Okay, so maybe that’s a bit extreme. But I was watching Stossel the other day, and they had a decent program arguing in favor of privatizing roads.
Then later Glenn Beck came on and put forth an “An-Cap light” argument for privatizing the military.
I was quite shocked to say the least. Even though FOX is increasingly opening up the libertarian ideas (probably just because there guy isn’t in office!) I was surprised to see a segment arguing these types of cases.
What do you An-Caps think of statist libertarians, minarchists, and limited government advocates? Do you believe that we have more in common with each other then differences? Do you believe that being pro private property is more important to the cause of liberty than being anti-state?
If Glenn Beck became an anarcho-capitalist, I wonder how many people he could convert to anarcho-capitalism. That would advance liberty. Another liberty advancement would be if John Stossel’s show was moved from the Fox Business Network to Fox News so he could have more viewers.
I can’t access the video, but is the type of “privatisation” he’s talking about just increased government contracting of “defense” services Halliburton style? That’s what I’d expect to hear, if I was told Glenn Beck would be talking about privatisation and the military in the same sentence.
I dont think Glenn Beck is an-cap. He does have some libertarian tendencies, but theres also a lot of things he says that are overly statist. I especially hate listening to him talk about illegal immigration(something that couldnt exist in an an-cap society).
Stossel, otoh is definetly a libertarian, but, is he actually an anarchist? I’m pretty sure he’s said we need a government to protect us, but to then leave us alone/
he was talking about privatizing the military in a fascist kind of way, not in an ancap kind of way.
Stossel’s show had a lot more to do with fascism > socialism from an efficiency standpoint, and it wasn’t until the very end that he threw in a line about well leaving it to the market would actually be ideal. He was talking about blackwater, and although he didn’t mention it I kept thinking they were going to mention ‘letters of marque and reprisal’ and how the USA isn’t really supposed to have a standing army and other such statements from the Constitutionalist angle.
Stossel’s show could have been great, but he talked about privatizing roads and didn’t bring on Block, I mean come on.
This is why I think its important we say that we advocate for marketizing X and not saying that we simply advocate for privatizing.
speaking of fox business and liberty. This week is Freedom Week, the judge is on every night at 9pm with a new show.
and this is coming off back to back weekends of having Lew and Tom on. Although he did have a complete Keynesian on during his economic talk (talking about boosting aggregate demand and all kinds of crap). He said that cutting government spending is equivalent to anti-stimulus.
Yeah, I have no clue what Beck is talking about on a week-to-week basis. One moment he has Penn Jillette and Stossel on his show calling it a “libertarian convention”, and the next he’s chumming it up with James Dobson about anti-porn stuff and prayer in public school. The next he says he’s a terror war hawk and the next he’s talking about privatizing the military.
I think we are witnessing Glenn Beck in mid-conversion. I have been going through this conversion for almost a year. I’m halfway through For a New Liberty and can feel the last few shackles of my statist religion breaking. I’ve never felt so sure about my beliefs in my life. It’s so liberating to “know” instead of just “having faith”. I hope that Glenn Beck reaches the same conclusion.
Well, n00b, let’s just hope he keeps booking Tom Woods on his show to put the nail in the coffin
I’m surprised at how well some of the Mises guys like Woods play the game. On the one hand, Woods appeals to the masses by discussing Constitutional history, nullification, etc. and by that same token I saw him in a video the other day with Doug Casey saying that government is unnecessary.
Hesaid himself he is becoming more and more libertarian, so I wouldn’t be that surprised if he eventually became an ancap. I don’t really like him but he has become better over time.
Stossel’s show had a lot more to do with fascism > socialism from an efficiency standpoint, and it wasn’t until the very end that he threw in a line about well leaving it to the market would actually be ideal.
Actually I think his main point is that while a totally free market would be ideal, its not politically feasable right now, and we would be better off going to some form of sub-contracting as a way of getting to true freedom. While that might not be the best way to go about it, I dont think its a strike against his libertarian credentials.
Also, while I cant say for sure, I suspect that the Network may be forcing him to moderate his views in order to attract a wider audience. I’v noticed the same thing with Penn Jilette. The views he expresses in his show on Showtime are MUCH more moderate than he expresses elsewhere(especially on Youtube).