Labeling my political autoimmune disorder

Glenn links a post by Ilya Somin dealing with the stubborn issue of what libertarians should call themselves.

Themselves?

Right there, I hesitated. I wanted to say "ourselves" but I didn't -- because of the inevitable baggage that first person plurality carries. I don't and I cannot speak for libertarians, and I don't even know whether I should call myself one. I use the term as a point of reference only -- mainly because it give a closer approximation to my political philosophy than other words in the popular political vocabulary. Also, every time I take one of those political litmus tests, the test has put me squarely within the libertarian camp, so it seems fair to mention that fact from time to time. I don't mean to mislead anyone or imply that I am speaking for anyone but myself.

The problem with using any political label to identify yourself is that we do not live in a perfect world where people understand that these terms are often approximations. Pure libertarians, like pure liberals or pure conservatives, exist mainly in theory. Put a bunch of members of any one of these groups together in any room, and there will be fierce disagreements. Libertarians can be some of the worst pains-in-the-ass -- especially the ones who believe that libertarianism is some sort of fixed, verifiable ideology. (No, I didn't use the "o" word -- because I am trying to be objective, not Objectivist.)

For me, the biggest headache doesn't come from conservatives who call me liberal (or liberals who call me conservative); it comes from people who call themselves libertarians, and who accuse me of not being a "real" libertarian?

Well, excuse me, but when did I pledge allegiance to "real libertarianism"? All I have ever wanted to do was to be allowed to think whatever the hell it is I think. I don't claim to be ideologically correct, nor can I claim that I am necessarily right about anything. I might very well be wrong. But I am not wrong about a given issue simply because someone claims I am "not a real libertarian." I am not wrong because someone calls me a liberal. Nor am I wrong because someone calls me a conservative. Why, I don't even think it makes wrong if someone calls me an "Ann Coulter" or a "Roy Cohn" or even a "lobbyist."

I don't like playing label games. They interfere with independent thinking. I don't mind using a label on myself if that will help people have a general understanding of my thinking, but I refuse to conform to the label. I've called myself a "classical liberal" and a "neolibertarian" -- and more recently I've enjoyed calling myself a Goldwater liberal. Has a nice confusing ring, and I hope the label mongers find it as irritating as I find it reassuring.

But anyone can label me. Fire away!

My ultimate goal is label immunity.

I'm human, though, and because I have these god-damned things we call "feelings" I might never get to such a place.

posted by Eric on 07.06.06 at 10:00 AM





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Comments

I was actually a registered Libertarian for a while, and even after I left they tried to solicit my husband to run for local office as a big "L" libertarian.

Hubby left the L party after 9/11 when the party started acting huffy about responding.

I don't care for labels as LABELS..but I use them a bit as a road map. If one says "libertarian" or "social_ist" I know basically what house on the street one lives in, if not the bedroom in the house or in the guest house out back.

The problem really arises when people hold different definitions for a single label.

Want to start a fight? Ask who is, is not, a "real" feminist!!! hee hee...

Darleen   ·  July 6, 2006 06:15 PM

You're right -- about the road map and about feminism.

I learned my lesson when I asked a feminist why a woman who has the right to to have her fetus aborted should not also have the right to pose in front of a camera for money. The latter is "completely different" as the woman is being "exploited," I was told. I once thought feminism meant independence for women, but I learned this didn't mean independence from government.

Eric Scheie   ·  July 6, 2006 09:54 PM


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