Libertarians went from left-wing to ‘right-wing extremists’ overnight

If, on March 3rd 1933, you fell asleep a Libertarian, whom for the past 20 years had been called a member of the Left who worked alongside Progressives and Socialists in America then by the time you awoken on the morning of March 4th you would have been a “right-wing extremist”. How can this be? One day you are a member of the Left and next day you are being called a “fascist” and a “conservative”.

What about when the people you for 20 years allied yourself with suddenly turned their back on you. The ones you mentored in university classes, you wrote newspaper articles with, you protested with in the streets, they all suddenly look upon you with disdain. This is not some nightmare that someone had or some fictional dystopian book, this was real, and it happened right here in the United States.

From the onset of World War I and the Orwellian policies implemented by the Wilson administration a close alliance of necessity was formed by all those who seen the absolute terror being caused by the state. Libertarians, Anarchists, Socialists, Communists, and Progressives all came together. The entire issue of Laissez-faire capitalism, socialism, and such division was abandoned temporarily as a more pressing issue was being raised.

Before their eyes these men and women witnessed this country morph from one of a bastion of liberty to one with a propaganda bureau, citizen spies, arrest for protesting and speaking out against the state, federal segregation, the imposition of a powerful central bank, excessive taxation upon the people, and the involvement of the United States in the Great War. These citizens witnessed arguably the policies of the first Fascist leader in world history; Woodrow Wilson.

In 1920 Americans rose up against the entire history of the Wilson administration. They despised his foreign, domestic, and social policies which in turn created an era of rebellion, radical politics, and the rise of individualism once again. The Left did not completely win however as they now witnessed the government and big business get in bed with each other like never before along the continuation of national prohibition.

By the early 30s enemy number one for the left (Libertarians, Anarchists, Progressives, Socialists) was President Hoover. He began many of the policies which would become known as the New Deal, albeit to a far lesser degree. Since he was a Republican and the Republicans were the party of big business and prohibition the left set its sights on taking control of the Democratic Party again. Al Smith was the leading candidate for party nomination in 1932. Smith was a staunch anti-prohibitionist, non-interventionist, leader of the efficiency movement, and a limited government type, so obviously he appealed to the left.

He did not however win the party nomination. It instead went to 1920 Vice Presidential candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt who proposed a ‘New Deal’ for the American people. Basically it was taking Hoovers’ policies, making them more radical and intrusive, and then adding his class warfare rhetoric into the mix. Seeing as how Hoover was so disliked at the time almost anyone could have defeated him in the election.

Seeing what Roosevelt was proposing angered Hoover because Roosevelt had taken the original bureaucratic programs supported by big business and pushed them further than he had or would. Please understand at that time Hoover was big government and Roosevelt was trying to beat him at it, i.e. who could out-statist the other.

Such New Deal programs as the NRA and AAA were basically just spin-offs of the Swope Plan, which was headed by General Electric CEO Gerald Swope and supported by the other big businesses. Hoover already refused to go as far as the Swope Plan even calling it “fascism”, angering almost all the big businessmen and the Chamber of Commerce, who then warned Hoover that they would throw their support behind Roosevelt. To prove how serious they were with their words when Roosevelt did enact the NRA and AAA it was Swope, Harriman, and Baruch who were involved in drafting and even administering the programs. So in effect, the New Deal was backed by the wealthiest businessmen in America.

Within only a few months of Roosevelt’s inauguration the Left collapsed. The Libertarians were appalled to realize that their old allies had now became their staunchest enemies, joining with the Roosevelt clique of liberal intellectuals, big business, big labor, and the state. Men and women who once fought against the state were now writing articles, doing seminars, and attacking their former allies and conservatives in defense of the state.

It did not end there however. Abandoning your old friends is bad enough but it became even worse. These newly empowered allies of the state then turned against their old friends by viciously attacking them with such labels as ‘reactionaries’, ‘right-wing extremists’, and ‘fascists’. How did these radicals of the left suddenly become right-wing and conservative? Did their positions suddenly shift? No. They still battled the state, opposed war and monopolies.

Now allow me to quote for you a little from Murray Rothbard’s ‘The Betrayal of the American Right’:

“Thus, in December 1933, Nock wrote angrily to Canon Bernard Iddings Bell: “I see I am now rated as a Tory. So are you—ain’t it? What an ignorant blatherskite FDR must be! We have been called many bad names, you and I, but that one takes the prize.” Nock’s biographer adds that “Nock thought it odd that an announced radical, anarchist, individualist, single-taxer and apostle of Spencer should be called conservative.” (Betrayal, p. 50)

From this betrayal of their former friends and allies emerged a new coalition, one completely unthinkable until that time. Libertarians, Anarchists, and the big business Conservatives all came together under a new coalition, one which was now outright opposed to the entire doctrine of New Deal welfarism and statism.

Progressives, Socialists, and even Communists joined together with the Liberals to push through the New Deal. The new coalitions had been born. One even the issue of World War II intervention could not tear apart.

Libertarians watched as the Conservative Republicans all fell over each other denouncing the Democrats New Deal. These were the same Republicans who for the past 20 years been pushing new regulations, bureaucracies, tariffs, and prohibition, all issues which are opposed to that of liberty. Many of the Conservative Democrats joined in the anti-New Deal crowd as well, forming the American Liberty League.

As we turn back to the core point of this piece, that of the Libertarians overnight going from Left to ‘Extreme-right’ without even moving, it begs the question of what exactly happened to the new ‘left’ and ‘right’. Did the Old Right just disappear with the death of Robert Taft and the rise of National Review Republicans or did the ‘Old Right’ re-emerge years later with the rise of the Vietnam War protests, Hippie movement, and the Individualist politics that defined the era?

