What Is Libertarianism? by David Gordon

What Is Libertarianism? by David Gordon:

The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What’s Wrong With America. By Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch. Public Affairs, 2011. Xv 264 pages.

Gillespie and Welch rightly see that the Ron Paul movement represents a new force in American politics, but Paul is not really to their taste. On the one hand, these authors note, "Ron Paul said something truly distinct in 2008 about the nature of power – namely, that government should have less of it on all levels and in every instance.

‘I don’t want to run your life,’ Paul said. I don’t want to run the economy. . .I don’t want to run the world.’ Such sentiments are simultaneously radical and fully in the Jeffersonian tradition of governing best while governing least." (pp.38-9)

On the other hand, though Gillespie and Welch applaud this message, they do not care for Paul personally. He has "a stage presence straight out of an Asperger’s syndrome conference. . .For a thousand reasons. . .Ron Paul is in no way a viable candidate for anything other than his safe congressional seat." (p.38-9).
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