Why Condone Putin?
Why are so many people who say they ‘identify’ as Libertarian so taken with condoning Putin’s War of aggression?
‘’Libertarianism, or laissez-faire, is a philosophy of Law. Its purpose is to identify what constitutes aggression and strive for a society where aggression (and aggression alone) is recognized as a crime.
It’s not about making wrong predictions. It’s not about repeating shifting propaganda lies from state media. It’s not about advising dictators on mass murder tactics. It’s not about game theory (nor lack thereof), or tactics for negotiating with terrorists. It’s not pacifism. It’s not nihilism. And it’s definitely not about its converse, encouraging or excusing, or indeed advocating for, aggressions.
Large factions of the libertarian movement, especially following the Rothbardian tradition, have been profoundly wrong (whether factually or theoretically) on matters regarding “foreign policy”. Their reactions to the blatant aggression of Ukraine by the Russian army have made those fundamental flaws in reasoning, contradictions and pseudo-smart contrarianism more striking than ever.’’
Jan Krepelka and others Laissez - Faire
Krepelka is correct is identifying that alleged Libertarians are simply being contrarian, rather than condemning Russia for blatant aggression and for the attempting to annexe the oil and gas reserves in the Donbas basin.
Some of the ‘insights’ provided, and predictions made are spectacularly wrong.
EU and CIA interference in Ukraine’s internal affairs, prior to the Maidan Revolution, is fully documented. This took place in Ukraine in February 2014 at the end of the Euromaidan protests, when deadly clashes between protesters and the security forces in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv culminated in the ousting of elected President Viktor Yanukovych and the overthrow of the Ukrainian government. Equally, Russians were also just as active in the conflict.
Libertarianism is founded on the philosophy of non-aggression, it does however allow defence, it is not a pacifist philosophy.
The Ukraine is fully entitled to defend itself by whatever means.
The full article is here http://laissez-faire.ch/.../libertarianism-is-against.../
Andrew Withers FRSA