If we are to accept that many, perhaps most, of the ‘old right’ members joined the ‘new left’ then where did they go after the protests died? Perhaps there is no real defining answer to that question other than saying that the ‘old left’ then ‘old right’ then ‘new left’ is just a constant current in American politics that will spring up with their Individualist and Non-interventionist politics on any side of the political spectrum.

We may have even seen them once again in 2009-2010 with the large scale Tea Party protests that swept the country and the arrival of a new breed of Republican, a more Individualist, states’ rights, and non-interventionist wing of the Republican Party. Much like the Democratic Party of the late 60s and early 70s, this wing is now fighting for control over the party and is trying to reassert itself as a dominant force in American politics, moving us in a more Individualist, liberty-loving, and isolationist direction.

With that could we then see the ‘new right’ take the torch of individual freedom and peace that the ‘new left’ held? Where would that put the present day Liberals when Neoconservatives and Social conservatives are forced to battle for their political life in a Republican Party now becoming overtaken by fiscal conservatism and isolationism? Will they go back home to the Democratic Party? And if so could we now expect a realignment of American politics?

With that all stated and the questions asked I do leave you to ponder what I have said and bid you a good day.

Not for Moderators: This was also posted to my blog so I was not copyrighting it from another author this is my authentic work. If there is any problems please send me a u2u.

after reading that

i see the modern day versions repeating themselves.

the ge ceo of yesteryear and the ge ceo of today i guess it proves just how long and how much some corporations have been in bed with government.

politics all the same just that days and years change.

reply to post by neo96


It is odd that we still see GE in such a powerful position even after 80 years has gone by. So I guess we should just see them as our permanent pain in the neck?

reply to post by Misoir


yeah unless we get a libertarians in the office and elected into congress

ge,haliburton the ones we know about but then what about the ones we dont know about.

they have been there 80 years already doesnt look like they will be going anywhere

but i dont think it matters what party or ideology they bring cash in the end thats all that matters

I have been thinking alot lately about Ron Paul. I remember when I was in the military, how well their intimidation worked on us new young ones. I have this (conspiracy theory) that when a new guy gets into the WhiteHouse, he gets descended upon, by the Intel types, probably intimidated out of his mind by them, perhaps secret incidents even more heinous and sci/fi. Obama --- couldn't wait ---- while sleep deprived even! to get into that oval office and begin his work. But immediately he was "briefed" by the Intels. After that, no more "Change that we can believe in."
Paul strikes me as a mild mannered nice guy, but he knows what is really going on. But he still seems a mild mannered nice guy. If he were to get in, could he withstand the intimidation onslaught assault???

When Bob Barr won the nomination I realized that the party was long dead. I had held out hope for years, but this was the last straw.

There's just no way to reconcile his authorship of the defense of marriage act vs state rights.

reply to post by Misoir


In my opinion Libertarians have always been fringe to mainstream society as of recent times. There was a time when the idea of Libertarianism was mainstream, during the 19th century it was at it's height in my opinion, but it quickly grew out of preference. Libertarians have consistently scored low in elections, and those individuals who hold ideals closest to libertarianism, those of Reagan and Bush, seldomly bring those ideas into play. Although Libertarianism sounds like a wonderful idea, it's unrealistic to believe that society will actually go through with it. Nobody likes idea of a society without safety nets and near privatization, ofcourse people will say they support the idea, but very seldomly will they go through it.

What's my particular issue with Libertarianism? Well aside from this idea that we should go back to apply standard 19th or 18th century solutions to 21st century issues, I don't like the idea of the states been given the right to dictate more so than they already can. Fascism is a two way street, whether it's at the federal level or at the state level. In the 60's, the then Libertarian leaning republican candidate, Barry Goldwater, believed the issue of racial segregation was a states issue. No. No it's not a state issue, it's a constitutional issue, and giving states complete power arrives to fascism no different than that of the federal government.

Unless we arrive to some post-apocolyptic world, or until our civilization advances to a significant point, libertarianism will not work in the real world in my opinion. It's been tried and it just has not worked. Mind you though, I do not absolutely hate the idea of a libertarian taking to office of the presidency, and maybe that of congress. This country needs to learn from action, not by talk, so if libertarians even get their way in the whitehouse, it will be an opportunity for americans to watch and learn about consequences from actions. Obviously many folks didn't learn a thing from the last administration.

reply to post by Misoir


So, wait... 20 years pass between march 3 and march 4th?

reply to post by Misoir


The entirity of your post is wholly undermined by another part of it;

The entire issue of Laissez-faire capitalism, socialism, and such division was abandoned temporarily as a more pressing issue was being raised.

Libertarians were never part of "the left," Misoir. Perhaps they banded together with the other political outcasts for a period (I don't see any evidence to back this, though I dunno if "Libertarians" as such even existed at this point; I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt) but the ideals of Libertarianism - a black-and-white philosophy where every political ideal is either pure good or pure evil - inherently conflict with, well, every other less fundamentalist political outlook.

Originally posted by neo96
reply to post by Misoir

 

yeah unless we get a libertarians in the office and elected into congress

ge,haliburton the ones we know about but then what about the ones we dont know about.

they have been there 80 years already doesnt look like they will be going anywhere

but i dont think it matters what party or ideology they bring cash in the end thats all that matters

edit on 17-6-2011 by neo96 because: (no reason given)

ge,haliburton,exxon,wallstreet,one world order globalists, and bp are not going to let an outsider get into that position of power without turning him into a puppet.

Politics is a fraud, there are no elections, no freedom...its all a charade