http://toddseavey.com/2007/03/01/book-selection-of-the-month-radicals-for-capitalism-by-brian-doherty/ Conservatism for punks. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:12:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.9 http://toddseavey.com/2007/03/01/book-selection-of-the-month-radicals-for-capitalism-by-brian-doherty/#comment-8951 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 19:34:46 +0000 http://toddseavey.com/2007/03/01/book-selection-of-the-month-radicals-for-capitalism-by-brian-doherty/#comment-8951 [...] Despite Rothbard turning so culturally conservative that he became anti-immigration in the end and even denounced the Marx Brothers for setting a bad example of rude anarchic behavior (such as crashing Margaret Dumond’s parties), I find myself thinking more and more (especially after reading Brian Doherty’s history of the libertarian movement, Radicals for Capitalism) that Rothbard was the first figure in the history of the movement whose mind feels contemporary with and in some ways similar to my own — a New York City-dwelling prankster, he realized how hopeless and ridiculous the marginal position of the libertarian movement appeared and nonetheless enjoyed triangulating his way toward freedom via different strategies and strange allegiances.  And he was funny.  When asked if he was conspiracy theorist, for instance, he replied in his honking, Bert-from-Sesame Street-like voice, “Well, I’m not a conspiracy theorist — but sometimes conspiracies happen.” [...] […] Despite Rothbard turning so culturally conservative that he became anti-immigration in the end and even denounced the Marx Brothers for setting a bad example of rude anarchic behavior (such as crashing Margaret Dumond’s parties), I find myself thinking more and more (especially after reading Brian Doherty’s history of the libertarian movement, Radicals for Capitalism) that Rothbard was the first figure in the history of the movement whose mind feels contemporary with and in some ways similar to my own — a New York City-dwelling prankster, he realized how hopeless and ridiculous the marginal position of the libertarian movement appeared and nonetheless enjoyed triangulating his way toward freedom via different strategies and strange allegiances.  And he was funny.  When asked if he was conspiracy theorist, for instance, he replied in his honking, Bert-from-Sesame Street-like voice, “Well, I’m not a conspiracy theorist — but sometimes conspiracies happen.” […]

]]> http://toddseavey.com/2007/03/01/book-selection-of-the-month-radicals-for-capitalism-by-brian-doherty/#comment-107 Wed, 18 Apr 2007 05:09:30 +0000 http://toddseavey.com/2007/03/01/book-selection-of-the-month-radicals-for-capitalism-by-brian-doherty/#comment-107 [...] http://www.nysun.com/article/47255 (NOTE: The above was sent as a mass e-mail in the days prior to the debate and was posted on this blog retroactively in April 2007. Click here for other Debates at Lolita Bar. I review Doherty’s book here.) [...] […] http://www.nysun.com/article/47255 (NOTE: The above was sent as a mass e-mail in the days prior to the debate and was posted on this blog retroactively in April 2007. Click here for other Debates at Lolita Bar. I review Doherty’s book here.) […]

]]> http://toddseavey.com/2007/03/01/book-selection-of-the-month-radicals-for-capitalism-by-brian-doherty/#comment-18 Mon, 02 Apr 2007 05:18:03 +0000 http://toddseavey.com/2007/03/01/book-selection-of-the-month-radicals-for-capitalism-by-brian-doherty/#comment-18 [...] Being feisty doesn’t make someone wrong, whether he’s an atheist or, say, a libertarian — like some of the crackpots and hotheads who populate Brian Doherty’s new book on the history of libertarianism, Radicals for Capitalism, which is both the March ToddSeavey.com Book Selection of the Month and the topic of a reading by the author at our next Lolita Bar gathering, Wed., March 7 (at 8pm). We probably won’t get much of a chance to talk about Darwin that night, but I wouldn’t be surprised if abolitionists, Lincoln, slavery, Republicans, and Bush all get mentioned. [...] […] Being feisty doesn’t make someone wrong, whether he’s an atheist or, say, a libertarian — like some of the crackpots and hotheads who populate Brian Doherty’s new book on the history of libertarianism, Radicals for Capitalism, which is both the March ToddSeavey.com Book Selection of the Month and the topic of a reading by the author at our next Lolita Bar gathering, Wed., March 7 (at 8pm). We probably won’t get much of a chance to talk about Darwin that night, but I wouldn’t be surprised if abolitionists, Lincoln, slavery, Republicans, and Bush all get mentioned. […]

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