LP Monday Message: NYT columnist just doesn’t get it

May 17, 2010

Dear Friend of Liberty,

I’m pretty busy with preparations for our upcoming National Convention in St. Louis, so today’s Monday Message is a little briefer than usual.

You might have noticed this New York Times editorial by Paul Krugman. In it, he says that libertarianism doesn’t work, and proves it by pointing to the ongoing BP oil spill.

So let me get this straight: liability caps, which are very un-libertarian, and incompetent regulatory bureaucracies, which are very un-libertarian, show us that libertarianism is…no good?

I think I’ve heard this one before. Didn’t a lot of people point to the failures of the very heavily regulated banking system, and blame them on the free market?

It must be Opposite Day!

The folks at the Cato Institute have also commented on Mr. Krugman’s remarks here and here.

Sincerely,

Wes Benedict
Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee

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