Sunday 24 October 2010

Conservative America: heed the recent past!

In one of Murray Rothbard's last articles, in 1994, he calls out Gingrich the fake conservative and even faker libertarian. It should serve as a reminder to today's conservatives that getting a few more Republicans into Congress means nothing if they're of the Gingrich variety.

Gingrich's support of the libertarian revolution is, so far, only lip service. His concrete proposals would likely expand the welfare state's burden on the taxpayers, for example, by forcing states to create and operate a vast array of government orphanages and group homes. Instead of being rearranged, spending should be slashed and the money returned to its original owners.

The Gingrichians had petty reservations about the Clinton crime bill, but they enthusiastically supported the dangerous nationalization of crime-fighting functions, which, according to both libertarian precepts and the Constitution, are supposed to dwell exclusively in the states and local communities. And we should never forget that Gingrich advocated a compromise with the president on health care.

The infiltration and neutralisation of the Tea Party is well noted. Nevertheless, there is a measure of hope that the forthcoming elections will do some good and throw at least some of the bums out.

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