In what has to be the best dissection and exposition of Libertarian philosophy I’ve seen in some time, Philip Pilkington exposes the “Free Market” libertarian world view as a political and economic cult very much akin to Bolshevism in it’s structure and function.
It’s disturbing in the extreme to think that we’re living in a world where the mantra of “Free Market” is so rampant when the foundations of the guiding libertarian philosophy that underpin it are so corrupt. Libertarianism, like Marxism, is a political and economic philosophy built upon the idea of an ultimate Truth.
Libertarians think that they have unearthed a Truth that no one else can grasp (because, of course, this Truth being so pure, anyone who could possibly grasp it must then by default recognise it as Truth). And they think that if they can get adequate social and political power to enforce this Truth we will all be better off for it. Hoppe’s vision of a totalitarian, corporatist future is thus realistic in that if libertarians were ever truly to get into power they would have to enact an immense violence upon the world to try to get it to conform to their vision of Utopia. In this, they are like every other political cult that has ever existed. And they are just as dangerous.
In fact, the libertarians are the direct heirs to the Marxist-Leninist throne. Even though their motives differ substantially, their Faith is based on very similar principles – which is not surprising given that both movements grew out of the same 19th century debate over economic value.
Be afraid. Be very, very afraid. The path of the “Free Market” leads to the death of democracy.
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