For no particular reason I decided to browse an old forum I used to visit named the Daily Paul, home of supporters of former U.S. Representative and Presidential hopeful Ron Paul, and what I would call a member of the Libertarian echo-chamber. At this point in time I am finding it healthy (and useful) to pull back from whatever perspective I am currently viewing the world through, and to take a look at things through a different lens. Seeing as how I am currently re-editing (and thus re-listening and reading) some of the works of Gustavus Myers, who writes, unabashedly, from the socialist/populist/progressive/etc. viewpoint, I figured why not take a glance from another end of the spectrum. A “how’s the stench in your neighborhood” type of thing if you will.
The topic I ran across first and which I wanted to address was this one: Some of our newer (and some of the older) Libertarian minded folks need to self-correct. Unfortunately, I couldn’t register to reply directly to the author, so it is doubtful he will ever see this but none the less, why have a blog if not to spew forth more information into the already over-crowded public space? (Sarcasm)
While I would like to address all of the points of the author in that thread, I don’t have the time. But one thing which I will address is this point in the authors list of history that is NOT TRUE: Herbert Hoover was a capitalist. Or, that is to say, that the author thinks that Herbert Hoover was NOT a capitalist. The real history, the author concludes supports that statement. Well then if he wasn’t a capitalist, what was he? A socialist? The answer is probably not as cut-and-dry as one usually is presented…
File & Claw Archives 