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Libertarianism (fromFrench:libertaire,lit. 'libertarian'; or fromLatin:libertas,lit. 'freedom') is apolitical philosophy that holds freedom, personalsovereignty, andliberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with thenon-aggression principle, according to which each individual has the right to live as they choose, as long as they do not violate the rights of others by initiating force or fraud against them.
Libertarianism has been broadly shaped byliberal ideas. Libertarians advocate the expansion of individualautonomy and politicalself-determination, emphasizing the principles ofequality before the law and the protection ofcivil rights, including the rights tofreedom of association,freedom of speech,freedom of thought andfreedom of choice. They generally support individual liberty and opposeauthority,state power,warfare,militarism andnationalism, but some libertarians diverge on the scope and nature of their opposition to existingeconomic andpolitical systems. (Full article...)
Libertarian Marxism refers to a broad scope ofeconomic andpolitical philosophies that emphasize theanti-authoritarian aspects ofMarxism. Early currents of libertarian Marxism, known asleft communism, emerged in opposition toMarxism–Leninism and its derivatives, such asStalinism andMaoism.
Libertarian Marxism is also often critical ofreformist positions, such as those held bysocial democrats. Libertarian Marxist currents often draw fromKarl Marx andFriedrich Engels' later works, specifically theGrundrisse andThe Civil War in France, emphasizing the Marxist belief in the ability of theworking class to forge its own destiny without the need for arevolutionary party orstate to mediate or aid its liberation. Along withanarchism, libertarian Marxism is one of the main currents oflibertarian socialism.
Libertarian Marxism includes such currents ascouncil communism,De Leonism,Socialisme ou Barbarie,Lettrism/Situationism andworkerism/autonomism and parts of theNew Left. Libertarian Marxism has often had a strong influence on bothpost-left andsocial anarchists. Notable theorists of libertarian Marxism have includedAnton Pannekoek,Raya Dunayevskaya,CLR James,E. P. Thompson,Rosa Luxemburg,Antonio Negri,Cornelius Castoriadis,Maurice Brinton,Guy Debord,Daniel Guérin,Fredy Perlman,Ernesto Screpanti andRaoul Vaneigem.
| “ | I remember the occasion when a fellowgraduate student atColumbia fromSweden wanted to take me downtown to a restaurant for a Swedish meal and introduced me to the Swedish drinkaquavit. This was a restaurant at which this Swedish fellow had been getting aquavit all duringProhibition; they had been selling it to him. And this was just after the repeal of Prohibition. We went there and he asked them for some aquavit. They said, "Oh, no, we haven't gotten our license yet." And finally, he talked to them in Swedish and persuaded them to take us into the back where they gave us a glass of aquavit apiece. Now that shows the absurdity of it. Prohibition was repealed in 1933 when I was 21 years old, so was a teenager during most of Prohibition. Alcohol was readily available.Bootlegging was common. Any idea that alcohol prohibition was keeping people from drinking was absurd. There werespeakeasies all over the place. But more than that. We had this spectacle ofAl Capone, of thehijackings, of thegang wars... Anybody with two eyes could see that this was a bad deal, that you were doing more harm than good. In addition, I became aneconomist. And as an economist, I came to recognize the importance of markets and of free choice and of consumer sovereignty and came to discover the harm that was done when you interfered with them. The laws against drugs were passed in 1914, but there was no very great enforcement of it. | ” |
| — Milton Friedman (1912–2006) America's Drug Forum (1991) |
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| Credit: Lance W. Haverkamp |
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John Frank Stossel (born March 6, 1947) is an Americanlibertarian television presenter, author, consumer journalist, political activist, and pundit. He is known for his career as a host onABC News,Fox Business Network, andReason TV.
Stossel's style combines reporting and commentary. It reflects a "small L" libertarian political philosophy and views on economics which are largely supportive of thefree market. He began his journalism career as a researcher forKGW-TV, was a consumer reporter atWCBS-TV in New York City, and then joined ABC News as a consumer editor and reporter onGood Morning America. Stossel became anABC Newscorrespondent, joining the weekly news magazine program20/20, and later became aco-anchor. In October 2009, Stossel leftABC News to join theFox Business Network. He hosted a weekly news show on Fox Business,Stossel, from December 2009 to December 2016. In 2019, Stossel launched StosselTV, an online channel distributed on social media. (Full article...)
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