. Not one elected politician has represented my ideals, at least not at the national level. There may be some at local levels, but they wouldn't be in any of the areas where I live(d). No, no I don't usually vote for the Libertarian Party candidate these days.

throwawayknecht 9y ago

Wow this comment is confusing a lot of stuff. - "Free-market anti-capitalist" is a term used by people who want to call themselves "mutualists" but lost the rhetorical shell game trying to compare themselves to Proudhon, with whom they in reality share nothing. - Thick vs thin libertarianism is orthogonal to the discussion here, though I think it's discussed almost exclusively by ancaps; as far as I know the distinction was created to discuss two different attitudes towards the NAP. Anarchists and other socialists don't put much faith in NAPs. - "Market anarchism" is a synonym for full-on Rothbard ancap. - "Libertarian socialism" is identified with anarchism back into the 19th century. Any attempt to use the term to describe "free market" policies is incoherent appropriation for the sake of (probably populist) branding. No libertarian socialists of note work within the Libertarian Party in the US. When the term "left libertarian" is used in that context, the "left" is only relative to the paleoconservative parts of it.