The 'Liberaltarian' break-up

Screw you guys, I'm going home

During the 2008 election, there was much talk about the growing rift in the traditional economic alliance between libertarians and Republicans.

Disillusioned with 8 years of Republican rule that brought two overseas wars, new economic tariffs, and innovative ways to curtail civil liberties - there were many who decided to seek greener pastures.

For some, those greener pastures seemed to be in the Obama camp. A vocal critic of the Iraq War, PATRIOT ACT, and failed drug policies - it was thought he represented the best alternative for libertarian-leaning voters who were willing to trade economic liberalism in return for sensible foreign policy and renewed civil liberties. There were also those who believed his University of Chicago background would act as a moderating influence over his more Progressive instincts.

These people, it seems, were wrong. Instead, we seem to have received the worst of both worlds. Obama has failed to repudiate his predecessor's policies; Guantanamo Bay remains open despite promises to the contrary, domestic wiretapping continues unabated, and the DEA seems to be the one area where Bush-era holdovers are acceptable.

Even worse, perhaps, are the economic policies of the intelligentsia on the Left that have been sold to the American public; bailouts that privatize economic gains and socialize the losses, healthcare reforms that play favorites for the Unionized, and a disturbing willingness to bend statistics and obfuscate truth in order to score political points.

Some, perhaps, still hold hope for a Liberaltarian alliance, but I think economic policy differences will always trump any perceived similarities on social issues. Libertarians tend to be distrustful of centralized solutions - yet Democrats can't seem to conceive of anything besides. Milton Friedman is a revered figure to most libertarians, almost invariably included in the pantheon of influential libertarian thinkers of the 20th Century. Although there's disagreement over many of Milton's policy proposals (especially among Rothbardians, etc) there's very little debate over the huge influence Milton had in expanding the ideals of limited government and individual freedom. For some on the left, however, the picture above exemplifies their opinion of the man - the destroyer of our Middle Class, the creator of modern economic crises, and a corporate apologist.

If you can understand why some on the Left think Milton is one of the unrivaled evil influences of the 20th Century, and why libertarians believe the opposite - you'll know why a Liberaltarian alliance will never be long-lived.