Programming Note
This Tuesday evening I'm going to be moderating a debate at the America's Future Foundation between Jonah Goldberg and Reason editor Nick Gillespie: "What is the state of the friendship between conservatives and libertarians after 9/11? While they can agree that they're both against the left, are they both against the state? These are the questions we'll try to answer at AFF's 10th Anniversary Roundtable on Tuesday, July 18."
DC area readers should check it out.
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While they can agree that they're both against the left, are they both against the state?
Well, if the State's run by Democrats, sure. Otherwise, not so much.
July 16, 2006 8:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sounds like a cheerful event.
July 17, 2006 9:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
You forgot to add, "Your ticket pays for the whole seat, but you'll only need the edge!"
July 17, 2006 9:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hm, are these events really the glorified conservative meet market they strike me as appearing to likely be?
"Hey Heritage chick, let's come back to my place and do our own research on friendship between libertarians and conservatives..."
And if I went, would I have to wear a skirt and pearls?
July 17, 2006 9:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Um, Matthew, when I've seen Cato people talk about civil liberties, I'm pretty sure they sided with the left. Shouldn't libertarians be against both left and right, depending on the issue?
Even if you think they are with the right on taxes, they certainly aren't pro-borrow and spend. I could see abortion going either way, but I would guess more are pro-choice. Affirmative action is one area where they surely side with the right, but I'm pretty sure most libertarians are pro-separation of church and state and against most moralizing issues found on both the left and the right.
Anyway, I'm sure the Reason editor can better discuss these issues in person, just thought there was no reason for you to pre-judge in your ad for the debate.
Not that you need my advice, but my general strategy in debating libertarians is to first get them to agree that libertarianism is never going to go big time (whether in NH or elsewhere) and then get them to agree on how bad the GOP is.
July 17, 2006 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Small-l "libertarians" tend to be civil liberties progressives and economic conservatives. Militarily and foreign-policy-wise, they tend to be non-interventionists. They side with the (Old) Right on affirmative action because they are against big government whether it is used for "social" ends or "fascist" ends.
Large-L "Libertarians", i.e., people who support the Libertarian Party, are "Republicans who smoke dope", as Bob Black once put it. Representative Ron Paul is an example - he once ran for President on the LP ticket, then switched to running as a Republican, and currently is one of the few Republicans staunchly against the Iraq war and any additional ME adventures such as Iran - hardly your conventional Republican.
There are also distinctions between so-called "Old Right" conservatives such as Pat Buchanan and whatever the current crop of criminals like John McCain and tom DeLay are calling themselves.
Your general strategy sounds like a good one since both points are correct.
July 17, 2006 11:25 PM | Reply | Permalink