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Paradigm Shift

The old guard built this movement. Without them, it’s unlikely any of us would be aware that a liberty movement even exists! This alone is an accomplishment. And the history books will look favorably upon them for it - & justifiably so. Their preference for a political approach however, has been ineffective at bringing about liberty (just take a look around, if you’re still permitted). Progress hasn’t just stagnated, we’ve been losing ground rapidly. It’s time for a paradigm shift. One that moves away from the old way of thinking & instead focuses on teaching people how to opt out of corrupt systems & to build competing, market-based alternatives to state institutions. Like sports teams, ideas also get tired & worn out, old players retire, & new, fresh ideas take their place. In the world of ideas, when paradigm shifts occur, the old guard resists the change at first, but eventually comes around to seeing the benefits and virtues of the new way. This is how progres
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The Trouble With Dave Smith

 




On the issues, Dave & most agorists can find agreement 99 out of 100 times, but as libertarians we have a habit, a pastime - a duty even, to seek out & argue over the 1% of things we don’t agree on. In keeping with that tradition friends, I've got to tell you, when it comes to strategy, Dave Smith seriously fumbles the ball.

The fundamental issue is that @comicdavesmith is interested in creating libertarians, whereas agorists are interested in creating liberty. Dave has a classic case of @perbylund’s Savior Complex - the irrational desire of individualists to save the collective whole of society.

There are lots of problems with this, but even if creating libertarians is a worthy goal, does that mean the Libertarian Party is the best vehicle to accomplish this task? Has anything the Libertarian Party ever done caused even a slight retreat of statism?


Dave rightly points to his own success at spreading the message of liberty. It's true, no one - save Ron Paul or Tom Woods - has converted more people over the past ten years than Dave, but he did it all through entrepreneurship - podcasting, comedy specials, public appearances, etc - not politics or partyarchy.

Now Dave justifies his new approach because Ron Paul did it thirteen years ago. But Ron Paul did it from one of the two major political parties, not a minor third party that lacks representation on the Federal Election Commission & thus, has no real shot of ever being allowed on their debate stage or being given the sort of exposure Dave is after.

But I’m not justifying the paleo approach either. Even from within the duopoly, Ron Paul’s success at spreading the message was an isolated example, an outlier, an anomaly - and it's unwise to base any long term strategy on anomalies.


As Per Bylund has said, “politics is not a means to achieve freedom from politics.” More on this & other non-political approaches to liberty in my forthcoming book, Anti-Politics, scheduled for release later this month..


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