Roderick T. Long: knee-jerk anti-leftism discredits libertarians

[Originally published on a weblog called “What Is Liberalism?”]

Knee-jerk anti-leftism.. That’s what Roderick T. Long objects to in the libertarian circles in which he runs:

Does Norm mean that concerns about patriarchy, white supremacy, etc. – unlike antiwar concerns – are intrinsically tied to an anti-market agenda? If so, I deny it; on the contrary, these concerns were originally libertarian concerns, and libertarians’ alienation from such concerns, and from their “left-wing” heritage generally, throughout much of the 20th century is a historical anomaly (resulting, I believe, from the understandable, though to my mind disastrous, libertarian alliance with conservatives against the genuine menace of state socialism).

The alliance he mentions reminds me of Lord Acton’s well-known observation:

At all times sincere friends of freedom have been rare, and its triumphs have been due to minorities, that have prevailed by associating themselves with auxiliaries whose objects often differed from their own; and this association, which is always dangerous, has sometimes been disastrous, by giving to opponents just grounds of opposition.

I think Long is right on the mark with his complaint about knee-jerk anti-leftism. From my point of view, the most repellent thing about most of the libertarians I’ve talked with is their hostility to any kind of social reform pushed through the democratic process. Libertarianism would certainly be attractive to a much wider group of people if it would only remember that there is a progressive, reforming tradition even in “classical” liberalism. As Hayek said:

Conservatism, though a necessary element in any stable society, is not a social program; in its paternalistic, nationalistic, and power-adoring tendencies it is often closer to socialism than true liberalism; and with its traditionalistic, anti-intellectual, and often mystical propensities it will never, except in short periods of disillusionment, appeal to the young and all those others who believe that some changes are desirable if this world is to become a better place.