A. The Basic Premises

Chapter 36

Turning Their Coats For the State

The non-aggression axiom is the lynchpin of the philosophy of libertarianism. It states, simply, that it shall be legal for anyone to do anything he wants, provided only that he not initiate (or threaten) violence against the person or legitimately owned property of another. That is, in the free society, one has the right to manufacture, buy, or sell any good or service at any mutually agreeable terms.

Chapter 37

The Libertarian Axiom and Jonah Goldberg, Neo-Con

The foundation of libertarianism is the non-aggression axiom. This states that it is illicit to initiate or threaten invasive violence against a man or his legitimately owned property. Murray Rothbard characterized this as “plumb line” libertarianism: follow this one principle, and you will be able to infer the libertarian position on all issues, without exception.

Chapter 38

Compassionate Conservatism

President Bush rightly notes that government has been a dismal failure in terms of alleviating poverty. Bureaucrats have thrown (our) money at the problem for most of the last century — at a feverish clip since the 1960s — and the difficulties have worsened, not improved. Our president quite perceptively sees that the faith-based private charities have had a much more salutary impact, not least because they are run on a voluntary basis, and if they fail their funds tend to dry up.

Chapter 39

Ideas Rule; For Good or Ill: The Importance of Ideology

When I was young and foolish (the two don’t necessarily go together), I used to believe that rationality, common sense, and pragmatism would overcome ideology. That is, I thought that when push came to shove, and it became clear that our economic or political system was not working, when people were actually dying as a result of it, that it would be jettisoned in favor of something that could actually work, and thus save lives.

Chapter 40

Sex, Drugs, & Rock ‘n’ Roll; and Libertarianism

Susan Lee, a member of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, has written an interesting essay entitled “Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Her aim is to distinguish libertarians from conservatives. And a good thing, too, say I.

B. Secession

Chapter 41

If at First You Don’t Secede, Try, Try Again

The law of free association is a crucially important implication of the rights of private property (in physical material, and in our own bodies). For if we cannot freely associate with others on a mutually voluntary basis, our property rights are to that extent abrogated.

Chapter 42

Secession and Slavery

Professor Tibor Machan, in his essay “Lincoln, Secession and Slavery” has taken the position that while secession in and of itself is unobjectionable to the libertarian, it cannot properly be applied to political jurisdictions which practice slavery. For, if secession rights were allowed to slave-owning countries, it would in effect be to justify kidnappers absconding with their victims.

C. Punishment Theory

Chapter 43

The Death Penalty

At first glance, the death penalty seems cruel, unusual, horrendous, and uncivilized. It is one thing, the argument goes, for a murderer to bump someone off; this is truly an abomination, since all of human life is precious. However, it is quite another, and far worse, for society as a whole to kill such a person in response, retaliation or revenge, for we, at least, if not the criminal, are supposed to be enlightened.

Chapter 44

A Silving Lining in Unjust Executions?

I. Introduction

I contend that there is a silver lining in the executions undertaken by the government which DNA testing has later shown were unjust. That is, innocent men were murdered by the state, and here I am, seeing some good — from the point of view of libertarianism — in these horrific occurrences.