Glenn Reynolds has a review about Ron Paul's new book over at PJs, and he speaks in a criticism that is rather muted about the rEVOLution:
My biggest disagreement, and that of many libertarians with Paul, involves national security. Paul and I are both libertarians, but of different varieties. Paul is an old-fashioned Rothbardian. I’m more of a Heinleinian libertarian and we, like the Randian libertarians, tend to view national defense as more important than the Rothbardians do.
Allow me to come to Glenn's defense in a little more blunt manner. Ron Paul's brand of libertarianism is a completely bizarre ideology that should've never embarked into the political arena from the discussion that spawned it at some Star Trek convention in Palookaville. I'm a moderate libertarian, and it's necessary as a society to understand that our actions affect the construct of society around us, but the state should have a minimal role in civilization with the exception of protecting life, liberty, and property. But I don't know how this simplistic view translates into 9/11 truther imbeciles wanting the LP candidates to sign an "investigation pledge", a revolt at the RNC planned with the intellectual fortitude of some middle school food fight against "the cool kids", and "paleo-libertarians" telling us working for Uncle Sam that we are "dishonorable" because we're serving Darth Sith Cheney (and this from a former Navy Officer! Who is this guy, Benedict Arnold?).
While most candidates will always have their nutty fringe, Ron Paul seems to have these people en masse. I think their hearts are in the right place (at least the younger ones), but let's all come out of our mother's basement and realize the world in not black and white like when you gazed at Luke taking on Darth Vader in your prepubescence days. That's how these crackpot views floating around perpetuate (e.g. the Bush Administration got us into Iraq which is bad, therefore 9/11 was an inside job). No Paul fans, the world exists in shades of gray...
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