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Arnold Kling has a a good post up summarizing a "Are Libertarians Part of the Conservative Movement?" debate that took place at AEI on Wednesday night. I thought about going, but was busy paying someone to teach me how to lift weights, and so I figured I'd catch it on the Internet later. "Later" meant around 10:00 p.m. Thursday night on the couch. A worn-out Willow wandered over, briefly sniffed Matt Welch's on-screen image, and then concluded that there was nothing to see here. She toddled over to the doormat and promptly fell asleep. Does this mean that my golden retriever is shaping up to be a libertarian, conservative, or neither? Inquiring minds want to know.
While I like much of what Goldberg had to say and found it heartening, I would note that Goldberg's probably in the most libertarian quarter or so of conservatives. Yay for him and all. But I do think that conservative support for big government to advance socially conservative policies is more common that Goldberg makes it out to be here. Take, for example, the popularity of the federal marriage amendment. That makes alliances somewhat harder than it appears here.
Finally, the moderator quoted Russell Kirk as insultingly calling libertarians "ossified Benthamites." Let me note only that this would be a splendid title for a libertarian-ish blog, and I am deeply disappointed that I did not think to start one under that title. I suppose I always could, but, like, I'd have to make all three of my readers change their feeds and all. Aspiring libertarian bloggers, note that ossifiedbethamite.blogspot.com has not yet been grabbed up, should any of you want it!
While I like much of what Goldberg had to say and found it heartening, I would note that Goldberg's probably in the most libertarian quarter or so of conservatives. Yay for him and all. But I do think that conservative support for big government to advance socially conservative policies is more common that Goldberg makes it out to be here. Take, for example, the popularity of the federal marriage amendment. That makes alliances somewhat harder than it appears here.
Finally, the moderator quoted Russell Kirk as insultingly calling libertarians "ossified Benthamites." Let me note only that this would be a splendid title for a libertarian-ish blog, and I am deeply disappointed that I did not think to start one under that title. I suppose I always could, but, like, I'd have to make all three of my readers change their feeds and all. Aspiring libertarian bloggers, note that ossifiedbethamite.blogspot.com has not yet been grabbed up, should any of you want it!
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