Libertarianism = anarchism for the rich

Libertarians Nothing Like Classical Liberals

By Nathaniel Downes

One of the oft stated beliefs of those from the libertarian bent is that they claim to be rooted in what we now call “classic liberalism.” The claim is that liberals in history believed in the same things libertarians today do.

This is of course rubbish.

Yes, the classical liberal did believe in the government keeping a hands off approach to business. It is also true that the classical liberal wanted to prevent government intrusion in private life. But this is simplistic comprehension at best.

The classical liberal also believed in a strong central government to ensure legal structure and order, the antithesis of libertarianism. This was needed in order to ensure that all companies operating in the market were fair, that none were exploiting their positions to drive others out of business. 

In addition, classical liberals were firm believers in the commons and the investment by government into infrastructure, again, things libertarianism are against. This is why the classical liberals pushes for such grand projects as the transcontinental railroad (all built using public assistance) as well as the network of canals which still drive commerce today.

Another cornerstone of Classical Liberalism is financial protectionism, which a prime modern-day example would be the TARP bailouts, another thing the Libertarians are against. A classical Liberal is also for the heavy hand of government to ensure the rights of all citizens, so a move such as the Civil Rights Act would be right up their alley. 

They believed that rights such as these, such as the Minimum Wage, were best handled by the government and not by organizations such as Unions nor left up to companies on their own. Classical Liberalism instilled both the First and Second Bank of the United States, which are the forerunners of the modern Federal Reserve. The Fed in fact taps into the lessons learned from these older institutions in its development, in order to avoid their pitfalls.

So no, classical liberals are nothing like libertarianism, and anyone who says they are the same is a liar.

Libertarians instead find their roots in a completely different branch of the political philosophical tree, that of the Anarchist movement of the 19th century. The word libertarian was even coined by the French anarchist Joseph Déjacque for his publication “La Libertaire, Journal du Mouvement Social” in 1858.

In order to gain legitimacy, in the 1970′s the libertarian movement began to co-opt lip service to classical liberals, which had been romanticized by the Objectivist movement and their patron saint Ayn Rand. But with their continuing fight to overthrow the government and blind belief in the benevolence of corporations, it is clear that they remain the anarchists they’ve always been.

So next time a libertarian claims to be a classical liberal, smile knowing that while their lips may say liberal, the truth behind it is anarchy.

Author:  Nathaniel Downes is the a native of New Hampshire, now living in Seattle Washington developing the next-generation superpowered MMORPG, City of Titans. Feel free to follow Nathaniel Downes on Facebook or Google Plus. He has just released his first book, available in Hardcover, Paperback, and Kindle.