“ [In the U.S.], “libertarian” means “extreme advocate of total tyranny”… It means power ought to be given into the hands of private unaccountable tyrannies. Even worse than state tyrannies, because there the public has some kind of role. But the corporate system, especially as it has evolved in the twentieth century, is pure tyranny. Completely unaccountable. You’re inside one of these institutions, you take orders from above, you hand it down below… there’s nothing you can say, tyrannies do what they feel like, they’re global in scale. This is the extreme opposite of what been called “libertarian” everywhere in the world since the enlightenment.
Noam Chomksy (via azspot)
I’m paraphrasing here, but I once had a surprisingly cordial argument with a libertarian, and my argument was basically, “We totally need government for regulatory agencies. We need the EPA; we need to prevent monopolies, etc.” And he was all, “But politicians are corrupt; they’re bought and sold by corporations via lobbyists.” And I asked, “So, what, we just cut out the middle man and let corporations do all their dirty work without fear of reprisal?” To which he responded, essentially, “….”
It’s not that I particularly love the government, or our system; I’m just scared shitless of the “libertarian” alternative.
(via azspot)
1 year ago • 76 notes
