Libertarian 'Missionary Work'

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TheFinest Posted: Sun, Aug 12 2012 7:14 PM

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Has anyone thought of going down this path?

For instance, doing something similar to what Christian missionaries and humanitarian organizations have done for centuries around the world. Traveling to underdeveloped or unrecognized countries (Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, South Ossetia, South Sudan, maybe even Somalia if they're brave enough) and combining some of the usual focuses on Agriculture, Education, and Health with a strong emphasis on educating the people on libertarian principles such as entrepreneurship, property rights, freedom, etc.

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gotlucky replied on Sun, Aug 12 2012 9:48 PM

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See The First Church of Mises. While it's not missionary work, it's something similar. Missionary work is probably unlikely until there is some organization in an already developed country.

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Wheylous replied on Sun, Aug 12 2012 10:08 PM

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I see the PR campaign for this going smoothly.

"Extreme right wingers go to Africa and tell people to earn own money, not seek help"

Not saying it's not worth the shot, but you're likely to get shut out by the media. And even the country you're actively helping. Like in this article on private schools in Africa:

http://www.thefreemanonline.org/features/backing-the-wrong-horse-how-private-schools-are-good-for-the-poor/

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Kelvin Silva replied on Sun, Aug 12 2012 10:23 PM

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Wheylous-

Tell them about the virtues of private charity.

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TheFinest replied on Sun, Aug 12 2012 10:39 PM

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Right, I was seeing what could be done once Clayton's vision came to fruitation. One of the most important aspects of that idea to me is reaching out to those people who more than anyone else in the world at the moment need a proper education in accumulating capital and living freely.

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vive la insurrection replied on Sun, Aug 12 2012 10:56 PM

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Sounds scary, but that's just me.

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Wheylous replied on Sun, Aug 12 2012 10:58 PM

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Ever read about charter cities?

http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2011/03/a_quick_case_fo.html

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gotlucky replied on Sun, Aug 12 2012 11:00 PM

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Vive, how could you not want to spread the word of Stirner? For shame.

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vive la insurrection replied on Sun, Aug 12 2012 11:18 PM

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lol good point,

seriously though I think I tend to look Stirner the same way I look at libertarianism, Mises or good economics: dethreading obfuscating nonsense that has come through the backdoors and is trying to infiltrate where it can't.

In other words it is anti-academic academics.

So I guess the way I would view missionary work would be academic means - and very very localized, pragmatic, and grass roots "defederalization" - in other words, not missionary work - but hands on "doing", and most likely doing what you always do. 

To paraphrase a Stirner idea:

no revolution, just insurrection.

But that's straying from / hijacking the topic and that's all I'll say about that.

EDIT:

I think people like Stirner or Mises are limited in practicle application as well.  It would probably do me no good to tell a co-worker "all things are nothing to me!" - however a bohemian or academic, Stirner will give them fits.  Just look at Brainpolice on these forums when dealing with Vichy, it's funny.

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gotlucky replied on Sun, Aug 12 2012 11:40 PM

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So I guess the way I would view missionary work would be academic means - and very very localized, pragmatic, and grass roots "defederilization" - in other words, not missionary work - but hands on "doing", and most likely doing what you always do. 

+1

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Neodoxy replied on Mon, Aug 13 2012 11:32 AM

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I've actually thought about this before, although I think it's rather inaccurate to call it "missionary work". I think it's hard to see the perpetrator having much success unless he brought aid with him and attempted to start up local organizations right there. At any rate, I think that there would be two big problems, the first being any nationalism that your hosts might feel and the second is the problem of education in the first place when the message is somewhat complex and elitist, for although libertarianism has a very central and straightforward message, the fact is that it could well be difficult to see people in abject poverty agreeing that this would really benefit them. The more to the left you get the stronger and more simple your cause is: To fight back the exploitation of the capitalist dogs and to help society. There is no such parallel on the right beyond various types of nationalism. Libertarianism is the exception to this rule, wherever you place it on the spectrum, libertarianism has a great amount of power and indignation against the entity of government and which allows a truly amazing push (especially in the U.S) for the call for liberty and personal independence.

With this said I don't know how much libertarianism could compete with Marxism over in 3rd world nations, I think that the possibility of communitarianism, the concept of the government as literally attacking and abusing its people, and the utter failure of the government to ensure security for its people would also have to be emphasized. It's a complicated issue and one which either has a surprising degree of potential, or which would quickly end in abject failure.