Comments on: Libertarians Are Left at Alternatives Expo

By: MBH

MBH — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 02:56:50 +0000

I don’t see how trying to throw off the shell regardless of what’s underneath is a good strategy.

By: DarianW

DarianW — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:00:49 +0000

If people inside the system recognize their role is to make elbow room for the building of the free society, whether by sabotage or other means, then their work could be of value. The problem is that much inside the system work is not done this way.

By: MBH

MBH — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:56:43 +0000

Darian, good stuff. I still sense an area that’s untouched. Not all reformation of the shell is Trotskyite. Some can strengthen the new society underneath — even hasten the ridding of the shell. And that’s not just through rhetoric. Policies can create the revolutionary situations you mention.

I understand Spooner’s objection that such policy would only function as idle pretense. But so what? And for how long? If that pretense prompts people to interact in non-hierarchical ways, then won’t they more easily recognize their natural bond? And also the pretentiousness of the shell?

I know that such policy could only be driven by Agoristic behavior but why not applaud the resulting policy-as-second-level-means?

By: Gary Chartier

Gary Chartier — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:18:09 +0000

Good job, Darian–glad you were able to be on-hand for this and to raise hell.

By: JaqEboy

JaqEboy — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:00:10 +0000

Darian, thanks for doing the talk. It’s just what’s needed for people that hear the term Left Libertarian for the first time and say “What is that???? I’ll post it to a few forum threads I’ve been on where people have asked that.
Thanks, again. Maybe next time, give the Advanced Left Libertarianism talk!