Required Reading

John Hinderaker wants to know “where are libertarians when you need them?” And it’s a fair question:

In my view, libertarians of both the capital L and small l varieties punch below their weight. They have not contributed as much as they should to the conservative movement. This is partly because libertarians tend to founder on foreign policy, where many are merely modern-day isolationists. But it is also because they have tended to focus on secondary, or tertiary, issues of domestic policy.

Exactly this, and I say that as a small-l libertarian who tries very hard not to dwell on those secondary and tertiary issues. Or, as I wrote here many years ago, doctrinaire Libertarians tend to get into fistfights over the best way to privatize the sidewalks.

Another reason we punch below our weight is the endless libertarian debate over who is “really” a libertarian. Anyone not holding this view or supporting that position must be driven from the pack to maintain purity. Purity is fine is you want to be a member of a fringe movement, but it’s less useful for other activities, such as influencing a major party or winning elections.

Anyway, read the whole thing.